Bottles and buckets

BARNEVELD, Wis. — The night of Jan. 23, Izzy Durst accomplished something only seven others in the history of Barneveld High School girls basketball have done. She hit a layup in the first half, scoring 23 points in the first 18 minutes, bringing her career total over the 1,000-points mark.

Along with performing on the court, Durst finds time to work on her uncle and grandfather’s dairy farm near Barneveld. At Jones Valley Jerseys, Durst works with her uncle, Evan Jones, grandpa, Lew Jones, siblings and cousins to feed calves, milk cows and help with the chickens and goats. Durst also shows cattle during the summer. 

“It means a lot to be the eighth person in school history to do this,” Durst said. “I looked up to Hannah (Whitish) growing up. I was in second grade when Hannah and the team went to state in 2016 and my mom would always bring me to games. To know she was the last to reach 1,000 points means a lot to be at the same point she was at.”

Whitish is the program’s all-time leading scorer with over 2,000 points and went on to play four years at the University of Nebraska. She was a 4-year letterwinner in Lincoln, and continues to play professionally overseas. When back in the area, Whitish works with Durst to continue to elevate her game.

“Seeing the extra work Hannah has put in helps me play with a little bit of an edge,” Durst said. “She pushes me more and I never thought I’d be in this position, so her pushing me is just awesome.”

Already a 3-year letterwinner, reaching the 1,000-point plateau was a goal the junior had thought about since sixth grade, writing it down for a class project.

“I never really fully grasped what 1,000 points was when I was younger, it was just the benchmark,” Durst said. “I wrote that down along with helping my team reach the state tournament.”

Barneveld has historically been one of the toughest programs at Wisconsin’s Division 5 level, winning six state championships all under head coach Jim Myers.

After a few years away from the program, Myers returned to the gym with the Barneveld girls program this season where he became Wisconsin girls basketball’s all-time winningest head coach. He won his 711th game and broke the record the same night Durst earned her membership into the 1,000-point club.

“Back in the 70s, 80s and 90s, almost all of our girls were farm girls,” Myers said. “We might not have had the best teams, but we had kids that weren’t going to get outworked by anyone. They put in that extra effort and worked that much harder.”

The work ethic shaped by the farm is an element of Durst’s game Myers sees as a difference maker on the court. 

“Izzy’s work ethic is the first thing that comes to mind in helping her reach this point,” Myers said. “She’s a really good listener and takes criticism really well, even at times when she’s not looking for it. Her drive and her work ethic have helped her so much to this point.”

Learning how to handle criticism and continuing to have fun with what she is doing is something Durst said she has learned in the barn and on the court.

“What helps me most on the court is the work ethic,” Durst said. “Being there and being excited about what you’re there to do, owning up to what you did wrong and learning from it, that’s important when we’re working with the calves as we get them ready to show and continuing to grow on the court.”

Her experience on the farm has shaped her approach on the court she said. She works to continue to improve her game, elevate her teammates and keep a level-headed approach.

“You have to stay even-keel and not let your lows get too low or your highs too high,” Durst said. “There’s going to be times when the calf isn’t walking, or shots aren’t falling and people and the calves feed off of your attitude. It’s important to stay positive and mentally tough.”

Along with basketball and the farm, Durst is active in other organizations. She participates in cross country, track and plays soccer. She is a member of the math and forensics teams and student council. She participated in SkillsUSA and was a 4-H ambassador. 

“I really loved SkillsUSA,” Durst said. “That has helped me develop more life skills that I can use later in life.”

Durst and the Eagles played Highland Community Schools in the last game of the 2024-2025 regular season Feb. 21, resulting in a 56-29 win. Next up, Barneveld will begin the Wisconsin state tournament, hoping to return to the state title round and accomplish one of her other sixth-grade goals.

Durst has one more year remaining in high school. Following her senior year, she wants to play college basketball and study agriculture.

“I want to do something in the agriculture field and then I’ll go back and live on a farm,” Durst said. “Maybe branch off my uncle’s farm so it’s still a family farm, but I’ll have my own place there. That’d be awesome.”