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The heat is on. And it has been all season long for Geneva’s Leah Palmer.
The senior guard/forward met with Geneva coach Sarah Meadows in the preseason. She does that with each player individually to lay out goals and expectations.
Meadows’ meeting with Palmer revolved around one major focus — she was going to be the engine that drives the Vikings.
“The first couple games it wasn’t easy, and I had to adjust and learn as the games went on,” Palmer said. “Now that I’ve settled in and figured out what my team needs from me, it’s been successful.
“It’s a lot of pressure because you don’t want to be a ball hog, but you also don’t want to pass up shots.”
Palmer’s successful season continued last week as she earned all-tournament honors at Morton College.
Geneva (10-5) came up short in defense of its title in that Christmas tournament, losing to eventual champion Alton and Mother McAuley to take sixth. Palmer scored 27 points against unbeaten Alton, which beat Batavia for the title.
Still, Palmer has been the driving force for the Vikings, who have started 5-0 in the DuKane Conference. It was exactly what Meadows had envisioned for her.
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“I think she was ready to do this,” Meadows said. “Sometimes last year she did as well. I just think she’s excited to be that person for us. I think she’s all over it.
“If you watch her, Leah just plays hard. She’s tough. She’s strong. She’s kind of no nonsense, and she’s a competitor. That’s just her mentality and how she goes about her business. She just gets it done.”
Batavia coach Kevin Jensen has seen Palmer’s evolution up close the past four seasons. Palmer erupted for 30 points and 11 rebounds in a 52-44 win over the Bulldogs on Dec. 15.
“Leah is playing out of her mind,” Jensen said. “The confidence level is so high, but it seems like she’s embracing the idea of carrying them.
“It’s not that she’s trying to force shots up, but she takes three times as many shots as anybody else on the team. But they’re good shots. She’s got pretty much every part of the game going right now.”
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That is what Palmer worked for in the offseason, and she’s seeing that work rewarded.
“I worked so hard over the summer, and I want to use everything I’ve learned and use this to become a better player in the future,” Palmer said. “I’ve been so grateful for the success because it’s so nice to see the work I put in pay off.”
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The start of that work came in the weight room. It then transferred to the gym. It was nothing but good old-fashioned time and effort that have brought her to this spot.
“It was a little bit of everything,” Palmer said. “I did work in the weight room to get stronger and faster, put up a lot of shots. I knew I was going to have to do everything so the focus was to improve all aspects of my game.”
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Meadows has always said she doesn’t want her teams playing their best around the holidays, peaking instead in late February. She feels the Vikings are on their way despite the two tough losses to end the holiday tournament.
“I think we improve with every game and we build confidence every game, and that’s exactly what we want,” Meadows said. “We’ve learned what we need to do to get a ‘W’ and the kids understand that. We’re starting to build on some things.”
Palmer also has seen the team’s resiliency.
“We hustle, rebound and find ways to win with our hustle and our heart,” she said.
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.