Who Is Grace Beyer, Caitlin Clark’s Biggest Competition?
Pete Maravich’s record for the most points scored in NCAA Division I college basketball is being approached by Caitlin Clark.
However, the outstanding player from Iowa still has a ways to go before she can equal the accomplishments of Grace Beyer, a 22-year-old player for the obscure University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy.
Caitlin Clark, 22, is 50 points shy of Pistol Pete’s legendary record of 3,667 points, which he established while attending LSU in 1967–1970. Clark has earned 3,617 points in her undergraduate career.
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Compared to Beyer, who has an astounding 3,874 points from her stint at the NAIA school, they are both far behind.
Beyer’s coach Jillian Lipman-Segura told the Associated Press, “What she’s doing is just remarkable.”
“She makes everything look so easy.”
Many media outlets have taken notice of Caitlin Clark’s accomplishments in breaking Kelsey Plum’s NCAA women’s scoring record.
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But Beyer, whether she plays basketball or not, has quietly emerged as one of the best scorers in collegiate history.
Upon leading Wisconsin’s Mukwonago High School to the state semifinals, Beyer attracted the attention of multiple Division I schools.
Though pursuing a doctorate in pharmacy required at least two more years of study after completing a four-year undergraduate degree, she was adamant about continuing her education.
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Upon discovering Beyer’s academic aspirations, the offers from Division I universities rapidly dwindled.
“I had a lot of conversations with my parents and they urged me to prepare for the 40 years of my life rather than the four years of college,” Beyer said.
“It’s kind of a big concept to grasp when you’re in high school, but I just knew that I wanted to be happy and have a career in something I’m going to enjoy.
“And basketball? I’ll enjoy that wherever I play.”
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She currently plays for a little institution in St. Louis called Mortarmer McPestle, who has a white lab coat as his mascot.
Furthermore, Beyer’s squad takes buses to all away games; some of the trips might take up to seven hours.
With a regular scoring average of 40 points or more in games, including a career-high 59, the 5-foot-8 guard has drastically changed the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy program.
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Throughout her final year of collegiate basketball, Beyer has averaged more than 34 points.
In addition, she leads the team in assists, steals, and rebounds.
“There’s sometimes we’ll beat a team but they’ll be like, ‘Oh, Grace didn’t score 30, so it’s a win,'” Beyer said.
“But it’s not a win. You lost.
“So it’s kind of funny how some people’s mindsets are different, not even caring about the outcome of the game.”
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And considering Clark’s scoring accomplishments, she is flattered by the attention she is receiving.
“It’s amazing to be mentioned in the same breath as her,” she said.
