January 24, 2004

     WALLINGFORD Claire Sullivan dribbled a basketball everywhere she went. Whether walking home from Moses Y. Beach Elementary School or on a weekend stroll to the library, she would always have an orange rubber ball to bounce on the sidewalk.
     Now a senior captain at Choate Rosemary Hall, Sullivan is using those skills she developed on her walks through town to break school records and earn a full basketball scholarship to Lehigh University (Pa.).
     The 17-year-old point guard recently became just the sixth player at Choate to eclipse the 1,000-point mark. She did it in a 40-39 win over Andover Jan. 10.
     "My Dad got me into basketball when I was in second grade," Sullivan said. "I loved it. It's a game you can play at any time and you can play by yourself, so that's what I did."
     Even though it was her father, Tim, who got her involved in basketball, it was her mother, Grace, who got her thinking about Choate. Grace accepted a job there when Claire was going into eighth grade at Dag Hammarskjold Middle School.
     "My parents really wanted me to apply, just to see if I could get in," Sullivan said. "It was a big culture shock for me. The kids are from all around the world and everyone is just so wealthy. I didn't really give anyone a chance at first, but now they're some of my best friends."
     Sullivan said the high academic standards at Choate have been tough, but she wouldn't want it any other way. That's why she chose Lehigh.
     "I really wanted to go to a good academic school," said Sullivan, whose final college choices included Yale, Brown, Boston University and Harvard. "Basketball is a big part of my life, but I want to be challenged academically too."
     She said the Lehigh coaching staff was also a big part of her decision.
     "I was blown away with their loyalty to me," she said. "I played in a tournament over the summer in D.C. and they came to see every game. They were very sincere. I've dealt with enough coaches in my life to know when someone is sincere or just blowing smoke. A lot of Division I coaches don't care about you as a person, only you as a basketball player; but I knew that wasn't the case at Lehigh."
     Sullivan played for the Connecticut Starters AAU team the past six summers and was selected as an honorable mention to the Street and Smith All-America team the past three seasons.
     "I think she brings so much passion, knowledge and experience of the game," 19-year Choate girls basketball coach Jim Davidson said. "That's why she's so invaluable to our team. She knows what she wants to do and she works very hard to accomplish those things."
     Although Sullivan has averaged 13.7 points per game over her four-year career at Choate, she is not just a scorer by any means.
     Sullivan had nine points, seven assists, five steals and a block in Choate's (7-2) 63-42 win over Loomis Chaffee Wednesday afternoon. She put up those numbers despite playing just 19:51 of the 32-minute game.
     She needs 23 more assists to break the school career record of 321. Choate has 12 more regular-season games and possibly more if they move on to the postseason.
     She also is on pace to break the school record for games played on a winning team. Choate has a record of 52-25 during her career, that's eight wins shy of the record.
     How about defensively? Of the team's 97 steals this season, Sullivan has 38.
     Davidson also raved about Sullivan's leadership abilities.
     "It's like having another coach out on the floor," Davidson said. "When you're in a game, you can't just listen to the people on the bench because sometimes it's too slow. To have someone like her on the floor is a big advantage."
     "I've played in so many games in my life and I feel very comfortable on the court," Sullivan said. "It's where I want to be."