In writing a story about a particular athlete reaching a particular milestone, it is absolutely essential to qualify that accomplishment.

I have learned, in the 12 years I’ve been writing this column, that it is best to avoid the use of the word “first” or “only,” for example.

As soon as I use either one of those words, I can definitely expect to be corrected.

That is especially true of girls high school sports and, more specifically, of girls high school basketball.

One reason is that basketball, unlike field hockey, softball, soccer, track or swimming, has changed dramatically over the years.

In the old six-girl, half-court game, only forwards could shoot.

Often it was the tallest forward on the team, and she scored most of the points. One of the better examples is the former Anita Belanger, who played for Mattawamkeag in the ’50s. Belanger scored 1,128 points in her senior year alone, and had 2,209 points in three years of basketball.

I started a file on 1,000-point scorers some years ago, but that file became so filled I stoppped adding to it.

With the improved quality of girls basketball, plus the 3-point shot, it’s now the 2,000-point scorers of whom we’re trying to keep closer track.

All this, of course, is a round-about way of explaining why, when I wrote a story recently of Trisha Ripton’s surpassing the 1,000-point career milestone, it was well qualified.

Ripton plays for Stearns of Millinocket. In reporting her career milestone, I qualified the accomplishment by reporting she was “in the select company of two who are believed to have surpassed 1,000 points in their junior year playing for a Class A team.”

The qualifiers, in case you missed them, are that she accomplished this feat as a junior; she accomplished this feat playing in a Class A program; and that she was believed to be one of two who had reached that mark in that manner.

Naturally, I waited to hear something from someone regarding this story, and I’m very happy to say I was not disappointed.

Enter David Briggs of Biddeford, who wrote to remind me that his daughter, Heather, now a junior member of the University of Maine women’s basketball team, had surpassed 1,000 points in her junior year of high school.

In fact Briggs, a Bangor Daily News All-Mainer, reached 1,168 points as a junior and finished with 1,539 career points.

I called Mr. Briggs to thank him for bringing that to my attention. During our conversation, he reminded me of another Western Maine player I should check on, and he turned out to to be correct about that individual as well.

Add the name Joanne Palombo of Brunswick to the list of Class A juniors surpassing 1,000 points.

Another NEWS All-Maine selection in the early ’80s, Palombo had scored 1,200 career points while a junior.

So now we’re up to four Class A juniors who surpassed 1,000 points: those mentioned above, plus Lisa Blais of Westbrook. The question is, how many more are there?