Berks Bests: Addison Benner Did the Math, Then Made History
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Editor's Note: This story is part of Berks Bests, a summer series spotlighting the all-time leading scorers from Berks County girls basketball programs. Throughout the summer, we'll revisit some of the greatest careers in local basketball history and catch up with the players who left their mark on their schools and communities.
Addison Benner stepped onto the court as a freshman at Brandywine Heights and thought she'd become one of the top players in program history.
"I knew I was going to be the women's all-time leading scorer," Benner recently told BGB. "I was going for the highest."
Benner said the journey started well before she reached high school.
"I knew I was going to get it [when I was] in seventh grade," Turbo said. "I did the math and knew how many points I'd need to average per game."
Benner quickly became a central part of the Brandywine Heights lineup as a freshman, giving her a jumpstart on the milestone she already envisioned.
That freshman season was one of the most successful in recent Brandywine history. The Bullets qualified for the county, district, and state playoffs in the same season, the first time that happened since 1980. It was only the third state playoff appearance in program history.
The success was a sign of things to come for Benner. When she reached 1,000 career points, it was the result of years of preparation and belief in what she could accomplish.
Making her record-setting career even more impressive, Benner’s path came with challenges far beyond basketball.
When she was 11 months old, she was diagnosed with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), a rare autoimmune condition that caused severe swelling in the brain and spinal cord. The condition left her with long-term vision impairment in her left eye.
"My brain was shutting down and I almost died," Turbo said to BGB shortly after scoring her 1,000th point. "Then my brain and eye were all messed up. I can kind of see if I try to focus, but it's a bit of a disadvantage."
She pushed forward in basketball, learning to adjust to how she sees the court. She credits her mindset and perspective as part of what carried her through.
"Anybody can really do anything if you put your mind to it," Turbo said. "Even if you do have a disability. I've seen some kids out there that have something like me and they're doing just fine, even better than the kids that don't have a disability."
Benner finished her Brandywine Heights career with 1,282 points, placing her 53rd all-time in Berks County history. She sits between Schuylkill Valley’s Jackie Reitnouer (1,283) and Hamburg’s Kim Colunio (1,280).
A four-year starter, Benner averaged 13.8 points per game through 73 career games to reach 1,000 points, becoming just the fourth player in Brandywine Heights history to reach the milestone.
She joined Deanna Daddona (1,253), Nicole Savino (1,252), and Mallory Olsheski (1,062) in the program’s 1,000-point club, solidifying her place among the school’s all-time greats.
Looking back, she said much of her success came from those around her during her early years in the program.
"My teammates Liv and Avery and Grace," said of her favorite memories from her high school playing days. "I was really emotional [on the court] when I came in freshman year and those three really helped me with controlling it and keeping it in check so I would be more professional."
Those relationships, combined with lessons learned through basketball, helped shape her both on and off the court.
"Playing at Brandywine Heights has taught me many things that I still use today including patience, knowing how to be in someone else's shoes, thinking ahead, and many more," she said.
After high school, Benner continued her basketball career at Montgomery County Community College, where she continued to compete while also focusing on life beyond basketball. She played in 11 games and averaged 9.6 ppg. She also enjoys playing her guitar and plans to get a job over the summer.
It's impossible for Benner to be too far removed from the Berks girls basketball scene. Her dad, Rob, is the head coach for Brandywine. Her mom, Erin, is an assistant. Her sister, Sophia, is entering her junior season. And is already up to 538 career points.
Benner also mentioned she has taken notice of Liberty's Ava Kropetski, who will play at Loyola, and Gov. Mifflin's Bella Super.
"Playing with my sister had its ups and downs but it was fun!" Addison said with a laugh. "Her and I read off of each other very well. She definitely has a chance [to break my record] but I’ll be so mad."
Well, if she did the math, her sister would have to score 745 points in her final two seasons to knock her down to No. 2 on the Bullets' leaderboard.
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