Stonington - When she was a freshman on the Stonington High School girls' basketball team, making a bank shot would have taken Margot Calmar a whole day, she said with a laugh.

And attending venerable Duke University in Durham, N.C., with its reputation for academics and architecture, was only a dream, too.

That was then.

Before Calmar distinguished herself as one of the best athletes in Stonington history, an all-state pick in three sports (basketball, field hockey and lacrosse) and a state champion in two (field hockey and lacrosse).

Before she was accepted to Duke in December as an early-decision selection, meaning she'll leave her career as an athlete behind to live out a different aspiration.

"I didn't believe it when I got the email that said, 'you got in,'" Calmar said of attending Duke, where she hopes to participate in intramurals. "I asked my parents to read it. I started crying. Then my mom was crying. That was a Thursday night. When I told everyone at school, they were happy for me ... except a lot of people hate Duke."

On Friday, Calmar, a 6-foot-1 senior center, finished with 13 points and 14 rebounds for Stonington (8-2) in a 70-37 victory over Lyman Memorial, joining Taty LaFrance Boyce (18 points), Kate Hall (15) and Cameron Dreher (14) in double figures.

To recap: Calmar won a state championship in the fall of 2013 with the Stonington field hockey team and was a first team all-state pick in field hockey in 2014.

The spring following her field hockey title, she won a championship with the girls' lacrosse team, which hung its banner before Friday night's basketball game. Calmar was second team all-state in lacrosse.

And in basketball?

Calmar recorded her 1,000th career rebound earlier this week, only the second player in program history to reach that milestone after Heather Buck, who went on to play for UConn. Calmar has even broken two of Buck's rebounding records, establishing the single-season record (427) and single-game record (26), both last year.

Calmar also has 905 points, looking to join the 1,000-point club.

She's averaging 17.6 points and 14.1 rebounds this season.

"I was surprised," Calmar said. "(Buck) is renowned in this town. Just to be in the same conversation with her is an honor. ... A lot of things are coming more natural for me this year."

Calmar always anticipated her freshman year at Stonington.

That's when she was scheduled to begin playing on the same high school lacrosse team as her older sister Isabelle.

Isabelle died Dec. 19, 2010, after a long fight with brain cancer.

Calmar has gone on to leave a legacy at Stonington, in part a tribute to her sister, she said, and to her teammates, who from the time she was a freshman embraced her as their own sister.

"Sports are a way to honor (Isabelle) without having to speak," Calmar said Friday. "Just playing hard, knowing she's watching. ... The older kids (who were her sister's age), became like my older siblings.

"I've been a part of three incredible programs with three incredible coaches. I've played different roles in all three programs, but the people I met have all become my best friends.

"I think the coolest thing is just to look back at my teams. Looking up and seeing two state titles, the (Eastern Connecticut Conference) championship banners, being a part of these programs. That's the most important thing."

v.fulkerson@theday.com

Twitter: @vickieattheday