Kate Jansky
signs to play basketball at Doane surrounded by her parents, Jeff Jansky and
Kendra Jansky. Behind are (L-R) Exeter-Milligan Assistant Basketball
Coach Sara Lincoln, Doane Head Women’s Basketball Coach Tracee Fairbanks and
Exeter-Milligan Head Coach Jackson Krejci.
While
Exeter-Milligan senior Kate Jansky is undecided about her major in college, she
definitely knows she’s playing basketball and it will be at Doane University.
Jansky,
a standout on the Timberwolf team, topped the 1,000 point career total earlier
this season.
She chose Doane
because, “I really liked the campus. I also liked the coaches and the
players I talked to while visiting.”
Her
Exeter-Milligan coach, Jackson Krejci is confident about Jansky’s has a solid
foundation to build on, “Kate has had
a great academic and athletic career at E-M. She's had a great work ethic and
has been a great role model to everyone around her.”
Jansky has been very coachable for Krejci and
he emphasized her self-motivation as another key to her success in the future, “She
was a great teammate and would always be the first to help or encourage.
She did a great job of improving herself in the off season each summer, whether
it was shooting and ball handling or getting stronger in the weight room. I'm
excited for her, Doane is getting a great student-athlete.”
Doane head basketball coach Tracee
Fairbanks is looking forward to Jansky joining the Doane team, “Kate's ability
to score the basketball at a consistent rate caught our attention during her
junior year and she has carried it well into her senior season. In
addition, Kate is an athlete and has excelled in volleyball and track too; I am
a proponent of well-rounded student-athletes and like the fact that she is
involved and successful in other sports.”
Fairbanks has a personal
connection with Jansky as she grew up in Milligan and went to school with
Jansky’s dad, Jeff. Fairbanks, a Doane
alum, also met Janksy’s mom, Kendra, when they played basketball together at
Doane.
In addition to these family
connections, Fairbank’s leads a program that embraces their student
athletes. “We try to provide a ‘family
away from home’ type of environment. Our coaching staff strives to help
our student-athletes be successful in the classroom, on the court, and in other
aspects of their lives; providing a strong mentoring and support system
in all areas.”
Krejci added, “Doane is a great school and the staff has
done an excellent job with the girls they have coached. Playing in the
GPAC will also be a great fit for Kate as they have some really good teams.
That will make it very competitive for her. The location will also be great
that way everyone will get a chance to watch her play.”
Jansky is looking forward to being part of
that team and feels like her experiences at Exeter-Milligan have prepared her
well for this next step “I think Exeter-Milligan provided me with a great education
and great athletic experiences. All four years, I have been surrounded by great
girls who were selfless teammates. Being a school in the Crossroads Conference
also prepared me because of the high level of competition.”
Jansky was recognized last year on
the Nebraska Prep Zone All Class D-2 Team, Crossroads Conferences All Area Team
and Lincoln Journal Star Class D-2 Team. This season she has drawn a lot of
attention and was named female Athlete of the Week by the York News Times after
dropping in 60 points in her first two games. Career totals for Jansky after the first few
games in February show her with 183
assists, 62 blocks, 394 rebounds, 186 steals, 1,055 points at Exeter-Milligan.
With
those impressive numbers Jansky mentioned her biggest change in transitioning
to college will be learning to balance academics and athletics.
Krejci emphasized the challenges, “She will
learn to be a time manager as basketball will turn into a job for her because
it's close to a year round if you consider off-season workouts. It will be busy
but definitely worth it as a student athlete.”
What will most help Kate be successful as a
college athlete and in the future? Transitioning from High School to college
she will learn quick that you have to value your time in academics and in
basketball. She will learn to be a time manager as basketball will turn into a
job for her because it's close to a year round if you consider off-season
workouts. It will be busy but definitley worth it as a student athlete.
Our program has a culture built
around 5 core values of communication, discipline, integrity, competitive
excellence and Love & respect. We use these values to provide a
foundation for everything we do on and off the court. We embrace the team
concept and immense, relentless work ethic.
I am currently
undecided what my major will be, but I am interested in biology.
Crossroads
Conference also prepared me because of the high level of competition.
How did the
coaching you received at Exeter-Milligan make a difference in your career and
your future?
My coaches
have always been very supportive, believed in me, and have molded me as a
player.
What will be
the biggest challenge as you continue playing basketball in college?
I think my
biggest challenge for playing basketball in college will be time management and
adjusting to the schedules and balance classwork with basketball.
