MORAN — In her 3½ years at Marmaton Valley High, Janae Granere has secured her legacy as one of the most decorated athletes to ever don the orange and black.
Next year, the Wildcat senior will take her talents to Pittsburg State University to join the Gorilla track and field team.
Granere signed a letter of intent Tuesday to attend PSU.
“When I went there, it felt like home,” Granere said. “The team chemistry is amazing.”
Granere had plenty of options. She picked PSU over the University of Central Missouri. And it was an easy decision to pick track and field as her collegiate pursuits over either basketball or volleyball, even though Granere is a four-year all-league performer in volleyball and a three-year all-league performer (and counting) in basketball.
“My sophomore year, I got involved with my summer track team, and that’s when my love for the sport sparked,” Granere said. “And I don’t know why, but jumping was was the first thing I went to. Maybe, I thought it was gonna be easy. It’s not, but it’s been a lot of fun learning.”
On hand for the event were Granere’s family members, her high school coaches Steve Smith, Dan Uhlrich and Alyssa Blevins and coaches Nate Clevenger and Morgan Samuels with the Warriors Track Club, based out of Girard.
“She’s obviously been a big part of our program since she was a freshman,” MV head track coach Steve smith said. “She provides leadership, and is a good role model with our younger kids. She’s always hard-working with a positive attitude.
“She’ll definitely be missed, but we’ve still got one more year,” he continued. “We expect good things this year, hopefully special things.”
For Granere, special has become almost commonplace.
She’s earned seven track and field medals at the state meet, three each for long jump and triple jump. And when Granere decided to dabble in running last year as a junior, all she did was reset the school record in the 400-meter dash and earn a state medal in that as well.
Granere, who also owns the MV school record in the triple jump, has had her eyes set on the long jump mark.
“I’ve always wanted to PR in every single event I enter,” she said. “That’s been my focus.”
If things go according to plan, Granere will continue to improve this year. She’s gunning for the elusive 18-foot threshold in the long jump, “and I’d really like to get to the 38s or 39s in the triple jump, if possible,” she ssaid.
BUT WHILE track and field is in her future, Granere’s present focus is on basketball. Practices began Monday for the upcoming high school basketball season.
And she would never consider eschewing the other sports seasons to focus solely on track and field.
