By Jennifer Eisenbart
Sports Editor
Kassidy Jo Wilks – AKA Jo Wilks, superstar volleyball player, Division 1 college recruit and a not-too-shabby student – will turn 18 on Aug. 1.
She leaves for her full-ride college scholarship four days later and her reporting date at Furman is Aug. 7.
She will officially be an adult, but the recent Union Grove Union High School graduate has felt like one for a while.
“I’ve always had a lot of responsibilities given to me,” said Wilks, the middle of two sisters, all of whom play volleyball. “I’m already an adult pretty much.
“It’s going to be different living away from home, but I’m ready, it’s time,” she added.
For Wilks’ athletic and academic achievements, she is the 2012 Southern Lakes Newspapers Outstanding Senior Female Student/Athlete. She emerged on top of a field of 10 candidates nominated from four high schools – Burlington, Catholic Central, Waterford and Union Grove.
Wilks has had success in a wide variety of areas. But her success in volleyball might be the biggest surprise – especially given how she started when she was in seventh grade.
“I didn’t win a match that whole entire year,” recalled Wilks. “Very good volleyball started for me in eighth grade.
“Up until freshman year, I wanted to play basketball in college,” she added. “Once I started playing volleyball, I realized I was good at that.”
Wilks proved to be more than merely “good.” While she never got the All-State recognition of some of her Southern Lakes Conference peers – in part because the Broncos never made it to state – Wilks’ ability as a setter earned her the full ride to Furman and a ton of local accolades.
But beyond even that, it was her star character that drew people’s attention.
“If my husband and I are blessed someday to have a daughter, I hope she’s exactly like Jo,” said Sara Busalacchi, the Union Grove volleyball coach. “There are very few high schoolers who have the character level and the mature level that she has.
“When she walks through the halls at school, she’s respected by every student and teacher,” the coach added. “She is the example. She is the definition. It’s like an everyday thing for her.”
Busalacchi said Wilks would step in and be the leader on the court, both during matches and during practice. The coach she very rarely had to get involved in matters of a personal nature because Wilks could – and did – solve the issues for her.
“She did that in the classroom, too,” she said.
Finalists
Allie Hocking, Catholic Central High School: Hocking was a three-sport standout for the Lady ’Toppers, playing on the state-championship Division 4 volleyball team in the fall, and helping her basketball and softball teams reach the sectionals.
She is the school’s all-time leading scorer in basketball, and plans to play basketball at Winona State.
Steffi Rank, Waterford Union High School: Rank played volleyball for two years and softball for three at Waterford, helping lead both sports, but she left her mark in basketball.
She finished just three points away from being the school’s all-time leading scorer, a mark she would have easily eclipsed if not for recurring knee problems.
She plans to play basketball at California Baptist University.
Stephanie Londre, Burlington High School: Londre qualified for the WIAA Division 1 state tennis meet each of her four years at BHS, progressing a round further each year.
As a senior, Londre went 29-1, her only loss coming at the state tournament. She is headed to UW-Green Bay on a tennis scholarship.
Other nominees
Bekah Shellberg, Catholic Central High School; Alice Fitzpatrick, Union Grove Union High School; Katie Drohner, Burlington High School; Casey Roberts, Burlington High School; Coriann Dorgay, Burlington High School; Kristina Kamer, Waterford Union High School.
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