CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. — For the first time in over a decade, there isn’t a member of the Jekot family suiting up for the Cumberland Valley girls basketball team. The sisters are leaving behind a legacy at CV.
A lot of memories have been made in “The Dome.” The Jekot sisters, Kelly, Katie, Julie and Jillian have certainly left their mark, playing for the Eagles.
From three-straight PIAA State Championships shared by older siblings Kelly and Katie, to sharing a District III Championship for Julie and Jill. Each sister surpassed the 1,000 point mark, scoring a combined total of 5,720 points. Jill is the youngest sister and was the latest to reach this milestone, last season, finishing with 1,208.
“I think, what I’m most proud of is, you can see it. Jill is the last one. She by osmosis has learned from Julie, Katie and Kelly and I’m just so proud of the overall persons they’re becoming. It’s a beautiful thing to witness," said John Jekot, dad.
This is the first season in over a decade Cumberland Valley Girls Basketball head coach Bill Wolf hasn’t had a Jekot on the team.
“It’s been pretty special," said Wolf. "Twelve years. It’s hard to believe and the fact that they are such good players and such great teammates. They were all fun to coach and we had all the success, as well. I’m a lucky man."
It’s not common for a girls basketball player to finish high school early, but when Jill found out it was an option, she took some time and decided to forego her senior season at CV and enroll early at Penn State University.
“It was kind of a joke at first, 'Oh, I can go in early and get all the experience and be able to acclimate myself.' Then, we talked about it with the coach and she said that’s a real possibility," Jill explained.
She believes going up to State College early will help ease her into the Division I level and give her a chance to train with the team.
“I love CV. I have so much to thank them for. They’ve given me and my family a number of blessings. They’ve set me up for this. They’ve prepared me for this; them and my AAU team. I feel ready and I feel like I have that closure that they support me and I can move on," Jill continued.
She originally committed to the University of Pittsburgh, until a coaching change occurred in the spring. She reopened her recruitment, keeping Pitt, Wake Forest and Penn State as her top three. She's now following in her oldest sister, Kelly’s footsteps, playing for the blue and white.
“Kelly is my biggest role model. Being able to watch her on that stage, it was really inspiring and I’m excited to be there, as well," said Jekot.
Just over one percent of high school girls go on to play at the D1 level. All four sisters made it to Division I ball, a remarkable accomplishment.
“I’m absolutely sure my parents didn’t expect this to happen, at all. But we’re all just so thankful and blessed. We’ve had great role models in our life, coming from our parents. They’ve led us in great directions," said Jekot.
Their parents had to divide and conquer to try and get to every game. It’s a little easier now with just two girls still playing. Jill will head to Happy Valley after the New Year and will redshirt her freshman year.