McKenney signs with K-State

Sunday, April 22, 2007

FORT SCOTT, Kan. -- Jayci McKenney, daughter of Tim and Deb McKenney of Fort Scott, is going to compete in Division I athletics when she goes to college.

Kansas State University coaches discovered McKenney through an individual that had seen her play basketball and thought she would fit in well with the Wildcats' rowing program. K-State is one of three Big 12 Conference schools that have a varsity-level team while other conference schools have club-level teams.

"They look for girls like me," the six-foot senior said Monday just before she had her picture taken to mark the occasion of signing her letter of intent. "They say they look for tall, athletic girls; basketball or volleyball players."

Most high-school rowing programs are on the east or west coasts, according to information provided by K-State via e-mail. So when K-State or its in-state rival Kansas looks for girls to fill its team, it looks at anyone who fits the profile they seek.

"We realized we needed to tap into some of the great talent right here in Kansas, which is being overlooked every year" Wildcat assistant coach Melissa Granberry said via e-mail. "We look for good athletes in all sports but the majority of our recruits come from basketball and volleyball. The reason is (that) we are looking for height as well as athleticism.

"So you can see why we wanted Jayci to come row for us. She has both of the main qualities we are looking for."

Rowing is an NCAA-sanctioned sport and K-State's program, as well as those of conference rivals Kansas and Texas, is Division I. A fourth school is needed before the Big 12 Conference conducts a championship but Granberry said the three schools rotate as host of an unofficial championship each spring. The Wildcats compete against other Division I schools from as far away as California and Tennessee.

Many of the athletes at rowing programs in the Midwest have no prior experience with the sport when they join the team.

"Each year, 99 percent of all women who are recruited into our program know very little, if anything at all, about rowing," Granberry said. "When they visit and tour our facilities, meet the coaches and observe practice, they get introduced to what we are all about.

"Our main form of recruiting is to travel though the state, scouting games for individuals who meet our initial criteria, want to compete at the Division I level and aren't afraid to change sports in order to fulfill that childhood dream. Jayci knew that in order to fulfill her Division I dream, rowing was the way for her to go. She will be a great addition to our freshman class next year. We are really looking forward to having her on our team."