Senior Katelynn Ostronic has a passion for basketball that has carried on throughout the entirety of her De Soto High School career. Just recently, Ostronic announced that she would be continuing her academic and athletic career at William Jewell College in nearby Liberty, Missouri. 

With basketball being such a large part of her identity, Ostronic knew that the sport would be in her life, long after graduation. 

“I knew that I didn’t want to give it [basketball] up yet,” Ostronic said. “I have a passion for the game, and I’ve been thankful to have really nice coaches.” 

Although many colleges wanted to recruit Ostronic, William Jewel stood out to her for a wide variety of athletic reasons. 

“I like how William Jewel has really good competition. They’re a smaller school, but they’re still Division II, so I’ll have closer relationships with my professors,” Ostronic said. “I was able to meet the coach and the players and I thought they had a good team culture. The coach specifically was really down to earth.”

Not only does William Jewell have a fitting team environment for Ostronic, but also a great academic program that fits her career goals. 

“I want to enter the medical field and most likely be a biology major. I want to pursue a career as a physician’s assistant, possibly a sports medicine physician’s assistant,” Ostronic said. “The college has really strong academics and a really strong science program, which is what I’m aiming for in the long run.”

While the winter sports season is being threatened by the increasing COVID-19 cases, Ostronic is anticipating a successful senior season with her teammates. 

“I’m excited to just grow as a leader. I’m already a pretty good leader, but I would like to grow those skills and end high school basketball on a good note,” Ostronic said. “I just want to spend one more year with the girls that I’ve been playing with for three years now because we have a pretty great team relationship.”