Le Mars Community senior Jaelyn Marienau signed to play basketball collegiately at Morningside University on Friday.
Marienau got the opportunity to shop around for a few colleges as she was making her choice. She says nothing compared to Morningside with regard to the culture around the team and the proximity to home.
The decision was made a couple of weeks ago with the signing happening still two months before regular season games get started for the basketball season. Marienau says getting this decision out of the way early will help her enjoy senior year without any extra stress.
Le Mars girls basketball head coach Sidney Baumgartner is entering her second year as the leader of the program and has now sent her first player off to the college game. She says Marienau will be a great fit both on and off the court for the Mustangs.
That work that Marienau has put in has been a multi-year process of continuing to get better. She says the biggest jump in her play came from her sophomore year to her junior year.
The college game differs greatly at all levels from the high school game and is a big learning curve for many players who make the jump. Morningside women’s basketball coach Jamie Sale has won four national championships with his program and knows what to look for in someone making that leap. He says her shooting on the court and her personality off of it will make her a great fit.
Coach Baumgartner says her competitive nature will take her far in the college game.
Of course, this decision would not even be a possibility without the great time she spent in the Bulldog program learning from a great group of coaches and players. Marienau says the program prepared her well for the next level by putting her in game-style situations all throughout practice.
It has been a few years since the Bulldogs have had a player continue playing basketball in college. That does not mean the program changed at all, and Coach Baumgartner hopes this is a good reminder that the program’s culture is one of success.
With this decision out of the way, Marienau has time to focus on her senior year and how to leave a lasting impact on the Bulldog program. She says part of that will be to focus on being more of a vocal leader for this year’s team.
The Bulldogs will open their season on November 26 with a matchup against Lewis Central at home.
