Kusner diversifies -- and thrives
At a time when more high school athletes are focusing on just one sport, Mary Kusner went the other direction.
The Maine West basketball and volleyball star became a member of the Warriors' track and field team as a junior.
All she did was earn all-conference honors as one of the Central Suburban League's finest high jumpers.
Everyone knew about her jumping prowess from volleyball and basketball.
This past year, Kusner was an all-area selection in both sports.
Earning accolades in all three sports, Kusner is the choice as the 2007-08 Daily Herald Cook County Female Athlete of the Year.
"I thought it took a great amount of athleticism for Mary to transfer all the body motion, mechanics and movements on the basketball floor to the volleyball court," said Warriors volleyball coach Randy Tiller.
The 6-foot Kusner went from being one of the top blockers and attackers for Tiller's varsity volleyball squad to becoming the top scorer (13.7 ppg), rebounder (7) and shot blocker (2.6) for Hall of Fame coach Derril Kipp's basketball team, which won the conference title.
"Each year, after playing basketball in the summer, she had to learn how to defend players in a new way in volleyball in the fall," Tiller said. "And on offense, she learned new things, like the slide (getting a running start behind the setter from attack) and other moves that took great athleticism and determination. And Mary was very strong in both those areas."
Kusner's strength, height, and quickness all added to her talent.
"Mary has a lot of natural talent," said Maine West track and field coach Joe LeCastro. "In my 27 years, there have only been a select few girls who have come on midway through their high school careers and done as well as Mary did for us."
LeCastro and Kipp discussed the possibility of Kusner trying track and field a few years ago.
"Coach Kipp thought by watching her play basketball and how she jumps, she might be good for track and field," LeCastro said.
Kusner said Kipp, a former track and field assistant coach at West, was a true mentor.
"He was always around and always very supportive," said Kusner, who will study journalism at St. Xavier University and also play basketball at the Chicago college. "He helped me a lot in track, too. He was like a grandpa."
Kusner's effort gave her the indoor conference high jump championship this spring, and she was second in the conference in the outdoor meet.
"I tried to imagine I was going up for a layup," Kusner said of how she applied her other sports skills to the high jump. "So it came pretty natural for me."
Kusner had been playing basketball and volleyball before she entered high school.
"It's her total athletic ability to be able to come out and do what she did in track," LeCastro said. "And her willingness to succeed.
"You just don't see a lot of girls in three sports. Many are devoting more time to just one. Mary just knew how to manage her time well, and she was a good student as well."
Kusner is not a big fan of math or science, but writing comes rather easily for her. So she chose journalism as a major.
She has provided some great stories in her high school sports career at Maine West.
Her favorite memory was West's trip to the Northern Illinois Class AA girls basketball supersectional in 2007.
Kusner was the leading rebounder on that team, which defeated Schaumburg for the Elgin sectional title.
"Mary always had a tremendous amount of athletic skills, and she added competitiveness to her game, which made her a compete athlete," Kipp said. "Who knows, if she started earlier at the hurdles, she might have been a champion."
Mary Kusner certainly was a champion for four years at Maine West High School.