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Bug Tussel Triple Threat Athlete of the Week: Jack Janke, Ellsworth

06/30/2022, 11:30am CDT
By Mark Miller

The Bug Tussel Triple Threat Athlete of the Week is an honor given on WisSports.net to the top senior boys and girls three-sport athletes in the state. Players are recognized each week on WSN, with the a boys and girls winner of the Pat Richter Award at the end of the season to the best three-sport athlete of the year.

The goal and mission of Bug Tussel is to level the playing field for rural residents despite where they may live. Whether you work from home, your office is downtown or you are manning the family farm, they believe residents should be connected without having to compromise speed, price, quality, service or the environment.

Name: Jack Janke

High School: Ellsworth

Grade: Senior

Football Honors: First-team all-Middle Border Conference pick at quarterback and defensive back in 2021 ... First-team all-state pick at defensive back as a senior ... Helped Ellsworth to a 12-1 record and a second-place finish in the WIAA Division 4 playoffs in 2021 ... Passed for 1,188 yards and rushed for 543 yards last season ... Ran for 16 touchdowns and passed for another 12 for coach Rob Heller's league-championship team. 

Basketball Honors: Four-year varsity performer for Ellsworth and coach Jordan Petersen ... Averaged 20.0 points per game and earned first-team all-Middle Border Conference laurels as a senior ... Scored a career-high 34 points in a victory over Baldwin-Woodville as a junior ... The 6-foot-2 guard earned second-team all-league honors as a junior.

Track & Field Honors: Member of Ellsworth's WIAA Division 2 state-champion 4x100 and second-place 4x200 relay teams as a senior ... School record holder in the both relays events ... Middle Border Conference 100-meter dash champion ... Qualified for state as a senior in the 100 in addition to the two relay squads.

Favorite Sport: "Football is my favorite sport because it’s the first sport I fell in love with. I also love it for all of the lessons it’s taught me and the joy it’s brought to my life."  

Best Part of High School Sports: "Getting to play for my dad (assistant coach Jason Janke) in football. It was an incredibly special experience."

Best Advice from a High School Coach: "Work hard; believe, and good things will happen."

Most Memorable Moments in High School Sports: "Winning our level 4 football game in Marshfield in 2021 to go to the state championship."

Best Part of Playing Three Sports: "Constantly being able to compete and experiencing the different things that each sport has to offer."

Toughest Part of Playing Three Sports: "Making the quick transition into basketball after making a run to the state championship in football."

Favorite Opponent: "In football, Northwestern. In basketball, New Richmond. In track, Prescott’s relay teams."

Favorite Professional Teams: Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Bucks

Favorite Professional Athlete: Damian Lillard

Favorite College Teams: UMD Bulldogs

Cumulative GPA: 3.8

Toughest Individual You’ve Competed Against: "CJ Campbell from New Richmond in basketball. Every time we played them in basketball, one of us would have a really good game and most of them were very competitive and went down to the wire."

Biggest Challenge of COVID-19: "Not knowing when or if we’d be able to compete again, but continuing to work hard as a team."
  
Most Admired High School Teammate: "Ashten Quade. He’s freakishly talented and one of the hardest workers I know. As fantastic of an athlete as he is, he’s an even better person off of the field/track."

College Plans: Attending the University of Minnesota Duluth to play football

Activities Outside of High School Sports: "Not in any clubs or organizations, but I enjoy being outdoors and spending time with my friends and family."

I Find it Relaxing to: "Work out, run, go fishing, watch movies, or go out to eat."

Favorite TV show: Modern Family

Favorite Movie: Miracle

Favorite Musical Artists: Lil Wayne, Drake, Kanye

Favorite Subject: Math or Social Studies

Favorite Restaurant: Chipolte

Favorite Website: YouTube

Other Family Members: Jason, father; Chanda, mother; Molly, sister; Luke, brother; Mac, dog.

Tag(s): Triple Threat AOTW  News Archive  BBB News  News  Boys Track News  Mark Miller