Jill Van Eperen, Freedom
Dennis Semrau
Wissports.net
Jill Van Eperen, Freedom, senior
Sports: volleyball, basketball, softball, track & field
Jill Van Eperen is the definitive student-athlete.
A four-sport star, she is on track to earn 11 varsity letters in volleyball (four), basketball (three), softball (three) and track and field (one).
Van Eperen also shares the No. 1 ranking in her class of 134 with a 4.053 grade-point-average on a 4.0 scale.
She credits her parents, Rick and Patty, and especially her older brother, Erik, with helping her become a well-rounded person.
“My whole family has had an influence on me because when I was younger my parents would take me to different camps and take me to watch the high school basketball games,” she said. “My brother also played outside with me in the driveway. I learned to like competition because he never took it easy on me.”
Van Eperen pointed out that being a multi-sport athlete runs in the family.
“My parents were high school athletes, who both went to Freedom,” she said. “My mom played volleyball, basketball and softball. My dad played basketball and football, and Erik, who is my role model, played basketball and baseball.”
A four-year starter as a setter as a freshman and sophomore and setter/hitter as a junior and senior in volleyball, Van Eperen was a two-time captain as a junior and senior. She earned all-conference second honors at right side hitter as a senior and third team all-conference recognition as a hitter as a junior.
In basketball, she is a two-time letterwinner and in her third year as a starter at point guard, after she was promoted to the varsity for the playoffs as a freshman. A two-time co-captain as a junior and senior, she earned honorable mention all-conference honors as a junior.
Van Eperen plans to play softball this spring after a one-year hiatus to sample track and field, were she was a sectional qualifier in the 400-meter dash and 1,600-meter relay last spring. She also helped set a school record in the 1,600 relay.
“I lettered in softball as a freshman and sophomore before I quit and switched to track,” she said. “But I’m going back to softball this year.”
She started at third base as a freshman and sophomore, earning honorable mention and second team all-conference honors, respectively, but is expected to move to shortstop her senior season.
Yet, competing in sports is just part of her busy schedule. A member of the National Honor Society and president as a senior, she is a four-year member of Student Council, serving as treasurer as a junior and senior, and a member of Spanish Club.
Her volunteer work has included assisting at the school’s volleyball and basketball camps, coaching youth basketball and being involved in various National Honor Society projects such as the ‘Adopt-A-Highway’ program and Trick-or-Treat for cans -- donating them to the local Food Pantry.
“Sports take a lot of time but I have learned how to manage it,” said Van Eperen, who played for basketball and track and field conference championship teams her junior year. “Sometimes it’s tough when you have a game and you have a big test to study for that night. But I’ve learned how to deal with it which will help me later in life.”
Van Eperen is an advocated for participating in multiple activities.
“I think everyone should be involved in as many sports and activities as possible because they challenge you but teach you a lot of life-long skills and provide a lot of opportunities to make different friends,” said Van Eperen, who admits that basketball is her favorite sport.
Her future plans include majoring in education – she would like to become a teacher and coach -- while hoping to play basketball in college, possibly at Ripon College.
“I’m always involved in something but I like being able to change things up,” she admitted. “I know I’d get bored if I had nothing to do. But I also know I’d get burned out if I’d have to do one thing for too long.”
Time out with Jill Van Eperen
1 – I like about high school sports: the competition and the group of girls that I play sports with.
2 – Role model: my older brother, Erik.
3 -- My family also includes: my parents, Rick and Patti.
4 – Favorite athlete: Kevin Garnett
5 -- Favorite movie: Underclassmen
6 – Favorite food: pasta
7 – Favorite opponent: Appleton Xavier
8 -- Dream date: J.J. Hardy
9 – Hobbies: being outdoors, camping, water skiing, tubing
10 – Words to live by: Champions keep playing until they get it right.
