Record Sports / USA Today: Very few high school athletes are able to become top players in one sport, but Kassie Ketcho makes that notion seem easy.
The Hasbrouck Heights rising senior is a local standout in not just one, but three sports. She has been a stalwart for the Aviators on the basketball and volleyball courts, all while developing into one of the state’s top throwers for outdoor track. Helping anchor three varsity teams through most of high school while being an honors student means time is certainly of the essence for Ketcho, but she has learned to adjust.
Ketcho said she keeps a daily planner with her events and assignments coordinated out every week, and she avoids procrastination to keep her commitments from backing up. Still, a busy schedule presents plenty of challenges on and off of the athletic stages.
“Having to change my mentality from every sport,” Ketcho said about difficulty shifting between seasons. “From going to hitting a volleyball to shooting is probably one of the hardest [adjustments]. It’s all the same though really, but trying to fit in school work is [difficult] too.”
Despite not starting the sport until her freshman year, track has risen to the top Ketcho’s preferred sports, and she hopes to continue it in college. She began simply focusing on javelin while dabbling in hurdles and jumping, but two years later Ketcho finished with top-12 marks at the state Meet of Champions in the discus, javelin and shot put.
Ketcho credited her rapid ascension to Hasbrouck Heights head coach Rob Brady and his staff. They encouraged her to try new events, and Ketcho also finished this season as first team All-NJIC Meadowlands in all three throwing events in addition to first team All-Bergen County in shot put.
“[Coach Brady, I swear this guy is like a guru with track,” Ketcho said. “He [puts] you where you feel most comfortable and he sees you can excel. My coaches were the ones that pushed me to expand my horizons in track.”
Ketcho helped Hasbrouck Heights claim NJIC division and North 1, Group 1 sectional titles last spring. She, along with fellow junior Monika Lucic, were the Aviators top scorers throughout the season, so Brady is expecting strong results this year.
“The girls that scored individually for us in the [Group 1] meet were Monika and Kassie,” Brady told The Record in June. “Now that they’re both back, we’re hoping that they can carry those points over to next year.”
On the basketball court, Ketcho averaged a double-double with 10.8 points and 10.2 rebounds a game while earning NJIC Meadowlands first-team honors as a stretch forward. Head coach Amanda Minervini described Ketcho as a “dominant” rebounder with the chance to lift the Aviators into league contention with her team play.
“She’s a very versatile player,” Minervini said. “She can play the inside game and the outside game, so last year it was a matter of using her where we needed her, and she took on that role of ‘If you need me to be a guard for this game, I can be a guard. If you need me on the inside for this game, we can use her there.’
“I think as long as she keeps her game and also looks to make everyone else’s game better, I think that will really help us have a successful season.”
For volleyball, Ketcho is set to become a four-year starter. She led her team to a 13-12 record last fall and a berth in the Group 1 tournament.
With so many different teams and teammates, it can be tough for Ketcho to take on a senior leadership role for all three sports. Yet, it is something she is determined to accomplish this upcoming school year.
“I always talk to all of the girls on the teams, because I don’t want to lose that connection,” Ketcho said. “I’m definitely going to do team dinners. I had a team dinner from volleyball, I’m definitely going to have one for basketball, and I think for track I’m going to do a barbeque in the backyard.
“I just want to keep everyone involved. I don’t want anyone to feel excluded because I just want everyone to be sure that this is a team sport. Everything is a team sport, that’s what it comes down to, that’s how you have to win is with everyone.”
It is all par for the course for Ketcho, who will end up representing Hasbrouck Heights through a variety of fields that few others have. It is that school pride that has helped turn Ketcho into the athlete she is now.
“The amount of respect we get from wearing that orange and black helps me want to perform to the best of my ability in no matter what sport I’m doing,” Ketcho said.
