Janssen a jock-of-all-sports

Janssen proved prophetic as she led the Scots to their first-ever girls basketball title, a 36-22 Division I win over Wilcox last Friday at San Jose State's Event Center. Janssen finished with nine points, five assists and won the key matchup of the game: Her ballhandling duties against Wilcox's trapping, pressure defense. For her efforts, Janssen is the San Mateo Daily Journal's Athlete of the Week.

All good point guards have superb court vision, and against the Chargers, Janssen overcame a shaky start to repeatedly thwart Wilcox's attempts to double-team at the point of attack.

Janssen committed four of the Scots' nine first-quarter turnovers before settling down and playing a magnificent floor game. The 5-foot-8-inch junior possessed a Midas touch in finding center Finau Tovo in the paint or sharpshooter Melissa Ho from beyond the arc. More importantly, Janssen's mental toughness carried over to the rest of her teammates, which contributed to Carlmont's season-high 45 percent shooting night (14 of 31). She made all the right decisions, but then again, she's been doing that her entire life.

Janssen decided not to play high school soccer as she entered her freshman year. In a way, it was a simple decision. By choosing hoops over the beautiful game, she wouldn't miss any of the club soccer season. As a starting forward for the Super Y-League Cupertino-based De Anza Force Impact — Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division Defender of the Year Sammy Kirberg and Maggie Harrelson also play for the Impact — Janssen would be able to satisfy her competitive urges in the two sports she loves equally. Considering that she made the under-16 national youth team after tryouts in Orlando on Feb. 3-5, it's no wonder Janssen is asked on a daily basis when she's going to come out for the school's soccer team.

"I'm in coach (Jim) Kelly's student government class and he asks me all the time," Janssen said. "I kind of smile and walk away."

Janssen first started playing sports at age 5 after her mom tried to enroll her in ballerina classes.

"Luckily, my uncle saved me and enrolled me in karate school," Janssen said.

She went on to play soccer, basketball, volleyball and softball, then flag football during her three years at Ralston Middle School. A self-admitted tomboy in her early years, Janssen always found sports fun and enjoyable even though her parents didn't want her to get involved initially because "They thought I would hurt myself."

Those worries were quickly alleviated after Janssen seemingly excelled in every sport she played despite the fact that she admitted to being a bit clumsy and uncoordinated starting out. Besides, Janssen has a black belt in karate, so there's no reason for her parents to worry now.

"Karate has made me the athlete that I am," Janssen said. "It's taught me discipline, focus, balance and has really given me confidence."

When Janssen was 10 or 11, she tried out for but didn't make the state Olympic Development Program (ODP) soccer team. To this day, she looks back at that moment as the turning point of her life.

"I was a pretty cocky kid when I was little," Janssen said, "and not making the team was one of the first things I failed to do something. From that point on I knew I had to try harder and never let up."

It's that desire and tenacity that's earned the respect of savvy and demanding fourth-year Carlmont coach Dave Low.

"The thing that impresses me the most about Jennica is her ability to rally her teammates," Low said. "Against Wilcox, she felt the need to shoulder a lot of the responsibility, and for a while there she was almost all alone out there as she brought the ball up the floor. I saw her when she was an eighth-grader and by no means was she polished. That just shows she's put in three years of hard work."

Janssen, Tovo and Low have been the cornerstones of a Carlmont program that three years ago won only four games. Now the Scots — like Leonardo DiCaprio in "Titanic" — are on top of the world.

"When I came in, I wanted to make a name for Carlmont basketball," Janssen said. "I wanted to make a difference."

Janssen has done more than that. Along the way, she helped put Carlmont girls' basketball on the map — and with it, made some history.