Festus senior Jordan Oetting has excelled in three sports throughout her high school career. She’s been a member of two district-champion teams: basketball (2013-2014) and soccer (2016). In softball, she posted a career batting average of .457 (97 hits in 212 at-bats), with 77 runs batted in and 23 stolen bases, earning her all-conference honors all four years despite missing parts of three seasons with injuries. She was the Jefferson County Activities Association large-schools player of the year twice in basketball (2015-2016 and 2016-2017) and finished as the Festus all-time scoring leader with 1,394 points. In soccer, she has earned all-conference honors twice and will lead Festus in the upcoming Class 3 District 2 tournament at Windsor.
Four short years ago, I stepped on the diamond for my very first varsity softball game as a Festus Tiger. I had no concept then of how much being an athlete at Festus would change my life. While playing three sports for four years, I've built lasting relationships with my teammates and I’ve had the privilege of working with some great coaches.
As a freshman I was nervous, but even before my first softball practice, head coach Jeff Montgomery put me on the varsity. This was the year after Festus had finished fourth in the state tournament – the school’s first state trophy in the sport.
I had no idea what I was capable of in softball, but Coach Montgomery and assistant coach Todd Gurnow always expected big things from me. Even though I disagreed with them at times, I wouldn't have chosen anybody else as my softball coaches. It turned out that because of injuries my only full season of softball was my freshman year. But in four years, I was part of teams that compiled a 69-30 record and twice finished second in one of the toughest districts in the state.
Every year, as soon as softball ended, I jumped right into basketball. Again, as a freshman I had no idea what to expect because Festus had won only a handful of games over the previous four seasons. The program also had a new head coach, Ron Rhodes, who came out of retirement after a long, successful career at De Soto and Jefferson College.
From the start of my freshman season, Coach Rhodes treated me as if I was a seasoned veteran, naming me a co-captain. He expected the utmost from me, not just in my decision-making on the court, but also in my work ethic and energy in practice. Coach Rhodes sometimes drove me so hard I’d get mad at him, like when he’d make me run 32 minutes of sprints or practice at 5 a.m. But I'm very thankful he did because all that work made me tougher.
Playing basketball at Festus has given me some of the best memories in my high school career. From winning a district championship as a freshman to winning three conference titles, and becoming the program’s all-time leading scorer, I could not have imagined a better four years of basketball.
I've had the pleasure of ending all four school years with my first love, soccer. Adjusting to high school soccer was hard for me because I played midfield and forward positions after being a defender my whole life in club soccer. My freshman year, I scored some goals and grew into a productive player, but it took that whole season and half of my sophomore year to really get used to playing on offense.
Even though an injury kept me out of part of my junior season last year, I finally became the offensive player that everyone expected me to be. The 2016 season for Festus soccer was the program’s best ever, and winning the district and sectional titles was an experience I wouldn't trade for anything. Playing soccer at Festus has been full of challenges and rewarding experiences and I couldn't be happier to finish my high school athletic career on the soccer field.
The biggest lesson I have learned in sports is that your work ethic will determine your success. If you want to be the most successful athlete, you’ve got to have the greatest work ethic. If I could give any advice to a young athlete besides “always work hard,” it would be to enjoy every moment you're playing because you can never get those moments back.
I want to thank everyone who has helped me become the athlete that I am today and helped make my high school sports experience so enjoyable.
The first thank-you goes to my club soccer coach, Jim Wipke, who started working with me when I was 8 years old. He always pushed me to be the best I could be and helped me develop into a player who can compete at the collegiate level. I would not be half the soccer player I am today without him.
Next are all my high school coaches, who include Brian Frazier (basketball) and Drew Clinton (soccer) in addition to coaches Montgomery, Gurnow and Rhodes. I thank them for always working around my busy schedule, but more importantly, for driving me to be my best and helping me improve in each sport. My high school sports experience wouldn't have been the same without these great coaches.
Then there are my teammates, many of whom have become my best friends: Makensie Kennon, Alex Tinnin, Allison Beckham, Ashley Fallert, Ally Frazier, and Morgan Wendel. They all made practices into so much more than just showing up and doing the work. I couldn't have asked for a better group of teammates and I will always treasure the memories I've made with them.
My final thank you goes to my parents (Todd and Karen Oetting) and my sister Jenna. Mom and Dad, thank you for instilling in me the meaning and value of hard work, and thank you for the countless hours you’ve spent supporting me as a year-round athlete. Jenna, thanks for the success we’ve enjoyed together – you helped make it happen.
I'm extremely blessed and excited to have the opportunity to continue my soccer career at Purdue University, competing in one of the country’s best athletic conferences. I will take with me unforgettable memories of my athletic career as a Festus Tiger.