Year: 2020
Award: Basketball, High School
Location/Affiliation: Cherry Creek High School
- All-time CHSAA Assists Leader with 679
- Gatorade Player of the Year
- 2-time 5A Player of the Year
Jana Van Gytenbeek has moved on from Cherry Creek High School and is now a freshman playing for Stanford. The athlete who’s often called a girls basketball legend collected her second 5A Player of the Year award in 2020 and was also named Gatorade Player of the Year. Jana, was also the Centennial League Player of the Year and amazingly set the all-time Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) assists record with 679. Additionally, Jana scored more than 1500 points in her career.
Being athletic is in Jana’s genes. Most of her family members have either played baseball or softball and her softball-playing mother was inducted into the Colorado Slowpitch Hall of Fame. In a testament to her athleticism the “Denver Post” quoted Jana as saying that she has “always been one to look at people who are ahead of (her) in the game, and want(ed) to be just like them”.
This mentality has always pushed Jana Van Gytenbeek to overcome adversity and push herself to become a better player.
