JEFF FIELDER Editor
GERING – Quinton Janecek, who graduated from Gering High School in May, is this week’s Nspire Today! Male Athlete of the Week, sponsored by Kristy Culek Agency, LLC-American Family Insurance. Janecek had a superb Legion baseball season, ranking high in the region in several statistical categories and helping Gering post a 24-17-1 record, including a 1-2 record in the area tournament. Janecek also played football and competed in track and field his senior season at GHS. Janecek missed last summer’s Legion baseball season while he was recovering from an ACL tear. Janecek will attend college at Concordia beginning this fall, and he’ll also compete in track and field there. His parents are Matt and Mickie Janecek. Quinton has one brother, Maddux, who will be a freshman at GHS this fall.
Q: Talk about how Gering’s Legion baseball season went this summer?
JANECEK: “Overall, it went really well. We didn’t have the final outcome that we would have liked. We would have liked to win the district and then win a couple games at state, but for as young as we were, I thought we did really well.”
Q: What positions did you play this summer?
JANECEK: “I ended the season playing primarily at third, but I also played second quite a bit, and I played all three positions in the outfield at some point in the year. I also pitched.”
Q: What position do you enjoy the most?
JANECEK: “I think the position I enjoy the most is probably third base. At times, it was a little frustrating because balls travel a lot quicker over there, but I enjoyed it because my favorite baseball player growing up was Chipper Jones, and he played third and wore No. 10.”
Q: Do you have one more season of Legion baseball left to play?
JANECEK: “Yes, I do.”
Q: How much have you enjoyed your Legion baseball experience up to this point?
JANECEK: “It’s been great. I’ve been with them since I was an eighth-grader. Last year it was unfortunate that I didn’t get to play [because he was recovering from an ACL tear], but I had a chance to see Legion baseball from a different perspective – more from a coach’s perspective, sitting in the dugout and having conversations with Coach O’Boyle and Coach Kinnaman. I learned more about the game.”
Q: How did it feel for you to be able to play baseball again this summer?
JANECEK: “It was great. I remember the first day of practice. I had just gotten done with track practice, and I went home and changed, and I texted my parents, saying that I was so excited. I had been looking forward to this day for a very long time – just to get out there and practice. It was really amazing to play again.”
Q: How did things go for you individually this year compared to previous seasons?
JANECEK: “There were times this season when I went through some dry spells, but that’s just part of baseball. You can get on a hot streak, but you can also get on a cold streak. Overall, I think my season consisted of a lot of highs and some lows, but compared to my sophomore year when I played for the senior team, I thought I did really well. I was among [the region leaders] in several categories, like batting average, RBIs, and stolen bases, so I’d like to think that I improved quite a bit. Really, though, it was just about contributing to the team, and I thought I did that. I was willing to move around to different positions – wherever they needed me.”
Q: Did you feel like you had to work extra hard to get your baseball skills back up to where they were before your injury?
JANECEK: “I don’t know if it was extra hard, but I did put in a lot of extra work because in the back of my head I didn’t want to be a weak link – the one dragging everyone down.”
Q: Describe how your senior year went athletics-wise.
JANECEK: “Athletically, I thought it went really well. Everything that happened in track [hurdles and 4×400 relay] went really well. One of the big goals I had was to get back to state, which I accomplished my sophomore year, and I did that. Track went really well, and baseball was the same way. Getting back out there and contributing again was fun. In football, it was a little rough with everyone trying to learn a new system, but besides a couple injuries I had, I thought it went all right.”
Q: Has your focus quickly changed to your first year of college at Concordia?
JANECEK: “Yes. After our final baseball game, when we lost to McCook, the next morning my dad and my little brother woke me up and said, ‘OK, baseball is over, so you need to get into track shape before you head off to college.’ So, I went to the track and started running.”
Q: When will you leave for college?
JANECEK: “I will move in Aug. 22.”
Q: How excited are you to start your college career?
JANECEK: “I’m excited and nervous. I’m a little nervous to be on my own for the first time, but at the same time, I’m a little excited to be on my own. Everyone at Concordia has welcomed me with open arms, and I’ve been talking to my roommate all summer, and he and I are pretty close. So, I’m excited to start college.”
Q: What do you plan to major in?
JANECEK: “Secondary education and history.”
Q: What will you miss most about not being around Gering when you leave for college?
JANECEK: “I’ll miss my family. It’s awesome to go home every day and see my mom and dad and tell them about a workout that I did or what I did in school. I’ll still be able to call them and talk to them about what I’ve been doing, but it will be different not coming home to see them every day. Also, I’m going to miss talking to my little brother and seeing the stuff that he’s going to be doing in high school. It’s been kind of cool after Friday night football games to get up early on Saturday and drive to wherever he’s at to watch him play. Hopefully, I’ll make it to a couple of his games.”
If you would like to nominate someone for Nspire Today!’s Athletes of the Week, sponsored by Kristy Culek Agency, you may do so by sending an email to jeff.fielder@nspiretoday.com or by mailing a letter to Nspire Today!, P.O. Box 454, Scottsbluff, NE 69363. Nominations may also be submitted by sending a text to 308-220-8865.
In addition to being recognized online, athletes of the week will also be recognized in Nspire Today! magazine. To sign up for a one-year subscription (12 issues) to the magazine, please send $15 to Nspire Today!, P.O. Box 454, Scottsbluff, NE 69363. To pay with a credit card, please call 308-220-8865. If you would like to increase your subscription to $20, Nspire Today! will donate the extra $5 in August to the local DOVES organization.
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