Shepherd High School senior Janie McRae scored her 1,000th point in her high school career with this free throw on Friday at Huntley Project High School. (Photo courtesy of Brian Critchlow)
SHEPHERD —Janie McRae drained a free throw last week to put herself in the Shepherd High School record books.
The senior center became only the fifth Shepherd girl’s basketball player to score more than 1,000 points in her high school career. The single point that put her over the top came on a free throw against the Ladies at Huntley Project High School last week on Friday, Jan. 15.
The crowd recognized her accomplishment at the game, although no huge celebration followed.
“They announced it,” she said. “There was no confetti,” she joked.
The Shepherd team is undefeated with an impressive string of wins against both conference and non-conference opponents. By the end of the weekend, she was up to 1,022 points and counting.
Janie McRae said the team adjusted its offense during the off-season, since last year the Mustangs usually counted on her to score and most other players fed her the ball.
“We needed everybody to help,” she said. “That’s been the focus this year.”
Other teams expect the 6-3 senior center to take the ball, so she gets slammed on defense.
“They usually double-team me,” she said this week. “That leaves somebody else open, so we’ve been working on having that person be a threat, too.”
Janie said basketball is “probably” her best sport, but “I don’t know, that’s a tough one” to answer. She likes the fast pace and “how you need the whole team to win.” She’s been playing basketball since her early days at Pioneer School. She started playing at Shepherd in seventh grade like her sister before her. Her family has a basketball legacy, with her dad playing high school ball at Colstrip.
Janie’s mother, Kim, told the Yellowstone County News her daughter enjoys many sports, not just basketball.
“Janie is on track to earn 12 varsity letters,” Kim McRae said, “four each in volleyball, basketball and softball, and has been named All-State in all three sports.”
Although she’s been offered scholarships to play college basketball, she has decided not to play sports in college. She intends to enroll at Montana State University-Bozeman, “like her parents and two siblings before her,” Kim McRae said.
Shepherd’s Janie McRae goes to the basket Friday against Huntley Project defenders Lauren Sedgwick (22) and Josie Peterson (40). McRae has scored more than 1,000 career points at Shepherd. (Photo courtesy Brian Critchlow)
Janie has two stress fractures in her lower back that “took me out of volleyball a little bit” in her sophomore year, although they haven’t affected her as much in basketball. Dealing with pain from those fractures influenced her decision against college athletics, she said. Valedictorian of the Shepherd High School Class of 2016, she’s not sure what she will major in at MSU.
Janie is the fifth player in Shepherd girl’s basketball history to score at least 1,000 points. The others are Quinn Halvorson (1,403), Kayleen Goggins (1,321), Becky Jacobs (1,152), and Mauri Newman (1,036). Becky is the junior varsity coach at Shepherd, and Kayleen is also helping coach this season.
