Junior college standout joins Jimmie program

Katie O’Neill, an all-conference player at Cloud County Community College (Kan.), will continue her college basketball career at Jamestown College.

O’Neill, a native of Melbourne, Australia, was a second-team all-Jayhawk West Conference team selection and was named to the all-conference tournament team. The 5-foot-8 guard averaged 12 points and 5.1 rebounds per game last season. She shot 37 percent from the field and 31 percent (36 for 115) from three-point range, shot 74 percent from the free throw line and totaled 113 assists and 79 steals.

“We are very excited to sign a player the caliber of Katie,” Jimmie women’s basketball coach Mark Wiest said. “Katie was a key member of the Thunderbirds’ success the past two seasons.”

Cloud County went 26-7 last season, ranked 21st in the final national poll and reached the conference tournament title game in one of the tougher juco leagues in the nation.

“She is a very complete player and can play any of our guard positions,” Wiest said. “She led the Thunderbirds in a number of statistics last year and what impressed me as much as her offensive game was her ability to play solid defense. We are looking forward to having Katie join the Jimmies.”

The daughter of Wayne and Deborah O’Neill, she plans on studying accounting at Jamestown College.

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