Warrenton junior forward Jenny Jansen has been named to the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Class 4 all-state team after leading the Warriors to a 21-6 record this season.

Jansen led the team with 17.1 points and 8.1 rebounds.

“I didn’t expect it at all,” she said of the honor. “Coach (Greg Williams) said he thought I would make it, but it was still a shock to me.”

Jansen, who is a three-time all-state softball player, becomes the fifth girls player in school history to make the all-state first team on the basketball court.

“Everyone knows what she does for our team, and everybody knows how she carries us along,” Williams said. “It’s good when other coaches see that and recognize it.”

Jansen said her biggest improvement this season was the ability to consistently knock down a jump shot, something she struggled with the previous two seasons.

“I knew that with my driving abilities, people were going to sag off me,” she said. “So being able to shoot makes me more of a threat.”

She finished the season with a team-high 56 percent shooting percentage while battling double-teams and special defenses designed to slow her down.

Most nights, they weren’t successful.

Jansen scored at least 20 points on 10 occasions this season despite the extra attention.

She was back on the court with teammates a few weeks after the sectional loss to St. Charles, and  her annual juggling act is about to begin.

The Warrenton softball team has a state title to defend, and offseason workouts are starting to ramp up.

“I’ll be playing a lot of softball, but I’ll try to come in the gym and get shots up whenever I have time,” she said. “It’s hard to play two sports, but you find time if you want to do it.”

Williams said Jansen’s biggest focus this summer will be on defense, while continuing to improve her jump shot.

“She has really progressed as a shooter,” he said. “And she’s only going to get better.”

Jansen is expected to lead a Warrenton team that returns all five of its starters next season.

The Warriors will be the early favorites in the Gateway Athletic Conference North, and Williams hopes Jansen’s accolades continue to help the program in the future.

“It’s good to see because it speaks to her work ethic, and the other girls in the community can look at her and say, ‘I want to be like that.’ ” he said. “She has really carried the flag for our program.”

Jansen never expected to be an all-state performer in two sports, but her advice to younger players was simple.

“I never in a million years thought I would make the team in basketball,” she said. “But hard work and loving the game pays off.”