Player for all seasons

If you are looking for a story on Jackie Mee, some funny or embarrassing little anecdote on the all-state everything from Libby, you can forget about it.

There isn't one.

Just over three years into her high school career, Mee hasn't done a single thing to embarrass herself.

There are no funny little stories - just good basketball, volleyball, tennis and golf, a few poignant memories - and a work ethic any coach would die to have instilled in all the athletes he or she coaches.

Oh, sure, there was the time Mee accidentally split open a referee's chin by elbowing him during the tipoff of the divisional semifinal. That caused a delay while trainers tended to said ref.

And there was the time the country music-loving Mee made up rap lyrics about her teammates on the back of the volleyball bus on the way home from a match.

That's about it.

Mostly her coaches talk about her good grades, her honors, her close-knit family and her dedication to getting better.

Take a look.

Mee has had a 4.0 GPA throughout high school. She's been named all-state six different times - in four different sports - and she is the Class A defending state tennis champion.

Her work schedule this fall?

Daunting, to say the least.

Four days a week, she arrives at school around 7 a.m. to lift weights. She gets ready for school in the locker room, attends classes until 3:20 p.m., then goes to volleyball practice until 5:30.

After volleyball, she grabs a quick dinner at home, then returns to the school by 6:15 for open gym basketball.

Home again after 8, she does homework till 9:30 or 10.

"When she goes to bed, she's tired," said Libby girls basketball coach Jim May.

Of all the athletes May has coached, "she might have put in more time than any of them. Having two parents as coaches and access to keys might have helped. She lifts weights and shoots all the time," he said.

Both parents teach and both are - or have been - coaches.

Mom Barb is the freshman volleyball coach in Libby and dad Jerry was the freshman boys basketball coach there for many years.

"Her dad is like her personal coach. He's at the gym with her, taking her through plyos and shooting drills. The family golfs together. She's very close to her brother. It was a tough moment in the house when (her brother) left for college," said Libby volleyball coach Cindy Ostrem-Johnston.

As for school work ... Mee puts the time in there as well.

"It's not a path of least-resistance type of schedule. It's (advanced placement) classes and double sciences. She's got a mature way of paying attention," May said.

"She's pretty serious and focused most of the time," Ostrem-Johnston agreed.

"There's not a lot of room (in her schedule) for goofing around. It's pretty well packed. She's a very rare student-athlete. You don't find a kid that is going to work that hard every day, all yearlong, from year to year," Ostrem-Johnston said.

The work has paid off.

The Loggers won the Northwestern A division last year in volleyball and placed third at state.

This year, Libby finished the volleyball regular season second in Northwestern A.

As of last week, Mee led the Northwestern A in kills with 155 - she was fifth in aces with 22 and had 20 blocks.

"She's been extremely consistent this year in all aspects of the game. Serving, she gets her share of aces. She passes well and her hitting speaks for itself," Ostrem-Johnston said.

"You really don't appreciate how hard she hits the ball until you are on the other side of the net," the coach said.

"She takes whatever sport she's doing very serious. You watch her on the volleyball court, she makes a mistake, she's her own worst critic," May said.

"I know she wants to be the best at everything she does," he added.

But basketball has her heart.

"I can't imagine being without it," she said.

"I grew up with it. It was my first love. I really like the intensity. You never stop," Mee said.

Some of her best memories are basketball-related - twice making the last second free throws to win games at divisional - and she loves watching college basketball.

But there is some frustration - Mee has never played in a state basketball tournament.

"It's been frustrating the last couple of years not moving past divisional, for a lot of reasons. It's a little extra dismaying for me that she hasn't gotten (to state)," May said.

"The Mees and the Mays are good friends. She's like a daughter to me," he explained.

"She is one of my wife's best friends. Jackie will come over and sit with my wife. If I get after Jackie too hard during a game, my wife will let me know. I hear about it when I get home," he smiled.

Mee has had several inquiries about playing at the next level, but she has yet to make a decision - and says she likely won't until spring.

"I love (basketball) so much. I don't know if I'll be able to rip myself away," she said.

More than anything, it'll be tough for her to leave Libby, she said.

Her grandparents live there, her support system is there.

"I've never lived anywhere else. It will definitely be hard. My mom and dad are two of my best friends."

She and her mom are particularly close.

"We play tennis and she rebounds for me when my dad's not there. Our personalities are very similar. We travel together perfectly," Jackie said.

And having her mom on the volleyball staff?

"It's fine. She's fun to have around and I don't really have to worry about bringing money (on away trips)," she smiled.

"I'm dreading this really badly," Barb Mee said of Jackie's heading off to college.

"My husband and son did everything together and she and I do everything. I will miss her a bunch when she leaves. The house will be empty," Barb said.

"It's been a fast four years. We're certainly going to miss her. She's one of those kids who is not replaceable," Ostrem-Johnston said.