The Dons’ Jessica Trad inks letter of intent to play for Hastings College

By Paul Lecker

Sports Reporter

MARSHFIELD — Marshfield Columbus Catholic High School senior Jessica Trad made it a goal to play basketball on the collegiate level, and last weekend that goal became a reality.

Trad traveled to Nebraska to sign her letter of intent in person to play basketball for Hastings College, a NAIA Division II school in the Great Plains Athletic Conference.

Trad, a first-team all-Cloverbelt Conference East Division performer last season and a second-team pick as a sophomore, has averaged nearly 11 points per game during her varsity career for the Dons and just less than 10 points per game this season.

“To be able to continue playing the sport I love for a great coach and school is amazing,” Trad said. “I’ve put so much time and work into this goal, and accomplishing it has been one of the best moments of my life. I’m excited for what the future holds.”

The future, at least for Trad’s team next year, will likely include a lot of winning.

Hastings is coming off two-straight NAIA Division II national tournament appearances and 13 in the past 15 seasons. The Broncos have made the NAIA Division II Fab Four seven times since 2002, winning championships in 2002, 2003, and 2006 and were the runners-up in 2009.

Hastings College, located in Hastings, Neb., is about 160 miles southwest of Omaha and about 70 miles north of the Kansas-Nebraska border.

This season the Broncos are 17-6 and 11-5 in the Great Plains Athletic Conference prior to a home game tonight against Doane College (Neb.).

The GPAC is made up of 12 schools from Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota, a number of which had interest in Trad.

“I received a lot of interest from colleges in the Great Plains Athletic Conference and toured a few,” Trad said. “But when I toured Hastings and met the coach, I knew right away that it was a perfect fit for me.”

Trad has some unfinished business first with the Columbus Dons, whose record stands at 8-9 ahead of tonight’s game against Owen-Withee. The WIAA girls basketball playoffs begin Feb. 23.

Paul Lecker is publisher of MarshfieldAreaSports.com, a contributor to Hub City Times Sports. You can reach him by email at paul@marshfieldareasports.com.