Ann Jameson fitting in at Cedar Rapids Jefferson

CEDAR RAPIDS — Ann Jameson knows basketball.

She knew it when she set the Iowa girls’ basketball state record in rebounds at North Cedar High School and she knew it when she signed on to be an assistant coach at Cedar Rapids Jefferson this season.

Jameson previously was the head coach at Alburnett, but took a year off before getting back in the game with the J-Hawks.

“Moving from the Tri-Rivers Conference and coming to the MVC (Mississippi Valley Conference), it’s like a step up in the competition,” Jameson said.

She fit right in with the J-Hawks’ team camaraderie.

“We instantly clicked,” junior Jariah Harris said about the team chemistry with Jameson in the mix.

“She has taught me to love the game more.”

Along with appreciation for the sport, Jameson has been working with the team on the small details and execution.

“She’s taken a lot of emphasis on post players and making sure we understand what we’re doing,” Harris said. “We take pride in the little things.”

Jameson aims to teach the girls more about hard work, determination and perseverance.

“You have to hope that the girls walk away with the life skills we know are important,” Jameson said.

Jameson’s inherent ability to teach also is reflected in her career.

“It’s kind of like what you do in the teaching world,” said Jameson, who teaches Earth Science at Jefferson. “You’re always taking in what the students are doing, or what your players are doing and having to make decisions and then rolling with it.”

Despite her expertise on and off the court, Jameson still said “it’s a learning process.”

The instant respect earned from the J-Hawks partially lies within Jameson’s prominent past. At one time, Jameson, then Ann Cavey, held the state’s record in rebounds. She remains sixth in the state in rebounds as of 2020.

An impressive high school basketball career led to an even more impressive college career at Missouri State University.

She is most proud of her accomplishments from successful seasons, such as winning rivalry games and competing at the state tournament twice in high school, and making the NCAA tournament three times and going to the Final Four in college.

Jameson joined the rest of the 2001 Missouri State women’s basketball team when they were inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2015 for their performance in the Final Four more than 20 years ago.

“It’s all about the girls you play with,” Jameson said. “Just being a part of that was really humbling. Them signifying our hard work and being honored for it.”

Her long history with the sport has inspired confidence in her ability to assist within the J-Hawk program.

“She scouts and lets us know what we need to do to execute and win games,” Harris said.

With the help of Jameson’s scouting, Jefferson girls’ basketball hopes to make a strong run in the postseason, starting with their Class 5A regional game against Cedar Falls on Wednesday.