Makenzie Ginn finds a place to play

For nine days in limbo, Makenzie Ginn didn't know where she would be playing her senior season of basketball.Or if she would be playing at all.Nine girls signed up at Olin. Six showed up on the first day of practice, and the number dwindled from there.It was apparent that if Ginn was going to play, it wouldn't be at her own school, which scrambled for a sharing agreement with three adjacent districts - Anamosa, Midland and North Cedar.Ginn got her first choice. Anamosa.“I knew the coaches, and I had played with some of the girls when I was younger,” she said.Both school boards agreed to the arrangement, shipping two Olin players - Ginn and freshman Cassidy Smith - into the Raiders' program. Ginn is a key varsity reserve; Smith plays on the JV team.Their first day of practice at Anamosa was Nov. 18, nine days after practice began.“She's done a really good job responding to all the stuff we've thrown at her,” said Anamosa Coach Jack Leighty. “She's really talented, and she's been playing varsity ball for four years.”Olin went through a successful run during Ginn's three years there. In 2008, the Lions reached a Class 1A regional final before losing to eventual state champion Springville.She was a 32-minute-per-game player. Now, she's a role player. And she loves it.“There's a lot less pressure on me,” she said. “It's nice to go in and help, and be able to catch a break when I'm tired.”The sharing arrangement allowed Ginn to be reacquainted with Anamosa's Kayla Sanborn, who moved from Olin to Anamosa when she was in elementary school.“That really helped smooth the transition,” Leighty said. “We've got a group of kids who are mature, understanding and open about this.”Anamosa takes a 4-0 record into its Wamac Conference East Division opener tonight at home against Dyersville Beckman.Ginn is averaging 7.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. She's shooting 92 percent from the free throw line.And she's very, very happy.“It's awesome to play for a team like this. It's way different. A good different,” she said.“They want to be competitive. They want to win.”