Highland graduate Kronk completes season at Kaskaskia. Next stop: Eastern Illinois

Coming off a big freshman season in which she averaged 9.4 points a game, 2020 Highland graduate Megan Kronk was looking forward to an even better sophomore campaign this winter at Kaskaskia Community College in Centralia.

Sadly, the basketball gods had other things in mind for the 5-foot-8 sophomore guard. Kronk’s second season with the Blue Angels was ruined by a right hip labrum tear and hip impingement that limited her ability to drive the ball, shoot, and play defense the way she had for years before this season.

Kronk said the hip injury was discovered at the end of last season and she had needed surgery. However, due to COVID restrictions on elective surgeries last spring, Kronk could not get the surgery done until June of 2021.

“It was kind of sad honestly (how the season went) because I had to have my surgery because I tore my cartilage (in my hip) and I had a hip impingement,” she said. “Since it was during COVID, I had to wait until June to have the surgery done because it was considered elective surgery, so that hurt my chances to get it rehabbed quickly.”

Despite the hip setback, Kronk worked very hard to get back onto the court, and her dedication to physical therapy helped her finally return to action by January of this season.

“I was actually still going to physical therapy two times a week from August all the way through pretty much halfway into January,” Kronk said.

Trying to get her game back and being patient with that process was the most challenging part of the season beyond the rehab for Kronk as she had to change her playing style to adapt to her surgically repaired hip.

“I think the hardest thing was just me not getting frustrated with myself because I knew what I would be capable of and wouldn’t always be able to do it right away. But I had to keep working at it and keep pushing it and having to rely on teammates and coaches to keep working with me. And, after that happened, I would get the rhythm of it,” Kronk said.

Kronk shines against SWIC

Kronk’s best game of the season came Feb. 14 as the Blue Angels defeated Southwestern Illinois College from Belleville at home 81-69. Against SWIC and with her family in attendance, Kronk started and knocked a pair of 3-pointers for six points while also collecting an assist.

“I remember that game I started and I think my whole family was there which was kind of cool because it was hard for them to keep going back and forth with me not really playing that much. And my brothers play basketball, too, so I would tell them to go to their stuff,” Kronk said. “But that day I started, they all came and I made the first two 3-point baskets I shot that day and that was really cool for me.”

Kaskaskia finished at 12-13 and Kronk believes the team really gelled on and off the court as the season progressed.

“As a team, I really felt that we came together a lot more and we were always supporting each other and pushing each other to be better players and that’s what led us to have a much better record than last year,” Kronk said.

Former Highland standout stars in classroom

Kronk also excelled again in the classroom this year as she registered a 4.0 GPA last fall and is on pace to be named as an academic all-American and the end of the school year.

“I had a 4.0 GPA last semester and I plan on keeping it,” Kronk said.

In large part due to her hip condition, Kronk made the hard decision to not continue her basketball career at the senior college level. However, she still plans to be around sports when she transfers to Eastern Illinois University in Charleston this fall.

Excited about heading to Charleston

Kronk is looking forward to the move to Eastern.

She will major in physical education and look to become certified to teach in high school after attending EIU.

“I’m staying in the physical education realm and I’m going to be a physical education, health, and driver’s ed teacher. And the cool thing is I’m getting my major in kinesiology, sports, and recreation and getting my minor in health, nutrition, and dietetics, so I’ll still be able to stay active in the sports industry as well,” Kronk said.

Kronk will also look to coach in high school when she is done in a couple of years at Eastern and plans to get involved with the Panthers women’s basketball team next year as a student manager.

“I’m also looking into helping out the women’s basketball team at Eastern as a (student) manager so I can really get the grasp of what else can go on at a four-year program as opposed to a two-year program,” Kronk said.

This story was originally published March 23, 2022 at 12:00 AM.