Hi-Line Athlete Profile: Jessa Chvilicek, Havre Girls Basketball

There are a lot of tremendous multi-sport athletes at Havre High, but there are few, if any, who do more than Jessa Chvilicek does.

Chvilicek, a junior, is currently focused on basketball as a key member of the Havre girls basketball team which will head to Great Falls this week looking to defend their Class A state championship. However, she is also skilled on the volleyball court as she earned Second-Team All-Conference in the Central A last season. Chvilicek has also participated at the state track meet the last couple of seasons, showcasing all of her different skills as an athlete.

On the volleyball court, Chvilicek has a lot of her success around the net, killing and blocking the ball. In basketball, she's a versatile player that offers a lot of different things for the Ponies. She is a solid defender, thanks to her length and her quickness, which allows her to guard multiple positions.

Offensively, she is also a challenge for teams to deal with. She does a good job of running the floor and is also the leading 3-point shooter in all of Class A as she made 43.5 percent of her attempts during the regular season.

Last season, Chvilicek was part of the Havre team that went undefeated and capped off a 24-0 season with a Class A state championship. Yet, her role was limited with the team and even though she saw the floor at the state tournament, her time was reserved for when the outcome of the game was no longer in doubt.

Even though she didn't play a ton of minutes at state last season, it was still a good experience for Chvilicek who said she is excited to return to the tournament and play a bigger role this time around.

"I am really excited," Chvilicek said. "I think that we are going to do well."

Chvilicek will certainly have something to say about how the Ponies do this week in the Class A state tournament as she will be logging heavy minutes. The junior has played in all 21 games this season and averaged 6.3 points and 2.3 rebounds during the regular season. She was also second on the team with 20 3-point field goals, which gives her an average of more than one 3-point make per game.

As well as Chvilicek shoots the ball, her defense will be just as important and she also indicated that rebounding will be another key for the Ponies.

"I think our rebounding and our defense are going to help give us an edge. Those are two things we need to focus on," Chvilicek said.

With it being more than a week since the Ponies have taken the floor following their loss to Billings Central, Havre is ready for state to begin and before the Ponies traveled to Great Falls to defend their title, the Havre Daily News caught up with Chvilicek for five questions.

HDN: How is playing at state different from a normal game?

Chvilicek: "The crowd is one thing for sure. Whenever we are here it's always a big crowd."

HDN: How excited are you guys to be playing in Great Falls?

Chvilicek: "We are really excited. It seems like almost the whole town is coming down."

HDN: What has been the key to you becoming such a good 3-point shooter?

Chvilicek: "I guess just practice. My feet is one of the big things. Sometimes I am just on."

HDN: What has made you such a successful athlete?

Chvilicek: "I think all the work I have put into it. Even all summer I work on all of my sports and I think that has helped me the most."

HDN: What would it mean to you to win back-to-back state championships?

Chvilicek: "It would be amazing. It would make us so happy because we have worked so hard to try and get there."