KARNS CITY — Jumping has gotten Annie Hegedus places.

Jump stops and jump shots in particular.

A standout point guard for the Karns City girls basketball team, the senior always thought she would play basketball in college.

But it turns out a different kind of jumping landed her at Slippery Rock University.

Hegedus committed to The Rock women's track and field team as a long and triple jumper.

“It actually surprised me that I will be going to college for track,” Hegedus said. “I've played basketball since the fifth grade and I always thought that's what I would be doing in college.”

In her freshman year at Karns City, she competed in the long jump, but resisted taking on the triple jump.

She needed convincing to tackle the complicated event.

“I was scared to death,” Hegedus said, laughing. “The long jump was easy. You just run and jump. The triple jump looked a lot harder. Finally I said, 'OK. Fine. I'll do it.'”

It turned out to be a wise decision.

Hegedus set the Karns City school record in the event last season at 35 feet, 3½ inches.

She has flirted with breaking it again this spring with a best of 35-2½.

She said she hopes to eclipse the mark at least one more time before her career concludes with the Gremlins.

“My goal is to definitely make (the PIAA Track and Field Championships) for the triple jump and break 36 feet,” Hegedus said.

SRU assistant track and field coach Bill Jordan, who coaches the jumpers, said Hegedus has been on The Rock's radar for some time.

“She's a great recruit for us,” Jordan said. “It's a big jump going from high school to college. She definitely has the work ethic and the ability.”

Hegedus said she was recruited by several schools for basketball, but chose SRU and track and field for several reasons.

One was it was close to home. Another was the opportunity to see her younger sister Emily, who will be a sophomore guard next season for Karns City, play.

“That was important to me,” Annie Hegedus said. “If I played basketball, I would never get to see her play.”

Hegedus, who was very protective of her sister when they shared the court this winter as teammates at Karns City, had a playful warning.

“So, everyone, I'll be there watching. I'm pretty protective,” she said, laughing.

Hegedus will do the long and triple jump at SRU and will also participate in some sprinting events, Jordan said.

“That'll keep her fresh,” Jordan said. “Jumping is heavy impact on your legs and it's good to do other things to give yourself a little break. I can see Annie doing the 60-meters in indoor and the 200-meters outdoors. We'll use her wherever we think she can help us.”

Hegedus said she is thrilled to do whatever The Rock asks.

“I'm really excited to go there and to be around coaches like (head men's and women's track and field coach John) Papa and Coach Jordan,” Hegedus said. “I feel like I have a lot of potential to get better and they can really bring that out of me.”

Hegedus admitted, though, that she will miss basketball, especially when late fall and winter months roll around.

“It really hasn't hit me yet, but it will,” she said. “But I'll still play sometimes and I'll help my sister out.”