Players

Jennifer Crouse

Year Inducted: 2000

Category: Players

Schools / Organizations: Freeport High School
The University of North Dakota

Biography: The 6-foot-4 Crouse enjoyed a highly successful career at Freeport High School under coach Fred Klipp. She made five first-team all-state teams as a senior. She left Freeport with career records for points (2,037), blocked shots (609) and rebounds (1,227), season records for points (695), blocks (185) and rebounds (387) and single-game scoring (44) and blocks (12) marks. Freeport won three IHSA Class AA Regionals, two IHSA Sectionals and two IHSA Supersectionals.  In two third-place state tournament finishes Crouse earned all-tourney honors as she scored 120 points in her 6 games.  Jennifer Crouse was not only flying high as a player at Freeport High School, she soared to greater heights at the University of North Dakota. Jennie wanted a warm-weather Division I school when she left Freeport, but she also wanted to become a pilot. She chose North Dakota at Grand Forks, where she earned her instructor’s license. Crouse is the rare Illinois prep player to be named to three straight All-America teams and play on three straight NCAA champions. She led the Fighting Sioux to three straight NCAA Division II titles and was named tournament Most Valuable Player each time.  When she graduated, Crouse held career records for field goals made (924), field goal attempts (1,474), field goal percentage (.527), free throws made (435), free throws attempted (588), points (2,284), rebounds (1,145) and blocked shots (924). Crouse’s 25 rebounds against Augustana (S.D.) set school and North Central Conference records and was tops in the NCAA in 1999. She finished with NCC career marks for blocked shots, field goal percentage, field goals made, rebounds and scoring. Crouse was named the Grand Forks Herald Newspaper’s Sportsperson of the Year in 1999.   She played professionally in Spain.