Roberta (Robinson) Olejasz knew she had to put her name into contention for the Wheeling Central girls’ basketball job.
That is, after she took a minute to get past the surprise of longtime and successful boss Penn Kurtz hanging up his whistle.
Now the former Maroon Knights and Wheeling Central Hall of Famer is ready to continue a lengthy tradition of winning into the future.
“Once I got over the shock of Penn deciding to retire, I knew I needed to step up and at least put my name in for the job,” Olejasz admitted. “I want to thank the committee and the athletics director, principal and president, and Wheeling Central for showing their faith in me in allowing me to coach.
“I know what a huge deal this is, and I’m overwhelmed”
With emotions maybe, but make no mistake, Olejasz knows basketball.
Following her successful high school career, she received an offer to play at Division I Virginia Commonwealth.
An injury ended her playing career at VCU and in general, but Olejasz soon took up the coaching mantle. She also is a founder and current board member for West Virginia Elite, an AAU basketball program based in Wheeling.
She previously coached both a boys’ and girls’ team with Elite, but stepped away from the girls’ side when she again rejoined Penn on the sidelines last season.
Basketball is in her blood
Tough Shoes to Fill
Olejasz knows the importance of the tradition of success at Wheeling Central and how it permeates every aspect of student life, from athletics to academics.
She also knows she’s taking over for a coach who played a major role in building that tradition for girls’ basketball.
Kurtz has three state championships to his credit, the most recent in 2018. He also has eight OVAC titles and 25 appearances in Charleston as a head coach.
He missed the state tournament only thrice in his 28 seasons.
Kurtz has also been affectionately referred to as the best dressed coach in the Ohio Valley. While Olejasz is confident she can carry on the tradition of winning, that “best dressed” part she’ll leave to her predecessor.
Since Kurtz’s announcement, Olejasz has been handling the summer workouts and making sure the girls are keeping active in their preparation for another successful season.
The Knights are coming off an OVAC AAA championship season and are two years removed from a state crown. Three major parts in that success, Hannah White, Kaylee Reinbeau, and Eden Gainer, have all graduated.
For those keeping score, that’s three Division I players.
The cupboard, however, is far from empty.
Incoming seniors Marisa Horan and 6-footer Tristen White figure to lead a talented group. Horan proved her worth last season in the OVAC semifinal win against Shadyside. White played big in the paint, but in the shadow of Reinbeau. She will figure prominently in the Knights’ plans.
“I’ve watched her game develop, and I think this year will be her time to shine,” Olejasz said of White.
Familiar Faces, Different Landscape
Being involved with Elite, Olejasz has either coached or coached against many of her players from the time they began playing organized basketball.
She knows each of their strengths and what they need to work on.
“Taking over this program at this time with this group of young ladies is extra special,” she said. “I’ve watched all of these girls develop their games from the time they picked up a ball in organized basketball.
“I consider myself to be absolutely blessed to be able to continue with the rest of their journey.”
That’s the familiar. What won’t be is the postseason landscape for the Maroon Knights.
With the move to reclassify basketball into four divisions and shuffle around some teams based on more criteria than just enrollment, the Maroon Knights find themselves in the Class AAA field for 2020-21.
That’s a two-classification jump. Joining them is the former Class A and most likely now Class AAA bellwether program, Huntington St. Joseph.
The Fighting Irish won seven of the last nine Class A championships. Barring the pandemic canceling this season’s tournament, No. 8 was coming.
That’s the year-in, year-out standard Olejasz knows her team needs to play with.
She’s ready for that challenge.
“I think it begins with continuing to build the program and continuing to get down your system and philosophies,” Olejasz said. “But what is comes straight down to is defense. If you can play defense, you can play with anybody.”
Sticking with Tradition
As far as the team’s playstyle, Olejasz is in agreement with Kurtz’s philosophy of molding the scheme to fit the team’s athletes.
“We have Central Pride, and it’s a way of life at Central, all throughout the program and how we are coached,” Olejasz said. “We base our philosophy on the players’ abilities. You can’t push every single player into the same mold.
“You have to mold your style around your players.”
Those players include Horan and White, but also the likes of fellow senior Alexis Mills along with juniors to be Serena Guyer, Sara Gruber, and Gia Campbell.
The sophomore class is promising, with posts Abbey Jones and Olejasz’s daughter Reagan, not to mention speedy guard and defensive stalwart Naliah Lekanudos.
Don’t sleep on Elle Canestraro and Lily Vogrin either. Canestraro started a number of games as a freshman, and Vogrin canned some big shots in key situations.
