Making A Name For Herself High-Scoring Heidi Umthun Out Of Her Sister’s Shadow

The name Umthun has been synonymous with girls basketball at Post Falls High School this decade.

The 1995-96 season represents the sixth straight year an Umthun has started for the Trojans.

Jenna Umthun, a junior who’s starting at Albertson College in Caldwell, started from 1990-92. Heidi Umthun, a Post Falls senior, is in her third year as a starter.

The younger sister came into her final season poised to step out of her sister’s shadow. Early returns indicate Heidi is well on her way to doing so.

Heidi Umthun doesn’t want to be misunderstood. She admires her sister for many reasons, but wants their careers to be considered on their own merits.

“I’ve been in her shadow the whole time; people compare us all the time,” Heidi said, smiling. “But we’re totally two different people.”

About the lone athletic parallel between the sisters is their success in three sports (including volleyball and track).

In just about every other aspect of life, the sisters are opposites, Heidi said.

As students, for example, Jenna earned a 4.0 grade-point average and was salutatorian. Heidi carries a respectable 3.2 GPA and is giving her studies much more attention this year.

On and off the court, Jenna is much more structured, more serious, Heidi said. “I’m more free-wheelin’ - sort of take life as it comes,” she said.

Longtime Borah coach Jim Pankratz, who has coached Heidi the past two summers on Basketball Congress International (BCI) national-qualifying teams, has followed the sisters’ careers.

“They’re both very athletic. Jenna was more mechanical and Heidi is very fluid, natural,” Pankratz said.

Heidi Umthun is on a mission in more ways than one this year.

Unlike her sister, Heidi hasn’t played on a state-qualifying team. In fact, the 5-foot-7 guard hasn’t played on a winning team until this year.

Two years ago, the Trojans finished 0-6 in the Inland Empire League, 8-14 overall. Last year, the Trojans were 3-5 and 8-15.

Going into a non-league game Friday at Colville, Wash., Post Falls is 6-1 (1-1 in league).

Umthun is the primary reason for the fast start. She’s leading her team in scoring, averaging 24.3 points per game. She ranks second in the league behind Sandpoint’s Alli Nieman (24.5).

She also leads the Trojans in assists, steals and rebounding.

Just this week, Umthun discovered she has a chance to join an exclusive club by season’s end - the 1,000-point club. Just one player in school history has scored 1,000 or more points in a career (Tabitha Bailey, a senior at Pepperdine). Umthun has scored 790 points and needs to average 16.2 in her final 13 regular-season games to reach the milestone.

But Umthun, who has signed to play at Boise State, isn’t putting personal achievements ahead of team goals.

“By the end of the year, I think we’re going to be good; nobody has seen us play to our potential yet,” she said. “We want to get to state. I’m sure there’s a lot of doubt in other peoples minds. But I don’t care about that. We can be a good team.”

Added Trojans coach Chris Johnson: “This is the best supporting cast she’s ever had.”

Johnson wants the ball in Umthun’s hands as often as possible - especially in the open court.

“She’s scoring a lot of points, but she creates a lot of points for her teammates,” Johnson said.

Pankratz and Lake City coach Dave Stockwell consider Umthun one of the top players in the state.

“When she has the basketball in her hands, she’s probably one of the most talented kids I’ve been around, and I’ve seen a lot of good ones,” Pankratz said. “She has a great full-court game. I saw her make a couple of moves at the national tournament that I had to stand up and applaud.”

“She’s the complete package,” added Stockwell. “It’s difficult to full-court press against her because she finishes so well. A lot of kids can go to the basket but not a lot of them can finish. Besides that, she has a great personality.”

Umthun scored a career-high 36 points Tuesday in the Trojans’ 58-41 win over Coeur d’Alene.

“It’s fun to watch her go up over bigger kids, get a defensive rebound, lead the break, take it to the hoop or dish off to somebody else for a layin,” Johnson said.

And Johnson has witnessed that often through seven games.

“One of the things that I admire about her, besides the fact that she has great stats, is the most important thing to her is winning,” Johnson said. “That’s why I’m glad we’ve got the opportunity to get her some wins this year.”

Though she’s still very much carefree, Umthun said she’s matured this year.

“This is the hardest I’ve ever worked in school and in basketball,” she said. “I want the reputation when I leave Post Falls that I was a hard worker. I need to prepare now for college. I needed to get serious this year.”

The maturity is evident on defense.

“Before this year, it was just all offense,” she said. “I want to get steals, I want to get rebounds. That will get me and the team more points.”

Most of all, though, it’s helping her make a name for herself.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo