Former Holy Cross standout is Landmark and Region 5 player of year

By Steve Svetovich

Kaci Kranson is a former Times-Tribune Athlete of the Year and standout basketball and softball performer at Holy Cross High School.. Her accolades were lengthy in both sports.

President of her class with a 4.0 grade point average, Kaci surpassed over 1,500 points breaking the school record. 

So what does she do for an encore?

She enrolls at the University of Scranton, where by her junior year she becomes a three-time First-Team All-Landmark Selection in basketball. Even more impressive this season, Kaci was named Landmark Conference Player of the Year and Region 5 Player of the Year.

But more important to Kaci, she helped lead the Lady Royals to a 29-2 record, including another Landmark Championship and trip to the Final 8 of the NCAA playoffs before a 81-77 loss to Wisconsin-Stout on Saturday, March 15.

A second-team All-American, Kaci scored 536 points this season. She averaged 17.3 points per game. She was named  Landmark Athlete of the Week a half dozen times.

Daughter of Jill and Ryan Kranson, she is a criminal justice major at the University of Scranton with aspirations to become a police officer like her mom. A Dean’s List student, she has a 3.6 grade point average.

Hard working and humble, Kaci, 21, said it’s nice to receive awards but her goals are more team oriented.

“Sure, I was excited to receive the awards,” she said, “but it’s a reflection on the team. My team has been preparing hard for this season since September. We were very excited to get as far as we did, but it was expected. We did not want to settle for less. We were very excited to win the Landmark, but we wanted to get into the Final Four in the NCAA playoffs.

“This team worked hard from day one. It means everything to the whole team to go as far as we did.

“We made ourselves the best possible version of a team. In the back of our minds, we could win every game and go as far as possible. We took it game by game.

“We strived for this. We showed who we are.”

Kaci excelled at both softball and basketball at Holy Cross, so it was a tough decision regarding which sport she would play in college.

“I was blessed with two great high school coaches in Barry Fitzgerald and Joe Ross, so I was unsure what I wanted to do. Originally, I was going to,play softball. Then I had a chance to play basketball for former Dunmore coach Ben O’Brien. It became a no brainer for me.”

Always team-oriented, Kaci said she learned a lot from her parents over the years.

“They always tell me to live in the moment, have fun and enjoy each day. Always work hard for what you need to do. Nothing is ever handed to you. You need to work for it.”

Well-spoken and articulate, Kaci said she has learned so much from Coach O’Brien. “He is just a tremendous coach,” she said. 

“He taught me about so many different aspects of the game, including the mental approach. He taught me about the confidence you need in order to,play this game. You always need to think you are going to make your next shot even if you miss a few.”

The standout forward-guard said she misses softball. “I do miss it,” she said. “I was fortunate to play travel ball and in high school for both softball and basketball. I was even more fortunate to have two great high school coaches. I keep in touch with both. Coach Ross came to a couple of my college games. Coach Fitzgerald is often there for my college games. I was blessed to have both of them.”

Kaci, always positive, talked about her future. “I want to get this team to the Final Four next year,” she said. “It’s going to be my last year playing a competitive sport. The Final Four is the main goal. I want to savor everything and win as much as possible in my senior year. It’s hard to believe my last year is coming up. I will cherish the moments.

“Time will tell if I play any more basketball after college. I want to focus on school and get into law enforcement. I want to become a police officer like my mom. She has been a great inspiration to me. I might want to eventually get into coaching, starting out as an assistant. I’ve been involved with sports my whole life.”