Muddy River Showcase: Central’s Ippensen will miss playing in Panthers’ unique environment

The inaugural Muddy River Showcase is taking place June 18 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The Illinois vs. Missouri format for senior prep basketball players will feature a girls game at 3 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 5 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door and all seating is general admission.

CAMP POINT, Ill. — Libby Ippensen doesn’t know how a relaxing summer feels.

She is about to find out.

The recent Central High School graduate was a three-sport athlete throughout her prep career, which meant summers were dedicated to camps, leagues and team functions. Having made the decision to pursue a degree in nursing and forego playing any sports in college, Ippensen gets to relax so to speak.

“This is my first summer that I have a lot of free time,” Ippensen said.

Maybe not as much as you might think. A summer job takes time, as will participating in the inaugural Muddy River Showcase, which takes place June 18 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center.

The all-star basketball showcase pits Illinois vs. Missouri for bragging rights. The girls game tips at 3 p.m. and the boys game to follow at 5 p.m.

While the venue and atmosphere are expected to be electric, it might not quite compare to the cozy and quaint gym the Central-Southeastern girls basketball team calls home.

Although the school houses a newer main gym with a larger seating capacity, the Panthers lay claim to the old gym located in what is now the junior high school. It has been as unique as it has successful for C-SE.

“It’s a pretty special place,” Ippensen said.

For good reason.

“The environment was probably my favorite part,” Ippensen said. “Everybody is just so positive. It’s an awesome place to play.”

It’s the gym she’s known all her life.

“Being able to grow up in it, because there were so many camps and stuff, you wanted to play there,” Ippensen said. “In high school, it becomes really cool.”

Topping it off, a Hall of Fame coach mans the helm. Ippensen said playing for C-SE coach Matt Long is as rewarding as it is challenging.

“It’s a really good experience because it can be so difficult at times,” Ippensen said. “Then at the other end, he’s such a good coach and he teaches you lessons outside of basketball, too. It’s been an honor to play for him and he’s been such a great coach.”

It’s the fact he cares that matters as much as anything.

“I could probably go to him about anything and talk to him and he’d be there to support me and help me through it,” Ippensen said.

It was a part of an incredible high school experience which saw her finish second on the volleyball team in kills, lead the girls basketball team to a 20-win season and play a significant role on a 19-win softball team.

“I really just wanted to be involved in everything,” Ippensen said. “When I was little, my mom and dad put me in everything, I just loved doing everything and just stuck with it.”

That changes now. She will begin pursuit of an associate’s degree in health sciences this fall at John Wood Community College and then transfer to the Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing.

“I’m looking at the children’s side of nursing,” Ippensen said. “I enjoy being around kids.”