Mountaineers Basketball. In the community of La Grande and the surrounding area, when people hear that they almost always think of Eastern Oregon University. And for some who have followed EOU Basketball over years, they also specifically think of Anji Weissenfluh, who has led the women's program for 21 seasons now. Over the years, Coach Weissenfluh has transformed the women's program into one of the best in the NAIA and has shaped the minds of many young women. Jordan Klebaum is one of those many women who played and graduated under Coach Weissenfluh.
 
Klebaum played for the Mountaineers for two seasons as a transfer from Chemeketa Community College. She redshirted her junior year in 2013-14 before playing the next two seasons from 2014-16. She was part of the two CCC Championship teams and was one of the best perimeter shooters for the Mountaineers. As a senior in 2015-16, Klebaum went on to garner NAIA All-American honors. She graduated from EOU with a Bachelor of Science degree in Health & Human Performance with a concentration in Physical Education and Community Health. She also received her Master of Arts degree in Education/Teaching from EOU. 
 
Now a high school girls basketball coach in Union, Oregon, Klebaum has been a part of the local community for eight years. She never quite knew where life would take her after her playing days, but Klebaum can't imagine living anywhere else now. Even her immediate family and grandparents relocated to La Grande. For Klebaum, she loves the area and she credits it all back to when she chose to play at EOU under Coach Weissenfluh.
 
In this fourth installment of EOU Athletics' "Feature Friday" Sports Information Director William McLaughlin caught up with the EOU alumna to talk about how she and her entire family moved to La Grande, her playing days under Coach Weissenfluh, and much more.
 
1. Was basketball always your first passion?
Basketball definitely was not my first passion. I did not start picking up the sport until I was about 11 years old. Funny thing is that my first passion was BMX bike riding. That was something I did when I was younger and I would travel around the country and ride my bike competitively in all these events. It was right around fifth grade when I started playing basketball. Now, don't get me wrong I have always been super competitive but with basketball I did not take it seriously until about high school. BMX was the thing I did right out the gate as a kid and I honestly think that it was what created my competitive nature. I loved it a lot and did it for a long time. Being able to travel all over the country with my dad was a cool experience that I feel not a ton of kids get to have in their lives. BMX was for sure my first passion, but basketball is my greatest passion.
 
2. How was it picking up your life and moving from Oregon City to La Grande?
So, this whole story is somewhat wild and it started in my junior year of high school actually. My dad and I were on our way to Boise State and we stopped at EOU to take a walk around campus. It was during the summer time and when we were in Quinn Coliseum looking around, my dad stopped and said, "Man! I'm going to retire here one day, just you watch!". I just kind of laughed and said to him, "who would want to live here?". Now for my family, they ended up packing up and moving from Oregon City to La Grande in 2018 or 2019, I believe. I met my husband at EOU in my senior year and he's from around here so now both our immediate families are in the same place as us. I think my parents are a rarity in that they live here and are that close, physically, with my husband's family. My grandparents live in the area too. They moved to La Grande about a year ago which is cool. It's a bit crazy to think about how close our two families are, not just physically, but the connection they've all made with each other and it's all because my family wanted to move to Eastern Oregon. Honestly, if you had told me after I graduated high school my entire family and I would live together in La Grande one day, I would have said you were crazy. Now for me personally, moving from Oregon City to La Grande was a bit scary. I had lived in Oregon City since I was two years old and before EOU I went to Chemeketa Community College for two years in Salem. Being that close to home was nice so to just pack up and move across the state to somewhere new was scary for sure. I had to adjust from living in an area that had multiple amenities or a lot of traffic to a small town. That being said, I was ready for a change of scenery. I remember when I came on my official visit to EOU, I felt that small town vibe and it was something I was unknowingly craving for quite some time after living in a bigger place for so long. But yeah, it was a new feeling and I was scared going out on my own like that for the first time. I felt ready though and it was something that needed to happen in order for growth. I don't miss Oregon City to be honest. When I was in college I missed my family and not being able to spend time with them. Looking back now after living in La Grande for almost eight years, I am happy with my decision and I love it here.
 
3. How did Anji Weissenfluh and Samantha Flett (former graduate assistant coach) convince you to play basketball at EOU?
Anji saw me play in my first game as a sophomore when our team was at the NWAC Tournament and after the game she pulled me aside and we chatted for a bit about me potentially playing at Eastern. What's crazy is the very next game, I tore my ACL and I vividly remember Sam, and by the way she had dark hair at the time not blonde, came out into the hall to check on me. I did not know at the time my ACL was torn but I knew I was not going back into the game. I was crying and she came up and comforted me which was cool because she had not even met me yet but she made sure I was ok. So, after I found out I had torn my ACL a couple of schools that were looking at me pulled their offers, but Anji and Sam decided to take a chance on me still. I know a lot of people don't always believe in this, but things happen for a reason when I look back on it. I met my husband at EOU and now my whole family lives in La Grande. All of that stems back to the one conversation I got to have with Anji and Sam and they were the only ones who wanted to take that chance on me. It gives me chills when I think about it because that one decision ultimately changed the entire trajectory of my life.  
 
4. What is a moment you won't forget during your time at EOU as a player?
This is a question I racked my brain around because I am not the type of player that remembers a specific shot or anything like that, but for sure every time we beat Southern Oregon on our home floor was a good moment. That's an amazing memory for me because we never lost to Southern Oregon on our home floor when I played at EOU. Now, there is one instance I remember pretty vividly. We were at home against Corban my senior year and they had a player on their team who I had played high school ball with. We were both super competitive and in every game I treated it like business as usual and was ready to go to work, but in this game I just really wanted to beat her. I was on it in this game and could not miss. I was on fire to be honest and just wanted the ball every time. Anji called a timeout and drew up a play, but I said to her, "Coach, I am feeling it right now, give me the ball." I don't think I was a cocky player, but I was confident. In this game though, I was just feeling it and wanted the ball in my hand. Anji just looked at me and smiled, which was weird because she's so serious on gameday. She drew up a new play that got me isolated so that I would get the ball for an open shot. However, the screen at the top of the key got set too high so when I got the ball I was all the way out at the O on the EOU logo. In that moment, it felt like slow motion and I'm thinking, "Damn, if I miss this Anji is going to be mad and I will get subbed out." I was like whatever, shooters shoot, so I took the shot and made it. I remember looking at her after I made it and she was just smiling and laughing. I don't know why that memory sticks out so much but yeah, that moment always comes to my mind from time to time.
 
5. As a sharpshooter, did you prefer creating your own shot or did you feel more comfortable with what the offense gave you?
Honestly, it went either way for me because it always depended on the situation. I had a good shot selection because I always worked with the rhythm of the offense, what was on the shot clock, and if I had an open shot. Now, I was also the type of player that if my opponent did not respect my range, I reminded them they had to respect it. I never really looked to create a shot off the dribble though. I was athletic, but was never quick enough to do that so I learned how to create shots for myself based on what the offense gave me and I figured out how to move better without the ball in my hand. In the best way possible to answer this, I was more so that player that dealt with what I was given from my offense and took the shots I felt were the best ones possible to help the team.
 
6. How did it feel to be named an All-American in your senior year?
Quite frankly, I was never really a player that looked for individual accolades. I just really wanted to win. I always tell my players now as a coach I hate losing more than I enjoy winning. Now, I'd be lying if I said that I didn't care. I was unlucky in my career because I was plagued a bit by injuries, but in my three years at EOU we made the National Tournament twice but I never got to play at that stage due to injury. My senior year when I was able to get through the season unscathed, we just missed making it Nationals. So, for me, to have never been able to play on that stage was a bit disappointing because I knew how good I was and how good my team was. But, to still be honored with that designation of being an All-American was something I was proud of and I was happy to go out that way. Now, if I had not gotten it I would not have been devastated either because I knew what my skill set was and how good I was. Looking back, it felt good to be recognized because it reminds me of all the hard work I put in to be as good as those other top players. I would have definitely taken a National Championship over being an All-American but it is what it is. I took everything I got with the cards I was dealt.
 
7. Did you ever think you'd become a basketball coach?
I knew after my playing career I was not done with the sport. In the state of Oregon, Oregon City is a mecca of girl's high school basketball, so I did not see court time until my senior year. Leading up to that though I had the ability to sit back and watch how our coaches ran things and when I got to college I got to do that as well because of my injuries. I got to watch three amazing coaches in my playing career lead their programs. I learned how they did things, I saw the X's and O's of their systems, and I got to see all those little nuances that you don't get to see when you're on the court. So, I always kind of knew I had it in me to coach and I may not have recognized it at the time as a player but it was always there. What's funny is I feel Anji and I have very similar coaching styles in that we're both super competitive so when my playing days ended I did not feel it was time yet for me to stop being a part of the sport and she mentioned the coaching route. It's cool because I have been able to pass on what I've learned from others and I can pick and choose what I want to implement. I truly get to make it my own and what's fun is I get to give back to a sport that gave me so much growing up.
 
8. What are some of the biggest lessons you learned while you played for Anji?
To be honest, we had a challenging relationship in the beginning when I got to EOU because we are both so competitive and I was really wanting to contribute but I was still hurt. So, she was always trying to get me to be smart about what I could and could not do. With Anji though, she is one of the smartest people I have ever met in that she knows how to get the most out of her players and challenge them in the best way possible physically, mentally, and emotionally. She taught me all of that and I did not notice it at the time, but she showed me how to just keep going and to just keep pushing forward. From her, I learned how to handle things when they weren't going well or if I was having a tough time. Basketball wise, she helped me see how to be better even if my shot wasn't falling some nights which led to me being better on defense. A lot of what she taught on the court transitioned to real life. If things are not going your way you have to find a way to keep going. You may not get to stop so it's about being able to handle it all and just move on. Hindsight is 20/20 because there were times she helped light a fire under my butt to do better and it was not always in a nice way. At the time I may have been mad at her, but she instilled that in me to just be a fighter. Honestly, if I had not gone to EOU and played basketball for Anji I don't think I would have been as tough as I am now. I'm just really grateful for the opportunities she gave me. They allowed me to grow and mature; if I had not played for her I don't think I'd be who I am today.
 
9. As a coach now, do you ever catch yourself doing things Anji did when you played?
Aside from the obvious X's and O's, because she has some great offensive and defensive schemes that I use today in modified versions, I catch myself sitting like she does. So, the next time you watch a game you'll see with Anji that she sits a certain way. Her legs will be crossed, she'll hold her knee, and she will quietly observe. It doesn't always look like the most inviting stance, but I have noticed myself in the background of my players' photos and I will be sitting that same way. I laugh at myself and will just think, "Who am I?" I also notice now as a head coach, I will be standing and sometimes I turn around to look at my assistant coach and say, "What is she doing?" which is something Anji says all the time to her assistants when players aren't doing things right. I notice that from time to time and will say to myself, "Oh my gosh, I sound just like Anji." It's not a bad thing, but yeah, I do catch myself more often than not acting like she does.
 
10. What makes EOU and La Grande so special?
I would be lying if I told you that when I first moved here everything was perfect because it was not. It took a lot of getting used to. EOU, La Grande, and the surrounding communities all portray that small-town vibe that allows you to just take a breath. You're not in a rush to get to places, you're not bombarded by the quantity of people, and you get the chance to be a bigger individual in this area. Like with the classes at EOU, they are smaller which allows better one-on-one time with professors. You just have so much access to all these resources, people, and places. To someone from a big city, they don't understand all of that until they get here. Time just slows down, and you have more time to become who you want to be. Looking back, moving to La Grande helped me mature in a way that if I had gone to a bigger town or to a city I don't think I would be who I am today. A lot of that came with some hard lessons as well but hindsight, again, is 20/20. I was able to become the best version of myself because of this community. The saying is true in that, "Once A Mountie, Always A Mountie." I am still really happy to be a part of this community, and who knows maybe someday, if I am lucky, I'll get to coach alongside Anji and give back to a place that has shaped who I am today.

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