In anticipation of chatting about her time as a student-athlete at Jamestown Community College a generation ago, Kay Sirianni pulled out some scrapbooks at her Jamestown home. The clippings and awards contained within apparently intrigued and impressed her oldest daughter, Annabella.

Upon flipping through the pages, the 12-year-old said, according to Kay: “I need to go to the basement and do some ball-handling (drills),” Kay said.

In other words, the seventh-grader at Southwestern Middle School recognized that her mom must have “had game” back in the day.

According to a panel of judges formed in 2000, no Jayhawk did it better.

The Sirianni family poses for a photo in 2015. From the left are Joey, Jay, Annabella, Kay and Gianna. P-J file photo by Scott Kindberg

In fact, the former Kay Beaver, a three-sport star as a Jayhawk, was selected as the top athlete in the school’s first 50 years of existence. The top 10 athletes in a list that extended to 50 were, in no particular order, wrestlers Lee Guzzo, Phil Roblee and Steve Swan; men’s basketball players Lewis Mack and Carl Jeter; women’s basketball player Leda Peterson; baseball player Greg Stack; and volleyball players Lotta Arenbo and Asa Gustafson.

“I probably was considered an average athlete at Randolph (Central School), but I was able to excel at JCC,” Kay said. “Credit to my coaches (Kathy Stedman for volleyball, Ed Bradford for basketball and Dan Tota for softball) and all the people I played with.”

For those needing a refresher on what Kay accomplished during her two years on campus, consider the following biography that was published in The Post-Journal nearly two decades ago:

“Kay Beaver was the best setter the women’s volleyball team ever had, which is why she was named an NJCAA first-team Division III All-American for the 1996 season. The Lady Jayhawks appeared at the national tournament in each of Beaver’s two seasons. In her sophomore year, Beaver missed the first five basketball games because of volleyball. However, the Randolph Central School graduate still led the team in scoring, total points, assists, steals, field goal percentage and free throw percentage. That earned her team MVP honors along with a spot on the All-Region 3 team. Despite missing 11 games in two seasons, Beaver had 570 points for her career. She played softball in only her sophomore year and led the team in batting, RBIs and extra-base hits to earn All-Region 3 honors. Beaver was also named the Jamestown CC sophomore women’s Athlete of the Year and was named the Western New York Athletic Conference Athlete of the Year, which included Division I schools. She was also named to the Region 3 All-Academic team.”

Kay, 43, is now married and teaches middle school English at Southwestern Central School. She and her husband Jay have three children, Annabella;10-year-old Joey; and 8-year-old Gianna.

Admitting that, “It doesn’t seem like 20 years have passed” since she was selected Jamestown CC’s top athlete in the first 50 years, Kay remembers fondly the friendships forged and the road trips to games and tournaments, including the volleyball team’s journey to the NJCAA nationals in Miami in 1995.

“To be able to get in a plane — my second time ever — go to Miami where I’d never been, stay in a hotel with my favorite girlfriends and favorite coaches, I think I enjoyed the experiences more than the games. … A few games stick out, but those bus rides, and the relationships you build with your coaches and teammates mean more than the actual games.”

Interestingly enough, Kay did not continue her athletic career upon transferring to SUNY Fredonia after her graduation from Jamestown CC. Having switched majors, she felt she didn’t have the time.

“I should have played and I’ve sort of regretted it,” she said, “but sometimes education has to come first.”

Describing Jamestown CC has a “perfect stepping stone” after high school, she said she found it very easy to get involved in different activities on campus.

“I tell my students and my kids to be well-rounded,” Kay said. “I was in clubs, student government and athletics. The teachers were wonderful and you don’t feel like you’re lost in the crowd. … It felt homey to me. … I have wonderful memories.”

For further evidence on how she feels about her alma mater she said her three children, “Have to go there. All three are planning on it.”