Jan (Eichenauer) Gappa began her freshman year at Wabash High School with a difficult decision to make between her love of two spring sports, track and field or tennis. Her choice to pursue a career in track paid immediate dividends, as Jan burst onto the Indiana state track and field scene with a state championship in the long jump (18-6 ?) and a third-place finish in the 200-meter dash during her ninth grade year in 1997. While a serious knee injury derailed her sophomore year and limited her ability to compete in track and field in 1998, Jan was not finished. With the support of her family and coaches, she trained even harder and returned to the highest level of state competition as a junior. At the state finals in 1999, Jan leapt a high school personal best in the long jump of (19-0) to finish as runner-up, while also capturing third place in the 200 (25.35) and sixth place in the 100 (12.28). Capping off an amazing high school career as a senior in 2000, Jan won her second state title in the long jump (18-10) and placed fifth in the 200 (25.37). Jan placed in seven individual finals track events in her high school career, including the two state titles, helping her to become the 26th all-time state finals scorer with 51 points.