As senior athletes begin to eye the finish line on their careers, it’s only fitting to give a shout-out to two female athletes who are doing big things this year.
This past week, Jordan Brett set the Covenant softball all-time hits record, and she did it in style. Tied with Mary Baldwin University in the fifth inning, Brett blasted a two-run homerun to officially notch 178 career hits. The senior third baseman has been a stalwart for the Scots since freshman year, and decided to leave the team with something to remember as she graduates this May.
As a baseball player, I’ve had the privilege of seeing Jordan hit in the batting cages, and I’ll admit that I envy her aggressive back-swing (I even saw Julien Amorelli trying it out in game once, but it just didn’t look the same.) I have asked Jordan on multiple occasions if she would consider taking my spot on the baseball team in right field, but sadly Jordan has repeatedly turned down my offers, though I believe that it would be for the good of the team. (Off the record, I’ve never actually asked her that, but I do think she’d kill it.)
On a more serious note, however, Jordan has been a vital part of the Covenant community, the softball team, and even the varsity soccer team, serving as a goalie, and she truly deserves this record-breaking season.
This next section is not a brag piece, and I am writing purely as an objective fan of Covenant athletics without any ties to either of these athletes.
Another senior athlete who deserves recognition is the tennis team’s Gracie Smith. All while flying under the radar, Gracie has set the all-time career wins record at 48, the single-season wins record at 16, and the all-time doubles wins record (with the help of Claire Luger.) Amidst the throng of reporters hoping to get a word out of her after she set the record, I was able to catch up with Gracie and ask her to define her career in one sentence.
With a shy laugh, Gracie told me that she would say she’s a “tennis ninja,” though the verdict of whether or not she’s ever been called that is still out. When I asked her if she had time to play me in a quick set, she readily agreed and beat me 6-0 (true story).
Without a particularly flashy style of play, Gracie wears out her opponents on the court and has been a solid contributor for the tennis team since her freshman year. The women’s team takes on Sewanee this Friday, and then plays a doubleheader on Saturday against Salem and Berea. With two more wins, Gracie will achieve the incredible feat of 50 career wins, setting the bar high in the record books. While not a high-profile athlete or personality, Gracie has worked hard for her team and her record, and as with Jordan, it is well-deserved.
If you see either of these two female athletes this week, be sure to give them a high five. They’re killing it.