Jenkins adjusting to college game

When the long-awaited moment finally arrived, Ariene Jenkins (Woodbridge ’06) started sweating. A lot. Then, her stomach started churning and her hands started shaking. Questions raced through her mind as she wondered if she could do the basics, like catch the ball in the post.

All of a sudden, a sport she had played since she was 10 was a mystery to her. As she prepared to start her first-ever college basketball game for the University of Delaware, it was clear Jenkins was not a model of confidence.

“You would have thought this was the first time I had ever played basketball,” Jenkins said.

On one level, it was. Switching from the high school game to the college game was an adjustment. On top of that, Jenkins red-shirted her first year with the Blue Hens.

But as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association’s youngest team, there wasn’t time for learning coming into the season. Not with five freshmen and three sophomores on a team that was 7-22 overall and 6-11 in the CAA going into last night’s game against Towson.

So after impressing Delaware head coach Tina Martin one day at practice with her play, Jenkins got the call to start Dec. 21 against Bowling Green. Jenkins had six rebounds in the 64-54 loss, but it took some time for her to collect herself.

“She was almost out of breath, like she was hyperventilating,” Martin said. “I told her she had to calm down.”

After that game, Jenkins got more confident with each outing and has been a bright spot for the Blue Hens, especially in CAA play. Although she was only averaging 2.0 points and 2.8 rebounds per game out of conference, Jenkins was averaging 6.5 points and 6.2 rebounds in 17 league games.

Last Sunday, she grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds against Georgia State. For the season, she has recorded at least five rebounds in 10 of her last 11 games.

“The best thing about Ariene is that she has an aggressive mindset when it comes to rebounding the ball,” Martin said. “She is not afraid to be physical.”

Martin said she wanted Jenkins to red-shirt her freshman year to help her with her conditioning. Delaware, which went 26-6 last season in reaching the NCAA Tournament, also had two senior post players playing in front of Jenkins at the time.

With the nerves now gone, Jenkins has found her comfort level in the post.

“I am definitely not afraid to make a mistake,” Jenkins said. “I am more confident in the games.”

Whitney Allen (Woodbridge ’03) and Monica Wright (Forest Park ’06) were both named to the all-defensive teams of their respective conferences.

Allen was selected as an all-Atlantic 10 choice for the second straight year. The George Washington University senior is averaging 8.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.

Wright was selected to the all-ACC team. She finished the regular season ranked fourth in the league in steals (2.67 per game). The University of Virginia sophomore guard also leads the team in scoring (17.8 ppg) and in blocks.

Richard Reilly (Osbourn Park ’04) was named to the second team all-North Atlantic Conference. Reilly finished as Castleton State College’s all-time assist leader.

This season, he averaged 14.5 points per game along with 5.4 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game.

SOFTBALL
Mandy Craig (Osbourn Park ’07) was named to the Big East Conference Weekly Softball Honor Roll.

Helping the Scarlet Knights finish third at the Miken Classic in Boca Raton, Fla., Craig went 5 for 13 with eight RBI and five runs scored. Craig recorded her first collegiate home run in Rutgers’ first game against Bethune Cookman.

Craig is batting .300 for the 6-3 Scarlet Knights.

For the second straight week, Sarah Himan (Hylton ’06) was named the Big South Conference Player of the Week.

The Radford sophomore batted .556 with 10 hits and eight RBI in six games at the ECU Pirate Clash. The Highlanders (12-5) went 4-2 and won the Silver Bracket Championship.
Himan is batting a team-high .438 with one homer and 15 RBIs.

CROSS COUNTRY
Mary Washington’s Jason Driscoll (Battlefield ’06) has been honored by the U.S. Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association for academic and athletic achievement. Driscoll was 39th at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championship. The association honored student-athletes who placed among the top 25 percent at the regional championship and carried a minimum 3.10 grade point average in the fall semester.

David Fawcett’s They’re In College Now column appears Fridays in the Potomac News & Manassas Journal Messenger. Reach him at (703) 878-8052 or at dfawcett@potomacnews.com