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Jennifer Leonhardt
Southern Indiana
Softball
Sr., Louisville, Kentucky
Major: Biology/Pre-Dentistry
So many thoughts and emotions have run through my head over these past few weeks. Initially, I was heartbroken. To think that my career had built up to this final year, and it was ripped from me was something that was and still is hard to grasp. But sometimes things in life happen for a reason.
I want to start off by saying how thankful I am to have represented USI and the GLVC for the past four short years. I think all of the opportunities that both of these organizations have provided me is what made me a competitive candidate for dental school.
Our 2020 softball team at USI was so much FUN. I think this team was the most fun team we have had and because of that great connection, we were succeeding on the field. Coach Kunkle has a great group of girls under her and I truly believe they are going to finish what we started this year.
My fellow seniors on the team are Allison Schubert and Taylor Ricketts. We started playing travel ball together when we were basically freshmen in high school. Whether this year is for sure our last year playing together, or we may happen to have another year, I am so glad I got to finish it out with these two. College athletics is where you meet your best friends and future bridesmaids and that's exactly what those two are to me.
But like I said, everything happens for a reason. The day we found out about everything, coach told us to go home and get away from things for a bit. I went home Friday, March 13th. On March 16th, my mom told me she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. While the idea of never playing softball again is still upsetting, life is way more important than softball. I think God wanted me to be at home during this time to be with my mom and support her.
I feel for all the other student-athletes in the GLVC and across the country during this crazy time that none of us saw coming. But if I can say one thing to them, it would be to use this time to your advantage and be there for your families.