SL's Jenkins, Parker make college decisions
By Junious Smith III
DEEP RUN — A trio of South Lenoir baseball players weren’t the only commits Monday.
South Lenoir’s Gralicia Jenkins led the Blue Devils in assists and finished second in four other categories this season. She recently committed to William Peace to play basketball. Photo by William ‘Bud’ Hardy / Neuse News
Gralicia Jenkins and Allie Parker committed to schools in a second ceremony after Jensen Barwick, Everett Oliver and Luke Thigpen made their decisions. Jenkins is heading to William Peace for basketball while Parker is Louisburg-bound in softball.
Jenkins was a four-year starter for the Blue Devils, who went 64-38 with a 2016-17 Eastern Carolina regular-season title during her career. Jenkins was a versatile threat for South Lenoir, leading the team in assists with 3.9 per game and finishing second in points (11.9 ppg), rebounds (5.8 rpg), steals (1.7 spg) and blocks (0.9 bpg).
“One of the first comments I told her was that she’ll be playing with people who can keep up with her,” Blue Devils coach Donald Mooring said. “She’s one of the most athletic players I’ve ever coached and she really excelled at the point with her ability to penetrate and get past the first defender before making an amazing pass. To me, her biggest growth came from her role as a leader this year. We never missed a beat this season and I’m proud of everything she’s done.”
Jenkins plans to study nursing at William Peace and said the school was a great fit.
“It’s a college that isn’t too big or small in the center of Raleigh,” Jenkins said. “I’ll be able to learn my professors better and get to know more people in the area.”
Jenkins said she’s thankful to help leave behind a strong legacy at South Lenoir.
“From my freshman year, I tried my hardest,” Jenkins said. “As a sophomore, I tried to up my game and become more of a leader, getting out of my shell more. My junior year was my last with Hunter (West) and I tried to match her, and this year I worked on being more of a distributor — I would’ve rather had 20 assists than 20 points.
“I can’t take all the credit because we had other great players, but we got to leave a legacy of knowing South Lenoir can defeat anyone. My sophomore year, we beat Kinston twice in a season, which was the first time that happened.”
South Lenoir’s Allie Parker led the Blue Devils in batting average and stolen bases this season and will head to Louisburg to continue her softball career. Photo by Junious Smith III / Neuse News
Parker also played all four years at South Lenoir, helping the Blue Devils go 64-26 with a pair of conference titles in 2016 and 2017. This season, Parker led the team in batting average (.433) and stolen bases (19), also finishing second in runs with 21.
Parker played catcher this season, but Blue Devils coach Lisa Smith said it’s not the only place she can play.
“Allie can play at just about any position,” Smith said. “She’s a great all-around player who can hit and bunt well. This year, she was a big leader for us and she’ll definitely be missed.”
Parker, who plans to major in elementary education and minor in physical education, said Louisburg had plenty of good features.
“The coach really seemed down to earth and the campus wasn’t too spread out — everything was right there,” Parker said. “It’s also not too far from home.”
Parker said she’ll take what she learned at South Lenoir and apply it with Louisburg.
“You have to keep the mindset of working harder because there’s always someone who is doing the same and trying to take your spot,” Parker said. “The coaches here have been great because they push you to work harder, not just for yourself, but your teammates.”
