The freshman standout played youth basketball games at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
SPRINGFIELD – Jessica Jowdy, a freshman on the Swarthmore College women’s basketball team, is especially well known in her hometown of Newtown, Conn., for her academic and athletic accomplishments.
And while she didn’t know any of the victims of December's tragic shooting or their families, she is a parishioner at St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church, the site of many vigils following the massacre. She also recalls playing youth basketball at Sandy Hook Elementary School where the tragedy unfolded.
Jowdy, who was playing with Swarthmore Tuesday against host Springfield College in the Hampton Inn-Naismith Classic opener, was the valedictorian at St. Joseph’s High in Trumbull, Conn. She was captain of the basketball and soccer teams, an Academic All-State honoree, and a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society and High School Engineering Academy. She is majoring in engineering at Swarthmore.
One wonders how many more Jessica Jowdys could have grown up to make their Newtown neighbors proud.
“We’re a small town of about 12,000, so we’ve always been close,” Jowdy said. “I first heard about what happened on Facebook, and I knew many of the faces that were being interviewed on TV.”
Her teammates reached out to her when they heard the news.
“They were really supportive; they wanted to make sure I was going to be all right,” Jowdy said.
Jowdy talked about her initial reaction to the news.
“It made me really want to hug my parents,” she said.
In Tuesday’s comeback attempt that fell short, Jowdy had two key 3-pointers, one of which gave Swarthmore its only lead, 37-36 with 10:59 remaining. Springfield won 55-48, handing the Garnet their first loss.
LUDLOW CONNECTION: Although they didn’t have their best shooting days, Ludlow natives Elisha Homich and Jenna Williamson fought through it to help Bridgewater State (7-2) hold on for a 56-53 victory over Eastern Connecticut State. Homich, a senior majoring in Spanish and communication disorders, had five points and six assists in 31 minutes.
Williamson, a junior, is the younger sister of Kara Williamson, the former American International assistant and current coach at Rhode Island College. RIC defeated Bridgewater 63-54 Nov. 20.
Did Jenna hear about it from Kara?
“Only a little at the Thanksgiving table,” she said.
ECSU freshman forward Brianna Leonard of Amherst played 30 minutes with five points and just one turnover Tuesday.
Bridgewater plays Springfield in Wednesday's final at 3 p.m. Eastern Connecticut (2-8) meets Swarthmore at 1 in the consolation game.