By Grace Hu, Staff Reporter
On Jan. 7, junior Ryann Jennings scored her 1,000th point on the girls’ basketball team at a game against Radnor. The crowd erupted into cheers as Jennings scored a three-pointer in the first minute of the game.
“It was such an exciting moment,” Jennings said.
Supporters rushed down from the stands to celebrate with Jennings as the referee briefly paused the game. Conestoga later won the game 57-41.
“It was nice that night because she (Jennings) had a bunch of her friends that were there.” Conestoga girls basketball coach AJ Thompson said. “And it was our youth night, so we had a lot of little girls in the stands that really look up to our team. It was a really good atmosphere for her to get her 1,000th point.”
Jennings, a shooting guard, is the first to score her 1,000th point since 2016 alumna Ellie Mack in her senior year. She has been playing basketball since she was 3 years old and began playing in the Amateur Athletic Union girls’ basketball league on the Comets Girls Basketball Club. According to Thompson, Jennings’ commitment and work ethic are the foundation for her incredible performance on the team.
“Ryann’s been somebody who works really hard since she was younger and puts in the time on her own, as well as here in practice. I kind of knew when she came in that she had a chance to get 1,000 points,” Thompson said. “A lot of kids get 1,000 points in their senior year. For Ryann to get it as early as she did was really impressive.”
The girls’ basketball team’s success may be due to the tight-knit community of the team. This could be the source of the players’ connection and teamwork.
“We’re (my teammates and I) all really close, and I feel like that’s why we play so well together,” Jennings said.
Though she has received college offers, Jennings has not made any commitments so far. She will begin narrowing her options down in the coming months. Next year, Jennings plans to return to the basketball team. In the meantime, Jennings’ determination to do well for her team ties into her motivation.
“I always want to just go out there and just play my hardest and always want to win,” Jennings said. “I just want to win games, and I want to do my best for the team.”
Grace Hu can be reached at [email protected].
