Lincoln Academy senior Kari Jones, of Nobleboro, collected her 12th varsity letter last week, no easy feat, considering they all came in team sports. Not only did she collect four letters in three different team sports, she started all 12 seasons. Jones played girls’ soccer, basketball, and softball.
Miraculously, Jones remained healthy all four years. Her most serious injury was a sprained ankle, which did not keep her down for long. She had a scare this spring when she developed mononucleosis between the basketball and softball seasons. She missed the pre-season, but recovered in time to play when it counted and collect her 12th varsity letter.
The student athlete graduated June 4 with a grade point average of 91. She is a member of the National Honor Society, and served on the prom committee, the yearbook, and the International Club her senior year. To top it all off, the well rounded athlete won the 2009 Lincoln Academy cribbage tournament.
Next fall she will be playing division III soccer for Maine Maritime Academy, where she will be majoring in International Business and Logistics (non-regiment). “It is a great education and the job opportunities for girls coming out of Maine Maritime is 100 percent. Maine Maritime is highly regarded when it comes to mature adults, and mature workers.”
When asked what her favorite sport was, Jones replied, “That is difficult to say. Basketball has always been my favorite, but I’ve never had a bad time in soccer. It has always been a good time. It is like a close knit family.”
In basketball, Jones played for four different coaches in four years, which she said was difficult, because she felt she had to keep proving herself each year. Although it was a difficult experience, “it made me stronger and made me mature a lot quicker. I actually wrote a college essay on it. It made me a stronger person, it made me rely on myself more and made me a stronger person in that sense,” Jones said. She also credits Chris Lincoln, especially in her younger years from third grade and up.
One of the most difficult things Jones and her teammates had to deal with was the death of basketball coach Matt Budrow shortly after the completion of her junior season. “It was a learning experience. It was the first time I had to deal with a death so sudden, so unexpected. It was a real eye opener. It was such a shame; he would have done so well here,” Jones added.
Jones said besides her parents,Mary Beth and Bob Jones, the person who she has looked up to and who supported her through her athletic career is junior high coach Dick Giberson. “He has been there for me my entire career. He coached me in grammar school when we went undefeated. He helped me keep my head on straight and gave me advice.”
When asked if there is any coaching in her future, Jones responded that she would like to coach some day. She helped coach a 7th and 8th grade travel team her sophomore year that her sister Marni played on. “I really enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun.
Lincoln Academy has not kept records of athletes who have earned 12 letters in their four-year careers.
The LCN would like to help compile a list of 12 letter recipients. Please send information to Paula Roberts, PO Box 36 Damariscotta, 04543, or by email at lcn@lincoln.midcoast.com.
