This year is an unusual year for Cardinal Gibbons athletics. This isn’t a bad thing, it is actually something that we can look at and be excited about.
Two current seniors, Wake Forest football commit Gannon Jones, and Texas volleyball commit Genevieve Harris will graduate this December to join their respective teams early.
“I will be able to train, learn the playbook, and put myself ahead of schedule to be successful as a student-athlete,” Jones said.
This trend has become more common in sports, but it has not happened at Gibbons much. These athletes will have the ability to begin training with their new teams while also getting ahead on the college life.
“This will benefit me, especially as a setter, by allowing me plenty of time to get accustomed to the system they run and college life in general. The reason this is so important is because for a setter, joining a new team can be a lot because you have to learn all the hitters and their tendencies, and your role as the leader on the court. This will hopefully allow me to have a better chance of starting in the fall,” Harris said.
Both of these athletes have been successful in their sport, but their success in the classroom is the reason that they have the opportunity to graduate early.
In order to graduate early, they each had to take two courses over the summer in order to reach the required amount of credits.
“Gibbons assisted me in the academic realm with helping me figure out which classes I needed to take to successfully leave early,” Jones said.
These two student-athletes have both been leaders for their teams and have been crucial factors in their team’s success. Harris recently led the volleyball team to the east regional championship and was the N.C. Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior. Jones, recovering from an injury, continues to be a leader on the football, as they begin their playoff push this week as the number one seeded team in the east.
As these players move on to college, they will continue to leave an impact on Cardinal Gibbons not only as athletes, but as the people they are.
“I will most miss my friends and the consistent days of being around the football team.” Jones said.
Even though they are prestigious student athletes, who will soon be playing at the highest level, they still live like any other high schooler.
“I’ll miss having a routine I follow every day, seeing the same people, being in high school especially as a senior, and I’ll miss classroom-style relationships with my teachers. I’ll also miss the community and opportunities that Gibbons always aims to present to all students,” Harris said.
