March 12, 2002

The True Scholar-Athlete

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The women’s lacrosse team comes into the 2002 season with perhaps the most promising team it has ever had. It is fitting that one of the leaders of this team is senior midfielder Jaimee Reynolds, whose unique accomplishments both on and off the field are a true paragon of the scholar-athlete. It is a challenge to list all the accomplishments that Reynolds has earned over her career. It could perhaps best be summed up by head coach Jenny Graap ’86, who defines Reynolds as “an impressive woman on a lot of levels.”

Hailing from the lacrosse bastion of Baltimore, Md., Reynolds attended Towson High School where she was a member of the volleyball, basketball and lacrosse teams. Her penchant for success was already visible back then, as she helped her teams to state championships in basketball and lacrosse. For her efforts she received the Baltimore Sun’a High School Athlete of the Year award in 1998.

Her success has continued at Cornell. Reynolds is a member of the volleyball and lacrosse teams, a rarity today as many athletes choose to focus on only one sport.

“It was basically one of those things where I hate making decisions,” indicated Reynolds on her choice to play two sports. “Either I was going to play both sports or I wasn’t going to play any. It enables me to keep a competitive edge.”

Reynolds has earned three varsity letters on the volleyball team during her tenure, serving as a setter her first two seasons and mainly as a middle blocker this past season. when she helped the team tie for third place in the Ivies and sweep both Dartmouth and Harvard.

However, her career has been even more impressive in lacrosse. As a member of the team Graap calls her, “a kind and personable teammate, caring and likable.

“What is remarkable about her is how unaffected by success she is. She is an unbelievable athlete yet is incredibly humble,” she added.

During her first three seasons with the Red, Reynolds has been named three times as an IWLCA All-American and has the first opportunity in Cornell history to become a four-time All-American in a major team sport. Her efforts have also earned her a place on the first team All-Ivy and All-Region teams for two years running.

Last season she was tied for the team lead in points and was first in ground balls, draw controls, stick checks and interceptions. Her efforts helped Cornell earn its first NCAA bid last season.

Despite such accolades, Reynolds remains quite modest about her achievements.

“I’ve been on a lacrosse team that has been very successful over the years, and with support like that it isn’t too hard to be successful,” she said.

Her career numbers speak even more to her amazing ability. Reynolds comes into season ranked sixth in career scoring, fifth in assists and eighth in goals in Cornell’s record books. She is threatening to break each of these records. In addition she also holds a scoring streak that rivals DiMaggio’s. Reynolds has earned at least one point in every one of the 48 games that she has played in her career.

“I try to keep those things out of my mind. It’s better when you are just out there having fun in the moment. If it happens, it happens, if it doesn’t at least you had fun playing,” she said about her career statistics.

Reynolds is also a standout in the classroom as an agricultural and biological engineer major in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

She was a Verizon Academic All-American last spring, a dean’s list student, and a member of Cornell’s Red Key Athletic Honor Society. She was the recipient of the 2001 Richie Moran Red Key Leadership award given to the senior member of the Red Key Society who has distinguished himself or herself through “academics, athletics and ambassadorship.”

She cites her success academically to the people around her: teammates, classmates, and professors, with whom she has worked.

Upon graduation Reynolds hopes to continue her education and perhaps pursue a Ph.D.

“She definitely has her feet on the ground,” Graap said. “She is a lot of fun to have on the team.”

Archived article by Chris Callanan