Touching on everything from the academic prowess of her university’s athletes to the need for donors for a proposed ballpark, Mississippi University for Women Athletic Director Jennifer Claybrook spoke before the Rotary Club of Columbus on Tuesday at Lion Hills.
But her underlying theme was urging attendees to drop by the campus and see what many local residents have not yet discovered about their “other” local state university.
“The W always has a lot to offer,” Claybrook said near the end of her talk. “I’m here as the director of athletics and campus recreation, but please come out, if not for athletics, for something else. We’d love to have you.”
Claybrook has been on the job since July, bringing considerable experience to the position. She has been a student-athlete, softball coach and athletic director at LaGrange College, a Division III school in Georgia, a status that has a direct connection to The W.
“We’re currently in the process of joining Division III,” Claybrook said. “Division III is the perfect place for us. It talks about the student first and then athletics.”
Claybrook, who was accompanied to the Rotary luncheon by Jim, her husband of 21 years, and sons James Jr. (JJ), 14, and Roy Allen, 12, is practically a poster child for Division III athletics. She compiled a 3.84 GPA while playing softball and basketball for LaGrange, graduating magna cum laude with a degree in middle grades education in 1999.
She also was an NAIA Academic All-American three times and an all-conference softball player four times. So when she talked about the value of athletics in a student’s education, she brings credibility to the conversation.
“What is your role?” she asked. “How do you motivate each other? How do you make yourself better? How do you make the team better? How do you balance life? Because life is hard, and when life knocks you down, how do you pick yourself up?
“It’s not just about being on the top, it’s about picking yourself up. Athletics gives you all of that. And at the end of the day, you’re going to have a degree.”
Claybrook pointed out that the then-Mississippi State College for Women first played intercollegiate sports in 1909 and spent 1993-2003 in the NCAA Division II Gulf South Conference. In between, the 1971 women’s basketball team won what was then the de facto national championship, defeating Cal State Fullerton, East Stroudsburg State (Pennsylvania), UNC-Greensboro and West Chester State (Pennsylvania) to win the 16-team event.
“We’re about to celebrate the 1971 team that became women’s basketball national champions at homecoming,” said Claybrook, inviting the audience to attend the various events at The W’s week-long homecoming celebration.
After a 15-year lapse, the athletic program was reinstated for the 2017-18 season. Just five years later, Claybrook pointed to some of the Owls’ accomplishments as members of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association.
She listed 32 All-Academic team picks, 13 All-Americans, five USCAA player of the week awards, five bids to USCAA national championships and three USCAA student-athletes of the year: Brady Scola for men’s golf, Jacob VIckers for men’s soccer and Layla Wilson for women’s soccer.
And while she didn’t dwell on it, Claybrook did outline the need for donations to help make Owls Park, the proposed on-campus baseball stadium, a reality.
“Many of you are aware that before COVID we were beginning to launch a fundraiser for a baseball field,” she said, expressing thanks to Columbus High School and Heritage Academy for use of their fields over the past five years. “But we need our own baseball field. We need donors, and we need people to help us make connections to help us raise the money.”
And for those who might not see donating to a ballpark as worthwhile, Claybrook had another pitch.
“I don’t see it as just a baseball field,” she said. “I see it as a place where we can gather together for a ton of different activities. I see youth groups out there, bands out there, opportunities for camps, and it will be turf, so it will be very user-friendly.”
Claybrook took questions that covered everything from scholarships (Division III does not offer athletic scholarships) to adding sports (“I certainly feel that we can grow and have a few different sports,” she said.) to transgender athletes (the NCAA instructed its members to follow their state’s guidelines).
A question about the on-campus pool brought news that Claybrook expected it to be up and running again by summer.
“We are in the process of hiring an associate director of aquatics and wellness,” she said. “We want to make sure we have robust programming. We’re going to have to ease into it; we can’t offer everything as soon as we open the pool.
“What we are passionate about is getting people back into the pool at various age ranges from lap swimming to water aerobics to swim lessons and all sorts of things,” said Claybrook, bringing up the prospects of pool parties, extended hours and weekend availability. Memberships will be offered, and memberships to the gym facilities also are available.
While campus recreation is also in her job title, it is the Owls athletics program which will be in the public eye. And Claybrook hopes the public will come have a look.
“I do hope you’ll check out our home schedules,” she said. “Bring out your family, friends, encourage them to come. It’s really a high level of sport, and some will be surprised at what a high level it is. And I think you’ll be impressed by our coaches; they’re pretty amazing.”
Claybrook touted the more than 1,000 hours of community service Owls student-athletes have compiled this year and campus events such as the annual Eudora Welty Writers’ Symposium to illustrate the breadth of activities on the Columbus campus.
“What I want you to know is that this is an incredible place,” Claybrook said. “You’re on the cutting edge of something beautiful.”
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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