CHECKING IN WITH ... JENNA TOPALIS
(Editor's note: The Day will be publishing a profile of a spring athlete for each day the high school athletic season is suspended.)
School: Ledyard High School
Class: Senior Sport: Softball
Position: Second base College choice: Three Rivers
Community College Chosen major: Undecided
Favorite sport besides softball: Soccer
Athlete you grew up admiring: Dustin Pedroia, who plays second base for the Boston Red Sox. Even though he is a shorter guy, he is quick, covers a lot of ground at his position and makes amazing plays.
Checking in with Jenna: "Personally, I prefer defense (over offense) because I love being a team leader in the field by calling out plays and making sure everyone is ready. I also don't mind getting dirty and laying out for the ball, so that is definitely something I'm going to miss. Coach (Brittany Robinson) was big on showing us clips of college players making amazing plays and that was definitely motivation for me."
What you need to know about Jenna: Topalis spent all of 2019 winning, as the Ledyard softball team took the Eastern Connecticut Conference Division II tournament and the Colonels followed by earning that same distinction in girls' soccer. Topalis was an ECC honorable mention pick in softball — her defensive contributions were often highlight material — and an ECC sportsmanship award winner in soccer. She lists that softball tournament championship, Ledyard's first since 1996, as her favorite memory. "Last year when I found out about all these young players joining us (including three freshman starters), I'm not going to lie when I say I was skeptical," Topalis said. "However, the second I saw their talents and abilities, I was so excited and eager to be on the field with them. It turned out we became such a tight-knit group and worked really well with each other despite the age differences. I definitely think our strong team bond helped us to pull off winning the ECC Division II tournament! That was a great moment for me and for all of us." Topalis plans to transfer to UConn following two years at Three Rivers. This was to be her final season playing softball. To her teammates, she says: "Thank you guys so much for making last year the best season I could ask for." She enjoys being outside, playing with her dog or going for walks, but is also a movie buff and could watch Tom Hanks in either Forrest Gump or A League of Their Own "day after day."