By Jude Harder
UWRF Sports Information

Jenny Cordy has had quite a go of it in her first two seasons of college athletics.

Her first season at UW-La Crosse, Cordy broke her ankle chasing a fly ball. After only eight games she was shelved for the rest of the season. Then, after transferring to River Falls, she tore her ACL while practicing slides and was done for year without being able to play in one game.

Through it all, Cordy remains determined to make a big comeback next season. Coming back from such devastating injuries can be a very daunting task. Cordy has approached the situation like she approaches everything in life, with hard work and determination.

"If I give up and walk away it will hurt even more than the injuries did themselves. To have to sit and watch, wondering what might have been would be too painful," says Cordy.

Cordy tries to be a part of the team in any way that she can, including going to all home games to help out with charting and keeping stats. She is restricted from going to practices because that would cost her a year of eligibility, but she does try to participate in some activities like weightlifting with her teammates.

Cordy has very much earned the respect of Falcon Coach Faye Perkins. "Jenny is not a quitter, many people would have hung up their cleats, but Jenny came back to softball and has worked incredibly hard. She is one determined person."

Perkins also said, "I am very optimistic that Jenny will come back 100 percent this fall."

Cordy agrees, she feels that by June she should be at or near full strength. Sitting and watching has not been easy, but it has made her that much hungrier for next season.

When healthy, Cordy defensively provides a spark for the team as an outfielder with a lot of speed and an abundance of hustle. That speed also comes in handy when at the plate where she primarily is a lefthanded -slap hitter who utilizes her speed to reach base.

Cordy is a hustle player who puts forth her best effort on every play. Coincidently, she feels her injuries are a result of her aggressiveness on the field. A player for the Minnesota Twins, Nick Punto, is similar because he often gets hurt while trying to make spectacular plays. They both sacrifice their bodies to make the play and help their team win. One thing for sure with Cordy, you will never see her giving up on a fly ball, if it's in her vicinity she's going to go for it.

"I can't remember the last time when my uniform wasn't full of grass-stains from diving for fly balls," says Cordy.

At Hortonville High School in Wisconsin, Cordy was twice named to the first all-conference team. In 2004 she received third team All-State honors. In her senior season, she was the team's captain and was named the team's Defensive Player of the Year. Cordy was also named to the all-district and first all-area teams after an impressive senior season.

In the classroom, Cordy has impressed as well. In high school, she was a member of the National Honor Society and was her class valedictorian. She has continued that success at UWRF, being named to the Dean's List in her first semester.

Cordy transferred to River Falls to major in communicative disorders. She was previously majoring in physical therapy at La Crosse, but with her rash of injuries she felt she had seen enough physical therapy to last a lifetime. She hopes to attend graduate or medical school for pathology and audiology after she completes her undergraduate degree at River Falls.

She is the daughter of Betty and Jay Cordy.

Coming from a family of baseball enthusiasts, it was no surprise that Cordy became a softball player at a young age. With her father being a baseball coach, and her two older brothers playing baseball it seemed natural for Cordy to play softball. Both of her brothers played through high school and one went on to play in college at St. Norbert. The person she admires most is her brother, Nick.

"He has been a great example for me and has taught me a lot about softball. Without him and my parents, I wouldn't be where I am today. My family has given me great support through these tough times with the injuries."

Cordy loves to spend time with her friends and family, playing and watching other sports, and babysitting. She loves the Milwaukee Brewers and is very excited about their chances this season. One very interesting thing about Cordy is that she has never had a soda. She prefers to drink only juice, water and milk. She has a unique summer job - she works at a landfill near her hometown.

Her favorite film is "Angels in the Outfield" and her favorite genre of music is country.