Pair of freshmen waste no time making presence felt

Jenny Hummert and Jessie Jarrett are only 10 games into their collegiate soccer careers, but head coach Tim Champion needs them to perform like seasoned veterans.

Injuries to upperclassmen have forced the pair of freshmen to play contributing roles in games, even though they lack experience.

Hummert and Jarrett are not intimidated by the tall task of playing as true freshmen. Their fearlessness and positive attitudes allow them to flourish in their roles on the field.

Hummert, a St. Louis native, attended St. Joseph’s Academy. She started at midfielder for all four years of high school and led her team to a 20-1 record as a senior.

Mostly, she has made a smooth transition to the college game.

“I was a little nervous at first, but because the team was so welcoming and helpful, it made the adjustment a lot easier.”

Hummert claims her vision of the field to be her strength, but knows there is plenty of room for improvement in her game.

“I need to be more of a team player, improve my through balls and work on connecting passes with my teammates. If I can get better at all of those things, it will lead to more goals for my [team],” Hummert said.

Hummert realizes the need to work well with teammates. Unlike high school, at Saint Louis University, she deals with girls from all over the map.

Jarrett hails from Dayton, Ohio. She attended Bellbrook High School, where she played four years as a varsity forward. In her senior campaign, she led the Bellbrook squad with 26 goals and dished out 11 assists.

Jarrett hopes that her high school success carries over to college and has set high goals for her career at SLU.

“I want to win an [Atlantic 10] championship in my four years,” Hummert said. “I will play my best and hopefully score some goals along the way.”

Jarrett’s competitiveness and aggressiveness are evident, even in everyday life. “I enjoy taking people on,” Jarrett said.

And Jarrett is not only excited about the high-profile games. In her short time at SLU, she has come to appreciate the chemistry the team has formed and the energy surrounding practices and games.

“My teammates are really great, and we all get along and have a lot of fun,” she said. “I also like playing in college more than high school because the atmosphere at the games is much better.”
Champion likes what he sees in the duo and feels the sky is the limit for Hummert and Jarrett.

“Both of them have the potential to be impact players in the future,” Champion said. “They are both very technically gifted, smart and fast players. Now, it is just a matter of maturing and getting more comfortable.”

Champion witnesses their hard work paying off.

“You can see it. They are getting better and more comfortable every week.”

With players like Hummert and Jarrett leading the youthful but talented team, it is a safe assumption to say the Billikens should be a dangerous team in the A-10 for the next four seasons.