Athlete of the Week: Marley Jenkins

The referee blows the whistle, ordering the team huddle to come to a close. Senior Marley Jenkins breaks the huddle down with a loud and ferocious “Go Big Red!”  The ball starts nestled against Marley’s stick.  She begins to dribble the ball up the field, tapping the ball lightly with each step.  After scanning the entire field, she sees no gaps in the defense.She will have to make one.With a quick burst of speed, Marley has cut through the defense, sees an opening for a shot, but sees her teammate wide open with a better look, and feeds her for the goal.  That is Marley Jenkins.  The unselfish, team-first player who now captains Exeter’s varsity field hockey, ice hockey, and lacrosse teams.Four year tri-varsity athlete Marley Jenkins, who is referred to by lower Emily Ryan, her lacrosse teammate, as “Mom”, is a textbook example of an unsung athlete on campus. While her sports do not receive the attendance that some others may, she still shines on a weekly basis on and off the field.Committed to Harvard after her lower year for lacrosse, Jenkins also excels in the classroom and has highest honors. Her teammates rave about her stick skills in lacrosse and perennial physique, brought on by hours of hard work outside of practice.  Upper Jacie Lemos brings up Jenkins’ consistency, “As a player she's consistently fantastic (in all sports) and a constant presence on the field,” Lemos says.“Marley is one of the hardest working, most supportive, humble and loving girl I have ever met,” upper Noa Siegel said. “She's one of the best athletes I've ever played with, and I've been lucky to call her my teammate last year and this year.” Every Wednesday and Saturday you will find Jenkins outperforming everyone on the field due to her hard-working, grind-it-out attitude.“She’s been a great team leader for the four years we've been on the lacrosse team together, and even though we're the same age, I've always looked up to her on and off the field because she's so passionate about what she does,” upper Elsa Chinburg said. “She’s really good at everything she does…but please please please just say that she’s fat and terrible at sports. It would be so awesome.”Jenkins has always been a star athlete and student.  “Growing up she has always done well in through her work ethic and attitude. I'd say that the best way to describe her would be ‘a winner,’” lower and little brother Jack Jenkins said.Despite her early successes, Jenkins did not just show up to Exeter as one of the best in all of her sports. She often recalls her first varsity field hockey experience as a prep: “I remember the senior captains were very welcoming to me. I was one of two preps on the team and I was very nervous, but they helped me feel comfortable with the team and were always giving me advice. I really looked up to them.”  Then captains of the field hockey team—Hope Wilson, Mimi Reichenbach, and Campbell Probert—helped Jenkins through her prep fall, propelling her on her way to take over as the captain.Jenkins’ constant positive attitude aids through the toughest times of each season. “Marley is extremely respectful to the other team,” Ryan said. “Even when we lose, she never trash talks the other team and is always encouraging. She leads the team with her experience and maturity on and off the field.”One of Jenkins’ longtime friends, teammate Hannah Wellington ’14, was an integral part to Marley being the player she is today. “I played on the same team with Hannah for three seasons of field hockey and three seasons of lacrosse. We both play similar positions, so we were always playing with each other and helping each other out. She was definitely a lot of fun to play with and is a great athlete.” Wellington, the female Athlete of the Year last year, is currently at Harvard, and very well may be a teammate of Marley’s once again.All of Jenkins’ teammates have only the highest praise for her leadership and play on the field.  “She’s simply amazing,” upper Bronwyn Shields said. “We couldn’t ask for someone better to lead the field hockey and lacrosse teams this year, she’s so dedicated to the team.”  Jenkins’ commitment to excellence and to the team is inspiring to her teammates and all those around her.“I'm really excited to be able to be a captain of field hockey, ice hockey and lacrosse,” Jenkins said. “I've been on each team for all four years and I know the coaches and girls so well. I want to beat Andover in lacrosse! I've beaten them in every sport except for lacrosse, so that's definitely a goal. I'm excited to be able to play my last game of each sport repping the Exeter jersey.”