Gordon's Passion Paying Dividends on the Field and in the Classroom

JMU Student-Athlete Feature by Meghan Malloy ('17)

Senior lacrosse midfielder Jaci Gordon represents far more than just those three words, "senior lacrosse midfielder." For starters, lacrosse is only one of many sports Gordon played growing up. Before deciding to play lacrosse at JMU, Gordon was involved in figure skating and later competitive ice hockey, soccer and lacrosse at the Lawrence Academy in Groton, Massachusetts.

Jaci Gordon is also one of the few student-athletes at JMU pursuing her degree in studio art. The passion she has for her sport, her teammates and her artwork is what shapes Gordon into the standout student in the classroom and fierce leader on the field that she is today.

Head women's lacrosse coach, Shelley Klaes-Bawcombe said, "She's done what she's had to do to attack both of her passions, her creative side in her artwork but also celebrating her talent on the lacrosse field."

Realizing these passions did not happen immediately for Gordon. After being constantly involved in sports combined with a demanding private high school schedule, Gordon believes her high school experience helped expose her to many sports while also preparing her for a rigorous college schedule between athletics and academics.

"I think that my high school experience prepared me well for my college experience, just because I played a sport every season in high school and I went to a private school with challenging academics," Gordon said.

But it was lacrosse that won her heart in her freshman year of high school. After her club lacrosse coach mentioned Klaes-Bawcombe, Gordon visited and immediately fell in love.

"I committed the next day," Gordon said. Since the beginning of her career as a Duke, Gordon has made quite the impression on the lacrosse program. At the start of the 2016 season, she was named CAA preseason player of the year and currently leads her team in goals for the 2016 season, tallying a total of 38, in addition to 11 assists and 52 shots on goal.

Last season, Gordon helped her team win the CAA Championship against Towson. In that same season, Gordon earned a First Team All-CAA selection, scored a career-best 40 goals and added a team-high 22 assists for 62 points.

"Jaci is a very compassionate, thoughtful leader. She is somebody who we expect to show up on game day, put her team on her shoulders and put goals on the scoreboard," Klaes-Bawcombe said.

Lacrosse is not the only area in which Gordon excels. In her time at JMU, Gordon has earned the JMU Athletic Director Scholar Athlete award three times. In 2015, she won the CAA Commissioner's Academic Award, in addition to earning a place on the President's list for the fall 2014 and spring 2015 semesters. This past fall, Gordon earned a spot on the Dean's list as well.

Gordon initially came to James Madison University undeclared, thinking she would be an architect. She first declared interior architecture as her major, before finding her true passion in studio art. Gordon most recently was accepted into the Juried Student Art Exhibition this spring.

For Gordon, her success stems from the relationships she's fostered with both her teammates and those in the art program. "She's someone who really values relationships and just cares deeply about not only the program's success but also each individual's happiness on the team," Klaes-Bawcombe said. "I think she's done a really good job of cultivating those relationships with her professors, communicating and taking initiative."

In the future, Gordon will continue to cultivate these relationships with her peers, always looking to positively influence those around her, as she is pursuing her teaching license and plans to teach art education in the near future. Eventually, Gordon would like coach lacrosse or soccer, once more combining her passions for athletics and art and continuing to do what she loves most.

For now, though, Gordon's focus remains the upcoming CAA Championship. "We're focused on the next opponent. That's my number one goal, to win the semi-final game. After that, my goal would be to win the CAA Championship and leave a legacy of winning two championships in a row," Gordon said.

In order to keep her teammates focused, Gordon will continue to work on the little things, from technical skills to the overall team attitude.

"Some of what I'll be working on is just helping the team keep a strong mentality and maintaining positive energy day to day," Gordon said. "We still have one more week of practice before the CAA game so we need to make sure we're preparing mentally, physically and emotionally."

The Dukes will take on the Drexel Dragons in the semifinals of the CAA Championship on Friday at 1 p.m. in Philadelphia.

Calendar

Gordon's Passion Paying Dividends on the Field and in the Classroom

Players Mentioned

Jaci Gordon

JMU Footer

Scoreboard

Calendar

James Madison University | Official Athletics Site