RANKINGS
EVENTS
I COMMITTED
COLLEGE
ABOUT
Getting offered by a college softball program is a thrill and committing to the school of your choice is wonderfully exciting, but it’s doubly great when you have someone to share it with!
That was the case last Saturday—Leap Day—when Leah Jarnac, an outstanding shortstop/catcher 2021 shortstop/catcher from Florida, got the news she was looking for: she had been accepted into Duke and could verbal to the softball coaches! And, why not? She has a 4.4 GPA and a 31 ACT!
Not only did she get to share the great news with her family, she was at a high school softball tournament with her Calvary Christian Warriors teammates.
Think they were happy for her?
Here’s more on this outstanding student-athlete who is very accomplished in the classroom, in the community and on the softball field…
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Name: LEAH JARNAC
Hometown/State: Safety Harbor, Florida
Grad Year: 2021
Position(s): SS/C
Club Team: Birmingham Thunderbolts 03 – Barron
High School (City/State): Calvary Christian (Clearwater, Florida)
GPA: 4.4 (4.0 scale), ACT 31
College: Duke
When committed? Leap Day (February 29, 2020)
Height: 5-foot-6
Top Academic & Extra-Curricular Accomplishments: National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, Science National Honor Society, SHIELD Leadership Program, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Spanish Honor Society, Key Club, Costa Rica Spanish Immersion Trip (2020), Guatemala Mission Trip (2019).
Other Sports: Volleyball and gymnastics in the past
Other Universities Considered: Contacted by Duke, Harvard and Michigan on Sept 1, also considered North Carolina, South Carolina and Central Florida
Preferred College Major: Pre-Med/Biology
Key High School or Club Stats/Honors:
club: 3rd place finish PGF Platinum (2019), was the starting SS and didn’t make any errors in 72 innings; eight home runs in six summer travel tourneys;
high school: Florida Athletic All-State, Florida Academic All-State, Florida State 4A Runner Up Player of the Year, Tampa Bay Times 2nd Team, All Pinellas County Softball Team, .538 Batting Avg, 40 RBI, 47 Runs, 17 2B, 49 Hits, 21 SB; in District semi-final game hit 5-for-5 with 2 HRs, a grand Slam, a double, a triple and 7 RBIs, 2020 Tampa Bay Times Top 30 Players to Watch
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What was the ultimate factor or factors that helped you commit to Duke?
When I first visited Duke four years ago, I fell in love with the campus and the softball stadium. It may sound cliché, but Duke truly felt like home from the moment I stepped on campus. Also, I fell in love with the team culture. Duke softball is a family and I know that Duke is where I want to spend my college years.
How and when did you actually tell the staff you were committing?
The beginning of this process started on September 1st when Coach (Josh) Bloomer called me and told me that he wanted me to play at Duke. We stayed in touch over the months, and in the middle of February, Head Coach (Marissa)Young called me and asked me for my transcripts and test scores. When I sent them in, she told me that she would update me when the admissions office had an answer.
We were at a high school tournament, and after our first game in the morning I checked my phone and saw that Coach Young texted me saying that she had good news from admissions and that she wanted to talk with me. I sat down on a bench and called her. She told me that the admissions office said that everything looks great and that I could officially commit to Duke. I told her that I wanted to be a Blue Devil, and she welcomed me to the Blue Devil family!
After I got the news, I ran over to my team and told them the big news. They all ran over to me and gave me a huge, emotional hug.
Walk us through how and when the Duke staff first saw you and how you felt as the process progressed…
I started going to Duke camps the summer before their inaugural season and I have been going for three-plus years. Coach Young was awesome from the beginning. Her, and her coaching staff and the Duke players always had time for individual instruction and encouragement.
I knew after my first Duke camp that I wanted to be a Blue Devil. I continually stayed in touch with Coach Young, keeping her updated on my academics, travel ball schedule, performance, and game films. Coach Young always seemed to have time for me and my questions and came to watch many of my travel ball games. Over this past summer I met the new assistant coaches, Coach Bloomer and Coach (Jessica) Bracamonte, at camp and saw them at several of my travel ball games.
*** Scroll down to read more about Leah’s softball achievements and her favorite experience off the field, working with young kids in Guatemala on a mission trip…