Lesley University softball standout Jordan Day is the 2020-2021 New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Female Senior Student-Athlete of the Year. The award recognizes athletic and academic successes, leadership and community service, and is selected by the conference’s athletic directors.
A Business Management major from Seminole, Florida, Day excelled on the field and in academics, appearing on the Dean’s List three years in a row. She was also active on campus and in the community.
“Every athletic director dreams of having a student-athlete like Jordan,” said Lesley Director of Athletics Stephanie Smyrl. “She is extremely humble and is always looking for ways to improve herself, her team, and the larger Lesley community.”
A pitcher and designated player, Day graduates as one of the most decorated softball student-athletes in Lesley history. She began compiling accolades from the time she stepped on the field as a freshman. Her first season culminated in the NECC Rookie of the Year award, along with a second-team All-Conference designation and a National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Third-Team All-Region award.
Her sophomore season, Day led the nation in hits (78), and was the toughest in the country to strike out — zero all season. Her stellar season led to an NFCA First Team All-American honor, the first for an NECC softball player. She was also a first-team NECC All-Conference member as a designated player and a second-team all-conference pitcher.
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of her junior season, but Day picked up where she left off in her senior campaign. She was named the NECC Player of the Year, batting .560, which was good for second in the league. Her 33 hits in conference play led the league, as did her 54 total bases. Day was also a force in the pitcher’s circle, going 8-3 for the Lynx. Her strikeouts-per-game (8.57) and batting-average-against (.197) were each tops in the conference. She finished league play with 62 strikeouts and a 2.07 ERA (earned run average), both third in the conference. She also reached career milestones, surpassing 350 strikeouts and 100 hits in her senior campaign, nabbing NFCA All-Region honors for the third time in her career.
Beyond her stats on the field, Day was a model teammate. She was a four-year member of the softball leadership committee and a team weight room leader. Lesley Head Softball Coach Heather Ross recruited Day to help her build a championship culture, and Day rose to the challenge.
“She embodies every value of what a successful student-athlete at Lesley University is, and directly reflects the mission of NCAA Division III,” said Ross. “Her consistency in advocacy, work ethic, character, and growth are everything the Lesley softball program aims to represent on and off the field.”
Off the field, Day’s list of community-service initiatives reads nearly as long as her list of athletic achievements, and includes reading to preschool children, running softball clinics for high-school students, running youth softball games and raising money for charities such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
“Her success on the field is equally matched with her success in the classroom, and she has proven season after season that she is one of the best student-athletes to have walked through the doors at Lesley,” Smyrl said.
Day isn’t done with Lesley yet. She will return to campus to work toward her MBA.
As Day graduates and takes on her next challenge, she has certainly left her mark on the Lesley athletics department. When asked to describe the legacy Day has left behind, Ross only had one word to say: “Greatness.”
