The Lady Wolverines’ Sixth-Year Senior is Leaving an Indelible Mark on Woodruff Basketball
By: Garrett Mitchell, Staff Writer | garrett@thewoodrufftimes.com
There was a time when the future was uncertain for Jensyn Turner. At least in her own mind.
Jensyn, the first-ever middle schooler to play varsity basketball for Woodruff High School when she made the Lady Wolverines’ varsity team in seventh grade, surpassed the 1,000-point total for her career on December 19 against Chesnee.
“It was so special,” said Turner.“ It really made me emotional thinking about my teammates and coaches, they support me so much, and show me every day how much they love me.”
Reaching that milestone seemed like a distant pursuit, though, as she was forced to watch her entire sophomore season from the bench with a torn ACL. Now, as a senior, she has not only reached that coveted milestone but is breaking records that have stood for decades.
“When I tore my ACL, I was definitely questioning things,” recalled Turner.“ It was all part of the Lord’s plan. I was able to take that experience and learn from it.”
A naturally gifted athlete who has also excelled in volleyball, Jensyn possesses a drive to succeed that matches her talent. A sure-handed point guard, Turner is equally prolific at distributing the basketball. Jensyn became the all-time leader in assists in school history during the second game of the season.
A crafty defender as well, Turner is knocking on the door of the all-time steals record, too. She is on pace to surpass that mark in the coming weeks.
“I consider myself a hustle player,” Turner admits.“ I would rather get a steal or give an assist to my teammates and make them look good than me score a lot of points [myself] in a game.”
Lady Wolverines’ head coach Jon Jansen has led many talented players during his Woodruff tenure, which began in 2018, but in his experience, Turner is one of the best and a true leader and example for her teammates to emulate.
“We are incredibly proud of Jensyn in her accomplishments, but her leadership is what truly sets her apart from any point guard I have ever coached,” stated Jansen. “She surpassed 1000 points and set the all-time assist record for Woodruff this season, but not without adversity and a strong measure of toughness.
issing her sophomore season due to injury set up the comeback player we watch now. She is playing some of the very best basketball any Woodruff player has ever played right now.”
And right now, Turner is hot as the surface of the sun. During the game against Chesnee, when she scored her 1,000th point, Jensyn poured in 26 points as part of her first career triple-double, which also saw her record 11 steals and 10 rebounds.
She followed that up against Aiken the next day with a career-high 32 points and another 10 steals.
Jensyn, as a sixth-year varsity player, has seen many teammates come and go over the years. She credits every one of them for a part in her success as a player, from her current teammates, with whom she shares unrivaled chemistry, to teammates from the past who took her under their wing as a young middle schooler learning the varsity game.
“Every player I have played with has a hand in this,” she said.“ I started off playing with Brooke Bailey and them, and just being a 12-year-old playing with 18-year-olds, I’ve always learned how to be a leader throughout the years. Each one of them had a part in how I play basketball today.”
With only 11 regular-season games remaining in her final season, Coach Jansen has a message for fans.
“Do not miss a single game of hers. You will regret it not being there,” he says.“ Congratulations, Jensyn, and may you reach every goal you set!”
Author: Tracy Sanders
