Twice as nice
Uniontown’s Jenkins to play two sports at PennWest California
Athletics are in Aierra Jenkins’ blood.
Not only was her father a 1,000-point scorer for a Uniontown team that won a WPIAL basketball championship and played in two state finals, but he also helped lead the Red Raiders’ football squad to a conference championship as a top wide receiver.
Athletic achievements in her family go beyond her father, Dierre Jenkins, as her mother, Christina McLee, also played basketball for the Lady Red Raiders, and seven other members of her family have scored 1,000 points as high school basketball players.
The list includes names such as Rodney Gallagher III, Crystal Fields-Gallagher, Reuben Davis, George Lemon, Shandon Marshall, Tavian Mozie and Calvin Winfrey III.
Aierra Jenkins has had some pretty big shoes to fill, but she has done that during a career that began at Laurel Highlands and ended under the guidance of her father at Uniontown as a senior.
Jenkins’ dedication as a basketball and flag football player was acknowledged by PennWest California, and the two-sport star made it official on Feb. 12 when she signed with the Vulcans to continue her academic, basketball and flag football careers at the Division II institution.
“I am very happy to get the paperwork out of the way,” said Jenkins following her signing ceremony on Feb. 12 in the library at Uniontown Area High School. “Now, I can just train and focus on getting better instead of worrying about that. I also have my senior season of flag football coming up. What put California over the top when it came to making my selection was that they are allowing me to play both sports. It is also nice that the campus is close to home. I will stay on campus, but it’s always good to know you can visit if need be.”
Jenkins scored her 1,000th-career point this past season and finished her career with 1,373, which bested her dad’s total of 1,244. Jenkins was eighth (first in Class 5A) in the WPIAL in scoring with 21.3 points per game, and against the best section in Class 5A.
Uniontown played twice against the likes of Thomas Jefferson, Peters Township, Trinity and Baldwin two times in Section 4-5A. All four of the playoff qualifiers from the section have earned a berth into the state tournament, and the Lady Jaguars will play for the WPIAL title on Friday.
“Playing against those top teams in Class 5A this year was really challenging, but it also helped me grow as a player,” Jenkins said. “I had to work on my outside shot while also maintaining a presence inside, plus I had to be a leader for our team.”
The Lady Red Raiders finished the season at 10-12, which wasn’t enough to qualify for the playoffs, but was the most victories for the team in over a decade.
Jenkins was proud to finish her high school career under the tutelage of her father.
“I enjoyed my three years at LH, and we had some good teams, but I was glad to play for my dad,” Jenkins said. “My mom and I have had some talks about sports, but most of the time, I discussed basketball and football with my dad. That is what we know and love, and when we are not playing basketball, we are going to games and watching for the love of the sport. He also played football, so when I was approached about flag football, I decided to give it a shot, and, like him, I will play wide receiver.”
The Vulcans women’s basketball team is coached by Jess Strom, who led the program to a national title in 2015, and was one of the top scorers in WPIAL history, as she had 2,840 career points at Steel Valley.
“I am excited to play for her,” Jenkins said. “She was a very strong player in high school and is a great coach. They have had a lot of success, and I hope that I can help them to continue that level of achievement. I was recruited heavily during my time playing AAU, and I want to thank all of those coaches and players for helping to push me to get to this level. I will be playing a hybrid position as a guard/forward in college. I just need to keep working and never give up.”
Jenkins plans on studying education while she attends California.