Jordan Young
October 11th, 2022
Student-athletes play a big role here at UC Clermont. As a part of our multifaceted student body, as well as an example of our past and continued success, it is an absolute must to include them in our 50th anniversary coverage. For this installment, our sports reporter, Jordan Young, asked student-athletes about why they love UCCC, their favorite memories, and more. Here are their respones:
Alexis Dowers
Junior
Law and Paralegal Studies
Women’s Softball
Position: Catcher/Second Base
Reason Why I Love Playing for UC Clermont: I love playing softball for UC Clermont because of the environment we have created. We always have so much fun together and enjoy encouraging each other.
Favorite Part of Playing at UC Clermont: The new friendships that have been made.
Favorite Memory While Playing for UC Clermont: Our first game against Miami-Hamilton last season as they are our biggest competition throughout the year.
Goals for Next Season: My biggest goal for next season is to hopefully take our team to our divisional championship tournament.
What Inspires You: My teammates and coaches are always encouraging us to do our best and improve our skills. Setting goals for the season always inspires me to play my best and reach those goals.
Ethan Green
Freshman
Aerospace Engineering
Men’s Soccer
Position: Center/Defensive Midfielder
Reason Why I love Playing for UC Clermont: The level of soccer at Clermont is perfect for me. Everyone there wants to win and compete, but we also like to have fun. Also, Coach Avery allows conflicts with school, and he doesn’t hold that against you.
Favorite Part of Playing at UC Clermont: My favorite part of playing for Clermont is the escape from school. College is so demanding and sometimes it can be hard to get out from under the workload. Having soccer as an easy and required break from school is fantastic.
Favorite Memory While Playing at UC Clermont: Scoring in our first scrimmage against Nitro. It was the program’s first goal that season and gave us momentum for that game and the season.
Goals for This Season: My goal next season is to go to the finals in Virginia Beach.
What Inspires You: The team is what inspires me to do my best. Looking at the guy next to you and not wanting to let them down is what drives me to perform at my best.
Gregory Marsh
Junior
Pre-Sports Administration
Men’s Basketball
Position: Point Guard
Reason Why I Love Playing for UC Clermont: I love playing sports at UC Clermont because it gives me family vibes. Everyone pushes each other to be better on and off of the court. My coaches believing in me since day one is another reason why I love playing here. Shoutout to Coaches Ellis, Doug, and Black.
Favorite Memory While Playing at UC Clermont: There are many great moments I have had here at UC Clermont, but my favorite moment in my basketball career would have to be freshman year (2018-2019) season beating the #2 ranked team in our division at home. We were the underdogs and came out on top. Since that moment we were put on the map and earned a lot of respect. Also the Cougar Dome was rocking that night. Everyone flooded the court after the big win.
Goals for This Upcoming Season: Some goals for me this season are to get well over one thousand college career points, lead my team to the national championship, lead the nation in assists for the second time, and lastly, just give our fans/supporters a good showing throughout the season.
What Inspires You: Knowing that I am an idol and inspiration for many inspires me to succeed on my basketball team. On January 7, 2020, my grandma, Pam, took her last breath during my sophomore season, and I know for a fact she would want me to be great, which also inspires me.
Julia Pinkham
Sophomore
Organizational Leadership
Women’s Soccer
Position: Midfielder
Reason Why I Love Playing for UC Clermont: I love being able to be a part of this tight knit community.
Favorite Part of Playing for UC Clermont: My favorite part about playing soccer here at the University of Cincinnati Clermont is the comradery with the girls as well as the amazing coaching staff.
Goals for This Season: Personally, my goals this season are to play to the best of my ability, make lasting friendships, and stay committed throughout the season.
Kristi Duncan
Grad Student/Fifth Year
Finance
Women’s Basketball
Position: Forward
Reason Why I Love Playing for UC Clermont: Playing for UC Clermont has been such an incredible experience. The coaches and athletic staff at Clermont are some of the most supportive and uplifting people I’ve ever worked with. They know when and how to push us, and care about us for more than just our ability to perform on the court. By taking an interest in developing our personal and professional careers, in addition to our basketball skills, they show us our value and worth as individuals. I also love the amount of traveling and bonding we do as a team.
Favorite Part of Playing for UC Clermont: My favorite part of playing for Clermont is the connections I have made through the years. Each season we start out as teammates but end as sisters and friends. Enduring challenging practices, traveling together, competing against each other, and then against other teams helps to bring us together. It’s an extremely motivational feeling to know that you have to work hard not only for yourself, but for your teammates as well. Not wanting to let them down is what drives me when things get difficult. We are building each other up every step of the way with encouragement and support. The fans see it on the court when we play, but we are there for each other long after that. It’s the little things that make a team great, and I believe we have the chemistry this year to do great things.
Goals for This Season: Our number one goal this season is to win Nationals. We made it to the final four last spring, so coming back this year we have some unfinished business. We set goals each week that help develop our team throughout the season, but in the end it all comes down to bringing home a National title and hanging a banner. We have a good mix of upper and underclassmen this year, and a good mix of positions as well. If we put in the work and handle our business during the season, we will accomplish our goal.
What Inspires You: My son inspires me to do my best in basketball while at UC Clermont. He is five (years old) and loves basketball and is my biggest cheerleader at games and practices. Watching him give his best effort in everything he does motivates me to work hard as a role model for him.
Maura Holscher
Senior
Double Major in Law and Criminal Justice
Women’s Volleyball
Position: Setter
Reason why I love playing for UC Clermont: I love playing for UCC because I am able to work towards my degree and future career while playing the sport I love! I love the feel of the small campus, accompanied with a competitive collegiate volleyball experience.
Favorite part of playing for UC Clermont: My favorite part of playing for UCC is the people I’ve met. I’ve made genuine, life-long friendships with all my teammates and have learned so much from the coaching staff.
Favorite memory while playing for UC Clermont: My favorite moment is traveling to Virginia Beach and winning the National Championship! The moment shared with all my teammates on the court after scoring the final point was one I’ll always remember. The bus ride to and from was also a lot of fun, especially the ride home after our win!
Goals For This Season: This is my final year so I’m just trying to soak up every moment and hopefully take home another championship!
What Inspires You: My love for the sport and determination to be the best version of myself for my family, teammates, and coaches inspires me to perform to the best of my ability during the rest of my time at UCC. I now realize how fast time flies, so I work hard to give relentless effort every time I step foot on the court!
