Work it Out

WORK IT OUT FRESH FACES ADD TO A GROWING ATHLETICS CULTURE AT MBU

BY B I L LY C O F F E Y

MARAH JONES

Serving as athletic trainer to Mary Baldwin University’s student-athletes can be a frenzied job. The responsibilities are numerous. The daily duties are varied. Weekends are often workdays.

Marah Jones would have it no other way. Born in Silver Spring, Maryland, and raised in Staunton, Jones graduated with a BS in kinesiology from James Madison University in 2010 and comes to MBU from nearby Shenandoah University, where she served as an assistant athletic trainer.

At MBU, she designs prevention programs for student-athletes who may be at risk for injuries, as well as programs to assess, treat, and rehabilitate injuries so an athlete can return to the playing field as quickly and safely as possible.

“That’s the best and most rewarding part,” she said. “To see an

athlete performing at a high level sustain an injury to the point where they cannot do anything, and then work hard and rehabilitate their way back to 100 percent under the guidance of an AT.”

Jones’ expertise and dedication to student-athletes has made her an integral part of MBU’s athletics program. For her, Mary Baldwin offers an abundance of the two things she loves most: helping people and watching sports.

“Marah has been treating me since the second week of the season,” said Savannah McGavock, a freshman from Water Valley, Mississippi, and, setter for the volleyball team. “She encouraged me to stay positive no matter how many setbacks I had. Every day when I come to therapy, she’s always laughing or has a smile on her face. She’s so knowledgeable, and I always trust her to take great care of me.”

SAM JEFFRIES

Call Sam Jeffries a mechanic who tunes muscle instead of metal. Mary Baldwin University’s new strength and conditioning coach was born in Southern Maryland and graduated with a double major in athletic training and exercise science from Greensboro College. Jeffries comes to MBU from Tysons Corner where he supervised multi-sport programs for professional and amateur athletes as director of sports performance at Perfect Performance NOVA.

Driven by coaching athletes who are willing to exert maximum effort to achieve peak performance, Jeffries designs and implements year-round periodized training plans focusing on strength, speed, agility, and conditioning, as well as programs for sports nutrition.

“Sam is disciplined, and his workouts are highly organized

and sport-specific,” said Rene Ramirez ’22, a member of the men’s soccer team from El Paso. “He demands the best from us. He is here almost every morning at 6 a.m., and he is constantly pushing me to find my full potential.”

Jeffries credits the new electric energy at Mary Baldwin as a great motivator. Alongside new and reinvigorated players and coaching staff, he relishes the opportunity to do his part in establishing a new culture around MBU athletics.

“I love working at the DIII level,” he said, “because I played at this level, and I want to give each student-athlete the best possible experience at Mary Baldwin. I love having the opportunity to pass on my passion for physical training to each athlete, so they feel confident continuing to train and stay healthy beyond their athletic careers.”