Maddie Jenner: Taking Control
NCAA record-holder eyes one more year in the circle before heading to medical school
Kyle Williams, GoDuke The Magazine
The Duke women’s lacrosse season came to an end on Sunday, May 15 with a loss to No. 2-seeded Maryland in the second round of the NCAA Championship. While the result marked a bitter end to a memorable spring, the Blue Devils head into the offseason well aware of what lies on the horizon for a program that recorded its highest win total in seven years.
Much of Duke’s corps remains intact following the 2022 campaign. High-volume scorer Katie DeSimone, whose 60 goals ranked sixth in school history for a single season and top-10 in the ACC, will be back in Durham as a junior. Rising seniors Olivia Carner and Cubby Biscardi, each tapped to the All-ACC team in April, figure to assume greater leadership roles. But perhaps the most beneficial retainment comes via the extra year of eligibility afforded to student-athletes due to the covid-19 pandemic, which Maddie Jenner intends to take advantage of in 2023.
The Blue Devils’ draw control specialist has established herself among the nation’s most dominant forces in the circle since arriving on campus four years ago. She set an NCAA single-season record for draw controls (233) in 20 games this year while also leading the country in draw controls per contest (11.65), and will approach her fifth season just 42 shy of the NCAA career mark. If she breaks it next spring, she will receive her fair share of publicity, and the number may stand for a while before another superstar specialist comes along.
But for Jenner, the attention and accolades her play brings remain somewhat insignificant compared to the team’s ultimate goals.
“I would much rather us win than me claim any of these individual records,” said Jenner, named first team All-America by Inside Lacrosse. “The whole point is to get the job done to help your team win. Sometimes I listen back to ACC Network replays and hear the commentators, so I’m informed of what my stats are. But I try to not think about that too much. I like to think of the process-related goals instead of the statistical goals so you’re not going in after the game and checking the box score.
“I really look at how our team draws were versus the other team.”
As a mainstay in the Duke lineup and a veteran of the program, Jenner’s voice commands as much respect as any other in the locker room. By no means, though, would she consider herself highly vocal in the task of motivating teammates.
“I would say I’m quieter,” she said. “I try to lead by example, through commitment and hard work. I think I’m still developing that voice. Cat Barry definitely filled that role this year, so that will be a step I’ll take more next year. But I think my intensity and desire to win is what I led with this season.”
The two-time Tewaaraton Award nominee does a little bit of everything for the Blue Devils. She tallied a career-best 30 goals this season — the fourth-most on the team — and has collected 26 ground balls over the past four years. Jenner has certainly lived up to the lofty bar set by her older sister, Olivia, who graduated from Duke in 2020 as the school’s then-career leader in draw controls (512) and remains in the top-20 in goals, assists and points. The program’s single-season draw controls chart reads like a family lineage, with the same last name occupying seven of the top eight spots.
Maddie maintains the same level of excellence off the field, aided by the fact that her academic interests don’t stray too far from the Koskinen Stadium sidelines. Studying in Program II — an individualized program at Duke allowing students to meet their unique academic goals — Jenner has grown a fascination in sports medicine and injury prevention. She will complete all of her prerequisite courses next summer before taking the MCAT and ultimately applying for medical school, but in the meantime enjoys observing and learning from the team’s athletic trainer, Jen McCollum.
“She is amazing,” said Jenner. “I love talking to her. She knows about these career aspirations of mine and is really supportive.”
The interest began late in high school for Jenner, and after dealing with plantar fasciitis during her freshman year, she found herself intently focused on the recovery process. Fortunately, the Annapolis, Md., native has not suffered a significant injury to date, but that has not kept her out of the training room to assist wherever she can in getting fellow athletes back on the field.
“Helping my teammates with any little injuries they have is so fun for me. I just love learning about biomechanics and injury prevention.”
Jenner felt, even before any games took place, that this Duke side had a different element than past years. There was an unwavering commitment and focus, evidenced by the competitive nature of preseason practices, that created early momentum. It resulted in six straight wins out of the gate — the most to start a season since 2015 — and a top-10 national ranking. On the way to a final 16-4 record, the team experienced those key moments, such as wins over Notre Dame, Virginia and No. 2 Boston College (Jenner’s favorite of her collegiate career) that are often benchmarks in establishing a championship-caliber program.
So as Jenner and her teammates watch the NCAA Championship conclude on Memorial Day weekend, their sights are fixed on one year from now. The Blue Devils will enter 2023 hungry for the next step, and to take it, they will need every bit of their All-American in the center circle.
DRAW?? CONTROL?? QUEEN??
— Duke Women's Lacrosse (@DukeWLAX) May 14, 2022
With her 10 draw controls during our win this afternoon, Maddie Jenner broke the NCAA record for most draw controls in a single season! Maddie has earned 229 draw controls so far this season beating the previous record of 224! #GoDuke ?????? pic.twitter.com/6bfgUPLEdJ
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— NCAA Lacrosse (@NCAALAX) May 14, 2022
During Duke's, 17-12, victory over Johns Hopkins Maddie Jenner made 10 draw controls and broke the NCAA single-season draw controls record!
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