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Bridgett
Quimpo, an assistant coach on the 2003 New Jersey City Universitysoftball
team, and a former collegiate star at Division II institution South
Carolina-Aiken, has been promoted to the position of head softball coach
at NJCU, Director of Athletics Larry Schiner has announced.
Quimpo, who joined the coaching staff as an assistant on April 10,
takes over for Andy Luciani who served as interim head coach
for 22 games, beginning on April 1. He will remain on at NJCU as part of
its Sports Medicine staff.
A
native of
Carteret
,
NJ
,
Quimpo becomes the 12th head coach in the 24-year history of
the NJCU softball program.
“
Bridgette
is a very enthusiastic young woman with great potential to be a successful
collegiate softball coach,” commented Schiner.
“I am excited and up for the challenge,” said Quimpo. “I hope to get
the most out of my players
as they would with me and the coaching staff.
Our goals are to rebuild the program and teach the game along with
the lessons of life. I also want to teach these student-athletes the
importance of being part of a close-knit team in a positive environment
where they enjoy each other's company, and more importantly, learn to
stick together during adversity.
“I am
very excited for
Bridgette
and for your University,” said Jerry Snyder, the
head coach at SC-Aiken.
“You are getting a very bright, energetic, knowledgeable softball coach.
Bridgette
will be one of the best young softball coaches in the country. The only
thing that I regret about [NJCU] hiring
Bridgette
is that I didn’t get to her first. She is one player that I wish I could
have play for me my entire career. The
knowledge and energy that she will bring to your softball program will be
incredible.”
“Considering
the difficulties encountered this season, the first thing that needs to be
done for this program to become successful again is to maintain a positive
mental attitude. The rest will fall
into place. Recruiting and
working hard during pre-season is a big key.
However, we need to be patient and take things one step at a time
by teaching the fundamentals and running lots of drills, then teaching at
the next level. The harder we work,
the more competitive we will be and it will only be in a matter of
time.”
A graduate of SC-Aiken with a B.A. in Psychology, she was introduced to
NJCU by her younger sister, Bianca Quimpo, a two-time 2nd-Team All-NJAC
pick at second base as a freshman and sophomore for the Gothic Knights in
2001 and 2002. The younger Quimpo did not play in 2003.
Quimpo
comes to NJCU from
Carteret
High
School
in
Middlesex
County
,
where she served as the assistant coach of the softball and basketball
teams each of the last two years (2002-2003). She played an important role
in guiding the Ramblers to the 2002 Central Jersey Group II state
sectional championship in softball, and the 2002-2003 basketball team
to the Greater Middlesex Conference title.
Active on the state level, Quimpo was an assistant coach for Team New
Jersey
,
a college showcase team, during the Fall of
2002.
Still enthusiastic as a player, Quimpo currently plays catcher for the New
Jersey Breakers, a Class “A” women’s fast pitch softball team.
During the 2002 season, the club recorded a 16-1 record, and she led the
team in homeruns with four. She also earned a tryout for the U.S. Olympic
Team in 2002 for the 2004 games.
In
a four-year career for SC-Aiken from 1998-2001, Quimpo was a force to be
reckoned with. A catcher for the Pacers of the Peach Belt Conference, she
was named team MVP as a senior in 2001, and Most Outstanding Defensive
Player at a tournament after finishing the season with a 1.000 fielding
percentage behind the plate. She led the team in RBIs in three consecutive
years (1999-2001).
After
enjoying a successful collegiate career, Quimpo is certain the experiences
of playing college ball will help her coach it.
“I learned everything during my playing days in
South
Carolina
that will help in my position as head coach--not only things to do, but
things not to do. Most often, it's
the many little things that made a big difference in my college career and
life."
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