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Meunier: The next step
Jordyn Meunier’s leg was tapping under the table incessantly on the evening of Nov. 11. She sat on stage in Putnam Science Academy’s auditorium, ready to take that next step in her basketball career — and life — and she felt the moment.
“I was very nervous,” said Meunier, a PSA senior, of her decision to sign her National Letter of Intent to play basketball next year at American University. “Not nervous about ‘did I choose the right school’ because I know American is the right place for me. “But just that this was a big moment in my life. I’m growing up and things are getting serious. It was definitely more than I was anticipating.”
American, located in Washington, D.C., went 13-17 last year, 8-10 in the Patriot League.
Meunier, who has yet to play at PSA because the pandemic has led to cancellation of games in the first part of the season. But she’s a shooter, and will fill that role nicely for the Mustangs when the season starts up, and with the Eagles next year. She has knocked down five 3-pointers in both scrimmages the team has played as her skilled teammates can find her in the right spots for her shots.
“I was looking for a school that had a good balance of education and athletics,” said Meunier, who is from Easthampton, Mass. “It’s in a nice location. And I trusted the coaches from the start. I felt comfortable with them right away, without hesitation. I can’t wait to get down there and get started next year.”
Meunier has only been playing basketball seriously since she was a sophomore. Before that, her focus was on lacrosse. She had played a little bit of AAU hoops along the way, but not to the point where a Division I scholarship was a serious thought.
“Honestly, girls’ lacrosse isn’t very physical and I wanted something with more contact,” she said. “I’m drawn to this game now.”
When asked to describe herself as a player and if she considers herself physical, she laughed and replied “Ehh, well, kinda sorta, I guess.”
But, said PSA coach Devin Hill, “She’s tough. She’s a shooter, so you don’t always associate that with being physical. She’s got physical toughness … conditioning, sprints, things like that, Jordyn is usually first.
“But she is a shooter. She can knock it down off the dribble, she can make it off the catch-and-shoot, she has good size and can get it over the top of smaller guards. She has confidence and can shoot it from deep. She’s what you think of when you think of a shooter. American is getting a good one for sure.”
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy
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