Jan. 13, 2012
By Jon Cooper
Sting Daily
Christy Jones’ commitment to Georgia Tech was a life-changer for her as well as a program-changer for Head Coach Sharon Perkins’ program.
Jones, a Wichita, Kansas, native, with blazing speed and great slapping ability from the left side of the plate, graduated in December with a degree in Mechanical Engineering after four stellar years roaming center field for the Yellow Jackets.
From 2008 through 2011, she earned back-to-back All-ACC Second-Team honors (making it in 2010 and ’11) and was a four-time All-ACC Academic Team honoree, capping off her career by being named the 2011 ACC Softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
With all she accomplished, Jones wasn’t about to simply cut ties with Atlanta.
This past week she cemented her ties to Atlanta, beginning a job in a technical sales capacity with a company called Beamex (she had interned there over the summer).
“I had several options out of state and I had two options in the Atlanta area and i really love Atlanta,” she said. “I feel like there is a lot of opportunity. We’re expected to be growing in the United States. Coming into a small company there’s a lot of potential.”
It sounds a lot like what brought Jones to Atlanta in the first place, the possibility of being a part of Perkins’ program.
Jones and Perkins had an opportunity to reminisce over that via a chance meeting last weekend down in Florida. Jones was there coaching her old travel ball team, the Wichita Mustangs, while Perkins was there recruiting for Georgia Tech.
“‘Jonesy’ was my first recruit when I got here,” said Perkins, “We were talking about the time that I flew into Wichita and went and watched her play. It was totally in the boondocks. She didn’t think I’d show. I told them I was going to be there and they were like, ‘No way. She’s not going to come here.’ I showed up, and saw her and loved her speed and loved everything about her. She was a great fit.
“It’s sad that she’s not here,” she added. “But it’s exciting for Christy to be moving on to another chapter in her life. It was neat to hang out with her and talk about the good old days for her.”
The two should have other such opportunities with Jones staying in Atlanta and around Georgia Tech Softball.
Jones said that there hasn’t been any talk of her helping the Yellow Jackets in an official coaching capacity but said she still retains huge interest in the program.
“I’m not sure coaching is what I want to do,” she said. “I’ll definitely be going to games. I’m so glad I got a job in Atlanta so I can go support the girls.”
She admitted that she’s considered seeing games at Mewborn Field from the spectator side.
“I think it is going to be weird,” Jones said. “Of course I’m going to want to be out there, especially with the girls that I know. I still have a lot of friends on the team. But at the same time, I put in my four years, it was a great four years. I’m also just going to be happy to be a fan and be able to support them in any way I can.”
While she adjusts to life as a spectator she plans to find other ways to quench her desire to compete. Jones, who is dating former Georgia Tech place-kicker Scott Blair (who is working at Morgan Stanley), said that she and Blair will look to channel their athletic impulses on a lower-key level.
“I’ll be working 40-hour work weeks,” she said. “So I think [Blair] and I will find a slow-pitch team to play on if that counts.”
The thought of Jones on that level amused Perkins.
“Oh my gosh. She’s going to dominate,” she said, adding with a laugh. “She’ll run all over them.”
