Baytops Named All-Conference
The road that
Jenyce Baytops traveled to eventually become a two-time honoree on the All-New Jersey Athletic Conference indoor track and field team wasn't perhaps the most conventional route taken.
"The journey has not been easy," Baytops admitted.
Jenyce Baytops was a fine thrower for the Newark Tech track and field team when she was in high school.
"It was an amazing track program," Baytops said. "I wasn't a star athlete, but I gradually started to get better."
By the time Baytops graduated from Newark Tech, she was an accomplished thrower and she headed off to Essex County College to get qualifying grades to be able to compete on the collegiate level.
"But that wasn't a good fit for me," Baytops said.
She then went to Towson University in Baltimore and joined the track team there. Again, Baytops just didn't feel right there.
"I had to make the transition to come back home," Baytops said.
You see, Jenyce's younger sister, Ledena, was already a member of the track team at Rutgers-Newark, a stone's throw away from the Baytops' home in Irvington.
Ledena Baytops already had established herself as a sprinter and throwing the shot put. She just recently placed third at the FastTrack Last Chance indoor meet at the new Ocean Breeze Track and Field Facility in Staten Island.
So when it came time for Jenyce to leave Towson, it made sense for her to apply to Rutgers-Newark to once again join her sister.
"When I went with my sister to Rutgers in the summer time, I got such a great vibe,"
Jenyce Baytopssaid. "I got along well with the coaching staff. They really wanted their athletes to succeed. My sister was having a good time with everyone, so I decided to apply and go from there,"
Rutgers-Newark head track and field coach
Juan Edney admittedly was unaware of the older Baytops sister.
"I actually didn't know much about her," Edney said. "Her sister Ledena was on the team last year. Jenyce walked up to us and told us that she wanted to be on the team. Ledena just walked into the office one day and said, 'Coach, this is my sister.' I really wasn't looking to recruit her. It just sort of happened. She said, 'Coach, I'd like to come here and throw for you.' That basically was it."
When Jenyce arrived at her first practice in August, Edney saw a ton of promise and potential.
"You could see that the girl was very strong and very talented," Edney said. "She just came out and fit right in."
Jenyce Baytops figured she would give it a try.
"I said, 'Yeah, why not,'" Baytops said. "I left Towson and decided that maybe track just wasn't for me. I wanted to take a break from it. I went to a practice just to see if I could do it again. Coach Edney was great. He told me to give it some thought and I went along with it. It was an amazing journey from that point."
Baytops believed that she was in decent physical condition to go through the rigors of throwing regularly.
"I wasn't totally out of shape," Baytops said. "I still worked out all the time. My strength was fine. I just had to brush up a little on my technique. But I think I was able to get right back to where I left off."
With all the stops and starts to her collegiate career, Baytops had only the one year of eligibility remaining.
"Part of me felt that this was the reason why I started track in the first place," Baytops said. "I wanted to go out with a bang. I realized that I missed it. I'm glad I came back and I'm glad I came to Rutgers-Newark."
It also helped that her little sister was there to help with the transition.
"We always motivate each other,"
Jenyce Baytops said. "We always give each other advice with life lessons. It's good to have someone to connect with in terms of school and going through our daily lives."
Baytops credited the other members of the R-N women's track and field team for making the transition much easier.
"They were all so welcoming," Baytops said. "It felt like a family. We all encouraged each other. We told each other to never give up, It's a beautiful sight to see, having a family there to support you and motivate you and keep going."
Edney had an idea that Baytops would be successful.
"You had to notice her athletic ability," Edney said. "She almost qualified for the nationals right away in the weight throw and the shot. Right away, you could see she was an athlete. But when she came in, I didn't know a thing how she would do. After the first time I saw her throw, I knew she was a gold mine."
She sure was. Baytops became a Second Team All-NJAC in the weight throw and honorable mention in the shot put. She finished second in the weight throw at the NJAC Championships and was third in the shot put, picking up 14 of the Scarlet Raiders' 23 points, leading the way for the Scarlet Raiders to finish fifth as a team.
Baytops' best distance was 13.95 meters in the weight throw and 11.29 meters in the shot put.
"I honestly didn't think I'd do so well," Baytops said. "I was just praying for the best. I stayed focused and did what I had to do. It was unbelievable that I did so well. I couldn't believe it. I know I can do much better as long as I continue to get stronger. I can throw further."
Baytops has a very hectic schedule. She has a full-time job with Amazon, working in their new redemption center in Edison.
"It becomes very difficult, working, going to school, going to practice," Baytops said. "It gets to be tough at times, especially at work, where I do physical work and it's constantly moving at a fast pace. I manage to balance things out. I try not to overwork myself."
Baytops is majoring in criminal justice at R-N. She should receive her degree early next year.
"I'm hoping to work with juveniles, doing social work," Baytops said. "I've already started networking with some companies that deal with children."
Edney has only one regret.
"I wish I had her since she was a freshman," Edney said. "If that was the case, she'd be an All-American by now."
Baytops is currently sidelined with a finger injury she suffered in an accident at home.
"Hopefully, we'll get her back soon," Edney said. "But she doesn't complain or whine. She just gets her work in. I expect her to have a great outdoor season. She's resilient and hard working. She comes from a big, church-going family. She sings in a choir. I met her father and I told him, 'Thank you for giving us your daughters.'"
Needless to say,
Jenyce Baytops is also thankful.
"I'm glad it turned out the way it did for me," Baytops said. "It wasn't always easy."
