01 Jun 2022 UCA softball coach honored

CONWAY — After a dynamite first season at the helm of the University of Central Arkansas softball team, head coach Jenny Parsons has been awarded the 2021-22 Raymond Bright Award, as announced on Tuesday. The award, sponsored by Centennial Bank, is presented each year to both a college coach and a high school coach in the city of Conway. 

 “We are proud of Coach Parsons and her first year as our head coach. She and her staff did an excellent job with our team this year,” Athletic Director Brad Teague said of the award. “She is certainly deserving of this Raymond Bright award named after one of our greatest coaches. The future is bright!”

Parsons led the Bears to 37 wins in 2022, matching the second-most in program history. She logged her first win with a triumph over then No. 14 LSU, the highest-ranked win in school history. The win over the Tigers marked one of five Power 5 wins that the team would claim, also taking down Mississippi State, Georgia Tech, Kansas and Virginia.

Central Arkansas’s first season in the ASUN ended with an ASUN West Division title, after a 17-7 conference slate. The Bears also logged an 18-3 home record, dominating opponents at Farris Field. There, Central Arkansas outscored opponents 132-29, holding a team ERA of 1.34 while recording six shutouts. Jordan Johnson also started the home schedule with a perfect game against Saint Louis, striking out 13 batters en route to the third perfect outing of her career.  Under her tutelage, four Bears received All-ASUN honors, with Mary Kate Brown and Tremere Harris named to the league’s first-team, Jaylee Engelkes earning a second-team nod and Kylie Griffin being named to the conference’s all-freshman team. The group helped Central Arkansas to a third-place finish in the ASUN Championship at the start of May, earning the Bears a No. 4 Seed in the National Invitational Softball Championship, where the team also finished third.

“It’s such an honor to receive an award like this,” Parsons added. “Knowing that we’re able to have the success we had this year while representing Conway the right way means a lot, and I’m excited to continue to lead in a way that represents our program and city like this.”

This award is presented each year to a coach from one of Conway’s colleges and to a coach from one of Conway’s high schools to recognize their accomplishments and the positive image they bring to the city. Central Arkansas is proud to have captured three of these awards, with Richard Martin claiming the honor in 2016-17 and David Kuhn taking home last year’s award.

Coach Raymond Bright was one of the most beloved and successful coaches in Conway’s history. His career began at Conway Junior High School in 1949 then continued at Conway High coaching football and track from 1951 to 1958. He moved across town to UCA to coach track from 1959 to 1965 and then football from 1965 to 1971.

Coach Bright is a member of the Wampus Cat Sports Hall of Fame, the UCA Sports Hall of Fame, the Arkansas Track & Field Hall of Fame, and the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.