Davis and Elkins College Athletics

Jennifer "Kay" Kirby-Jeter, a 1975 graduate of Davis & Elkins College, was a trailblazer both as an athlete and coach. She started as the goal keeper for the women's soccer team, leading them to a 9-1-2 record and securing the Blue Ridge II Tournament Team and WVIAA Championship titles in 1975. She continued her success with back-to-back WVIAA Championships in 1976 and 1977, while also serving as the Women's Basketball Manager and Vice President of the Physical Education Majors Club. Notably, Kay had the honor of escorting Olympian Jesse Owens during his visit to campus. After graduating, she pursued a Master’s in Community Health Education at NYU and became certified in officiating field hockey and lacrosse. She continued playing field hockey at the club level, winning the National Club Championship in 1985 and competing at the Masters level until 1991.

Kay's career in education and coaching spanned over three decades in the Woodbridge Township School District, where she became the first female to coach a boys' sport in the district, leading the freshman/junior varsity boys' soccer teams. She also coached several other sports, including girls' basketball, soccer, track, and boys' and girls' bowling, achieving tremendous success. She earned multiple Coach of the Year honors, and under her leadership, her teams won numerous White Division Championships. In 1998-2001, she made history as the only coach to lead both the boys' and girls' NJSIAA Individual State Bowling Champions in the same tournament. Kay was recognized with numerous accolades, including a 2016 NJ Senate and General Assembly Citation and induction into the Woodbridge Township Athletic Hall of Fame. She retired from coaching in 2008 and from teaching in 2014, leaving a lasting legacy in both athletics and education.