High-scoring Gilroy forward will continue her career at
Pacific
Gilroy – Kelly Perkins always knew she would be attending University of Pacific.
What the Gilroy High senior didn’t know was whether she would be playing field hockey, which has been her passion since she began playing in the fifth grade.
Perkins got the word from UOP last week that she will be playing field hockey when she was offered and accepted a partial athletic scholarship.
“I didn’t want to leave California,” said Perkins, a Gilroy native, who will be a business major and hopes to open a bakery one day. “It was either U OP or no hockey, which was not really an option for me. I was kind of in a bad position but it turned out good.”
The Tigers were 10-7 last season and had a NorPac record of 4-2. School record-holder Vianney Campos (67 points) is one of two key seniors who will be missing from next year’s team. While there has been no promises from coach Linda MacDonald that Perkins will have an opportunity to start. And yet, she is looking forward to a career at UOP, one of three California schools that offer field hockey as an NCAA sport.
“I am excited because it is just two hours away,” Perkins said.
She added, kiddingly, “I want my mom (Chipper Perkins) to be my roommate.”
Perkins led Gilroy in scoring as a senior with 31 goals. Her final Mission Trail Athletic League encounter against York was a game to remember as the 5-10 Perkins scored six goals and three assists.
“She was our most valuable offensive player,” GHS co-coach Erin Gemar said. “She was our high scorer (her junior year) as well. But she had zero assists. This (past season) she had quite a few assists. That showed how much she grew as a player. She is really dedicated to the sport working hard with Infinity (club team) at every practice.”
Perkins says she will most remember the bus rides to games where she and fellow senior and best friend Erin Magill (who is California-Berkeley bound) would get loud in the back and draw stares from the girls up front.
“Everyone would look at us,” Perkins said. “Mostly, Erin and I would laugh our butts off.”
“She was responsible for most of our social gatherings,” Gemar said. “She was not only great on the field but the life of the party as well.”
It’s long way from the day 10 years earlier when she spotted the Gemars walking home from the grocery store. It was Perkins’ seventh birthday and the Gemars gave her a banana. Every year since they have given her a banana on Aug. 2.
Starting this August, new memories will be forged in Stockton where Perkins will try to earn playing time as a forward. She said she is excited and nervous at the same time about being away from home.
“Training will be hard, but I can’t picture myself not playing field hockey,” Perkins said.
Perkins won’t have to picture that for the next four years.
