GRC is pleased to announce former UK softball player Sarah Rainwater as softball coach.
After a successful career at UK, Coach Rainwater has spent the last two seasons as the assistant coach for East Jessamine High School in Nicholasville.
"I am very blessed to have been offered such an outstanding opportunity to coach a softball program with a winning history supported by athletic staff and the community," she said.
Last year's East Jessamine team produced a District and Region title, and competed in a history-making season at the 2023 KHSAA State Tournament semi-finals.
Sarah not only served as an East Jessamine coach, but a collegiate player mentor of four college signees during her tenure there.
Sarah is pursuing a Master of Arts in Teaching (Health and Physical Education) at the University of the Cumberlands, anticipating degree completion in December 2024.
Sarah is a 2019 University of Kentucky graduate with a Bachelor’s in Communication and a minor in coaching. As a scholarship player, Sarah was a defensive staple on UK's softball team for four years as an outfielder while contributing her softball IQ, speed and arm strength to an unequivocal SEC competition level. She was selected among her teammates as one of the 2019 season Team Captains.
In 2019, she was a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and a recipient of the UK Athletics Frank G. Ham Society of Character Award. At UK, she competed in the SEC Tournament games, four seasons in NCAA D1 Region play, and three concurrent seasons in the Super Region. In 2021, she completed a Masters in Sport Leadership from the University of Kentucky.
Sarah was a two-sport athlete at East Jessamine before graduating in 2015. As six-year starter for the Lady Jaguars softball, she was a two-year selection for the Kentucky East All-star team and the Kentucky vs Tennessee team; multiple selections on the 46th District and 12th Region tournament teams; 2015 State All-Tournament team; 2015 Class 2A Player of the Year.
She contributed team leadership making 3 KHSAA State Softball Tournament appearances while maintaining a spot in multiple state record categories. Additionally, Sarah was also a 4-year starter and leader for Lady Jaguars basketball while producing multiple team records, on the EJHS career 1,000 point leader's list, and selected to District and Region Tournament teams as well.
"I look forward to this new challenge with positivity for growth and producing results for the Lady Cardinals," Coach Rainwater said, "as our goal is to move the program forward into conversations as consistent contenders at the KHSAA state tournament.”