Jacqueline Kershaw is a native of Columbia, S.C. She was a three-sport standout athlete (volleyball, basketball, track & field) during her career at Benedict College from 1997-2000. Jacque attended W.J. Keenan High School, where she also excelled as a threesport athlete, participating in volleyball, basketball and track and field. As a sophomore, she was the starting setter on the 1992 state championship volleyball team and was selected to the All-Conference, All-Area and All-State teams (1992-1995). Jacque also received All-Conference, All-Area and All-State honors for basketball (1993-1995). She was a three-time All-Midlands volleyball and basketball player. She was a member of the South team in the 1995 North-South All-Star basketball game. In 1995, she was honored as the Region AAA Basketball Player of the Year. Jacque participated in three S.C. State Track meets, competing in the long jump, 400-meters, and 4x400 relay events, earning one silver and three bronze medals. The State newspaper named Jacque No. 2 of the top five female athletes of the 90s. Although Jacque was recruited by Benedict and numerous other colleges, she decided to attend Coastal Carolina University to play basketball. While attending CCU, Jacque became a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. After two years at CCU, she contacted CoachÂ
Gwendolyn Rouse and informed her of her desire to transfer. Jacque transferred to Benedict College in 1997, where she displayed her athletic ability in volleyball, basketball and softball. Her accolades include All-EIAC in volleyball for three years, including EIAC Player of the Year in 1998. She was named Benedict MVP for three years in a row. In basketball, she was a two-time All-EIAC selection and three-time All-EIAC Tournament selection. She was named Benedict's Defensive Player of the Year in 1999 and MVP in 2000. In softball, she was a three-time All-EIAC selection, EIAC Tournament MVP and EIAC Player of the Year in 1999 after leading the league in hitting. At the 2000 athletic banquet, she received the distinguished John E. Brown Memorial Athlete of the Year award. Jacque graduated with a 3.18 GPA with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. Following graduation, Jacque worked at Blue Cross Blue Shield SC and was a volunteer coach and mentor for various sports organizations. She enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2002 and has been stationed in various areas throughout the world, including Korea and Kuwait. While in the military, Jacque continued her love for sports and participated in military base volleyball, basketball and softball. She was a member of the 2005 All-Army volleyball team. While playing in a basketball tournament in Okinawa, Japan, she performed life-saving CPR on a referee, who had collapsed and suffered a heart attack. She served 14 years as a medic in the U.S. Army until her discharge in 2016. In 2006, Jacque gave birth to her only child, Jayson, who also has a love for sports and is an avid baseball and basketball player. Jacque is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in human resource and business management.
