Where are they now: NIACC's Chelsey Jacox

By KIRK HARDCASTLE

NIACC sports information director

Take a quick look through the NIACC women's basketball record book and it won't take one long to find the name Chelsey (Jacox) Terry.

One will find it atop the school's career scoring list with her scoring 1,182 points.

One will find it atop the school's career assist list with 306.

She is also one of six first-team all-Americans in the NIACC women's basketball program.

Terry, who is a stay-at-home mother at Camp Lejuene in North Carolina with her husband Darren and daughter Aria, played an instrumental part on the Lady Trojans' 2013-14 team that placed third at NJCAA Division II national tournament.

While she fondly remembers the basketball part of her time spent on the NIACC campus that is not what first comes to mind.

"What I remember most about my time at NIACC are all the beautiful and personal relationships that I was able to develop with some many different people from so many different walks of life," she said. "I have never experienced anything like it again in life and I miss it."

If Terry, who originally was from Minneapolis, had to pick one memory from her basketball career that stands out, she said it would be topping Iowa Central 96-92 in the 2014 NJCAA Region XI title game in Fort Dodge. The win gave the Lady Trojans a berth in the national tournament for the first time since 1994.

"All of us getting on the dog pile was so much fun," Terry recalled. I have chills just thinking about it."

Kelli Greenway, who was NIACC's head coach during Terry's two seasons at NIACC, said the disappointing close to the Lady Trojans' 2012-13 season fueled a fire inside of Terry for her sophomore campaign.

"She completely dedicated herself to basketball that next summer," said Greenway, who is now the head women's basketball coach at Grand View University. "As a result, she came back as an unstoppable player for her sophomore season.

"She was simply able to take over games. She also had a knack for finding her teammates in transition and putting them in position to score."

And score and assist is what Terry did in the 2013-14 season.

She scored 833 points, which ranks second on the school's all-time single-season list.

She dished out 194 assists, which ranks first on the school's all-time single season list.

"Chelsey ended up being a huge part of elevating our program to where it is now," said NIACC coach Todd Ciochetto, who was an assistant for the Lady Trojans in Terry's two seasons. "I still have people tell me 'man, Chelsey was good.'

"She came in with her guard up. It took a while to break that down and gain her trust."

Ciochetto said that after Terry's career at NIACC was over she told him something that he will never forget.

"NIACC saved my life," she told Ciochetto.

"Chelsey is a huge reason I still do what I do," Ciochetto said. "Chelsey will remain special to me and this program."

AFTER NIACC, TERRY transferred to play basketball at the University of San Francisco, where she received her bachelor's degree in sociology in December of 2015.

After graduating from San Francisco, she played basketball at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

She received her Masters of Social Work degree from UMSL in May of 2018.

While at UMSL, Terry had an internship with Youth in Need in St. Charles, Mo.

In a story on Terry in the UMSL Daily in November of 2017, Terry said she was gaining invaluable experience with her internship.

"The No. 1 thing I've learned is that relationship is everything," she was quoted as saying in the article. "You have to build a relationship to build trust.

"If you don't have trust, you're not going to be able to achieve the goals that you set together."

Terry, a licensed clinical social worker associate, has put her professional career on hold to be a stay-at-home mother for her one-year old daughter Aria.

Darren is a staff sergeant in the Marine Corps and is currently deployed.

"My daughter and I are anxiously awaiting his return so we can be reunited as a family," she said. "We miss him a whole lot, but we are so proud of him for protecting and serving our country."

Terry said she enjoying her time as a stay-at-home mom.

"It has been the biggest blessing," said Terry, who is 27. "I am very fortunate to be able to do so."

Terry admits that being at home with her daughter keeps her on her toes.

"A typical day for me now includes chasing my daughter around the house," Terry said. "She keeps me busy. We enjoy dancing together, playing passing drills with her baby-sized basketball, play dates, going to the park and eating.

"The best part about my current job is being able to witness my daughter grow and develop every single day. I wouldn't have it any other way."

While Terry is six years removed from being a student-athlete at NIACC, she'll never forget her time on the NIACC campus.

"My time at NIACC helped me to understand the value and importance of relationships," she said. "Being able to stay connected with the people who love you, support you and know your worth/value is something that will help get you through difficult times in life."

And while Terry will never forget NIACC.

People won't forget Terry either.

"Chelsey is very goofy and has an infectious laugh," Greenway said.