By Fred Jeter

Veteran softball Coach Jennifer Lynn Gilbert has achieved much success at the high school level. Now she hopes to continue winning at Virginia State University.

Coach Gilbert, who posted 270 victories in 25 years at Manchester and L.C. Bird high schools in Chesterfield County, has been named the Trojans’ new softball coach.

She succeeds LaTasha Branch, who guided VSU to a 12-23 overall record and a 7-11 CIAA mark this past spring in Ettrick.

Coach Gilbert is a graduate of Longwood University, where she played softball. She received her master’s in education from Virginia Commonwealth University.

She has served as an assistant professor at VCU’s School of Education the past five years.

At Manchester High School, Coach Gilbert led the Lancers to seven Dominion District titles and a state Group AAA crown in 1996. Her star player for Manchester’s state champions was Natasha Johnson, arguably the top pitcher in Richmond area history.