GRACE FEENEY AND BUCKNELL… KEEP GETTING BETTER!

GRACE FEENEY 3 years ago arrive at Trinity Hall as just another tall girl with no reputation or expectations. She was one of the star players of the 2026 rock star class that is filled with D1 players. But her Coach Matt McCarthy saw something in his freshman. He saw potential and he saw lots of it. Well Matt McCarthy was pretty smart. That because Grace Feeney was named 2nd team All Freshman that year. These days Grace Feeney is one of the best players in the SHORE CONFERENCE. She also in now one of those D1 players in the superstar 2026 class. That’s because Grace Feeney this summer gave BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY Aa verbal commitment.

When Grace Feeney was a freshman, here coach, Matt McCarthy threw her into the fire from day one. He put her in the starting lineup and let her swim or sink. On most nights she was swimming and catching the eyes of the Shore faithful. Back then she played with the greatest player in Trinity Hall history , Nina Emnace. The conference player of the year. Back then she mostly stood around on the outside and shot threes. She didn’t get to the rim or the foul line. But that was back then and this is now. That’s because these days, Grace Feeney is one of the most versatile players in the entire state. Thats because each year Grace Feeney, got a little better, each year, a little stronger and each year and a little more confident each year. Now it has all come together and she is a star. A player that BUCKNELL Coach Trevor Woodruff will be surprised is way more athletic and seasoned than he expected. GRACE FEENEY is still a baby who just turned 17 years. She has only scratched the surface of what she will be one day. Now she has the perfect coach to take her to the next level. Coach Woodruff is the master of player development. He now has the Perfect student and person. Grace Feeney is a sponge.

MATT MCCARTHY has a knack for turning ordinary players into impact players. He has built a reputation for taking kids that nobody cared much about and developed them into productive players. Grace Feeney may be his masterpiece. That’s because he pressured her to open up game. He gave her confidence and put her in situations where she could thrive. He challenged her to squeeze her talent to beg for mercy. Grace Feeney took full advantage of Coach McCarthy’s trust. It’s this trust that has led to this dynamic duo. Trinity Hall has played against the best and FENNEY has shined against the best. Trinity Hall now is a Top three team in the Shore. A possible Top 10 team in the state. They fear no one and GRACE FEENEY is one of the biggest reasons why. FEENEY now has that swag the great ones have. She talks with confidence but not bragging. She has become a true leader and go to player. She has filled the void that NINA EMNACE left behind. She has helped Trinity Hall get to that next level.

Jonathan Feeney and Emily Feeney are protective of their daughter. They encourage her to reach for the stars and not take a back seat to anyone . Both are Ivy school grads, so they taught Grace the importance of an education. They made sure that when picking a school. the academics must be the prioritized. The two have given Grace anything she wanted to make her dreams come true. They also didn’t hand Grace a sliver spoon. They made sure she understood that she had to work for everything along the way. It’s clear Grace learned her lessons well. BUCKNELL is one of the best schools in the country. It’s a dream come true for the entire family. Grace Feeney gets a first class education and gets to play D1 basketball in one of the academic conferences in all of America. It doesn’t get much better than that for two parents who have made every sacrifice along the way to give Grace a chance to make her dream a reality. They have had to suffer through the up and downs. The tears and fears of their child. But though it all, they gave GRACE ALL THE RIGHT TOOLS!!! I think we can say Jonathan Feeney and Emily Feeney got the job done as well and in a very big way way

Not kid gets there alone. It was Matt McCarthy who got the ball rolling for GRACE FEENEY, he was relentless in finding her the right home. He refused to to let Grace fail or settle. Ellen Masonious, and the New Jersey Rise organization gave Grace the exposure and spotlight, every kid needs. It was Ellen Masonius whose daughter HOPE attends BUCKNELL, that sang Grace Feeney’s praises from the highest mountain top and made sure the Bucknell staff knew this was a special player. It was Eric Myrick who made sure the Bucknell staff knew she had the right work ethic. See without the right inner circle none of this happens. GRACE FEENEY has the perfect inner circle. Those who know her best and care most about her, they were her biggest advocates. They delivered for Grace and her family. They opened the door for GRACE and she walked through and did the rest. Bucknell will thank them all one day. For now Grace Feeney is smiling and feeling blessed.

Now the hard part for Grace Feeney begins. Now she has to get ready for her senior year. She has lots of expectations. She knows she needs too put the work in. She needs to take one more giant leap in her development. It’s what she done her entire career, why would she stop now? I think Grace is just getting started. GRACE FEENEY, knows all eyes will be on her this season. But Grace has been there before and there is little question that she won’t answer the bell. Just like she will answer the bell… when she arrives at BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY…. Congrats to GRACE AND TEAM FEENEY… well done by all!