Gaylord softball stars Jayden and Aubrey Jones trying to soak in final season together

GAYLORD — What does it take to become a Division I athlete?

The dream of reaching the next level drives almost every high school athlete nowadays, but only a small percentage of them will put in the work and make the sacrifices necessary to achieve that goal.

For Gaylord's Jones sisters, it wasn't just a dream to make it; failing wasn't an option.

From a young age, both dreamed of playing softball at the highest levels, and that shared dream has helped drive them to this point, leaders of the best high school softball team in Michigan while both are committed to take their talents to the NCAA Division I level.

Their bond is a special one that has played a major part in their individual stories as well as the Gaylord softball team as a whole. But now, with Jayden finishing up her senior season, set to attend Virginia Tech next fall and Aubrey committed to Oklahoma State, the Jones sisters are making the most of their final opportunities to play side-by-side.

"Aub' is my best friend," Jayden said. "We're better together when we're on the field. And growing up together, being able to share our love of the game together has meant a lot to me"

Competitors from an early age

Jayden and Aubrey have been around baseball and softball diamonds for as long as they can remember. As young girls, they spent a lot of time around their dad, Greg Jones, and the 18U baseball team he coached.

"We've always had kind of a competition with each other, we're always trying to one-up each other," Aubrey said. "But we also complement each other really well. (Jayden) is like my opposite. We work really well together on the field."

According to both of them, it took a little bit of time before they considered themselves anything more than above-average players. But from a very young age, they both knew they wanted more for themselves.

Jayden credits a memory from when she was 10 years old, watching Michigan take on Florida in the College World Series that impacted her softball career for the rest of her life.

"The pitcher at the time was Lauren Haeger, and she wore number 17. That's the reason I wear 17 today," Jayden said. "I saw them playing, I saw them win it and I was like 'yes, I want to be in the World Series someday'."

An eight-year-old Aubrey had an almost identical experience, and from there, their goals of reaching the top levels of their sport were realized.

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Years of sacrifice for a chance at greatness

Becoming a Division I athlete doesn't happen overnight, especially for kids from small, Northern Michigan towns like Gaylord.

"We practiced at least five days a week they were usually anywhere from three to four hour practices. And they were intense, like we were never slacking off and were constantly being pushed to our limits," Aubrey said.

The Sandlot Slammers, their original travel softball team, was made up of many of the girls that are on the Gaylord varsity softball roster today. Coached by their father Greg, sharing the field and winning tournaments across Michigan helped a small-town softball team grow closer together and, helped grow a special bond between a father and his daughters.

"I'm very, very thankful for all the time my dad has spent with us. Definitely would not be the person or player I am today without him and his guidance," said Jayden.

For the Joneses, training doesn't stop at practice. When out of season, Aubrey and Jayden are putting work in with their dad in the batting cage and working defensive and pitching drills, sometimes five to six days a week for hours at a time. That constant work and effort means missing out on a lot of things their friends get to experience, spending most of their summers out playing softball while spending the down months training.

"Some people think we're crazy," said Aubrey. "But I think if that's the goal you have then you have to make sacrifices, and I think that us making those sacrifices have gotten us the opportunities we have today."

Taking a leap, gathering recognition

While the years playing with the Slammers are some of the Joneses' fondest memories, both Jayden and Aubrey came to the realization that they needed to take another leap if they wanted to actualize their dreams of playing big-time, Division I college softball.

So, they took a chance and bet on themselves, traveling down to Tennessee to try out for some of the biggest, most successful teams in America in hopes to grow their names in the recruiting world. Fortunately, they both found their way onto rosters for Tennessee Mojo, one of the most successful teams in the country; unfortunately, it was separate teams, meaning both would be playing softball without their sister for the first time.

Fortunately, all has worked out; as the Jones sisters traveled across the country and flourished, the big-name schools they were hoping to attract came knocking. Both have made appearances in the Extra Innings Softball's top prospect rankings for their respective graduation classes and, most excitingly, coaches started calling.

"On September 1, I believe I got 17 different calls or emails from coaches," Aubrey said. "That part is pretty stressful, having to talk to several coaches and tell people 'no', like that's not the best feeling in the world. But it's also super exciting because those are the dreams I've worked for my whole life."

Choosing separate paths

Jayden and Aubrey play major roles for the defending state champion Gaylord softball team, filling the three and four spots in the batting order while serving as the top two pitchers in the starting rotation. Even on a stacked roster like Gaylord's, the Joneses stick out. Jayden has earned all-state honors three times in her three seasons of high school softball, while Aubrey earned her first all-state honors as part of the state-title-winning team in 2023.

These sisters have a special bond, gathered from years and years of playing softball side-by-side. Soon enough, however, the side-by-side part of their relationship will be part of their legacy, not their future.

A Virginia Tech signee, Jayden is off to join the Hokies softball program after her final season as a Blue Devil, while Aubrey is committed to joining the Oklahoma State program after the 2025 season. That means this year is the final go as a dynamic duo, hoping to bring a second state title to Gaylord before linking up one final time for the Mojo Abernathy team this summer.

For now though, it's not something they're focused on. They have a lot of goals, both as individuals and as a team, that are too important to let emotions get in their way.

But, maybe for this season alone, one of their biggest shared goals is to enjoy every last second they have on the softball diamond together.

"It's definitely been a long road, I'll cherish these years for the rest of my life," Aubrey said. "It was a super hard decision this fall to go without her, I had to do what's best for me. But I'm just trying to enjoy my last summer with her and make the most out of every opportunity we have to play."

"It goes by fast, so I'm really trying to soak it all in this last season with her," said Jayden.

Contact GHT Sports Editor Dylan Jespersen at Djespersen@gaylordheraldtimes.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @dylanjespersen, and Instagram, @dylanjespersen

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Gaylord's Jayden and Aubrey Jones enjoying final season on softball diamond together