Leah Withrow is the new head groundskeeper after her promotion with the Reno Aces (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League).
“This promotion feels surreal and I haven’t even fully digested what this means. I’ve watched and learned almost everything I know from the previous two groundskeepers and they both left pretty big shoes to fill, and not just because they’re men’s shoes,” Withrow said in a team statement. “I hope this shows girls and women that any position is open. Just because you’ve only ever seen a man hold that position doesn’t mean that if you work hard enough and want it bad enough that it can’t be yours. Every job is open to anyone as long you prove yourself to be the best suited and I literally put my blood, sweat and tears into this field that’s how bad I wanted it. This field is the heart of the stadium and I’m ready to have it healthy, pumping and ready for a long season ahead.”
Withrow has been with the team full-time since 2018, working under each of the team’s two previous head groundskeepers. Originally from Gardnerville, NV, Withrow graduated from North Dakota State University in 2018 with a bachelor of science in sports turfgrass management, and triple minors in horticulture, crop science and business administration.
“Through her commitment to her work and this facility, Leah earned this role and we couldn’t be more excited to put her to work,” said Aces general manager Emily Jaenson. “It’s important to acknowledge Leah earning this role because representation matters. Historically, groundskeeping has been a position held by men. It will be an awesome day when a little girl enters the ballpark, to see Leah tending the field. For that little girl, Leah’s job will be a dream she can see become reality and another representation that women can do anything.”
Editor’s note: this article has been updated to reflect the fact that Withrow is not the only female groundskeeper in MiLB: Caroline Beauchamp has been head groundskeeper for the Delmarva Shorebirds since 2019.
Photo courtesy Reno Aces.
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