It can sometimes be easy to forget that UCSD athletes, those same people who campaigned and advocated for the recent athletic fee referendum, are first and foremost UCSD students. Unlike other Southern California schools, UCSD’s emphasis has always been on academics over athletics and none of the Triton athletes are able to slip by taking one class during a quarter – a la Matt Leinart, the fifth-year senior who courageously enrolled in a ballroom dancing class just to retain eligibility to play football at USC and improve his NFL draft stock.
The National Student-Athlete Day Luncheon, held on April 11, honored 12 Tritons who, as Athletic Director Earl Edwards said, displayed a combination of academic and athletic achievement, as well as campus and community service.
The following is the honored students’ take on their journey as UCSD student-athletes.
“”I feel ‘student-athlete’ means you balanced your commitment to sports and your commitment to school,”” said Patrick Kelly, a senior on the soccer team. “”I feel like a lot of people at UCSD don’t even know we have athletics here, but when people find out that you play sports, they think that’s a good thing. I don’t think there’s any misperceptions, other than that we actually have sports here and we actually are OK.””
Junior guard Clint Allard also explained that the balance and the priority that most athletes place on being “”students first”” is sometimes difficult to balance.
“”The beginning of my second year, it was my first year playing basketball because I red-shirted, and we had a new coach [Bill Carr] and he didn’t really understand the time commitment a school like UCSD takes. He was just trying to set a hard tone that first quarter,”” Allard said of the former head basketball coach, who last week accepted a position as an assistant at the University of San Diego.
“”Winter quarter is always tough,”” said senior swimmer Elizabeth Whiteley, who helped lead the UCSD women’s swimming and diving team to a third-place finish in the nation. “”We leave for nationals during 10th week and then we have to come back and take finals the day after we get back.””
Senior setter Brooks Dierdorff, a four-year letter winner for the men’s volleyball team, was one of many athletes who noted that time management, particularly on the road, was incredibly important.
Senior two-meter driver Sarah Bajorek even described a decided home-field advantage to taking tests.
Bajorek explained the difficulties that come with traveling with a team.
“”I am a wreck if I’m on the road and I have to take a test,”” Bajorek said. “”I’ve had professors who don’t want me to take a test on the road, they think I have some advantage, but it’s [not true]. I think its way more stressful to take [a test] on the road when what you want to do is hang out with your friends and have fun.””
Senior sprinter and hurdler Dan Noel agreed that being a UCSD student-athlete is not easy.
“”Some people might think that we get exceptions when it comes to academics when it’s the exact opposite,”” Noel said. “”We’re managing academics with a practice schedule and a competition schedule.””
Another award winner, senior outfielder Brittni Carino, reflected on some of the understanding professors she has encountered, including those who have taken time to attend her games. Carino also maintained that her goal is to make it to the postseason for the first time this season and asserts that the softball team is “”going to make it happen.””
Men’s crew senior Shawn Hay also acknowledged the continuing drive during this final quarter of his UCSD academic and crew career.
“”Just being recognized as a student is a big deal, because this school is so competitive,”” Hay said. “”It’s cool being a part of something that the school has never won before [the Cal Cup race at the San Diego Crew Classic]. As a team, it was a big achievement, because it’s such a big race and we beat teams that have always been very fast. At the same time, it’s just one step along the way toward our championship.””
The men’s water polo team’s Joe Woodring, a senior utility who graduated from UCSD in December, spoke at the conclusion of the ceremony, extending thanks for the awards he and the other 11 student athletes received. He also talked about the usefulness both his academic and athletic career have proven in his postcollege life during job interviews.
“”I think UCSD is sometimes portrayed as overly focused on academics, but days like today and awards like this really recognize the importance of trying to excel in all areas,”” Woodring said. “”In my own experience I feel there are very few things that have challenged me to the level that athletics at UCSD have done. I’ve found a UCSD degree to be in demand in job interviews.””
Commenting about the recently passed athletics fee referendum that he supported but won’t actually benefit from monetarily, he said, “”I think that the most important thing [the referendum] did was reflected a support for the athletic department as a whole. The most important part is really the affirmation of sports by the student body.””
Besides the aforementioned athletes, senior individual medley swimmer Lauren O’Neill, junior fencer Chelsea Ambort and senior javelin thrower Torrey Trust were honored at the 6th Annual National Student-Athlete Day luncheon.
