Written by Kennedy Dinius '17
Starting her junior season with the women's water polo team, Lauren Radich is ready to prove that her team means business. After two seasons totaling 10 assists and scoring six goals, she will look to be an even bigger contributor for the Broncos. Before the season officially starts at the end of this month, Santa Clara Broncos (SCB) got the chance to sit down with Radich and discuss the exciting season.
SCB: How have you prepared for the upcoming season?
LR: During the fall we practiced a few times a week just to get back into the swing of things after being on such a long break. We ended preseason with our usual fall scrimmages in November and finished with two great wins, against East Bay and Pacific. With games beginning at the end of this month, we are practicing everyday and conditioning hard so that we are 100% ready to kick off the season strong. Everyone has been putting in hard work and dedication to get back into the best shape they can to prove to the other teams that we are a force to be reckoned with.
SCB: As a junior on the team, what do you hope to teach the underclassmen?
LR: Now that I am an upperclassman, I hope to pass on the knowledge I have gained from my coach and other teammates over the past two years down to the younger players. I remember how nervous I was transitioning from high school water polo to collegiate water polo, but with the support from the more experienced players, I was able to make the transition a very smooth one. With four games approaching at the end of this month, there is no doubt that the new players will have the jitters. But, I am very confident that the older players will do an excellent job at calming them down, reminding them to play hard, and most importantly have fun with it.
SCB: What are you looking forward to most this season?
LR: One of the things I am looking forward to the most this season is traveling to Harvard in March to play a few East Coast teams. This will definitely be a fun tournament for us because the furthest we usually travel is San Diego; so going to Harvard should be a new experience for the team, especially playing in indoor pools. We also have a very large freshmen class of 10, so I hope to continue to get to know them as the season progresses.
SCB: What is something you have learned being a student-athlete here at SCU?
LR: Being able to properly balance my academics and sport is something that I learned very quickly when I first arrived at Santa Clara. With the little free time that we have due to practice and games, it is nice to have all my schoolwork done so that we can enjoy those few days off we do get. I am honored to be a part of the Santa Clara student-athlete community and am proud everyday to call myself a Santa Clara Bronco!