Saint Francis ’02
Following that, where did you attend college?
I went to Hartwick College in upstate NY for two years and then transferred to Santa Clara University where I earned my BS in Economics
Where did you grow up and where do you live now?
I grew up in Atherton and currently live in San Francisco
Do you have your own family? (like a spouse/kids/pets)
I am not married, nor do I have kids or pets. I am very close with my family, including my 18 month old nephew whom I adore!
What do you like to do in your free time?
I go to a lot of live shows, love to read, explore new areas of the city, work out and travel. I will actually be in Nicaragua during the Stanford reunion so I’m sadly missing it.
Are you still friends with people you played with at Stanford?
Yes, water polo friends, who I also happened to go to high school with, are still some of my closest friends. In fact, I am in the wedding of Liz Kelly, another Stanford club alumn, in the fall.
What is your favorite memory of the Stanford club/your team?
I have lots of entertaining memories. Probably two of my favorites were winning Senior Nationals in 2003, and the BBQ we had at my parents house in 2000 for the Sendoff to Sydney US and Russia Olympic teams. Those were big standout memories, but I also recall the marathon weekends where we had 5 games a day, eating as many carbs as we wanted, playing cards in between games, those memories arejust as meaningful to me.
Do you still play water polo?
I was playing on a masters team for a bit, but now my playing is pretty much limited to my annual Santa Clara alumni game, which I have played in every year since I graduated.
Did you play at Hartwick or Santa Clara?
Yes, I played at both. At Hartwick, we actually made it to the NCAA Final Four, which was hosted at Stanford, in 2004. I was MVP both years at SC, and my Sr. year I was named WWPA First-Team and  All-American Honorable Mention which was a very proud moment for me.
What did you major in? (I know that isn’t water polo related, I am just curious)
Economics
How would you describe college level water polo?
I recall my freshman year being intimidated because everyone was stronger, faster, more creative and tougher. But I adjusted as I think most do, and by my junior year I felt comfortable. It was definitely a much bigger time commitment, so there were more layers to it, in terms of weight lifting, cross training, really long swim sets, etc.
What advice do you wish your coach (or someone else) had told you before going to college?
See next answer.
What advice from your coach do you remember that really helped you?
I was lucky enough to have many great coaches over the years that certainly helped shape my water polo career, but also the person that I was growing up to be. Kyle, Craig, and Teddy were coaches that I had for multiple seasons, and all gave me great advice. Craig was my club coach most of jr. high/high school, and he (thankfully) helped me put my bratty teenage attitude in check! When I left Hartwick, I wasn’t convinced I would continue playing water polo, as I didn’t have a great experience with my coach there my Sophomore year. When I got to Santa Clara, Keith Wilbur helped me remember what it was like to love playing polo, and really be grateful for the opportunity to continue playing versus the chore that I had come to think of it as. I wish I would had that same joy my first two years of college, and had a coach that reminded me that water polo is fun!
While playing with Stanford, what team was you biggest rival?
I think there were a few from Southern California, such as Commerce, SoCal and San Diego Shores were ones I remember.
Did you have any pregame rituals or superstitions?
I wasn’t superstitious, but I was big on having the same pre-game routine. I always did the same land stretches,  swimming warm up, passed with the same people (obviously varied by team), etc. Having the same routine helped me mentally warm up but stay calm.
“This is a pic of our team that won Sr. Nationals in 2003. Amy Gardner and I are holding the trophy in the front.”
