On March 13th, Aquinas' spring sports seasons were cancelled by the conference and eventually the national office. This news brought an abrupt end to the athletic year – and unfortunately to the senior seasons of many athletes across the country, including our own Saints. Some AQ teams were able to begin their spring competition and were a few weeks into their 2020 seasons, while others had yet to really begin.
More than 60 AQ senior student-athletes were participating in their spring seasons and due to the cancellation, will not have the chance to be celebrated and honored during a traditional 'Senior Day' ceremony.
We wanted to remedy that in a small way and give our seniors the opportunity to be celebrated and honored with a 'Senior Salute'. Over the next few weeks, our senior student-athletes will discuss some of their favorite moments, their future plans, and be celebrated for their academic and athletic careers here at Aquinas.
Thank you, seniors.
Name: Lauren Sanford
Hometown: East Lansing, Michigan
Years at AQ: 2016-2020
Major(s) & Minor(s): Bachelors of Health Science
Favorite AQ athletic memories: Beating our rival LTU in overtime of sophomore year and being awarded All-American Sophomore and Junior year.
Favorite AQ non-athletic memory: Meeting Walker West at freshman orientation....the rest is history.
Post-graduation plans: Begin a career in medical sales
Best piece of advice for teammates: "Always give 100% effort whether it is practice, conditioning, lifting or games. Don't look to see who's watching or who might not be working as hard as you. Maximum effort will not only improve your game but will also push your teammates to improve theirs. "Work hard in silence. Let success make all the noise."
Additional comments: "To my team: Thank you to my teammate and my coaches who have become my family. My experience at AQ would not have been the same with out you guys. Each and every one of you has made an impact in my life and I will not forget all the things I have learned as a student athlete here. I look forward to seeing the progress you girls make in the coming years. Love you all. BIG DAWGS GOTTA EAT!"
Coaches quote: "Sanford has been such an influential member of the team for the last 4 years. She is an incredibly motivated & dedicated athlete, and a leader by example. She was a two-year captain for us her junior & senior year seasons, and she worked every single day to get better for herself & her team. Not only will we miss her consistent intensity on the practice field, but had her senior year season not been cut short my bet was on Lauren Sanford for WHAC player of the year."- head coach Angelica Gero
