Alisha Marie Pearl Hodgetts, a sophomore and captain on the Brenau University swim team, shares how she feels about playing for Brenau and her goals for this season. She is from Perth, Western Australia and has learned to grow and adjust to Brenau in order to have a successful academic and athletic career. Here’s what she had to say in regards to her team, the reigning National Champions:
What is it like being on the team? What do you like most about your team?
“It is a great opportunity and experience to be part of such a dedicated team. It’s a lot of hard work and in the end we all perform the best to our ability and achieve the results we want…I love the experiences and memories we all share throughout the season. It’s a once in a lifetime experience to be a part of.”
You guys are ranked number 5 nationally. Does this put any pressure on you to perform well at every meet? Can the pressure be a little overwhelming at times?
“We do rank high and there are expectations, but we mostly focus on our swims and how we perform rather than the rankings. The rankings are the benefits that come with performing well. At some meets when it comes down to winning the meet by the last relay it can make us nervous, but our confidence and hard work take care of overcoming these nerves.”
What do you think you bring to the team every time you compete?
“I think of myself as a great role model. I always perform at my best either in practice or racing. I always try to lead the best way possible by being the best athlete I can be so others look up to myself. “
What are your goals for this year and the future of this Brenau team?
“My goal for this season is to bring home a gold medal in the 100-yard fly at National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) nationals in March, and to always perform my best times in every race! My future goals for the team are to help our team grow and become more efficient in every way possible so that we can all become better athletes, and to hopefully win the NAIA nationals soon!”
The swim team won the Appalachian Conference Championship and will move on in the playoffs.
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