Mid-Week Meet Final Edition - Chelsea Seifert

Welcome to the last edition of Mid-Week Meet.  Today we are introducing Chelsea Seifert.  Chelsea is a freshman from Euless, TX.  She recently played in her first three college games and will continue to contribute for us.  Enjoy getting to know Chelsea!

Name:  Chelsea Seifert
Year in School:  Freshman
Hometown:  Euless, TX
High School:  Trinity HS
Major:  Biology
Most Re-Played Song on Ipod:  Famous in a Small Town - Miranda Lambert
Favorite Animal:  Wolf, giraffe, and platypus, but mostly wolf
Favorite Color:  Green
Favorite Movie:  Space Jam!
Favorite NBA Team:  Dallas Mavericks                     
Favorite Athlete:  Dirk Nowitski and Jason Terry
Favorite Brand of Shoes:  Nike and Vans
Favorite Dessert:  Apple Dumplings from Cracker Barrel
Favorite Olympic Sport to Watch:  Gymnastics
Favorite Book: House of Night Series
Siblings:  3 Sisters                                       
Do you like them?:  Yes
If you could play any sport other than basketball, what would it be:  Softball
Any Unique or Hidden talents:  I can sing :)
Favorite Vacation Spot:  Puerto Rico!
Bast Basketball Moment in Life:  Making a half court shot and tying the game for the second overtime
Words of Wisdom to Live by:  I can sleep when I'm dead
Favorite Movie Quote:  "Ohana means family.  Family means no body gets left behind, or forgotten." - Stich
One Thing You Wish You Could Do Better:  Dance     
One Thing You Can't Live Without:  Music
Future Profession:  Physical Therapist                              
All-Time Dream Job:  Singer

Mid-Week Meet #11 - Christen Bounsall

Welcome to week #11 of getting to know our players!  This week we are introducing Christen Bounsall from Humble, TX.  She is a freshman majoring in biochemistry.  After injuring her knee this fall, Christen has recovered and played in our last three games.  Enjoy the post!

Name:  Christen Bounsall
Year in School: Freshman
Hometown:  Humble, TX
High School:  St. Pius X High School
Major:  Biochemsitry
Most Re-Played Song on Ipod:  Forever by P.O.D
Favorite Animal:  Dogs                                  
Favorite Color:  Blue
Favorite Movie:  Batman: Dark Knight Rises
Favorite NBA Team:  Dallas Mavericks                   
Favorite Athlete:  Steve Nash
Favorite Brand of Shoes:  Nike
Favorite Dessert:  Cheesecake
Favorite Olympic Sport to Watch:  Gymnastics
Favorite Book:  Enders Game
Siblings:  None                                       
If you could play any sport other than basketball, what would it be:  Ice Hockey
Any Unique or Hidden talents:  Abundant knowledge of nerdiness
Favorite Vacation Spot:  Walt Disney World
Bast Basketball Moment in Life:  Buzzer beater in 7th grade AAU game
Words of Wisdom to Live by:  Never give up no matter how tough something can be.
Favorite Movie Quote:  "Do or do not.  There is no try." - Yoda
One Thing You Wish You Could Do Better:  Dance     
One Thing You Can't Live Without:  Video Games
Future Profession:  Forensic Scientist                              
All-Time Dream Job:  Spy

California!!

This past weekend, we played two games in California.  Kylie Yoshimura, our senior point guard, is from the Los Angeles area.  If we have an out of state student-athlete, we try and go play in our players home state at least once in a their career.  We won both games, went to Disneyland, and Kylie broke the career assist record for UD during our second game.  It was a successful trip! 

Below, Marleyna Bustamante, a sophomore from Donna, TX, takes you along on our road trip.  Enjoy getting to see our team behind the scenes! 

Thursday, November 22^nd:

6:15 A.M: Wake up!!  It’s Thanksgiving Day and also the day we head to California for our tournament!  But first, we must get practice out of the way!

8:30 A.M: Showered, packed, and ready to go the airport with our 2 liter sprite. A few of us were pretty thirsty after practice and had nothing else to drink!

10:30: A.M: We are ready for takeoff.  I was fortunate enough to get a window seat while others weren’t as lucky...

11:30: A.M: Landed in Denver and starved! Good thing coach trust us with her credit card ;) We’re thinking...Panda Express?

1:10 P: M: Flight departs to Orange County, California! So excited to get there..just not for this 3 hour plane ride. Good thing the plane has a TV so some of us can watch our favorite football team! :)

(They were a little more focused on eating Turkey than the game on this one...if that tells you anything!)

2:31 P.M: Hellooooo California! First destination: Disneyland! What we’ve been waiting for all day! We had a lot of first timers so the anticipation was killing us. Unfortunately it was packed as ever, but that didn’t stop us from going on some of the rides! Even if that meant running across Disneyland and hurdling a few strollers to get our hours worth.  There were no reported injuries. Thank God!

7:00 P.M : Made it in one piece to the hotel where they had a delicious Thanksgiving meal prepared and already waiting for us, including pumpkin pie! There was a piece for each one of us so there was no fighting over the last slice.

After Dinner: Everyone showered and went to bed early around 10:30. The time change was definitely kicking our butt especially since our day had started so early. 

Friday, November 23^rd: Game day!!

8:45 A.M: Getting out of bed half asleep to make it to breakfast by 9! We would’ve gotten out of bed at 8:55 but we didn’t want to risk missing breakfast. Some of the choices consisted of pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon, etc.

9:00 A:M-12:30 P.M : Most of us went back to sleep after breakfast. Lots of us value our sleep! While the rest of us hung out in each others room and watched  Shrek 4 before it was time to meet in the lobby for shoot around.

1:00 P:M : Arrive at Pomona-Pitzer for shoot around. Look at the beautiful view we saw on the way there! 

2.00 P.M : The hotel provided a delicious pre-game meal of pasta! We all definitely got seconds!

2:30-5:00 P.M : Relaxing time! Everyone went into Colleen’s room to watch TV and just hang out. Some people forgot they had their own room and BED…

7:00 P:M: Game time at Pomona Pitzer! Definitely a tough game but came out with the WIN! 67-62!

9:00 P:M:  After eating pizza at the gym we returned back to the hotel. Some of us had a sweet tooth so we made a quick trip to the nearest gas station.  We kept it simple of course.. nothing too fattening like donuts and chocolate ice-cream :p

10:30: Lights out!

Saturday, November 24^th : Game Day #2

8:45 A:M: Breakfast Time!

10:30 A:M Arrived at the K1 Speed Race Track in Ontario. It was an indoor race track for go karts! It was tons of fun!!

We were able to participate in three races where there were different winners for each one based on the top three fastest lap times.  The team had a blast...including the coaches! We were even nice enough to let them win a few races.

1:00 P: M: Shoot around

2.00 P.M: Pre-game meal at the hotel.

3:00 P:M-5:00 P:M : Relaxing time! Nap, watch TV, etc.

7:00 P:M: Another tough and close game but once again we were able to seal the deal and come out with another WIN! 59-55 Definitely the icing on top to a great day and a great weekend!

9:00 Back to the hotel where we once again treated ourselves to some dessert! A few of us went to In N Out while the rest of us went to a nearby Jack in the Box.  What can I say? We just can’t say no to dessert!

11:00 P:M : All packed up and ready to call it a night! 

Sunday November 25^th:

5:30 A.M : Depart for LAX Airport.  Everyone seemed to agree that being up that early should be a crime! The bus had never been so quiet…

7:50 A:M : Depart for DFW! There weren’t any TV’s on the plane this time but that didn’t seem to matter. Just about everyone took a nap on the plane...or at least tried to!

1:30 P:M : Finally back on campus! Our trip couldn’t have gone any better! We went to California, saw Disneyland, stayed in a nice hotel, went to an indoor race track, andddddd most importantly...won our Tournament!! 

Mid-Week Meet #10 - Colleen Campbell

You may remember Colleen from our question and answer session earlier this year.  Colleen in a freshman from theology major Greenville, SC.  Enjoy the post!

Name:  Colleen Campbell
Year in School:  Freshman
Hometown:  Greenville, SC
High School:  Greenville Tech Charter High School
Major:  Theology
Most Re-Played Song on Ipod:  Sidi Mansour - A belly dancing song
Favorite Animal:  Bull                                 
Favorite Color:  Hot Pink
Favorite Movie:  Mulan
Favorite NBA Team:  Boston Celtics                
Favorite Athlete:  Aly Raisman
Favorite Brand of Shoes:  Nike
Favorite Dessert:  Coconut Cream Pie
Favorite Olympic Sport to Watch:  Gymnastics
Favorite Book: Teammates Matter
Siblings:  Meredith - Sophomore at Washington and Lee University
Do you like her?:  Yes!  We are very close
If you could play any sport other than basketball, what would it be:  Weightlifting and Badminton 
Any Unique or Hidden talents:  Belly Dancing
Favorite Vacation Spot:  Kiawah Island, SC
Bast Basketball Moment in Life:  All the fun memories in the locker room with my teammates
Words of Wisdom to Live by:  "If you are what you should be, you will set the world on fire." - St. Catherine of Siena
Favorite Movie Quote:  "The flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all."  Mulan
One Thing You Wish You Could Do Better:  Jump higher     
One Thing You Can't Live Without:  Protein powder
Future Profession:  Pastoral Counselor or Youth Ministry                              
All-Time Dream Job: United States Ambassador to the Vatican

Answers to Important Questions

This week we asked our team to provide one word answers to a few questions.  Then we asked a few more questions and allowed them up to three words.  Here are some of their responses:

1)  How would you describe how practices have gone so far?

• Lauren Jumao-As, Marleyna Bustamante, and Brooke Hagemann - Productive
• Colleen Campbell - Tiring
• Christina Kurt - Riveting 
• Emily Madden - Running
• Christy Allen - Progressively
• Chelsea Cole - Amazing
• Kylie Yoshimura - Challenging

2)  Describe your emotion heading into the first game:

• Christy Allen - Invigorated
• Kylie Yoshimura - Pumped
• Brooke Hagemann and Emily Madden - Prepared
• Christina Kurt - Estatic
• Colleen Campbell - Nervous
• Chelsea Cole - Excited

3)  Who on the team is the funniest?

Emily Madden and Chelsea Cole won by a wide margin.  Look at the two funny people making themselves laugh.

4)  Who on the team has the best study habits?

Once again, Emily won pretty easily.  She looks like she has great study habits in this picture. 

5)  Favorite Thanksgiving Dish?

• Chelsea Seifert - Chocolate Pie
• Christina Kurt - Homemade Cranberries
• Brooke Hagemann - Strawberry Jello Pretzel Salad
• Christy Allen - 3 Layer Jello
• Kylie Yoshimura and Marleyna Bustamante - Everything
• Colleen Campbell - Sweet Potatoes
• Lauren Jumao-As - Peach Cobbler with Ice Cream
• Ayanna Allen - Dressing
• Emily Madden - Yams
• Chelsea Cole - Baked Beans

6)  Favorite Article of Clothing to Wear to Class?

We had a few different answers but the most common one was sweatpants!!

7)  Favorite Words to Hear at Practice?

• Lauren, Emily, Colleen, and Chelsea Cole - Bring it in 
• Chelsea Seifert - Coach Johansen's yell of Hooaaa!
• Brooke Hagmann - Perfect, Brooke!
• Christy Allen - Post players you are with me; Guards you are with Coach C.
• Christina Kurt - Coaches Week Quotes
• Marleyna Bustamante - Goooood, Marleyna

8)  Least Favorite Words to Hear at Practice?

The overwhelming favorite was:  Ball on the Baseline!

Mid-Week Meet #9 - Chelsea Cole

Hello again!  This week we are introducing Chelsea Cole.  Chelsea is a transfer student from Concordia University in Austin, TX.  Originally from Mission, TX, Chelsea begins her sophomore year with UD this season.  Enjoy Chelsea! 

Name:  Chelsea Cole
Year in School:  Sophomore
Hometown:  Mission, TX
High School:  Sharyland High School
Major:  Biology
Most Re-Played Song on Ipod:  Pound the Alarm
Favorite Animal:  Panda                                 
Favorite Color:  Blue
Favorite Movie:  Phantom of the Opera 
Favorite NBA Team:  Boston Celtics                    
Favorite Athlete:  My Dad - he played in college
Favorite Brand of Shoes:  Converse
Favorite Dessert:  Apple Pie
Favorite Olympic Sport to Watch:  Gymnastics
Siblings:  James Cole                                  
Do you like them?:  Yes
If you could play any sport other than basketball, what would it be:  Gymnastics
Any Unique or Hidden talents:  I can sleep for long periods of time
Favorite Vacation Spot: Other people's houses
Bast Basketball Moment in Life:  Winning bi-districts senior year while scoring 20+ points
Words of Wisdom to Live by:  Forget it, I can do it tomorrow
Favorite Movie Quote:  "It's a tuba thang shawty!" - Drumline
One Thing You Wish You Could Do Better:  Read and pay attention     
One Thing You Can't Live Without:  My ipod
Future Profession:  Physical Therapy                               
All-Time Dream Job:  Help professional athletes recover and gain mobility

Mid-Week Meet #8 - Ayanna Allen

This week we get to know Ayanna Allen, or as everyone calls her, Yanni.  Yanni is a transfer student from Prairie View A&M and this is her first year at UD.  Enjoy the post!

Name:  Ayanna Allen
Year in School:  Sophomore
Hometown:  Westerville, OH
High School:  Plano Senior High School
Major:  Education
Most Re-Played Song on Ipod:  Pyramids by Frank Ocean
Favorite Animal:  Monkey                                   
Favorite Color:  Red
Favorite Movie:  Salt
Favorite NBA Team:  Boston Celtics                    
Favorite Athlete:  Maya Moore!
Favorite Brand of Shoes:  Red Bottoms
Favorite Dessert:  Cheesecake
Favorite Olympic Sport to Watch:  Track and Field
Favorite Book: The Alchemist 
Siblings:  Darwyn Allen II                                      
Do you like them?:  Of course!
If you could play any sport other than basketball, what would it be:  Hand Ball
Any Unique or Hidden talents:  Sing and write music
Favorite Vacation Spot:  Washington DC
Bast Basketball Moment in Life:  When I broke someones ankles with a crossover
Words of Wisdom to Live by:  "The harder the battle, the more glorious the triumph."
Favorite Movie Quote:  "If you are not first, you are last."
One Thing You Wish You Could Do Better:  Draw    
One Thing You Can't Live Without:  Basketball
Future Profession:  Teacher/Coach                             
All-Time Dream Job:  Basketball Coach

Mid-Week Meet #7 - Christina Kurt

Welcome again to "Meet the Players" section of our blog.  Today, we are introducing Christina Kurt.  Christina played for UD her freshman year and then transferred to St. Gregory's in Oklahoma for two years.  She is now back at UD!  Enjoy getting to know Christina.

Name:  Christina Kurt
Year in School:  Junior
Hometown: Katy, TX
High School:  Faith West Academy
Major:  Politics
Most Re-Played Song on Ipod:  You Raise Me Up - Josh Groban
Favorite Animal:  Dog                                  
Favorite Color:  Pink
Favorite Movie:  Facing the Giants
Favorite NBA Team:  None                   
Favorite Athlete:  Steve Nash
Favorite Brand of Shoes:  Jordan
Favorite Dessert:  Cake
Favorite Olympic Sport to Watch:  Basketball
Favorite Book: When God Writes Your Love Story
Siblings:  Michael and Adele                                     
Do you like them?:  Love Them!
If you could play any sport other than basketball, what would it be:  Wrestling
Any Unique or Hidden talents:  None
Favorite Vacation Spot:  St. Croix
Bast Basketball Moment in Life:  Playing in a league overseas 
Words of Wisdom to Live by:  "Do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
Favorite Movie Quote:  "In order for God to do great things with this team, we need to give Him our best in every area.  And if we win, we praise Him, and if we lose, we praise Him.  Either way we honor Him with our actions and our attitudes." - Facing the Giants
One Thing You Wish You Could Do Better:  Not stress      
One Thing You Can't Live Without:  Family
Future Profession:  Lawyer                               
All-Time Dream Job:  Political commentator

Q & A with Colleen Campbell

Colleen is a freshman from Greenville, SC.  We decided to ask her a few questions to see how everything is going her first few months on campus.  Sounds like she enjoys it and is busy!  

1)  You have been on campus for seven weeks now and survived your first mid-term week.  Is school what you expected?

Well, it was sort of what I expected. In high school, I was very fortunate to be able to take dual enrollment classes (real college classes with college students at an actual college that count for both high school and college degree requirements) and earn my Associate's Degree, so my freshman year here at UD is actually my fifth year taking college classes. I've been used to the whole college thing for a while now, yet I am definitely being challenged here at UD! The work load is sometimes difficult to handle, and the teachers are always so kind as to supply their students with lots of reading assignments to make sure their students aren't having too much fun while out of class! 

 

2)  How was your first week of basketball practice?

The first week was a little rough! I don't think I've ever been so sore in my life! Despite my frequent muscle pains, it was great to begin the official season with my new teammates. We focused on defense and rebounding, and I feel like I am already improving upon each area in every practice. When I feel like I'm not getting any better, it is wonderful to have such encouraging teammates!

 

3)  You live with Christen Bounsall (also a freshman on our team).  Do you two get along?  And how are the dorms?

I absolutely love Christen! I knew after the first day in the dorm with her that we were going to have a great year! We enjoy a lot of the same things, so it is nice having common ground on which to get to know each other. We are also different, though, as Christen loves Star Wars, gummy fruit snacks, and anything Captain America, while I like Degrassi, Dr. Pepper, and anything hot pink! I've learned a lot of things from Christen, and she has been an awesome friend to me! 

The dorms are nice for the most part, but I wish I had a bigger bed. Being six feet tall, it is a little hard to fit in a twin sized bed, and I often get my feet stuck in the wooden rail at the end of my bed. I really, really miss my queen size at home! I have tried to make my room nice and "homey" feeling. Along with pictures of my family and friends, I have my laptop, lots of pink desk supplies, heating pads and ice packs, my favorite stuffed animals, and a fake taxidermy moose head above my desk!

4)  What has been your favorite part of campus life? (besides basketball, of course!)

The Catholic part of UD is something that I have loved getting involved in. I have met many new friends through attending Campus Ministry events, and I really enjoy the availability of the sacraments on campus. It truly is a blessing to go to school with so many people that share your faith!


5)  What is your favorite cafeteria food?

Wow… this is so hard. I actually am a big fan of the food here at UD, and there are so many things to choose from! I love my daily breakfast: scrambled eggs, oatmeal, hashbrowns, bacon, fruit, a biscuit, and apple juice. I tend to have the same breakfast every day, because I like it so much! I also love when we have Tex Mex day, which is when we have burritos, chips, and salsa for lunch. The coconut cream pie is amazing! I think my favorite thing may be the chocolate milk machine, though. It is awesome to be able to grab all you can eat, which is what I tend to do after workouts and practice!

6)  What has been your best experience about UD so far?

My friend, Leah, and I recently took a trip on the DART rail to the American Airlines Center, where the Mavericks play. Both Leah and I are obsessed with women's olympic gymnastics, so we went to see the Kellog's Tour of Gymnastics Champions. We had front row seats to the performance and special back stage passes to meet with the gymnasts. I was able to meet my favorite athlete, Aly Raisman, and take a picture with her, and get her autograph! We also met Nastia Liukin, Gabby Douglas, Jordyn Wieber, John Orozco, and many other gymnasts of USA Gymnastics! That is the great thing about UD: You can attend a small, quiet school, but be in touch with the exciting DFW area! It really is the best of both worlds!

Mid-Week Meet # 6 - Emily Madden

Today we are re-introducing sophomore Emily Madden.  You may remember Emily from her "A Day in the Life of a Student-Athlete" piece she did a couple of weeks ago.  Now you get to know her even more!  Emily is the only student-athlete from the state of Wyoming that UD has had in the last 18 years, and maybe ever!  Enjoy her answers. 

Name:  Emily Sue Madden
Year in School:  Sophomore
Hometown:  Torrington, WY
High School:  Torrington High School
Major:  Business with Italian Concentration
Most Re-Played Song on Ipod:  Anything Justin Bieber
Favorite Animal:  Pot-Belly Pig                                  
Favorite Color:  Turquoise
Favorite Movie:  Love and Basketball
Favorite NBA Team:  Boston Celtics                   
Favorite Athlete:  Kevin Durant
Favorite Brand of Shoes:  Steve Madden (no relation)
Favorite Dessert:  Chocolate Cake
Favorite Olympic Sport to Watch:  Gymnastics
Siblings:  Cassandra Rose Madden                                      
Do you like her?:  Love her!!  BFF!
If you could play any sport other than basketball, what would it be:  Volleyball
Any Unique or Hidden talents:  Rapping
Favorite Vacation Spot:  Cozumel, Mexico
Bast Basketball Moment in Life:  Beating Douglas at state in the loser out game
Most Embarrassing Basketball Moment:  Jumping for a rebound and the ball hitting off my head and scoring!
Words of Wisdom to Live by:  "Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react."  - Shawn Madden
Favorite Movie Quote:  "Help me, I'm poor." - Bridesmaids 
One Thing You Wish You Could Do Better:  Sing      
One Thing You Can't Live Without:  Q-Tips
Future Profession:  Something international but I honestly have no idea!                           
All-Time Dream Job:  WNBA

Mid-Week Meet #5 - Lauren Jumao-As

Welcome to "Meet the Players" fifth edition!  Very fitting since today we are highlighting #5 Lauren Jumao-As.  Lauren is a sophomore from Carrollton, TX.  She started all 25 games last season as a freshman, averaged 6 points per game, and had the highest three point percentage on our team.  Enjoy getting to know Lauren!

Name:  Lauren Jumao-As
Year in School:  Sophomore
Hometown:  Carrollton, TX
High School:  Newman Smith High School
Major:  Biology/Pre-Nursing
Most Re-Played Song on Ipod:  Up All Night  by Drake featuring Nicki Minaj
Favorite Animal:  White Tiger                                   
Favorite Color:  Red
Favorite Movies: Like Mike and Mean Girls
Favorite NBA Team:  LA Lakers                   
Favorite Athlete:  Kobe Bryant
Favorite Brand of Shoes:  Nike
Favorite Dessert:  Pizookie at BJ's
Favorite Olympic Sport to Watch:  Basketball
Favorite Author:  William Shakespeare
Siblings:  None                                   
If you could play any sport other than basketball, what would it be:  Tennis, but I'm not good!
Any Unique or Hidden talents:  Play the Ukulele? 
Favorite Vacation Spot:  Los Angeles, CA
Bast Basketball Moment in Life:  Making the playoffs my senior year after my school couldn't make it for five years.
Words of Wisdom to Live by:  "You'll find that life is still worthwhile if you just smile."  - Charlie Chaplin
Favorite Movie Quote:  "GAAAATORADE!  H2O!!!" -Waterboy
One Thing You Wish You Could Do Better:  Be patient      
One Thing You Can't Live Without:  Basketball
Future Profession:  Nurse Practitioner                            
All-Time Dream Job:  Doctor without borders