Alyssa Raga, Staff Writer

A total of 97 Utica College student athletes made the Empire 8 Conference’s President’s List for the 2019 Fall semester.

To earn the honor of being on the E8 President’s List, a student athlete must have a minimum grade point average requirement of 3.75 while being enrolled full-time at the institution. This is not an easy thing to do. Maintaining a high GPA in college can be difficult to do in general, but when you add playing a sport into the mix, it becomes an even bigger challenge.

The Tangerine was able to have a Q&A with students Maddie Behan from the women’s lacrosse team, senior Daniela Hannah, who is in the swim team and the water polo team and freshman Thomas Morreale who is a basketball player for the men’s team.

Senior Sports Management major Maddie Behan was one of the 97 student athletes who earned this honor. Behan plays for Utica College’s women’s lacrosse team.

Q: What does this accomplishment (E8 President’s List) mean to you?

Maddie Behan: “Making the E8 President’s List is something that means a lot to me. My grades are very important to me and making the President’s List is something I’ve strived for throughout the past four years here at UC.”

Daniela Hannah: “It is an honor to have this award. I didn’t even know I got the award until I saw a tweet on the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA). So interesting how the internet told me about my award but still an honor.”

Thomas Morreale: “This accomplishment means a lot to me as it shows the hard work I have put it not only in the court but in the classroom as well.”

Q: How do you manage playing sports and going to class?

Maddie Behan: “I manage playing sports and going to class by focusing on time management. It’s part of being on a consistent schedule and I feel that playing sports actually helps me to stay organized because it forces me to plan around my practice and game schedule.”

Daniela Hannah: “I always keep a schedule on me. I constantly make sure my aquatics activities, classes and working at the radio station do not overlap. Sometimes there might be 6 a.m. practices but that sometimes frees up my afternoons to get extra work done.”

Thomas Morreale: “Playing sports and going to class is very tough to manage, but the way I try to go about it is getting my work done early. When I have my work done, I can focus all the rest of my time on basketball.”

Q: What is your favorite part of participating in your sport?

Maddie Behan: “The best part about playing a sport in college is the time I get to spend both on and off of the field with my teammates. When you play a sport in college, your teammates become your family and having that sense of camaraderie and support is really special. I also feel that going to practice every day is a great way to de-stress and refocus.”

Daniela Hannah: “Being able to get into the pool and not think about school work. It’s a great way to de-stress and to be able to play the sports I love. With swimming and water polo I still improve and want to work hard just as I do in my school work.”

Thomas Morreale: “My favorite part of playing basketball is the time I get to spend with my teammates because we are a family and have a great time together on and off the court.”

Q:  When did you start playing your sport and why?

Maddie Behan: “I started playing lacrosse in the 8th grade because I wanted to stay busy and try something new. I was on the swim team in the fall and basketball team in the winter, so having something to do in the spring was important to me. My older brother also played lacrosse in both high school and college and I really looked up to him, so that played a big factor in why I started playing as well.”

Daniela Hannah: “I have been swimming all my life since my mother is a swim coach. I only started playing water polo my sophomore year of high school. For swimming, it’s always been a part of my life, but water polo is a great mixture of swimming, teamwork and athleticism.”

Thomas Morreale: “I started playing basketball when I was about four years old because my parents were the ones who got me into it at that time.”

Q: What is the hardest thing about being a student-athlete?

Maddie Behan: “The hardest thing about being a college athlete is definitely time management. When we’re in season we have team lifts three times a week, practice six days a week, and games two days a week. That is a big portion of our time and making sure that your work and other extracurriculars are taken care of is incredibly important in staying successful in both the classroom and on the field.”

Daniela Hannah: “The hardest thing about being a student athlete is trying to balance it all out. Sometimes it can be stressful but taking it one day at a time is key.”

Thomas Morreale: “The hardest thing about being a student athlete is managing your time between practices and games with your school work. Finding that balance is tough, but if you get your work done early, you have more time to work on your game.”

Q: What advice would you give to other student athletes?

Maddie Behan: “Not to shy away from the challenge of playing a sport while getting a degree. It really adds to your college experience and I’m so fortunate that the lacrosse program gave me the opportunity to be a part of something so special. It provides you with a great support system.”

Daniela Hannah: “Show up to class. After practice, sometimes it can be difficult to go to class, but go anyways. We are athletes, but we need to remember we are students first. We are student-athletes, not athlete-students.”

Thomas Morreale: “Being a student athlete is a lot to manage but if you work hard get stuff done you will be fine.”

Q: How do you stay organized and up to date with your assignments?

A: “I stay organized and up to date with my assignments by dedicating a part of each day to getting school work done. You can’t control your athletic schedule and once you choose your classes, a large portion of your time is spent in the classroom, so you have to devote a decent amount of your free time to getting your work done.”

Q: What are your best studying tips?

A: “Don’t go in with the mindset that you’ll get your work done later because most of the time something else will come up that gets in the way. Make it a priority to always get your work done ahead of time and you stick to that schedule. Also, find a quiet space where there are no distractions, you’ll be much more productive.”

Q: When you do have some free time, what do you like to do?

A: “In my free time I enjoy spending time with my friends and family, cooking, watching movies, playing basketball, going to yoga classes and doing pretty much any outdoor activity.”

 Q: How do you relax/destress?

A: “Whenever I’m feeling stressed out, I like to go for a run. It always helps me to get into a better headspace and clear my mind when I’m feeling overwhelmed about anything.”

Q: What advice would you give to other student athletes?

A: “Not to shy away from the challenge of playing a sport while getting a degree. It really adds to your college experience and I’m so fortunate that the lacrosse program gave me the opportunity to be a part of something so special. It provides you with a great support system.”

Q: What is the hardest thing about being a student-athlete?

A: “The hardest thing about being a college athlete is definitely time management. When we’re in season we have team lifts three times a week, practice six days a week, and games two days a week. That is a big portion of our time and making sure that your work and other extracurriculars are taken care of is incredibly important in staying successful in both the classroom and on the field.”

Senior communications and media major Daniela Hannah was also among the students who made the list. Hannah is on both the swim team and the water polo team.

Q: What does this accomplishment (E8 President’s List) mean to you?

A: “It is an honor to have this award. I didn’t even know I got the award until I saw a tweet on the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA). So interesting how the internet told me about my award but still an honor.”

Q: How do you manage playing sports and going to class?

A: “I always keep a schedule on me. I constantly make sure my aquatics activities, classes and working at the radio station do not overlap. Sometimes there might be 6 a.m. practices, but that sometimes frees up my afternoons to get extra work done.”

Q: How do you stay organized and up to date with your assignments?

A: “In my schedule I try to write down my assignments for the week to keep up with them.”

Q: What are your best studying tips?

A: “Always have a snack on you since being hungry gets me distanced. Even in my classes if I start getting hungry, I whip out a snack!”

Q: What is your favorite part of participating in swimming and water polo?

A: “Being able to get into the pool and not think about school work. It’s a great way to de-stress and to be able to play the sports I love. With swimming and water polo I still improve and want to work hard just as I do in my school work.”

Q: When did you start swimming/playing water polo and why?

A: “I have been swimming all my life since my mother is a swim coach. I only started playing water polo my sophomore year of high school. For swimming, it’s always been a part of my life, but water polo is a great mixture of swimming, teamwork and athleticism.”

Q: When you do have some free time, what do you like to do?

A: “In my free time I attend church, read my Bible, listen to lots of music, watch Netflix and play Sudoku.”

Q: How do you relax/destress?

A: “In the mornings I try and relax by having a quiet time in the morning by reading my Bible. This gives me time to think about my day also and to not stress out before the day begins.”

Q: What advice would you give to other student athletes?

A: “Show up to class. After practices, sometimes it can be difficult to go to class, but go anyways. We are athletes, but we need to remember we are students first. We are student-athletes, not athlete-students.”

Q: What is the hardest thing about being a student-athlete?

A: “The hardest thing about being a student athlete is trying to balance it all out. Sometimes it can be stressful but taking it one day at a time is key.”

Freshman math major Thomas Morreale is yet another UC student who made the list. Morreale plays basketball for the men’s team.

Q: What does this accomplishment (E8 President’s List) mean to you?

A: “This accomplishment means a lot to me as it shows the hard work I have put it not only in the court but in the classroom as well.”

Q: How do you manage playing sports and going to class?

A: “Playing sports and going to class is very tough to manage, but the way I try to go about it is getting my work done early. When I have my work done, I can focus all the rest of my time on basketball.”

Q: How do you stay organized and up to date with your assignments?

A: “Staying up to date with everything by getting my work done as soon as possible so I’m not waiting until the last minute to do it.”

Q: What are your best studying tips?

A: “My best studying tips are taking good notes and paying attention in class.”

 Q: What is your favorite part of participating in your sport?

A: “My favorite part of playing basketball is the time I get to spend with my teammates because we are a family and have a great time together on and off the court.”

Q: When did you start playing your sport and why?

A: “I started playing basketball when I was about four years old because my parents were the ones who got me into it at that time.”

Q: When you do have some free time, what do you like to do?

A: “When I get some free time, I like to hangout with my friends and go out to eat occasionally.”

Q: How do you relax/destress?

A: “I relax and destress usually by laying down and listening to music.”

Q: What advice would you give to other student athletes?

A: “Being a student athlete is a lot to manage but if you work hard get stuff done you will be fine.”

Q: What is the hardest thing about being a student-athlete?

A: “The hardest thing about being a student athlete is managing your time between practices and games with your school work. Finding that balance is tough, but if you get your work done early, you have more time to work on your game.”