Tina Hamayasu
Played 2003, 2004, and 2006
AWARDS
ALL SCIAC: 1st Team (2003), 2nd Team (2004)
Team Awards: Gold Glove (2003, 2004), Defensive Player of the Year (2006)
Class of 2006
"Since graduation, I took a cross-country trip with high
school friends, finished my first marathon, went skydiving, and was
hired by the City and County of Honolulu Emergency Services
Department. I am currently working towards a paramedic license and
Masters in Public Administration from the University of Hawaii at
Manoa.
Everything I learned on the field and from the game has helped me
excel in my professional and post-graduate life. The discipline,
teamwork, and perseverance required on the field are just as
important as off the field. The bond you build with your teammates
on the diamond can only be understood and shared by those few girls
in that one season. Your teammates transform into your extended
family. No matter how many years have passed, you will always have
the memories from that season played together."
My advice to the current Athenas:
"1. Get dirty and put in extra time to better yourself.
2. Coach is very energetic and very enthusiastic; try to
keep up!
3. Make time to eat dinner together as a team."
Kirstin Wilson
Played in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006
AWARDS
ALL-SCIAC: 1ST Team (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006)
All West Region: (2004)
Team Awards: Rookie of the Year (2003), Having a Day (2004), Most Valuable Player (2004, 2005)
Class of 2006
"I am currently a Captain in the United States Army. I
commissioned through the ROTC program at Claremont McKenna
Colleg e the day before I graduated in 2006 and attended
Quartermaster Officer Basic Course shortly thereafter. I am
stationed at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii but currently deployed to
Bagram Airfield Afghanistan as part of OEF 09-10 (Operation
Enduring Freedom).Since my softball days, I completed
Arial Delivery Management Officers Course in December of 2006 where
I rigged and jumped my own parachute. I deployed to both Thailand
and Australia in support of joint military exercises in 2007 and
2008.
Softball was my life. From the time I first stepped on the
field at the age of 6, I fell in love with the sport. The memories
of my days as an Athena are great, in fact probably the ones I will
remember forever. Diving into second when you steal a base,
backhanding a ball when it rolls smoothly into your glove, the
sound of the ball flying off your bat... these are all things that
I will remember and miss about the game.
My advice to the current Athenas is to enjoy the game, teammates, friends, and experiences. I always rolled my eyes when I heard this when I was in College, but time does go by fast. You won't get the chance to feel the exhilaration and surge when your bat hits the ball or when you pull out a win after an international tie-breaker forever. Work hard now and reap the benefits of it later. Enjoy it now and go win a National Title!"
Kristen Linscott
Played 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007
AWARDS
All-West Regional: 2nd Team (2004)
All-SCIAC: 1st Team (2004, 2005) 2nd Team (2006, 2007)
Team Awards: Rookie of the Year (2004) MVP (2006)
Class of 2007
Current endeavors:
- Investment Banking Officer (Senior Analyst) at Union Bank, energy Capital Services, Power & Utility Department.
- Finishing a Certificate in Fitness at UCLA Extension, taking prerequisite courses to apply for Physical Therapy Programs in Fall 2011
Accomplishments Since Graduation:
- Received a Certificate in Commercial Credit/Banking from Union Bank (1.5 year program).
- Assisted in the 2008/2009 Athena pre-season fall ball.
- Completed three half-marathons, four triathlons, three Stair Climbs and two 5-K's; signed up for several events in the Spring of 2010, as well as the Chicago Marathon and Chicago Triathlon in August.
"When I was a recruit, I was fascinated by our middle infielders (Tina Hamayasu and Kirstin Wilson). Their talent was great, but their teamwork was exquisite. They worked together better than the inside of a clock works to change the time. This teamwork, this bond, is a dynamic characteristic of the Athena Softball team. This family is unique, it's great: we win together, or we lose together, no exceptions (homework assignments included).
It's on the diamond that you shine as an Athena: it is where everyone notices the cut and clarity of your talent. No one notices your grades, your relationships, your friends or even your beauty, but they do notice and remember the game. So when you take your first steps onto the Athena's diamond, make sure that you shine with your best cut and clarity, all flaws included (because lets face it, perfection would be boring). Leave everything in your life behind, revel in the few moments you have and remember that today, you get to play.
There is 'crying in baseball': there are tears of joy, tears of triumph, tears of distress and tears of heartache. But each tear shed is a glimmer of emotion, of the intrinsic hope and desire to become better, to become noticed and to become a champion. Love your sister, defend your sisters, and take refuge in your sisters" Athena's triumph."
