The CMS-ence of Aracelia Aldrete
CLAREMONT, Calif. - Senior Aracelia Aldrete has been a mainstay in the lineup for the CMS women's water polo program over the last four years. She scored 25 goals or more in each of her first three seasons, reaching the 100-goal mark last year against La Verne, and has twice been an honorable mention All-America selection from the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches.
Aldrete was part on an 18-win team in 2018 (the highest win total for the program in 15 years) and was serving as one of the leaders of a young CMS squad this spring, featuring 11 sophomores and five first-years, with hopes of challenging for a SCIAC title. That opportunity never came due to the suspension of spring sports, but Aldrete will graduate from Claremont McKenna with an impressive list of individual accomplishments, as well as a neuroscience degree from Claremont McKenna which she will utilize in her graduate studies at a masters program in medical sciences on the East Coast next fall ("I will experience my first real winter!").
A team player through and through after serving as an Athena captain, Aldrete has utilized the teamwork lessons that she has gained from water polo outside of sports. She is a vice president of the CMS Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, a team of Stags and Athenas that works with the CMS administration to better the experience of student-athletes. She also has volunteered with Uncommon Good, a tutoring and mentoring non-profit helping underprivileged children in the Pomona Valley succeed in school and go to college.
We asked Aldrete a few questions about her experience as a CMS student-athlete below.
Q: What does it take to be a good water polo player?
Aldrete: Being a good water polo player takes some serious grit. There is a lot of kicking, scratching, and grabbing that happens under the water that not many people see! It takes tough athletes to be able to push through this, both in practices and in games. To actively make the choice, day after day, to wake up at 5:30am to basically try to not drown for the next 2.5 hours takes a really special kind of person. I mean this in the best way - time and time again - this team amazes me with the sheer amount of sweat, blood, and tears that they are willing to put into this sport and this team, whether it be in the pool or in the weight room.
Q: Is there a particular game or a moment from your career that you will remember most?
Aldrete: Although I care deeply for the game, and have for over twelve years, I find that the moments that stick with me the most are ones that occurred outside of the water. Being one of two seniors/captains, on a very large and young team can often be an intimidating situation. With an 11 person sophomore class, I worried about making sure everyone felt included and truly "bought in" to the team this year. I do not necessarily have one single moment that stood out, rather it was these last few months that meant a lot to me. This team was not only consistently pushing their effort level in practice, but were constantly asking "How can I do more?" "What do I need to do to be better?" I also saw the "extra mile" of effort in the weight room, as the team was constantly pushing each other to try something new or to go up in weight. And finally, this team really showed me what matters the most at the end of the day, their love for one another, and for our sport. Leading this team, albeit cut short, was a great joy for me and my other senior co-captain and best friend - Celeste Cerna. Over the last two months, I saw nothing but commitment, inclusion, effort, passion, selflessness, and resilience, from the other 20 girls on this team. I think that the community that we built as a team in this final chapter will absolutely be one that sticks with me for a very long time.
Q: What else have you been involved in on campus?
Aldrete: I am currently a Vice President for SAAC (student athletic advisory committee). This has been my fourth year on SAAC and my first as VP. We work to highlight and elevate student-athlete thoughts/comments/questions/concerns to the CMS and 5C administration. I have really enjoyed my time with SAAC as I have been able to meet and work with other student-athletes, while also being able to work with CMS admin and coaches to better our CMS program as a whole. I have also worked with Uncommon Good, which is a non-profit tutoring and mentoring program that works with local high schoolers. I was also working as a Neuroscience Lab TA throughout the last semester.
Q: What was the topic of your senior thesis, or what is your favorite course you've taken while in college?
Aldrete: For my senior thesis I looked at the link between sleep deprivation in shift workers and a potential higher risk of Alzheimer's Disease. I proposed a study that would look at shift workers ie nurses, truck/uber drivers, firefighters, etc, before, during, and after, chronic shift work. I really loved doing the reading and research for this project as the idea of sleep fascinates me. I also find it really interesting how rarely sleep is discussed especially when it is so so essential to a healthy life!
Q: What has being an Athena meant to you?
Aldrete: Being an Athena has been everything to me - quite literally - the license plate of my car reads "SCO NAS." The community I have found through my teammates, my coaches, and SAAC community has been priceless. The amount that I have learned from Coach Greg Lonzo has been invaluable has he has been a great mentor to me both in and out of the pool. Additionally - my Athenas - my team, have shown me how to lead, to be compassionate, and to be resilient. They have been my family through everything and I feel immensely lucky to have had the time I did with this program, as I believe it has truly changed me to be a better student, athlete, and person.