Emma Hambright

The College of Wooster athletic department is celebrating the annual NCAA Division III Week from April 13-19. It's a time to celebrate the many accomplishments of student-athletes. Wooster is one of about 450 colleges and universities within Div. III, a grouping that emphasizes balance of rigorous academics and competitive athletics, plus the opportunity to pursue extra-curricular activities on campus.

You can check out the department's Twitter and Instagram accounts for additional content all week long. Each day, select seniors will be featured answering questions that pertain to Wooster athletics and the three core pillars of NCAA Div. III – Discover, Develop, and Dedicate.

We're also featuring two seniors on our athletic website this week, who will share answers to some of the questions you'll see on social media in a longer format, plus a few others. Our second featured senior is field hockey and women's lacrosse student-athlete Emma Hambright, a neuroscience major from Newburyport, Massachusetts.

Q: Why Wooster?

A: The people. From my first time visiting Wooster to my senior year, the people I've been lucky enough to meet through attending Wooster have made my college experience truly amazing. I wouldn't be where I am today without each and every one of them.

Q: You're a four-year member of both the field hockey and women's lacrosse teams at the College. Was playing two sports in college something you were always looking to do, and how did Wooster help you dedicate yourself to achieving your potential in both?

A: I've been involved in sports since I was five years old. While I was never sure which sport I would play in college, I knew I would be involved in athletics in some way or another. The coaches, athletic department staff, and all of my teammates over the past four years pushed me to grow as an athlete, student, and person. All of these people, in addition to the non-judgmental, supportive, positive, and encouraging environment that the Wooster community generates for both athlete and non-athlete students helped me to thrive during my career as a student-athlete.

Q: You actually took on a new role in lacrosse starting with your junior year. You came in as a 'keeper and then went on to become a key defender on the team. Take us through that transition, and were there some skills that translated over from field hockey, as you were a key part of the Scots' backfield for four years there?

A: While I loved being a goalie, and was for the majority of my lacrosse career, which started when I was five years old, I wanted to utilize more of my speed outside of the cage and become a defender. It was definitely difficult at times, but Coach Ford and the rest of the team were wicked supportive of me throughout this transition and helped me grow so much. I couldn't have gotten to where I was without the support and encouragement from my teammates. Not a lot of skills translate over from field hockey to lacrosse, except maybe on groundball pickups. I'd say being a part of both sports helped to increase my decision making and overall speed that helped as a defender.

Q: Tell us a little bit about your Independent Study project?

A: My I.S. (learn more about Wooster's Independent Study) focused on identifying potential host species for mosquito-borne pathogens that cause diseases such as dengue, Zika, yellow fever, and malaria. This past summer, I traveled to Costa Rica, where I collected mosquitoes at the Rescate Animal Zoo Ave wildlife sanctuary in Alajuela. I then extracted and sequenced their blood meals at the University of Costa Rica in San José to identify what species they feed on. As far as I know, my study is the first to find mosquito specimens that fed on an African spurred tortoise and white-faced capuchin, which is pretty cool.

Q: What was the best part about being a Wooster student-athlete?

A: All of the memories and relationships I made throughout my four years as a dual-sport student-athlete. Being a student-athlete in college kept me busy, and I loved every second of it, both on and off the field. Looking back, I wouldn't trade any ice cold, snowy practices, or six-hour bus trips to DePauw University, for the world – even though I probably wish I could in the moment. It's those types of memories that made my time at Wooster so amazing.

Q: Any advice you have for future Wooster student-athletes?

A: If you are worried about anything from school, to sports, to life, don't be afraid to reach out to your upperclass teammates. Even if it is intimidating at first, you won't regret it because you'll likely end up becoming closer with people you would've never imagined you would be friends with. You'll make some unforgettable memories.

Q: And finally, what's your favorite Coach Ford expression or memory?

A: I remember when I tore my ACL my senior year of high school after committing to play field hockey and lacrosse at Wooster. I was absolutely terrified of breaking the news to my future coaches because I didn't know how they would react. Coach Ford made it wicked clear that I still had a place at Wooster, ACL or no ACL, and has always been incredibly supportive of me throughout my time at Wooster, even when I decided to go rogue and switch positions on her. Also, I'll miss the game day smiley snacks – they were always something to look forward to! 

Landing page photo courtesy of Moravian College.