Where Are They Now: Team 38 Summer Edition
7/30/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
July 30, 2015
Ann Arbor summer crew makes an ice cream trip.
After spending every moment together during the Women's College World Series, members of Team 38 quickly scattered across the country (and even another country for one player!) as they began their own summer endeavors. Find out which Wolverine has been spending her summer in a tent, which Wolverines won a USSSA national championship, and which Wolverine can't seem to stay away from pizza!
#1 Abby Ramirez
Abby has filled her weekly schedule this summer in Ann Arbor with taking classes, working out with strength and conditioning coach Lew Porchiazzo and working at the Towsley Children's House. She enjoys working at Towsley and spending time with kids. On the weekend, Abby has been playing on a 23U USSSA team called Hooters with some other members of Team 38 and recently won the USSSA national championship. Before arriving back on campus in June, Abby spent time at home and even took a trip to Nantucket and Boston with her sister for five days.
#2 Aidan Falk
Aidan, a part of the Ann Arbor summer crew, has been focusing on training and studying for her economics class this summer. In addition to floating the Huron River whenever she gets a chance, Aidan also ventured to Cedar Point one afternoon with a few of the players. When she has the time, she drives home for the weekend to Rochester, New York, to spend time with her family and dog Cooper on the lake.
#3 Megan Betsa
Megan is taking an economics course on campus this summer and has spent a lot of her time studying, as she notes it is a very challenging class. She has been working out with Lew and the rest of the girls in town, and she goes to the field with Aidan as much as possible to do pitching workouts.
#5 Olivia Richvalsky
Richvalsky sprinkles the cheese at Domino's.
Olivia has taken her cheese-sprinkling talents to intern for the Domino's Pizza Corporate Headquarters in Ann Arbor. Although she has extensive knowledge and experience with pizza making thanks to Team 38, Olivia has been working in the communications department and recently launched a weekly internal newsletter for the Domino's offices. Outside of her full-time internship, she has found the time to work out with the girls on campus for our offseason workout program and spend time at home with her parents and Michigan State-bound sister Grace.
#7 Kelsey Susalla
Kelsey played for the USSSA national championship Hooters team and has been working out with the other girls who are in town. She has been taking a class on campus in psychology, which also happens to be her major.
#8 Nikki Wald
This summer, Nikki has been working in the office for her parents' sprinkler and plumbing business, taking an economics class in Ann Arbor and training with the girls on the team in town. On the weekends, she has played in a few softball tournaments with the Michigan Lookouts and has enjoyed relaxing and spending time with her friends.
#10 Sara Driesenga
Sara had an event marketing internship with Louisville Slugger that lasted through July, involving traveling to Maryland and Colorado, working baseball and softball tournaments and selling Louisville Slugger products. Currently, Sara is working with the Challenge Program through the university as a leadership and team-building facilitator. She is a member of the Ann Arbor summer crew and has been working out with the team.
#12 Amanda Vargas
At home in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, Amanda has been doing the offseason workout program on her own as well as beginning training to run a 5K race. She plans to go to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in a couple of weeks with her hometown friends.
Connell poses with the Coast Guard after a video interview session.
#14 Lauren Connell
I have gotten the incredible opportunity to work hands-on with various government agencies during my marketing and communications internship with a Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence in my hometown in West Lafayette, Indiana. Specifically, I have been writing press releases and collaborating with entities such as the Coast Guard in social media investigations, which has been extremely exciting and fast paced. In my free time, I head to the gym to do boxing workouts and complete our offseason training program, and I've been working on expanding my culinary skills through a super foods cooking class.
#16 Morgan Swift
Morgan has stayed busy at home this summer working at Professional Lake Management, a lake treatment company that gives her the ability to spend time around lakes all day. She is a volunteer coach for a 16u softball team and is working out on her own to follow the offseason training program. While in Ohio for a softball tournament, Morgan had the ability to watch Haylie Wagner play in a game for the Pennsylvania Rebellion professional team and visit with her.
#17 Haylie Wagner
Haylie has had a whirlwind of a summer playing professionally for the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) Pennsylvania Rebellion. They have games almost every single day with few off days, but Haylie likes to use her off days to do workouts that Lew designed for her. She feels that her experience this summer has been incredible, playing with the best softball players in the world, meeting new people and forming new friendships. At the end of August, Haylie plans to play in Italy for Bussolengo and will be traveling to other countries playing softball, specifically spending a lot of time in Paris, France. In October, Haylie will be making the road trip from Ann Arbor back to California.
#18 Lindsay Montemarano
Aside from taking a four-hour environment science class four times a week back home in New York, Monte has been working out and running every day at a sports performance gym. She has enjoyed running a lot this summer, especially hills, and says that it helps to clear her head. She goes to the beach as much as possible with her family and her dog, and she likes to play ping pong and beach volleyball. Because she is at home in New York, she continues to tell us how much better the pizza actually is -- some things never change.
#19 Becca Garfinkel
Garfinkel during her hike through the Pacific Northwest.
Becca might win the award for the most unique summer experience. She has been busy all summer hiking the Pacific Crest Trail through California and Oregon and has hiked more than 1,500 miles so far. She has developed quite good survival and wilderness skills throughout her journey, and she might be giving Bear Grylls a run for his money by the time she is finished.
#20 Mary Sbonek
Mary has had a full schedule this summer between working out with Lew and the rest of the girls in town, working full-time as a teacher's assistant at the Towsley Children's House on campus and playing for the USSSA national championship Hooters softball team. In August, she plans to make trips to Chicago, Las Vegas and Silver Lake Sand Dunes to relax before school begins this fall.
#21 Kelly Christner
Kelly is splitting her time between Ann Arbor and at home in Tinley Park, Illinois. While in Ann Arbor, Kelly has been training with Lew and hanging out with her friends and teammates in town. She was a part of the group of girls that went to Cedar Point and had a blast riding the big roller coasters. Later this summer, Kelly and her family will be vacationing in Ocean City, New Jersey, for an extended period of time.
#22 Sierra Lawrence
Sierra has been in Ann Arbor working in the IT Department at ADP, a payroll service company, as well as working out with Lew. She has also had the opportunity to do some traveling, including a recent trip to Florida for a little over a week.
#23 Taylor Swearingen
Taylor has filled her days this summer in Anaheim, California, with a cultural anthropology class at a local community college, playing in a summer softball league and completing the offseason training program designed by Lew. She is playing with the SoCal Hurricanes softball team and has been able to reunite with former teammates and face old rivals. When she has free time, she enjoys going to Huntington Beach and spending time with her family.
#24 Tera Blanco
Tera, another member of the Ann Arbor summer resident club, has been taking a Spanish class, completing pitching workouts and working out with the rest of the girls in town. She recently learned how to make chicken on her new George Foreman grill. Look out world.
Romero with Hutch after an exhibition doubleheader in Findlay, Ohio.
#25 Lauren Sweet
Lauren returned home to Corona, California, to relax and enjoy time with family and friends as well as teach catching clinics to young softball players. She has had a lot of fun meeting lots of families and working with girls of all ages. Lauren goes to the beach as much as possible, and she is also playing in a slow pitch softball league with her sister, her dad and a group of her friends.
#32 Sierra Romero
Sierra has been representing the United States this summer playing with the USA Softball Women's National Team and travels to a different state every two to three days. She recently earned a Silver Medal playing in the Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada, one of the biggest sporting events in the Americas. This week, Sierra is taking a short rest until heading to Japan to play in the Japan Cup. Go (Red, White, and) Blue!
Although the members of Team 38 have stayed quite busy this summer, I think all of us can agree it has been nice to relax a little bit and spend time with family and friends. As the first week of practice approaches in a little over a month, it will soon become time to focus our attention on Team 39, get down to business and get to work in preparation for the 2016 season.
Go Blue!
LC
