Photo by: Torrey Vail
S.A.A.C Senior Spotlight: Alexandra Pinkley
1/21/2019 3:44:00 PM | Student-Athlete Support Services
Get to know Women's Rowing senior Alexandra Pinkley
The SAAC Student-Athlete Spotlight is a weekly series that will highlight and promote senior Zag student-athletes on and off the playing field. This week's student-athlete is Alexandra Pinkley from the Women's Rowing team.
Alexandra is a Biology major with a Political Science minor. She has excelled in both the classroom and in the water. Alexandra made the Deans List in the Spring of 2016 and also received a WCC All-Academic Honorable mention her Junior year. She is a two-time WCC Champion and placed 17th at the NCAA National Championship. Alexandra is also involved in the CCE Connections program.
We caught up with the senior rower from Lake Forest Park to gain some insight on her experience as a student-athlete at Gonzaga.
What is your favorite memory as a Zag?
The spring season of 2017 was really challenging for our team. Winning WCC's and sweeping all events made everything we went through worth it.
What attracted you to Gonzaga?
It was the community and how proud everyone is to say that they are a Zag.
Favorite community service event at Gonzaga?
For the past two years I have mentored a middle school kid through this CCE program called Connections. The group of people I volunteered with are amazing people and the kids in the program made each week of programming so much fun.
What do you like most about being a student-athlete at Gonzaga?
Being away from home, it is great to have people who support you and care for your well-being. Everyone from the trainers, to the SAAC staff are always willing to help us achieve our goals.
What do you enjoy most about playing this sport?
There is no better feeling than having a great race and getting the results you wanted.
What are some of the nicknames your teammates call you by?
It's usually my last name: Pinkley.
Do you have any pre-game/match rituals?
I always make sure every piece of equipment is tightened and I never look at the people in the boats next to me.
What team do you look most forward to when playing them and why?
I love racing WSU. We get the opportunity to race them a couple of times a year. They are typically a faster crew, so it is always fun to challenge them to see if we can either beat them or get as close as possible.
What are some of your team or personal goals?
Our team goal is to finish as one of the top 15 crews at NCAAs. We finished 18th last year and I'm excited to see what we can do this year.
How has being an athlete helped you in the classroom?
I have to be really on top of things. I need sleep so I can't be that person at the library studying until it closes. Therefore, I have to be good at managing everything.
What would you say is the hardest part of your sport?
The hardest part of Rowing is staying mentally strong. We train all year long for our two big racing events that are at the end of spring season: WCC's and NCAA's. It can be really challenging to stay motivated when there are not a lot of rewarding moments throughout the year.
What is the biggest challenge as a student-athlete?
You want to be the best athlete, student, friend, and teammate you can be, but it can be tough to balance everything.
Alexandra is a Biology major with a Political Science minor. She has excelled in both the classroom and in the water. Alexandra made the Deans List in the Spring of 2016 and also received a WCC All-Academic Honorable mention her Junior year. She is a two-time WCC Champion and placed 17th at the NCAA National Championship. Alexandra is also involved in the CCE Connections program.
We caught up with the senior rower from Lake Forest Park to gain some insight on her experience as a student-athlete at Gonzaga.
What is your favorite memory as a Zag?
The spring season of 2017 was really challenging for our team. Winning WCC's and sweeping all events made everything we went through worth it.
What attracted you to Gonzaga?
It was the community and how proud everyone is to say that they are a Zag.
Favorite community service event at Gonzaga?
For the past two years I have mentored a middle school kid through this CCE program called Connections. The group of people I volunteered with are amazing people and the kids in the program made each week of programming so much fun.
What do you like most about being a student-athlete at Gonzaga?
Being away from home, it is great to have people who support you and care for your well-being. Everyone from the trainers, to the SAAC staff are always willing to help us achieve our goals.
What do you enjoy most about playing this sport?
There is no better feeling than having a great race and getting the results you wanted.
What are some of the nicknames your teammates call you by?
It's usually my last name: Pinkley.
Do you have any pre-game/match rituals?
I always make sure every piece of equipment is tightened and I never look at the people in the boats next to me.
What team do you look most forward to when playing them and why?
I love racing WSU. We get the opportunity to race them a couple of times a year. They are typically a faster crew, so it is always fun to challenge them to see if we can either beat them or get as close as possible.
What are some of your team or personal goals?
Our team goal is to finish as one of the top 15 crews at NCAAs. We finished 18th last year and I'm excited to see what we can do this year.
How has being an athlete helped you in the classroom?
I have to be really on top of things. I need sleep so I can't be that person at the library studying until it closes. Therefore, I have to be good at managing everything.
What would you say is the hardest part of your sport?
The hardest part of Rowing is staying mentally strong. We train all year long for our two big racing events that are at the end of spring season: WCC's and NCAA's. It can be really challenging to stay motivated when there are not a lot of rewarding moments throughout the year.
What is the biggest challenge as a student-athlete?
You want to be the best athlete, student, friend, and teammate you can be, but it can be tough to balance everything.
Tuesday, June 30
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Monday, June 29
Friday, June 26
