May 1, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The UCF softball team will be hosting UTEP in its final regular-season game of the 2009 season Sunday at the UCF Softball Complex. The contest will not only serve as the last home game of 2009 for the Knights, but will also serve as Senior Day for Lexi Gresham (Fresno, Calif.), Magon Paul (Virginia Beach, Va.), Lindsay Dean (Jacksonville, Fla.) and Breanne Javier (Castaic, Calif.).
Members of the UCFAthletics.com staff recently sat down with Javier to get her feelings about the end of her career at UCF.
Talk about your past four seasons at UCF
"The past four seasons at UCF have been very nice. They have been really good. I have learned a lot from being on a team about overcoming animosity. Just all we have gone through, from our first year having an 18-game losing streak to eventually winning conference our junior year. It has just been a great experience. I appreciate all that UCF has given to me."
What is your favorite memory of your time at UCF?
"Winning the Conference USA Championship against Houston on their field. It was just a great experience. Hillary (Barrow) and I were talking about it the other day. We were so happy. It was unbelievably exciting for us to do that. Coming so far and making it all the way to the championship and then going to Regionals and beating Florida was awesome."
What is something you will be able to take away from your experience as a Knight?
"In the real world, a lot of things from softball and from being an athlete will be in our jobs. It will help with time management, working as a team and leadership. Everything that you learn in softball you can take it out into the real world."
What does Senior Day mean to you?
"Senior day is basically recognizing all the accomplishments that the other seniors and I have had over the past four years. Showing people how much that we have been through and how hard we worked at being both a student and an athlete."
Do you think Sunday's game will be emotional for you?
"I think that it will be very emotional. The four seniors have basically lived together for the past four years. Coming from 11 freshman and being the last four here, it will be emotional. The other day, it just set into us that we are graduating and it is our last week of college ever. Especially for me, having to leave and go home and probably not seeing these people that I have been living with over the last four years has been very hard."
Who would you like to fill your shoes next season?
"We don't have any other first baseman, but I think Hillary will do a great job like in a leadership role. I think Morgan will do a great job as well. I think that next year there will be good seniors for everyone to look up to."
What has been the most rewarding part of being a senior this season?
"I think it is just being able to help people. I am the type of person that wants to make everyone happy and have everyone be able to come to me with their problems. I think that was really important, and I guess I like to help people."
What legacy would you like to leave for your teammates?
"Just being the type of player that others could look up to and always knowing when to have fun and when to be serious. I liked being a positive player that others looked up to and I never let my teammates see me get down. I always tried to be a positive influence on other people's lives."
Will you be coming back to play in the annual Alumni Game?
"I would love to come back to play in the alumni game. If I find a job and I have money, then I will buy the first plane ticket to come play."
What are your plans after graduation?
"After graduation, I am going to take a long road trip to California. Haha...I have to drive my car. Then, I want to try and find a job in a hospital. But, if I can't find a job, then I am going to go back to school to get my nursing degree."
The UCF softball team will play its final C-USA series of 2009 against UTEP at the UCF Softball Complex on May 2-3. The series gets underway with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. on Saturday, before concluding with a single game Sunday at Noon.
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to www.UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit www.UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.
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