La Sierra University

From a Pandemic’s Grip, Champions Emerge

On April 11, excitement exploded on the field and ricocheted almost immediately around social media: The La Sierra University Golden Eagles women’s soccer team won the title against No. 1 seed UC Merced Bobcats, their first championship since the program’s inception in 2016.

The Golden Eagles finished 1-0 to sit atop the California Pacific Conference, one of 21 member conferences in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, or NAIA.

“To bring the first championship [to the home field], ...it was surreal. It was great,” commented Women’s Soccer The Golden Eagles women’s soccer team clinches the conference title on April 11. Head Coach David Trevino. “A night I will probably The athletics department, under the leadership never forget.” Trevino, a La Sierra alumnus, has led and of Athletics Director Javier Krumm, last year built the women’s soccer program since its beginning. created detailed pandemic protocols that affected

Senior Marisol Bravo, a defender, recalled the training, practice, and game play. Through an exhilaration of the moment. “Everyone was crying; I online system, the department also kept track of was crying for sure. It was a really nice moment; it was grades and worked with advisors to help guide exciting,” she said. and support students.

The conference win propelled the team to opening In April, Bravo placed among second team rounds of nationals in Santa Barbara, Calif., where on All Team Cal Pac Conference Recognitions, one April 15 they lost by one point to the Westmont College of several awards for Golden Eagles women’s Mountaineers. Their appearance was a memorable soccer. She recalled the difficult days when players achievement given the significant challenges posed by were trying to work out on their own at home, the COVID-19 pandemic. motivated by physical activity assignments, use of

Public health mandates shuttered operations of online athletics apps, and daily information from all schools in the state beginning in March 2020. The Trevino. university’s nine varsity sports teams—men’s and women’s Meanwhile, as numbers soccer, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and of vaccinations increase women’s cross-country, volleyball, softball, and baseball— and COVID cases faced varying degrees of disruption. The cross-country decrease, re-opening program was sidelined for the year, and on-campus decisions for fall are team practices for other sports were delayed and then underway at La Sierra repeatedly shut down when COVID cases surged in the University. region. Conference play and championships were also ____________________ moved up in the season by months. By Darla Martin Tucker