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Player Spotlight
ERIN BICKUS
Illpolo.com's All-Illpolo Team
Erin Bickus has helped Conant
on both the offensive and defensive ends since the program began at the
school in 2002. She was named to the
All-Illpolo team earlier this season, earned All-Sectional team honors,
and was also selected to the MSL's All-Conference team in 2005. We asked
Erin the following
questions in an exclusive Illpolo.com interview:
College choices, major, current GPA?
College Choice: University of California, Davis
Major: Animal Science. I hope to minor in exercise biology.
Current GPA: 4.3
Experience, Club Team, Zone Teams, Off-season work?
Women’s National Team Clinic, Chicago (summer 2002); Women’s National Team Camp, Los Alamitos, CA (summer 2002); UCSD clinic, San Diego, CA (spring 2003); UCD Camp, San Diego, CA (summer, 2003); Women’s National Team Clinic, Ann Arbor, MI (summer 2003); UCSB cam, Santa Barbara, CA (summer 2004)
Club Teams: W.S.O (2 years – winter and summer), Chicago Stingray’s
(winter 2004), played with the Chicago Park District (1 winter).
When did you start? How? Where?
I started playing water polo my first year of High school at Northside College Prep with no prior experience in the sport.
Awards and achievements?
For Water Polo: Captain (junior and senior)4
yr varsity memberOutstanding Athletic Achievement Award – an athlete
proven to be an outstanding member of their team (Water Polo June, 2003
and June, 2004)All-Sectional second team (May, 2003 and May, 2004)
For Swimming: Varsity member soph, Junior, and senior yearCaptain (senior
year)Outstanding Athletic Achievement Award (Swimming November,
2001)Sportsmanship Award (November, 2003)
For Basketball: Fresh and Soph year on Junior Varsity. Mustang Award – A
hard-worker, a motivator, and continually improved in athletics (Jan.,
2002)Academic/Athletic Award (Jan., 2003)
National Honors Society
Willye White Winner– top female athlete representing Northside (February
2005)
Academic All American for the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches
Association of America
Personal interests? Music? TV shows?
Personal Interests: animals, reading,
swimming, traveling
Music: all kinds of music especially reggae
TV Shows: Old Favs: Full House; Current Favs: CSI, Everwood
Goals for the future with polo? School? Life?
Water Polo: Playing Division I water polo at
Davis. Out of college I hope to get involved in coaching a high school or
club team and remain as active in the sport as possible
School: I plan on attending veterinary school, eventually hoping to
specialize in marine mammals.
Life: To live each day to its fullest and to take advantage of all that it
has to offer.
Motivation, inspiration?
Self-Motivation: Water polo pushes me to
physical and mental limits all the time. I love to play whether it be a
practice or game as long as I am playing. Everyday I play, I strive for
the competition and self-improvement. No other sport is as rewarding as
water polo.
Motivation: I would like to thank my parents for their unconditional love
and support. They have encouraged me to continue and excel at water polo
providing me with the necessary funds to expand my skill and knowledge of
the game.
First Season role?
Starting goalie. After my first season, I attended the Women’s National Team Camp and decided to try a field position. I never left the field.
Soph Year role?
Sophomore role: starting driver
Junior role: starting 2m Set
Stats?
Stats from junior year:
Games played: 21
Goals scored: 92
Steals: 76
KO Drawn: 29
Statistics for the current season:
Games Played: 20
Goals scored: 68
Steals: 114
Field blocks: 18
KO’s drawn: 29
Other Comments?
Northside College Prep won Chicago Public School City Champs in April 2004 and April 2005. We have become the first Chicago Public School to be recognized in the top 20. This season everybody has stepped up their game. We’ve really come together as a team and that’s what has allowed us to dominate.
