Posted 2/09/06
Abby Lalko will play her last home basketball game at Williams Fieldhouse Saturday at 1 p.m. vs. UW-Superior. Lalko, from Appleton, will have four letters in basketball and is a four-year softball player who hit a grand-slam home run last spring.
Saturday is your last home game. What will that mean for you, playing for the last time in Williams Fieldhouse?
"It's getting kind of sad when I think about it, but it hasn't really sunk in yet. I'll be playing softball as soon as we're done, so it's not a definite end."
Is it hard to go right from basketball to softball, as you do?
"Not really. I have my schedule all made out, so I have time set aside for practices. It would be a lot harder if I tried to do both at once, but I usually just come in and hit during the basketball season and then get into the full swing of softball after that."
With a new softball coach (Heather Townsend), are you worried about being behind?
"It was a little concern because I wasn't sure what kind of commitment she expected out of me. This year I did fall ball practices, which I had never done before. I really like Coach Townsend. She has a lot of enthusiasm."
What would consider to be your career highlights?
"I wouldn't even know. I'm more of a role player, and I wouldn't have the highlights that maybe some other people have. I don't look at them that way. Just working hard is my biggest accomplishment."
What stands out for you, team-wise?
"This year we beat Oshkosh, which we hadn't done in a really long time. We beat Stout up at Stout, which was really exciting because it's always been a tough game up there. We had been blown out, then come really close and then this year finally pulled out the victory."
Does that give you confidence for the upcoming conference tournament, knowing you can beat every team?
"It seems most of our losses have come to teams that we are supposed to beat. So if we come to play, we can do some great things."
You play basketball. You play softball. You're on the honor roll every year. How do you do it?
"I don't do a lot during the week (with a laugh). I just do sports and homework and then relax. I try not to stress myself out without doing do much past that with my spare time."
What is after this year for you?
"I'll graduate in December. I'm going to try and find another civil engineering job this summer again to get more experience before I get out into the real world. I don't know what I'll do without sports next semester."
Interview by SID Paul Erickson