Athlete Spotlight

Lisa Gilbert is the only senior on this year's team and takes her role as a team leader very seriously. Lisa has played several positions in the last three years and her versatility is a plus for the Lutes. This past fall, Lisa played her one-and-only season of PLU women's soccer and ended up starting eight games for the Lutes.

Describe your family. How have they helped you in your athletic career?
My family is big, loud and kind of crazy, and to be honest, I couldn’t ask for anything better. Also, my family is greatly responsible for making me into the person I am today both as a person and athletically. Most of my perspectives that I have brought to the field (or the court) throughout my athletic career have been instilled in me by my family. To be brutally honest, if it was not for my older sisters, I might still be that chubby kid that would rather read than play. And I suppose my brother deserves credit for some of my athletic talents—running away from him has helped me with both speed and endurance.

What factors led to your decision to attend PLU?
I did not apply to PLU until mid-July the summer before my freshman year. I had planned on attending Olympic College where I had been awarded a year of free tuition, FREE being the imperative word. The four-year university experience seemed a bit out of reach for me financially. However, the day I met (head coach) Rick (Noren) he helped me to understand that I shouldn’t settle with anything being out of my reach. He needed a catcher and I needed PLU. It has been one of the most fruitful decisions of my life thus far.

Have you studied abroad? If so, describe your experiences?
I studied abroad in Granada, Spain, last fall. Describing the experience those four months of my life brought me is hard to do in a just few words, but I will say that it was life changing in many great ways. It taught me a lot about who I am and who I am not, not to mention a bit of Spanish.

What has been your favorite class at PLU?
I feel like I have been really lucky with my classes more or less. Choosing to be a Core II student was a very good decision for my learning style. These classes are always challenging and stimulating in the best ways. I also have really enjoyed all my language classes, both German and Spanish, and in particular a class I took last J-Term, Theories of Language Acquisition, has proved to be really helpful to me.

Have you had any trouble balancing athletics with academics?
I am going to say no. I don’t have a 4.0 anymore, but again, that builds character. I have come to believe that adding other experiences to your life is worth an A-, or the occasional B+. Now I will say that balancing academics, athletics, multiple jobs and sleeping enough has been a bit more of a challenge.

What are you plans after college?
Ideally I am planning on working in Norway for a few months starting next fall to test the Norwegian I am hoping to learn this summer. After that I am hoping to be awarded the Fulbright Scholarship I applied for this past October to live and work in Uruguay for eight months starting in March 2009. After that, we will see…stay tuned!

When your athletic career is all said and done, what is it that you would want people to say about you?
I would want people to say that above all, I was a hard-working, inspiring team player, and that I never put myself before the team.

Describe your hometown and what you miss about it the most.
I come from Poulsbo, Wash., also known as Little Norway, nestled right between the Puget Sound and Liberty Bay. Besides my family and friends from there, I miss the scenic little place. The bay, the Sound, the Olympics and the trees make for a fairly picturesque place. It’s a good thing I still have a great view of Rainer down here to compete!

What's your favorite spot on campus?
I love PLU’s campus so it is hard for me to choose a favorite spot, but I will say that whenever I come back after some time away I have to kick a rock across the musical bricks of Red Square, and the multi-colored leaves and arching trees never disappoint. I also love the outdoor amphitheater next to MBR. And let’s be honest, that softball field is not too shabby either.

What is your favorite restaurant in Tacoma?
I don’t know that I have explored Tacoma enough to have a favorite, but my favorite restaurant in the world is Carne a la Piedra, a steakhouse right on the Spanish Mediterranean coast where they serve you raw meat that you cook yourself on a hot stone. ¡Es para chuparse los dedos!

What music is playing in your ipod right now?
In my Ipod there are 5,995 songs and I listen to quite a few of them—I love music in Spanish—artists like Bebe, Shakira and Ojos de Brujo, and have had a lot of Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz and John Mayer in my life lately.