Twice weekly we will highlight spring sport senior athletes on their careers at Saint Mary's. 
 
The 2019-20 Saint Mary's Rowing team featured eight seniors on this year's deep roster, the largest number of any varsity athletic program this year. After seeing time in both fall and spring competition, it was a time of reflection and gratitude for this senior class.
 
Sedonia Estacio is a four-year Gael who has seen a lot and done a lot for the rowing program and the campus as a whole. Not only is she a four-year student-athlete, but she managed to balance competing in a varsity sport, graduating with honors, and retaining a job as a resident assistant. 
 
When asked about what stands out during her time as a Gael, Estacio quickly went beyond her sport to point out a few highlights of other campus event. "Going to the basketball games, especially the Gonzaga game," Estacio pointed out. "The whole school would come together for one night and the feeling of cheering on the team was one for the books. I also really enjoyed student-led masses on Sundays. It was nice to have a ceremony just before a hard week of school and training."
 
This year's team was special, and Estacio put it best when she described the team as a "band of sisters." They always had each other's back. "Out of 28 girls, when one would be missing, we all would account for that person gone by making sure they knew what went on at practice or making sure they made up the workout," Estacio explained. "The team this year loved hanging out with each other and encouraged each other through every hard workout. It was always an enjoyable time knowing that we put in so much work in during the week and got faster on the water."
 
Jennifer Faulkner got to enjoy one particularly special moment during her time at Saint Mary's: competing on the track she grew up racing on, and winning. The Kirkland, Washington native got the chance to do so when the Gaels took on Portland and Seattle University on April 13, 2019. The Gaels were able to take down the Pilots in the Varsity 8+, giving Faulkner a very special moment in her career. "This was also the same course I would race in high school, so it was very bittersweet."
 
There were other factors that brought the Pacific Northwestern down to the Bay Area for college, and it wasn't just the rowing team. "I was really excited by the prospect of attending a college where I would get to know my professors on a personal level and sit in small classes," pointed out Faulkner, speaking to the smaller student body at a Division I school. "I was also attracted to the sense of community and comradery that comes from being a student-athlete at a small college."
 
Backing up what Estacio said about this year's team, Faulkner agreed that it was a special group that could help get you through just about anything. "It's really empowering to be around a group of motivated and dedicated women that make you a better person and athlete."
 
Caroline MacMahon was a bit more simplistic when asked questions about her time at Saint Mary's, but that does not mean her answers were any less genuine. In a way, it perfectly reflects the time she had as a Gael, and how she was able to overcome a lot through resilience and persistence, two qualities she learned so much about through her time on the rowing team.
 
"I have some really good memories at Briones," MacMahon said about where the Gaels spend their time practicing. The description she then gave was poetic, eloquent, and accurate. "There is something so calming and beautiful about launching off the dock in the early morning while the sun is just starting to rise. You can leave all your worries and problems on land and just focus on working hard with the other girls in your same boat. Our sport really develops a sense of comradery precisely because we have to rely and trust each other.  With every victory and defeat, we face it together. When I'm with my team, that's when I feel the most like a Gael."
 
Despite the season being cut short, MacMahon has plans lined up to continue on in sport down the road, but it might not be in rowing. "I will definitely do some kind of sport five years from now. Hopefully rowing, but maybe rock climbing or running," explained MacMahon. "Athletics has really become an important part of my life and a great way to help manage my mental health." Her plans also dive deeper than just sport, as she plans on continuing her studies. "I hope to be on my way to completing a PhD in philosophy, on my way to a career in academics. I have been admitted to a couple schools in the UK and I plan to make the move in the Fall, obviously these plans depend on the state of the world in September, but for now I am sticking to my original plan."
 
Olivia Rooney has had some of the best friendships of her life develop at Saint Mary's during her tenure, an ode to what Faulkner talked about with the class sizes and tight-knit community. Perhaps their answers mirrored each other's because the two of them are closer than most on the team. "Coach Anna roomed Jen and I together freshman year," recalled Rooney. "I could never have imagined what great friends we would become. She has put up living with me for the past four years which is an accomplishment of its own! Jen is such an amazing teammate and friend. I can't imagine having gone to college without her."
 
Rooney found that this year's team was as special as any other that she had been a part of at Saint Mary's. "I really enjoyed spending time with the team this year," said Rooney. "Everyone was supportive of each other which was awesome. Having such a small team allowed everyone to get to know each other better. I have met some of the strongest most resilient people through rowing and I am so thankful for that!"
 
Those relationships for Rooney are something that she hopes will continue down the road, where the memories of Saint Mary's will not fade away. "I hope to continue painting and making art, hopefully while still spending lots of time with the friends I've made at Saint Mary's," says Rooney. "I definitely think that the discipline and love of exercise that I gained as a result of my athletic career will continue to be a big part of my life in the coming years."
 
#GaelsRise
 
Come back to SMCGaels.com on Tuesday to read the next Senior Spotlight feature!