Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/1524796
SUMMER / FALL 2024 23 living fit meet the athlete / rugby Meet the Athlete Seneca Friend By Mae Folsom Jacobson Member Seneca Friend grew up in Maryland, where sports were part of her life from a young age. A track runner and golfer, Seneca brought her athletic background to the pitch for Stanford rugby beginning her junior year. Last year, Seneca played her first professional season with the Golden State Retrievers. Seneca moved to Seattle in 2021. She works for Microsoft and plays on the WAC 7's rugby team. Q. You were brand new to rugby when you started college. What drew you to the sport? A. I missed being on a team. Track and golf are fairly individ- ual sports, but I still missed training with people. I had a lot of friends on the Stanford team who encouraged me to come out, and I loved working and playing with other people. Q. What are some highlights of your time with the Cardinal? A. I felt like we were on our way to winning nationals my senior year, which was very exciting. We were undefeated. Unfortunately, the season was cut short by COVID. Still, my entire experience was incredibly positive, which is why I've kept playing. Q. How did your athletic background as a track runner help your rugby game? A. I was an average runner, but I'm a faster rugby player. Form and speed have translated to agility on the pitch, especially playing 7's. Q. What's special about the Seattle rugby community? A. It's simple—there's a bunch of talent. On any given day you're playing with people who coach the Seawolves, people who are just learning, players who've been in rugby for 60 years. ere's a beautiful myriad of skills, mindsets, and back- ground. e bonds you build through grinding moments are strong. Q. What are your personal goals? A. I dream of playing at higher and higher levels. I've gotten a little taste of that. I also want to focus on being the healthiest rugby player I can be. C O U R T E S Y S E N E C A F R I E N D u WAC member Seneca Friend on the rugby pitch. CLUB RUGBY TEAMS The WAC fields top-level men's and women's club rugby teams. Both teams play 7's during the summer season and train at the Club year-round. Learn more about the teams' success this year, including their national championship ambitions, on page 13. Stay tuned to WAC Rugby on Instagram @wacrugby and on Facebook at facebook.com/WashingtonAthleticClub7s. Interest- ed players with previous experience can email Wayne Milner at wmilner@wac.net to learn more about player selection.