Featured Pilot of the Week

By The Beacon | February 9, 2011 9:00pm
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ReZina TecleMariam

(The Beacon)

By PJ Marcello, Staff Writer -- marcello13@up.edu

Women's basketball junior star point guard ReZina TecleMariam talks about what being a student athlete is like beyond the games.

Where are you from and what made you want to go to UP?

I am from Puyallup, Washington originally. I decided to come to University of Portland because I like the class sizes. The people at the school and the environment are also very nice here.

What is your favorite part about playing for UP?

My favorite part is probably the atmosphere at the school and the close community here. We have a consistent fan base that goes to all the games and we get to play in the Chiles Center, which I would say is one of the best courts in the WCC.

What is your career highlight so far?

My career highlight so far has to be when I got my first double-double this year against a Pac-10 team, Washington State.  It was cool for me to get that and our entire team played well that game, which we won.

Do you or the team have any pre-or-post game traditions?

We have team meals together where we discuss team goals and individual goals before games. I don't really listen to music or anything for pre-game.  After the games we will sing the University of Portland fight song as a team and players will dance around while we do that sometimes.

What goals do you have for yourself and for the team this year?

Individually I would like to be in the top three in every major category on our team,  especially things like steals, assists, points and rebounds.  For the team our season is coming to an end so we want to finish strong and close out the 2nd place spot in the WCC.

What is the toughest part of being a college athlete?

The toughest part is balancing the schedule of school and basketball. I have to make sure I get my school work done, get enough sleep, and make sure I eat, as well as being ready for practice and games.

Who do you model your game after?

I would have to say Steve Nash. I like that he has the ability to score when his team needs him to and when he isn't scoring he can distribute the ball to the right people so they can score.

What is your favorite sport or activity outside of basketball?

I like to play other sports like soccer, or pretty much any sport really.  In general I like to hang out with friends and I like to sing. I'm a fan of R&B music.

Why do you wear the number 10?

I wore the number 10 because for me it stands for one team and zero individuals.

Do you have any nicknames?

Everyone calls me Z. I don't really have a story behind it, it's just what they have always called me.

Who is the funniest player on the team?

I would have to say it is a tie between Lauren Angel and Amy Pupa. They have a joke for any comment you make.  You could just say ‘hi' to them and they can turn it in to a joke. Lauren also has an interesting vocabulary. She tends to make up words.


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