Morgan Doyle, Sports Information Assist.
College Place, Wash. –This week Wolves Athletics would like to appreciate seniors of Wolves Soccer. On Senior Night
Aaron Martinez,
Andrew Nye,
Jonathan De Leon and
Anibal Castillo will be acknowledged for their hard work and dedication to the program.
# 6
Aaron Martinez
Aaron is from Denver, Colorado, and graduated from Mile High Academy. Aaron has been playing soccer for WWU the past four years, and scored one goal in 2015 against Great Falls. When asked what his experience was playing for Wolves Soccer Aaron shared, "Playing soccer here for four years has definitely been a learning experience. There's been many ups and downs but its been fun. I will honestly miss the road trips because they are always fun and a different experience, especially this year when we went go karting! I've made friends here that will last a lifetime and have grown from them. I like where the team is headed under the leadership of Coach Burns and Coach Crespo and can't wait to see what the future holds."
Hobbies Aaron enjoys playing include golf and video games. An athlete Aaron looks up to is Lionel Messi, and his favorite sports team is FC Barcelona. Aaron's major is Business Administration, and attended WWU because he enjoys the size of classes and the teachers interactions with students.
#23
Andrew Nye
Andrew came to Walla Walla from Kirkland, Washington, and graduated from Puget Sound Adventist Academy. Andrew played 3 years for wolves basketball and this was his first year playing wolves soccer. Andrew scored two goals this year, one against Warner Pacific and one against Corban University. Andrew shared his thoughts on this past season and his eagerness towards playing a new collegiate sport, "This season was a blast! At first, I was unsure about how the transition from playing on the University basketball team to playing for the soccer team would go, but it couldn't have been any smoother. Coach Burns did a terrific job welcoming me and making me feel a part of the soccer family and did an excellent job coaching this team throughout the season. I am so thankful for my experience, the friends who became brothers, and the opportunity to represent the Wolves. We had a very young squad this season, and it was strange being the oldest on the team (and the tallest), but we battled every minute and came a long way from when we first started. I am excited to see the program grow and the players get older and more experienced. Wolves soccer fans have some exciting years of soccer in store!"
Andrew's hobbies include rock climbing, playing pickle ball, and playing cards with friends. An athlete he looks up to is Russel Wilson, and his favorite sports teams are the Seahawks, Sounders, and the Boston Celtics. His favorite snack is fruit snacks, and his favorite store is Whole Foods. His major is physical education.
#10
Jonathan De Leon
Jonathan is from Montebello, California, and attended San Gabriel Academy. He attended Walla Walla University for the engineering program and friendly atmosphere. Jonathan shared his feelings toward this past season as he commemorates his past four seasons, "This season has sure enough been a journey. It's never easy when you have an almost entirely new roster, but even with this I have enjoyed every moment of my time as a collegiate athlete. The phrase 'never back down' comes to mind. Whenever mistakes happen or things go wrong, never back down. That's one key thing I learned. Always keep fighting and if you notice a fellow teammate fall down, help him back up. The best and most enjoyable way to succeed is to succeed as a team, as a family. I see great potential in this program and I am glad I was a part of it."
Jonathan's favorite restaurant is Olive Garden and favorite snack food is fruit. Athletes he looks up to are Robin Van Persie and Marcus Rashford. He is majoring in computer science with a minor in math.
#22
Anibal Castillo
Anibal attends Walla Walla from Vero Beach, Florida and graduated from Vero Beach High School. After transferring to WWU and playing for Wolves Soccer the past three years, Anibal shared his experience with Wolves Athletics, "this season was a big step forward for our soccer program, as we had a good mix of young energetic and experienced seniors on the team. We were able to develop a culture that focused on perfecting or skills by positive encouragement and relying on each other. I will miss the 'family' I am leaving behind. Days at practice and art the games for the last three months have bonded or team together from mere individuals to a band of brothers, a wolf pack. As a transfer student, the last three years in the soccer team showed me the great hospitality Walla Walla offers. During my time as a soccer player i learned that everything is better when done in a team, and the close knit group we made are friendships that last a life time."
Anibal's favorite sports team is the Saint Louis Cardinals. His favorite book is Anthem, and he plays the violin, flute and saxophone. His major is civil engineering.
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