Lauren Wood, a utility player for the Lady Lions is a resident of Chicago, Illinois and a 2015 graduate of Vernon Hills Area High School. She is one of two water polo players from Illinois on her team, and both of these players are from the Chicago area.

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Wood has enjoyed one of the most magnificent careers in Behrend water polo history. She is closing in on some records including her former teammate Maryn Horn’s goals record, which she set last season. While this is her personal goal, she realizes the team and program come first. “I am excited for my last season. The team has not played much together yet, but I am excited about what we have going here and how we have gotten better each year that I have been involved with the team,” Wood stated.

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The improvement of the program over the years comes from the impact coach Joe Tristan has had. When speaking about her head coach, Wood said “Coach has helped me transgress from a shy and timid player to one who is not afraid of anything or anyone. He has always expected a lot out of me since my first day at Behrend. He has helped me become a better student, leader and captain of this team. I owe a lot of my success to him because he always believed in me.” While Coach Tristan has had a great impact on Wood in her time at Behrend, her prosperity in athletics also stems from a supportive family.

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Wood’s parents were supportive and excited about the opportunity she had at Behrend. Even though Erie is nearly seven hours away from Chicago, her parents knew that the journey to Erie would benefit her in the long run.

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Wood turned down opportunities close to home to continue her collegiate career, but it is a decision she does not regret. “Initially, I struggled to make friends and also with being pretty far away from home. However, I was able to get adjusted after I met my teammates and stopped acting shy. Since both of these things happen, I have really enjoyed my time at Behrend, and I am glad I decided to attend college here,” Wood stated. Over her athletic career,Wood has racked up quite an impressive resume.

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She was a two sport athlete in swimming and water polo in high school, and won a total of seven varsity letters. She was three times named the MVP of the water polo team in high school, while also being named Chicago Sun Athlete of the Week and Lake News Athlete of the Week. In swimming, she was twice named Most Improved Player and became a great sprinter over her time at Vernon Hills. While she is undeniably an outstanding athlete, she admits her purpose in life extends beyond the pool.

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Wood is a biology student who plans on continuing her education. Her plan is to attend medical school to become a cardiologist. She was inspired by her mother, who is a nurse, to enter the medical field. While her undergraduate career is nearing the end, her education is only beginning. Her experiences at Penn State Behrend have been some of the best in her life, and she will miss what Behrend has given her.

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“One of the toughest parts about playing water polo is traveling, but one of my favorite parts is being able to travel for this sport. It is difficult that we have to arrange our academics in a certain way, but it is a unique opportunity to travel the country for this sport. Being able to travel the country with my teammates is something I will miss. It is enjoyable when we go to cities where girls are from because we have team dinners at their houses. It has allowed me to meet some wonderful people over the last few years,” Wood commented.

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She additionally shared the uniqueness of playing water polo at Behrend in saying “It is quite interesting to play water polo at Penn State Behrend. A typical season consists of playing a couple Division II teams. In addition, traveling to Wisconsin, Connecticut, California and Illinois is common for this program. We even played a few Division I teams in my time at Behrend as well.” The east coast has minimal teams playing Division III Water Polo, which results in the demanding travel schedule.

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While her six goal game against Carthage and times at Disney World have been some of the greatest experiences of her collegiate athletics career. Wood will miss the small town community feel that Penn State Behrend provides. The Second-Team CWPA Conference Selection last season will look to improve upon last year’s campaign to end her collegiate water polo career on a high note. Wherever her career in medicine leads her, it is assured that Lauren Wood will never forget her time at Penn State Behrend.