Fresno State Athletics
Off the Draw: Q&A with Kyleigh Westgarth
3/22/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
By Taylor Martinez
GoBulldogs.com
With the Fresno State women's lacrosse team gearing up to take on the Drexel Dragons on Wednesday, GoBulldogs.com caught up with junior midfielder Kyleigh Westgarth.
The Carlsbad, Calif., native captured the program record for most draw controls in a single season (37) during her freshman year and this year is tied for the team lead (25).
We asked her a variety of questions from ranging from her favorite thing about playing lacrosse to what the hardest thing about being a student-athlete is.
Q: What is your favorite thing about playing lacrosse?
Westgarth: I'm a midfielder, so my favorite part is getting draw controls; that's my job on the team. That means more to me than scoring.
Q: What is different about your mindset from your freshman season to your junior season?
Westgarth: Just my confidence and knowing that I can score, I can get the draw, and I can play defense. This season, I know a lot more about the teams in our conference than I did the last two seasons. I think the knowledge that I've gained is the biggest change.
Q: What is your favorite memory so far about being a Bulldog?
Westgarth: Last season when we played Stanford, I earned five draw controls. That was a big accomplishment for me.
Q: What have been some of your favorite fields to play on, besides your home field?
Westgarth: Last year we played at the University of Michigan in "The Big House". That was the last time any lacrosse team was going to have the opportunity to play on that field. That was really cool!
Q: What is something that people don't know about Kyleigh Westgarth?
Westgarth: I beat my teammate Caroline Dineen-Carlson in the lacrosse state championship in high school, and the year after that my high school beat Chelsea Hall's high school team as well. I've definitely used it against them a couple of times.
Q: What are some of your favorite places to eat in Fresno?
Westgarth: Dog House Grill is my favorite place to eat. I've only ordered the tri-tip sandwich, but I'm so happy with that, so I don't want to try anything else.
Q: What is your favorite class that you've taken at Fresno State?
Westgarth: I'm taking Media Stereotypes right now with Dr. McCoy. I love that class. I've learned a lot of really cool things from that class so far.
Q: What do you like to do in your spare time?
Westgarth: I'm a big fan of relaxing, especially during season. I like to watch TV at home and catch up on homework. I like to enjoy my time off because we don't get very much free time.
Q: What is the hardest part about being a student-athlete?
Westgarth: You have to get a lot done every day. We have practice in the morning, go straight to class after practice, and then have to go home and do homework. Managing my time is something that I've gotten better at, but it's still a struggle.
Q: If you could play a different Division I sport, which one would it be?
Westgarth: I think volleyball looks like a really fun sport to play. They get to do cool things like make diving plays.
Q: Do you have any good luck charms?
Westgarth: My freshman year I wore the same hair-tie every single game. Two days before the season ended it actually snapped in half, so I put it in my stick. It's still in my stick today.
Quick Shots
Major: Mass Communication and Journalism (Advertising)
Favorite sport to watch: Soccer
Favorite snack: Goldfish
Favorite movie: Any Animal Planet documentaries
