Fresno State Athletics
Off the Draw: Q&A with Caroline Dineen-Carlson
4/13/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
By Taylor Martinez
GoBulldogs.com
As the Fresno State women's lacrosse team prepares to take on No. 9 Stanford at home on Friday, GoBulldogs.com caught up with junior captain Caroline Dineen-Carlson.
Dineen-Carlson provides leadership to the Bulldogs this season. Over the past three seasons, she has not only played in every game, but has started every game.
The midfielder from Coronado, Calif., ranks in the top 10 of most statistical categories for Fresno State this season and is currently Fresno State's all-time leader in draw controls. She was recently named Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Women's Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Week, which made her the first Bulldog in three years to receive that honor.
We asked her a variety of questions, from her favorite class at Fresno State to something few people know about her.
Q: Describe how you felt when you started your first game as a Bulldog in 2014?
DINEEN-CARLSON: It was against Monmouth and we won, so that was really exciting. I remember being anxious, but in a good way. I didn't really know what to expect.
Q: Why did you start playing lacrosse?
DINEEN-CARLSON: I started playing in seventh grade because my friend's mom told me I should try it out because I really liked to run. I tried it and I fell in love with it.
Q: What have you learned over the past three seasons on the field?
DINEEN-CARLSON: It's definitely a different pace of play in college than it is in high school. I had to learn how to adapt to that change and learn how to excel through it. Recently, I've been really working on being a leader on the field.
Q: What's your favorite memory so far as a Bulldog?
DINEEN-CARLSON: I think it would be seeing how much we've grown over the last few years as a program. When I came here, this was a completely different program than it is now. That's definitely something I will remember when I graduate.
Q: What is something that people don't know about Caroline Dineen-Carlson?
DINEEN-CARLSON: When I was a senior in high school, I went on a missionary trip to Africa for three weeks.
Q: Which athletes did you look up to while you were growing up?
DINEEN-CARLSON: When I was playing lacrosse in high school, I looked up to Taylor Thornton. I wanted to play like her. She always hustled and was always doing something while she was on the field. It was raw athletic talent. I always wanted to be like her on the field, even when she didn't have the ball she was always going as hard as she could.
Q: What do you miss about your hometown in Southern California?
DINEEN-CARLSON: I miss my family and the beach.
Q: Did you play any other sports growing up?
DINEEN-CARLSON: I played softball and soccer and I was a cheerleader.
Q: What is your favorite class that you've taken at Fresno State so far?
DINEEN-CARLSON: Biological psychology with Dr. Shapiro; that was a really cool class. I love learning about the brain and how it works.
Quick Shots:
Major: Psychology
Favorite sport to watch: Football
Favorite Movie: The Blind Side
Favorite home-cooked meal: Meatloaf and mashed potatoes
