|
Volume CXXXIII, Number 16 |
 |
Bramwell ends career on court with force
HEATHER MACNEIL
STAFF WRITER
In the most recent issue of Bowdoin Magazine, senior Lindsay Bramwell is described defeating a male opponent in an intense game of Around the World.
This is not the first time Bramwell has defeated the stereotype that female athletes are less skilled than male athletes.
From leading the women's basketball team to a solid victory over the men's team in a three-point contest at Midnight Madness this year to being the second basketball player in her high school's history to score 1,000 points, Bramwell has been a consistent role model for female athletes throughout her career.
Bramwell began playing basketball in third grade when her family moved from Arizona to Massachusetts, and she has yet to take a rest.
She made her high school's freshman team as an eighth grader and then started all four years of high school on the varsity team. Along with many league honors and two years as a team captain, Bramwell's achievement of scoring more than 1,000 points in her career has written her into the history books.
"I am the only girl to ever reach that mark, and the one other person to do it was an older man," she said. "It was really special."
Bramwell beamed as she described her town's enthusiasm as she neared the 1,000 point range. "I was about five points away during a midseason game, so almost the whole high school and town came to watch, along with many reporters. When I scored those five points they stopped the game, and I was presented with the game ball."
Talent runs in the Bramwell family. Her older sister, Ashley, has shared many exciting moments with Bramwell throughout her career. "We played two years together in high school, and then we played against each other in college," Bramwell said.
Always a team player, Bramwell describes how difficult it was to go from teammate to opponent against her sister. "There was definitely tension around the house during winter break as we waited for the game to come. My parents didn't know what to do; they wore a sweatshirt for one school and a hat for the other!"
When it came time for Bramwell to decide where she wanted to go to college, she was utterly opposed to going to school in Maine. Finally, a close friend from her hometown convinced her to visit Bowdoin, and she never looked back.
"Once I got here, I knew it was the right place for me," she explained. "The combination of athletics and academics was perfect, and I loved the atmosphere here. I applied early and got in!"
As a first year, Bramwell successfully balanced academics, basketball, and softball, and the difficult adjustment to college life. Although she described it as a challenge, ultimately it was a positive experience.
"Everything is so much more intense in college than in high school, from the social scene to the academics, and definitely sports," she said. "There were a lot of highs and lows, but by the end of the year, I felt really good."
Bramwell eventually decided to give up softball for a little more free time. "I had never had a season off in my life," she said, and as a result she was able to devote all of her athletic energy to basketball. That devotion has paid off.
The Bowdoin Women's Basketball Team is not only undefeated but is also ranked number one in the nation. Bramwell's senior teammates have had the highest winning percentage of any class in Bowdoin's history, coming out victorious in a whopping 85 percent of their matches.
On dealing with these high-pressure expectations, Bramwell explained, "We don't focus on those things; we actually talk about not talking about it. Those honors could disappear on any given game day. What we really focus on is the hard work it took to get where we are."
True to her word, Bramwell's fondest memories of her basketball career here at Bowdoin are not those of winning streaks or championships.
"What I will remember most are the times I have shared with my teammates, my best friends. We've been able to travel all over the country-we've been to Chicago, California, New York City, D.C., and Philly," she explained. "On the weekend the first people we rally to go out are our teammates. Those are my favorite memories."
After she graduates in May, Bramwell aspires to be just like her coach, Stefanie Pemper. "I have never met anyone as passionate about her job as Coach Pemper. I admire her so much, and because she has been a part of my life I know now that I need to follow my heart and do something that makes me happy."
Bramwell is unsure what that may be at the moment, which is no surprise, considering she also has a national championship to think about.
Come watch Bramwell and the rest of the Polar Bears battle Williams in the semifinals of the NESCAC tournament tomorrow.
For information on sending a letter to the editor, please click here.
|
FastCounter by bCentral |