Guest Bloggers: Your 2010-11 Freshmen!

(The three freshmen, from left to right: Jillian Halfhill, Jill Stein, and Noelle Yoder)

The 2010-11 freshmen class consists of three outstanding young ladies, talented on the court, yes, but even better people off! But rather than have us tell you about them, we asked them to do a little homework assignment over the Labor Day Weekend, and all three wrote a little about what they did this summer, and how they’re adjusting to their freshmen year.

Jill Stein
Hey! My name is Jill Stein and I am one of the three freshmen on our team this year. I’m from Clyde, Ohio and attended Tiffin Columbian High School. I’m here to talk about my summer experience here at Bowling Green.
I had an AMAZING summer!!! It was filled with sweat, laughter, tears, a few bruises, and has brought me to some of the best friends I could’ve ever asked for. I moved in along with Noelle and Jillian at the end of June when we began two three-credit hour classes and had our first workouts with the team. Without any hesitation, I was welcomed with open arms and felt like I had been a member of the team for years. That’s the difference between our team and other basketball programs. Other places you have petty conflicts that can tear a team apart, but here everyone in our program genuinely cares about everyone else.
I am so glad I chose to come for the six weeks during the summer for many reasons. Taking classes in the summer allowed me to become comfortable with campus without the entire student body around to make things really chaotic. It also gave me a feel for what to expect from college professors and allowed an easy transition from high school to college. Also, the summer workouts prepared me for the infamous Gauntlet and our preseason workouts. Above all, however, the summer was a time for my relationships with my teammates to grow. I have now known these girls for about three months and feel as though some of them know more about me then most of my childhood friends.
Some of my best memories this summer include our team scavenger hunt where we drove all around campus and Bowling Green to find/do different things on the list Jess and Chelsea made for everyone. Another fun memory was going to Cedar Point for a day with some of the girls. We also were able to complete almost everything on our summer checklist of random things to do. The last big team bonding thing we did was a camping trip at the end of the summer. We went down to Ft. Loramie State Park and stayed for a weekend of fun. We went out on jet skis, laid out on the beach, and just hung out around the fire.
Overall, this has been one of the best summers of my life and I cannot wait to see what the next four years bring!



Noelle Yoder
Hello! My name is Noelle Yoder. I am one of the three new faces to the Bowling Green Women's basketball team. I am from Millersburg, Ohio, where I attended Berlin-Hiland High School.
I arrived on campus along with Jill and Jillian at the end of June for the second semester of summer classes. We took two three-credit hour classes and began workouts with the team. Upon arrival to Bowling Green I was welcomed by the coaching staff and players. From the moment I stepped on campus I knew that i was going to love it. I immediately felt like part of the falcon family. The coaching staff helped me get situated into my dorm, where my father spent hours trying to figure out how to loft a bed. Thank you Dad!
Looking back I am really glad that I spent the summer here at Bowling Green. Being here those six weeks helped me familiarize myself with the campus and get a little taste of the college life before all of the students arrived. The summer classes I took helped me learn the expectations of college professors and how classes differ from high school. Also, the summer workouts helped me prepare myself for the Gauntlet and preseason training. Our workouts consisted of different lifting and conditioning exercises five days a week and we would played pick up in the evenings.
This past summer was one of the best summers of my life. The relationships that I developed with my teammates and the memories we shared together I will never forget. Some of my favorite memories from this summer were the camping trip to Fort Loramie State Park, Jess and Chelsea's scavenger hunt, Jen's birthday, going to the Quarry and Enclave, and Kelly's urgent phone call to Kevin. (Part of the scavenger hunt was you had to scare a coach. Kevin has yet to recover from the phone call Kelly made to him!) The best part of the summer was the way we pushed each other through difficult workouts and were always there for one another. My teammates taught me not only what it takes to be BGSU women's basketball player on the court, but also how to love each other like sisters. I haven’t been at Bowling Green very long, but i have developed friendships with my teammates that will last forever!



Jillian Halfhill
My name is Jillian Halfhill and I am one of three new freshman on the Bowling Green State University basketball team. I came to Bowling Green from Canfield, Ohio. The three of us showed up for summer school in late June, excited and not knowing what to expect. I admit it – I was nervous! But coming in the summer was better than I could have imagined! Being able to hang out and bond with the team before the fall semester started was just awesome. I didn’t know it was possible to form such a strong bond with a group of people in such a short amount of time! If anyone asks me what the best thing about BG is, I can say without hesitation – my teammates! They are the best! (The coaching staff is pretty cool too!)

In taking two classes (A’s in both!) I got to experience a little bit of what the fall semester would be like, when I would be taking a full course load. Being able to do this made it a lot easier for me to make the change from high school to college. Being here this summer was a great bonding and learning experience before the actual school year started, and I can’t imagine not being here during the summer ever again!

With a team scavenger hunt, camping trip, cookouts, a trip to Cedar Point and all the other things we did as a team, I felt like I packed a whole summer’s worth of fun into just 6 weeks – who’d have thought summer school could be so much fun?! I’m already looking forward to it again next year!