Senior Spotlight: Basketball 2023-24

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University of Dallas 2023-2024 Women's Basketball team. Photo courtesy of UD Athletics.

Questions:

1. Favorite or proudest Basketball memory? 2. Favorite bonding memory with the team? 3. What are your plans after graduation? 4. Any special comments or thank you?


Louis Christifano Jr.

Business major, Spanish concentration

Leawood, KS

Shooting guard and #25

Louis Cristifano Jr. Photo courtesy of UD Athletics

1. My favorite or proudest basketball accomplishment is a tough one. I am very proud to have had such great teammates and to have had the opportunity to compete with the guys that I have. Something I am also proud of is being 2nd in the SCAC conference in 3PT shooting percentage my junior season. For my proudest moment, it would be hard not to say being the UD single-season leader in free throw shooting percentage (even though it was only 16 shots), only because my dad still holds the same record at the high school he went to.

2. My favorite bonding memory is also a tough one. There have been a lot of great ones. If I had to pick one I would go with this year’s trip to Washington D.C. earlier in the season. We got to spend a lot of time together as a team in our sightseeing of D.C.. We also got to visit the home of Jack Boyle and have a meal with his family, which gave the whole trip a family vibe. It was easy to grow close with my teammates and I really enjoyed the trip.

3. My plans after graduation are to attend law school as I am currently going through the law school application process.

4. I definitely owe a huge thank you to all my family for being as supportive as they have been. They have been there every single step of the way and have made everything that much more special. Not only my immediate family of my parents and little brother, but my grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, etc. I am so lucky and blessed to have the strongest support group. One of my high school coaches used to say you know it’s a game day when all of Lou’s family comes walking in. I could not thank them enough. A special thank you to my mom for making sure college basketball was a reality for me, and a special thank you to my dad for being my first and lifelong coach. I also am thankful for my wonderful girlfriend Bridgette for being just as supportive, and my coaches Billy Thomas and Matt Gore for being instrumental in my development as a man and as a basketball player.


Alyssa Sullivan

Business major, Spanish concentration

Wylie, TX

Forward and #24

Alyssa Sullivan. Photo courtesy of UD Athletics.

1. My favorite basketball accomplishment was during our game against Schreiner this year at home, because I scored 21 points, going 5-7 from the 3-point line. It’s also my favorite accomplishment because we were able to beat a team that we lost to earlier in the season, which pushed us to work harder that game.

2. My favorite bonding memory was freshman year during COVID, when the team got really close and was constantly hanging out. It started out as us only having the option to be around one another, but eventually it turned into everyone wanting to be around one another because it was always a positive atmosphere.

3. After graduation, I will be interning with Sabre for the summer. In the fall, I plan to return to UD to go to grad school and play basketball for one more year.

4. I want to thank my family for always being there to support me and my decisions. I also want to thank the coaching staff for pushing me to be my best (on the court and in the classroom) and helping me improve over the past four years.


Marcus Juarez

Business major

Clint, TX

Small forward and #2

Marcus Juarez. Photo courtesy of UD Athletics.

1. My proudest basketball accomplishment is making a full recovery from my torn ACL in my senior year of college. I recovered and returned to playing my junior year, but finally being able to play without the knee brace without complications or inner fears has to be my most meaningful accomplishment. I have nobody else but God to thank for a speedy and healthy recovery.

2. My answer to my favorite bonding memory with my team is a simple, yet effective answer: practices. From the little moments of laughing during practice or to the more intense moments, [like] getting into heated situations with teammates, I cherished it all. These moments are the moments I am going to remember forever.

3. To be honest, I do not have any concrete plans. I have many ideas, but they are all reliant on different variables and situations that may or may not be present after I graduate. For what it’s worth, I plan to own my own businesses in the future and I will do all I can to work towards that goal.

4. First and foremost, I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for all the blessings and opportunities He has continued to bless me with. Everything I have, everything I have accomplished and all the relationships I cherish are thanks to Him. I would also like to thank my parents for the lifelong commitments they have made to put me in [a] position to be successful at the sport I love and in school. I’d like to thank my coaches, current and former teammates, and everyone in between. The bonds and memories I share with these people will be cherished and remembered forever and I will love these people until the end of time. Lastly, I’d like to thank the UD trainers for absolutely everything they do for all of UD sports every single day. Monica Heckman and Jordan Legendre truly make the UD sports world go ‘round.


Camille ‘Mili’ Fowler

Psychology major

Helotes, TX

Point guard and #31

Camille ‘Mili’ Fowler Photo courtesy of UD Athletics.

1. My proudest moment is when my team stood behind me in tough situations and when I got player of the week my freshman year and honorable mention at the end of my freshman year.

2. My favorite bonding memories are our team dinners or times we hung out outside of basketball or the activities orchestrated by the players, specifically playing pickleball with the girls, playing intramural volleyball and our Texas Roadhouse dinners. Also that no matter the score or what happens among the team, the friendships I have developed are what is important to me.

3. After graduation, I plan on either going home or to Houston to pursue my master’s degree.

4. I want to thank my family, teammates and friends for supporting me through my four years here. Also God for putting these people in my life and for guiding me through hard situations. I thank God everyday for the support system I have gained here through my friends.


Zac Olmsted

Master of Business Administration

Poulsbo, WA

Point Guard and #5

Zac Olmsted. Photo courtesy of UD Athletics.

1. Bouncing back from all the trials and tribulations in my career and making it out [of] the trenches.

2. Spending every day with a group as close as our team is. Of all the schools I’ve played at, this was the team I will always look back at and appreciate the most.

3. I am seeking a career in supply chain management or event management.

4. Thank you to my coaches and teammates here at the University of Dallas for believing in me and letting me be Z. To my Mom, Dad and Johny: through all the ups and downs, you were always by my side. I could never have made it through everything without you three. Lastly, shoutout to the game and everywhere it’s led me. I don’t know where I’d be or who I’d be without it.


Imani Hardin

Psychology major

Helotes, TX

Center and #50

Imani Hardin. Photo courtesy of UD Athletics.

1. My favorite basketball accomplishment was leading the SCAC conference in rebounds and receiving an honorable mention. My proudest accomplishment was having my team’s endless support with my struggles on and off the court.

2. My favorite bonding memory was eating and traveling with my team, joking on the bus with the seniors and getting to know my teammates better through every team dinner and hangout.

3. My plans after graduation are to go to Houston to pursue a master’s degree in psychology.

4. A huge thank you to all my teammates, but especially Mili, Maria C., Bailey, Tessa, Jordan, Caroline, Maria D., MK, Taylor, Nora and Kat for supporting me […]. I don’t think I’ll ever forget my time here at UD and what this team has meant to me. Also thank you to my mom for providing the greatest example of what it means to be strong.


Jack Boyle. Photo courtesy of UD Athletics.

Jack Boyle

Business major

Silver Spring, ML

Forward and #0

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