Athlete of the Week

REBECCA ROSENTHAL/YH Brian Hunt, TD '02 Men's lacrosse Hometown: Unionville, Pa. Major: Economics Favorite recreation sports: Golf, water-skiing, sailing Favorite class: Intro to Environmental Studies Trademark shot: Behind-the-back Future plans: Wall Street

An ostrich? "I guess they find it kind of amusing that I run with my back straight up," Hunt explained, laughing. "Plus, ostriches are known to bury their heads in the sand. Whenever there's a bad situation, I always try to get out of it."

Hunt has had his share of bad situations from which he's managed to untangle himself. Two summers ago, he and a friend found themselves in troubled waters when sailing off the shore of Cape Cod, Mass. While Hunt and his friend took the sail down and eventually paddled in, they discovered the next day that JFK Jr.'s plane disappeared during the storm. "It was scary to read about it," he said.

On the field, Hunt and his team have had a mixed season, with some heartbreakingly close games against Cornell, Brown, and Duke. But Hunt has done his best to get his team out of the sand. Recognized as the Ivy Player of the Week for his two goals and four assists against Pennsylvania on Sat., Mar. 17, Hunt has recorded at least six points in each game since. In fact, Hunt was somewhat disappointed that he scored only one goal in the team's 10-9 victory over Dartmouth on Wed., Apr. 18. "You can't ever do enough," Hunt explained. "In the Ivy League, all the games are close and tend to come down to the last quarter."

With his point total currently at 125, Hunt is in position to break the lacrosse team's career-scoring record of 200 points by his senior year. The characteristically modest Hunt, however, is more concerned with his team's record. "I'd feel a lot better if we were winning more games," he said.

Hunt would have also felt a lot better if the team had won its 13-11 loss to Cornell, but this time for personal reasons. "Cornell is a school that all my relatives went to, including my uncles, dad, and older sister," he said. Hunt actually earned Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors for his two goals and one assist against Cornell. "I was letting [all my relatives] know that I made a good decision," he explained. Hunt has to admit, though, that Cornell has some merits, as his father played lacrosse for Cornell under current Yale Head Coach Mike Waldvogel.

His father's experience at the collegiate level prompted Hunt to start playing in third grade. As the smallest member of every lacrosse team on which he played until 10th grade, Hunt naturally fit the attack position.His personality must have also been a factor, as Hunt handles life with the same dogged determination he displays on the field."Lacrosse is a rugged game, and you get hurt a lot," he explained.

But Hunt, who scored five goals in his first-ever game for Yale, has not let roughness deter his offensive prowess. The team will look to Hunt to ruffle some feathers on Sat., Apr. 21 against Harvard. —Sangeetha Ramaswamy

Brian Hunt, TD `02

Men's lacrosse

Hometown: Unionville, Pa.

Major: Economics

Favorite recreation sports: Golf, water-skiing, sailing

Favorite class: Intro to Environmental Studies

Trademark shot: Behind-the-back

Future plans: Wall Street

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