Izzie Mintz

Contributing Writer

Kate Gallagher is a nursing major who also balances playing high level division two lacrosse and basketball.

Gallagher, a sophomore, was originally recruited for lacrosse her senior year of high school. Towards the end of her second semester on campus the women’s basketball team offered her a spot on the team.

“I missed it and my friend Jess Devine (a sophomore on ESU’s women’s basketball team) encouraged me to play. I also just wanted to see what it would be like to play two sports,” said Gallagher when asked on what made her decide to take on two sports.

Gallagher expressed her goal to be a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) after she graduates and has always had a passion to pursue a nursing degree. She also claimed that playing both sports will help her excel in her future career.

“Nursing can be very overwhelming and throw a lot of curves at you so learning how to overcome obstacles and learning how to communicate to both coaches will help me,” said Gallagher.

Gallagher explained that she has weekly meetings with her coaches to align her schedule and practice times. She also has to work around her busy class schedule and clinicals.

“Doing both sports is an outlet for academic stress for me,” Gallagher said when asked how it is balancing both sports and school.

“My teammates are a really good support system,” she explains. Having a strong support system while taking on a heavy workload is something Gallagher values.

Gallagher originally committed to ESU for lacrosse. She explained how she lost interest in basketball her sophomore year which ultimately made her stop pursuing recruiting for basketball.

“Things picked up with recruiting for lacrosse which I enjoyed more at the time,” she said.

Gallagher committed to ESU in October of her senior year of high school for lacrosse. She did not officially receive an offer from the basketball team until May of her freshman year of college.

Gallagher plans to become a CRNA after graduating from the nursing program. She is currently practicing and playing in fall ball tournaments for lacrosse. She is in preseason for basketball and will open her basketball career on Nov. 9 against Fairleigh Dickinson University.