By Andy Sinykin
UWRF Sports Information

As a senior for the Falcons women's soccer team Gina Hawkins has been through a lot on the field. She has been on a conference championship team, started every game for two consecutive seasons and been a captain in this, her senior year.

Although soccer has been important in her life, there are many other things that drive her. Hawkins said that the most important things to her are "spending time with people, family and faith."

Hawkins grew up as the middle child in a family with nine children. She has two younger sisters and two older sisters, two younger brothers and two older brothers. She lies smack in the middle. "We like to hangout a lot," Hawkins said. "It was amazing growing up in a big family."  

She recalls most of the good times in her youth being on the family farm and showing cattle at the state fair with her family. When she was younger and her parents wanted Hawkins and her siblings to go outside and get some fresh air, they were told to spend time with each other. She used her time outside a little differently than most kids would, "We used to have manure fights. We'd just chuck it at each other!" she said.

In fourth grade Hawkins took her love for the outside and began playing soccer. She followed the lead of her two older sisters who played collegiate soccer at Div. I and Div. II schools.    

At Rosemount High School Hawkins earned honorable mention to the all-conference team her senior year and was also the team captain.    

Hawkins loves that soccer is a team sport. "It's awesome to work with a bunch of people and have a common goal," she said. She says she will miss "being a part of a team, with that many people working together on something."

This year Hawkins moved from defense to midfield. "It's nice to have her on the attack, she's strong, she's physical and she's fast," Falcon Coach Sean McKuras said. Also as a captain "she includes everyone and is very approachable," McKuras added.    

Hawkins doesn't only do well in soccer, but she excels in academics as well. She was named to the Scholastic Honor Roll in her first three years at River Falls and was named to the Dean's List last fall. She is an elementary education major and a math minor.   

Hawkins also leads a bible study for Fellowship of Christian athletes and does her best applying what is said in the bible to what is done on the field or court for a Div. III athlete. She is a member of Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and says that it "helped [her] make a lot of close friends that have the same interests."  

Hawkins hopes to start teaching in the missionary field in the next few years after graduation.      

At the end of this school year Hawkins will graduate from UW-River Falls, but she has learned quite a bit outside of the classroom and off the soccer field that she will take with her forever. "I've learned how to use my gifts to the best of my ability," she said.

With her positive attitude and excellent leadership qualities Hawkins has been a great member of the women's soccer team at UW-RF and should do a fantastic job in whatever she does after graduation.