SAINT LEO, Fla. - The Saint Leo Department of Athletics launched a student-athlete spotlight, recognizing two student-athletes (one male and one female), who excelled in their respective sport and/or in the classroom, each month. The student-athletes selected for the month of January are softball catcher,
Deanna Falciglia, and men's track sprinter,
Andrew Sands.
Deanna Falciglia is known as "DJ" by teammates and friends. She was selected to be student-athlete spotlight this month as she always puts her team first. Her head coach,
Erin Kinberger, calls her the team's spark plug, DJ puts in an exceptional amount of work on her game day-in and day-out. DJ has become a true leader of SLUSB and always takes the younger players under her wing and helps them be the best they can be. We are proud of her as a student-athlete, strong young woman, the leader she is, and the fantastic leader she will become.
Andrew Sands recently graduated from Saint Leo University with a bachelor's degree in sport business. Andrew continues to show hard work and determination through the off-season and is a prime example of an excellent student-athlete for the Lions. He has had great success during his time at Saint Leo with his academics and performance in practice and competition.
- Name: Deanna Falciglia
- Sport: Softball
- Hometown: Bronx, New York
- Major: Sport Business
- Year: Senior
- Get to know more about Deanna
- Three things on your "bucket list"? 1. Go sky-diving 2. Visit Italy 3. Go horseback riding on a beach
- What is your favorite food? Steak preferably a rare/medium rare ribeye
- Do you have any words of advice for younger/upcoming student-athletes? Trust the process. It's not always going to be easy, especially in the beginning. Your mind and body are going to go through more than you're used to. But, if you remain positive and trust your process of hard work, determination, and love for the game, then the feeling of working towards something bigger will feel so rewarding, and you'll have memories and teammates to last you a lifetime.
- If you were stranded on an island, which one of your teammates would you want with you and why? Technically, she's not a teammate but I would choose Coach K. She is so smart and 100% has quite a few wilderness tricks up her sleeve. This New York girl would need some of that outdoorsy Coach K knowledge.
- What is your greatest sports moment? In 2018, my freshman year, we won Super Regionals on our home field to send us to the Division II World Series. Our families and friends were there and there is nothing like the feeling we had as a team when we all came together in celebration on our field.
- Who is your childhood idol and why? Derek Jeter. I've been a Yankee fan since I was a little girl and the first jersey I ever wore was a pink Jeter jersey. Then, as I got older, I began to admire how he played and how he carried himself with class.
- If you could live anywhere, where would it be? On the beach somewhere in New Jersey.
- Who/What got you interested in your sport, and when did you start playing? My dad got me interested in softball, and he was my coach from when I was five years old up until college. I'll always be thankful for that.
- A favorite quote that you live by? I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" - Philippians 4:13
- Name: Andrew Sands
- Sport: Men's Track
- Hometown: Nassau, Bahamas
- Major: MBA
- Year: 2022, anticipated graduation (MBA)
- Get to know more about Andrew
- Where do you hope to be five years from now? In the next five years, I hope to be closer to my career goal of becoming an athletic director.
- What advice would you give an incoming first-year student-athlete? The advice I would give is to enjoy every moment on and off the field. It is a little different experience because of the world adjusting to Covid-19, but I would also like to add that don't let oppurtunities pass you by. This world is about who you know, so don't be afraid to network get close to teammates, professors, or coaches.
- Three things on your "bucket list"? 1. Traveling to Dubai 2. Attend an Olympic Games 3. Learn two languages
- Favorite athletic memory? My favorite athletic memory doesn't involve my athletic ability. Still, I was able to volunteer at the World Relays event in the Bahamas that brought in many professional athletes. I was able to get my shoe signed by Usain Bolt and several other sprinters who offered great advice.
- If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be, and what would you ask them? Two people I would like to meet are Kobe Bryant and Stephen Curry. I would ask Kobe what kept him motivated even when he was the best, and I would ask Steph what it is like having your very own brand.
- What is your favorite food? My favorite food would have to be seafood (conch, lobster, shrimp). I also like takeout food from back home, like Bamboo and Out East.
- Who is your favorite person to follow on social media? Sydney McLaughlin, she is one of the fastest females in the world, and Filay who has some of the funniest commentary on sports highlights.
- Who/What got you interested in your sport, and when did you start playing? I always would get challenged to a race by my friends that trained, and they motivated me to take it seriously, so my senior year in high school I joined my track club (Club Monica), and the rest is history.
- What is your favorite movie? I have two favorite movies, Get Out and Glory Road.
- A favorite quote that you live by? "If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door" by Milton Berle.
Check out the previous Student-Athlete spotlights:
October,
November,
December
Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
