MICDS senior Olivia Polk is a triple threat sports standout. Senior captain of the squash, field hockey and lacrosse teams, she has been named U.S. Lacrosse Academic All-American and U.S. Squash Association Scholar-Athlete and also is a member of the National Field Hockey Coaches Association National Academic Squad.
A love for sport runs in Polk’s blood. “My mom played field hockey and lacrosse at Denison University, so those were the first two sports I picked up,” she says. “And my grandfather played squash his whole life, including at Princeton, so when MICDS got a team he encouraged me to try out.” Polk made varsity as a freshman in 2010, and now plays No. 1.
Within the past year, both the field hockey and lacrosse teams have been state champions, with the field hockey team’s win capping off an undefeated season. “I can’t say which win I liked more, but both were very fun for me,” Polk says, “especially this year in field hockey, being the captain of the state team.”
Polk, exhibiting strong leadership skills, was voted captain by her field hockey and squash teams, and was hand-picked for the job by her lacrosse coaches. She says her persistence is her biggest strength as an athlete. “I get frustrated when I’m not performing as well as I want to, and I will go out to the squash courts to work on it,” she says.
Recently accepted to Williams College in Massachusetts, Polk will continue her lacrosse career as an undergraduate. “Although I always like the sport that’s in season at the time best, lacrosse is my strongest sport,” she says. Beyond college, Polk hopes to be a lifelong squash enthusiast. “I’ll definitely play squash my whole life. It’s easy to pick back up.”