Out of the Water with Kristin Hoogenboom
3/2/2006 12:00:00 AM | Water Polo
As a vital piece to a championship-winning team in 2005, Oregon native Kristin Hoogenboom has sustained her high level of performance for this season's Michigan Wolverines team. The senior is a stable and consistent mainstay in the two meter for U-M, whose pride is keeping its opponent off the board.
Hoogenboom just recently went over the century mark in games played for Michigan against UC Irvine. She has also eclipsed the 50-steal and 50-assist marks for her career already this season, while her 87 career goals rank near the top in all-time career goals at Michigan.
Coming from a high school on the outskirts of Portland, Hoogenboom excelled in both athletics and academics and she has continued those efforts at Michigan. In addition to four years on the varsity water polo program during her high school career, Hoogenboom played varsity tennis for two seasons and swam on the swimming and diving team. She earned four awards as water polo team captain in 2002, including NISCA All-American second team and First team all-state.
The 2003 senior and junior Olympics participant, whose favorite place to eat on campus, without hesitation, is Jimmy John's, recently discussed her Michigan career.
On why she came to Michigan
"Mostly to be able to play, but also the education. I am an architecture major and Michigan had that available. Water polo was the main draw, though. It was kind of hard to tell what would happen because the year that I came in we were having a coaching change so I was never recruited by Matt (Anderson). The previous coach I liked a lot, too."
On adjusting to Michigan coming from Portland, Oregon
"It is a lot colder here. If I was from California, I think it'd be a bit different. But being from Oregon where water polo is much smaller just like it is here, it made it a little bit easier to adapt than it is coming from California."
On balancing architecture and Division I water polo
"It's hard. I don't get a lot of sleep, but I have learned over the past four years to balance my time well. It works out. I love both architecture and water polo so I can't imagine either of them not being in my life."
On her most memorable moment during the past four years
"My most memorable moment in water polo was last year winning Eastern's. When we scored the final goal on a 6-on-5 and Matt (Anderson) and our media guy (Paul Dickerson) got thrown in the water. I also remember the day I called Amber (Drury-Pinto) to tell her I was coming to Michigan to play water polo. I remember they were on a bus trip."
On her plans following graduation
"I am going back to Oregon to work for a few years in an architecture firm. Then I want to go back to school. I want to get my masters in architecture on the West Coast; somewhere warmer."
On her pregame superstition
"I like to be by myself, listening to music. I like to think more so than get pumped up with the team."
COACH MATT ANDERSON'S TAKE:
"The amount that she has grown as a player in four years has been amazing. She barely made the team as a freshman. She worked and worked to reach a level that last year she became a huge part of our Eastern Championship team and has continued that into her senior year. She is the classic example of a person becoming a good Division I athlete because she was willing to put determination and focus into it. She does that in her class work, too. She is in one of the most demanding majors and is a student-athlete. She is everything that Michigan stands for: top academics and top athletics. With Megan Hausmann in the Business School and Kristin in the Architecture Engineering School, they exemplify exactly what this school can provide."
Contact: Matt Baumer (734) 763-4423
