Laney Martens, a senior biology major from the Town of Snowmass Village, Colorado, has left her mark at Lawrence. A dual-sport varsity athlete, she was a part of the first group of athletes to play on the women’s hockey team, and she has also been on the varsity softball team for all four years of her collegiate career.
Martens’ career started with figure skating at a young age, a skill her parents said was essential to learn. Then she joined a u10 hockey girls’ team and fell in love with competitive hockey from there. Her high school team dominated the sport, going undefeated for many years and she knew early on that she wanted to play in college.
Lawrence women’s hockey was a brand-new program when Martens decided to join the team. Whilst having many potential universities to play hockey at, she loved how academically challenging Lawrence’s classes were alongside how tight knit the community was.
Many years from now, she hopes to see the program thriving, with the knowledge that she was a part of the program’s foundation.
“We wouldn’t have been able to start this program without those first thirteen girls,” shares Martens. “The unique challenge of starting a program is knowing that you are going to have to start at rock bottom. [It] is a unique struggle that a lot of people don’t think about.”
The program started during COVID, which meant a lot of hard work and commitment for what would only be a nine-game season at first. However, one of Martens’ favorite things about being a part of a new program is getting to experience so many different firsts with the team, program and school. The first penalty, first goal and first win were all huge milestones, all whilst playing some of the best teams in the nation.
Lawrence also provided Martens with a chance to continue to pursue softball. The sport, while her secondary one, was one she always had a lot of love and passion for. The outfielder has been playing since she was three years old, and when provided the chance to try out her first year, she didn’t hesitate to take on the unique responsibilities of a dual-sport athlete.
Martens not only represents Lawrence on the rink and field, but she also is involved in the golf club and is a chair on LIGHT.
“We don’t call it the Lawrence busy for nothing,” says Martens. “But I love the sports that I do and wouldn’t have it any other way if I had to do it all over again.”
When asked what advice she would have for prospective college athletes, Martens concluded, “Love the sport that you do. Be yourself, not who other people want you to be. I am probably the most quirky person ever, but I don’t have any regrets. Coaches don’t want robots. They want athletes to be themselves. Seriously, have fun.”