By Aaron Castrejon
BroncoAthletics.com
Colorado Force Team Page
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - After tremendous careers with the Cal Poly Pomona women's soccer program,
Britany Garrett and
Stephanie Sandino will compete for the W-League's Colorado Force this summer.
The Force are in the Western Conference of the United Soccer Leagues (USL) and play their seasons during the summer. The team has thrived in the Northern Colorado region and represents the smallest city in the 41-team W-League.
In her senior season with the Broncos, Garrett earned a spot on the All-California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) First Team and the Daktronics All-West Region Second Team. At the CPP Night of Excellence held on May 10, Sandino received the Hal Charnofsky Award, given to CCAA student-athletes who have distinguished themselves in the classroom and in their sport.
Sandino, a Kinesiology major, flew to Colorado in early May to try out with the team and had some grueling obstacles to overcome. At the time, she was suffering from a sore throat and a fever of over 100 degrees.
"I was just hoping I would be healthier then what I was feeling," Sandino said. "I felt horrible, but I still managed to get there and do what I could."
Sandino also had to cope with the high altitudes Colorado harbors and almost immediately felt the effects of the change in elevation.
"I thought I was fit, but the high altitude threw me off a little bit," Sandino said. "It's really hard to breathe. I took that for granted. It's just something to get used to over here."
Sandino is not quite finished with her studies at Cal Poly Pomona. She has a few classes left to take, so the summer league was a perfect fit for her.
The league kicked off on May 20, with Sandino set to arrive in Colorado after CPP's spring quarter to join the team and begin playing.
"This is something I wanted to do for quite a while now and now that I have it in reach just feels great," Sandino said. "It's been a great ride here at Cal Poly and I'm ready to move on."
The Colorado Force organization reaches over 15,000 fans and participants through its home games, events, tournaments, leagues and youth outreach programs.
