Last Tuesday Santa Clara lost to Gonzaga 79-68 in the WCC tourney title game but still earned an at-large bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. At 26-8, the Broncos are 1 win away from tying the record for the most in school history (27-2 in 1969) and are now heading back to the NCAA tourney for the 1st time in 30 years. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Santa Clara dancer Ysela Salgado about some of her favorite hobbies and making the NCAA tourney.
You are from Chicago, IL: what made you choose SCU? There were a few key factors that influenced my decision to attend Santa Clara, including its strong business program, the opportunity to continue dancing at the college level, and the warmer weather. When I visited in April for Preview Day and attended the spring dance clinic, I truly fell in love with both the school and its campus.
You are majoring in Business Management: how did you choose that subject? I choose Management because my dream is to become an entrepreneur and run my own business. I believe that Management will allow me to learn all aspects of a business.
You are a freshman: do you have a post-graduation plan yet? Not yet, though I plan to graduate early and stay in the Bay Area.
You are on the dance team: how long have you been dancing for? I started off doing gymnastics at the age of seven and then in seventh grade I switched over to dance and have been dancing ever since.
Some of your hobbies include cooking/baking: do you have a favorite dish to make? My favorite dish to cook is lemon chicken sausage orzo pasta. My favorite dessert to make is homemade strawberry shortcake. They are the favorites for my family and I since I love cooking and baking for them.
What is your favorite highlight from this season so far? The highlight of the season so far was beating St. Mary’s at the WCC tournament. Everyone was so excited and was confident we would win during the entire game.
Santa Clara had not made the NCAA Tournament in 30 years: what was the reaction like on campus last Sunday when the team finally made it? It was insane: everyone was so happy and excited for the team. This is something the team worked so hard for so watching them make it this far is so exciting.
What will it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? It means a lot, especially since the dance team has not performed at this level in over 30 years: it truly feels like a privilege. Speaking for the freshmen, we feel incredibly lucky to be part of such a special first season.
Does your squad have anything planned for St. Louis? Not much: just to practice, perform and support the team!
Any predictions for the Broncos this week? Considering the way our team has been playing and performing this season, I am confident they will have a strong run in the tournament.
