With the 2021 season starting this week, GoStanford.com will be offering a glimpse into the lives behind the Stanford Softball team. Today we feature a Q&A with the senior class of Eleni Spirakis (Saratoga, Calif. / M.S. Aeronautics and Astronomics), Montana Dixon (Lakewood, Calif. / Psychology), Maddy Dwyer (Orange, Calif. / American Studies), Kristina Inouye (Huntington Beach, Calif. / M.S. Computer Science), Nikki Bauer (Sebewaing, Mich. / Political Science) and Teaghan Cowles (Ridgefield, Wash. / M.S. Biology)
Q: How Did You Get into Softball?
Eleni Spirakis: I started playing when I was 6 and never stopped.
Montana Dixon: As a kid my dad always put my siblings and I in all kinds of sports. So, I actually started with dance and karate. Than went into basketball, volleyball and softball. And I realized I just loved softball more than all the others.
Maddy Dwyer: I got into softball because my mom played in high school and it was one of the sports that my parents wanted me to try out when I was 4.
Kristina Inouye: I started playing in a rec league when I was 5. My Dad was my coach.
Nikki Bauer: It's a major sport in my town, and all of my classmates and I always dreamed of being part of our little dynasty.
Teaghan Cowles: I started when I was little (4), my dad coached me!
Q: Who is Your Role Model and Why?
Eleni Spirakis: My parents, for pushing me to be my best and encouraging me to learn and grow.
Montana Dixon: Michelle Obama
Maddy Dwyer: Nikki Bauer because she leads her life with kindness, compassion, and empathy for others.
Kristina Inouye: Two people: my mom because she has set an amazing example of being both a high-level, competitive, female athlete and a working mom. Ashley Hansen because she was always my softball role model and made me interested in attending Stanford.
Nikki Bauer: My mother, who is a nurse. Watching her handle this pandemic has been the most humbling experience and I'm so lucky to be her daughter.
Teaghan Cowles: Both my parents for different aspects, and of course I idolized Sally Ride (a Stanford grad!)
Q: If you could switch places with any person for a day, who would you switch with?
Eleni Spirakis: Someone onboard the International Space Station
Montana Dixon: Rihanna, I think she is a super amazing woman and I would love to spend a day in her life.
Maddy Dwyer: It would be the president of the United States (whoever it is) because I would first, want to find out if aliens are real and if the government knows anything about them, and second be able to visit Area 51.
Kristina Inouye: Melinda Gates because I admire her work on women's issues in developing countries and would love to experience the world in the way she does.
Nikki Bauer: Kathleen Rubins, a super impressive NASA astronaut who is currently on the International Space Station. Simply because I think it would be incredible to experience space, but am far from science inclined.
Teaghan Cowles: Someone with lower cortisol levels.
Q: What is your Favorite Way to Spend a Day Off?
Eleni Spirakis: Asleep, or at the beach.
Montana Dixon: Outside on the oval or around main quad with my teammates.
Maddy Dwyer: My favorite way to spend a day off is being out in the sun somewhere with my friends and enjoying their company.
Kristina Inouye: Realistically, catching up on all my work. But work aside, I like getting to see friends, walking around campus, and baking things.
Nikki Bauer: Hiking, sitting on the beach, anything outside in nature.
Teaghan Cowles: Escaping to the coast or watching cartoons.
Q: What is your game day superstition?
Eleni Spirakis: I'm not superstitious, so just some music to stay relaxed.
Montana Dixon: I do my hair the same way every game, listen to the same playlist and always put my bracelets half way up my arm.
Maddy Dwyer: I drink a big cup of coffee.
Kristina Inouye: I don't really have a set one – It's kind of just whatever is working at any given point. For example, last year I lived in a house on the row and the chef made amazing brownies every Friday so for a while last season I ate a small square of brownie before every game.
Nikki Bauer: The team music.
Teaghan Cowles: Coffee, some music, and hanging with teammates.