inspire
“I was given talents and work with them the best that I can.”
::sw
ELASHIER “LACIE” HALL Basketball, Syracuse University
BY FARAH F. JADRAN | PHOTO BY MICHAEL OKONIEWSKI
“The moment I realized I was on the billboard, it was so humbling. I think I almost cried.” “Humble” does not even begin to describe the genuine and truthful character of Elashier “Lacie” Hall, a senior guard for Syracuse University’s women’s basketball team. When she found out that she was featured on a now well-known billboard on 690 West in Syracuse, she was so happy and honestly, speechless. Her down-to-earth personality is apparent as soon as you hear her talk about her passion for athletics, but also her passion for her school work and future aspirations. And now that Lacie is in her senior year at SU, she’s not going out quietly. “It’s my last year. I don’t want to leave any stone unturned,” said Lacie during an interview at the latest Big East Media Day. She recommends that you, “Don’t leave it down to one possession at the end of the game.” Again, her passion is not only visible on the court, but in the classroom. In her interview with Syracuse Woman Magazine, she admitted the challenges of being a student-athlete fluctuates. However, as a double major in accounting and real estate, her studying time has increased even more. “It’s a lot of time on top of basketball,” Lacie said, but the long hours don’t bother her one bit. “This is what I do. I don’t settle for one thing” Because she wanted to expand her fields of study, she accepted the added work. “You can’t play basketball forever,” Lacie said. “At the end of the day I’ll be set.” As a scholarship athlete, Lacie encourages other student-athletes to take advantage of the fact that “you’re going to school for free.” When she’s home in Washington, D.C., she stays true to her roots and stops in to the local recreational center to shoot some hoops. Among many moments she’s had at this particular rec center, Lacie says she will never forget when a young girl’s father asked her to give his daughter a few pointers on the court. “That was cool,” Lacie said. “I talked to her about college and what she should do. That’s what I get the most joy out of.” Those looking into the life of star student-athletes such as Lacie might assume that everything comes easily to her. However, that’s not the case at all. Hard work and dedication are at the root of Lacie’s success but her genuine passion is what exalts her to succeed. “It’s definitely challenging. It’s hard because you are good [at your sport] and people expect so much from you and you need to keep that up. I was given talents and work with them the best that I can and push my teammates.” During her four years on the court for the Orange, Lacie says this year is by far the best one. “We have so much versatility on our bench, and our starters.” Although she is enjoying her time with the freshmen, Lacie says it’s “bittersweet” because they only have one year to play together. “[We have] so much talent that we have no choice but to go further than we have in past years,” Lacie said. “I have so much excitement in this year.”
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february 2013 :: syracuseWomanMag.com
While Lacie is one of the apparent leaders on the court for the Orange, the team’s overall leader, Coach Quentin Hillsman, also sees Lacie as a positive influence on the squad. “Lacie is a great competitor that has an unwavering (continued on page 44)