No surprise at Santa Clara University that 'scary bright' athlete earned Rhodes Scholarship

By Mark Emmons
Mercury News

Posted: 04/18/2009 09:16:42 PM PDT
Updated: 04/19/2009 07:50:28 AM PDT

Here's the amazing thing you should know about Santa Clara University senior Noelle Lopez. Nobody was surprised when she was named a Rhodes Scholar in November.

Lopez chose Santa Clara in part because the school recruited her to run. Outside the classroom, she has taken part in programs such as English tutoring and an internship working with a Salinas nonprofit that's improving access to organically grown food. (Her work included time in the fields.)

Service said Lopez epitomizes a team that has less than one single athletic scholarship.

"They're all mini-Rhodes Scholars," Service said. "They're really smart girls who still find the time to compete at Division I sports and give of their time."

What Lopez hasn't been throughout her Santa Clara career is healthy. ... It was only as a senior co-captain last fall that she ran in her first West Coast Conference cross-country meet, finishing 21st. This spring, she has recorded personal-best times in four events - from the 800 meters to the 10,000 meters - that rank her in the top four in school history.

Lopez prefers to focus on what she can control - like the Rhodes process. It culminated with a personal interview in Colorado Springs. Being a college student, she owns no business attire. So she ended up borrowing a suit that [teammate Veronica] Vazquez had worn to a successful job interview.

"It became the lucky suit when I got the scholarship," Lopez said. ( more ... )

(emphasis added)