WIth the spring season about to start, we caught up with sophomore Sienna Lyford who is is looking forward to the challenge of upping her game to close out the season.

In your second season, what are some of your goals for yourself and for the team overall?

My individual goals are to place Top 3 in a tournament and play more consistently. As a team, I hope to win a tournament and win the Big West Conference Championship would be really cool too! 

You were one of three players to play in every round last season. How have you been able to develop such consistency so early in your career at UCI?

Although last season was my first year of college golf, I played a lot junior golf tournaments before coming to UCI, which gave me a lot of confidence that I could compete at a high level. Even though I had a lot of junior tournament experience, playing at the collegiate level was still an adjustment since the caliber of play is so much higher and everyone here is so good. I worked really hard last season and I learned so much from every tournament I played in. I am very grateful that Coach Brooks has had so much confidence in me as a player and has given me so many opportunities to compete.  

With both of your parents having played golf collegiately and professionally, as well as continuing to coach today, what has been the most influential advice that they have shared with you?

My parents have helped me in every step of my golf career. As both of my parents were competitive golfers, they have been through the same challenges that I go through and they are always the first people I call after a bad round. Besides all the technical skills they have taught me, the biggest lesson I have learned from them, is to stay patient. I have a tendency to be very hard on myself, but my parents always tell me to trust the process and keep working hard, and the results will follow as long as I stay patient. 

Since your dad played at CSUN and your mom played at rival Long Beach State, do they ever joke with you about not choosing their alma mater?

My parents didn't have very much school spirit so they were never pushing their schools on me. I did tour Long Beach State with my mom, but both of my parents wanted me to choose the school that I felt suited me best. I am very happy that I chose UCI!

After your first year, you earned the UCI Dean's List and Academic All-American honors. Please share what both mean to you as a student-athlete and what it took to earn those achievements.

School has always been a priority for me and I set very high standards for myself both on the golf course and in the classroom. Earning the Dean's List and Academic All-American honors means a lot to me because it validates that all the early mornings, late nights, and stressful weeks were worth it. 

You mentioned that having an interest in math helped lead you to majoring in Business Economics and Accounting. What are some of your early plans for after you graduate from UCI?

I'm still trying to figure out exactly what I want to do for a career, but after I graduate from UCI, I hope to have a job somewhere in the finance realm of business. In the meantime, I hope to gain some work experience through internships in the upcoming summers. 

Your sister, Cheney, won a national championship in Synchronized Ice Skating at Miami University. Were you ever interested in ice skating as well, or have you always been all-in with golf?

I did try ice skating when I was five years old, but I quit because I wanted to do dance. That obviously didn't work out either! My sister and I are very supportive of each other and her work ethic always inspired me, but as the younger sister I liked having my independence which is why I chose to pursue a different sport.

With an interest in cooking, what is your favorite meal to cook? And do you have any favorite shows on the Food Channel or favorite chefs on television?

I really like cooking Korean food like korean short ribs and kimchi fried rice. My favorite cooking show is Master Chef.