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Estevan water polo athlete will keep playing in West Virginia

Estevan’s Taeghan Hack has committed to play water polo for the Salem University of West Virginia. She said it took her a significant amount of time to make a decision that will define the next four years of her life.
Taeghan Hack
Estevan’s Taeghan Hack signed for the Salem University of West Virginia. Photo submitted

Estevan’s Taeghan Hack has committed to play water polo for the Salem University of West Virginia. She said it took her a significant amount of time to make a decision that will define the next four years of her life.

“I’ve been working for about three years trying to get a scholarship, I’ve been talking to schools for three years,” said Hack.

Originally the size of the school wasn’t essential criteria for deciding on the university, but the level of the athletics was what mattered.

“I’ve been looking for more of the lower athletics, but still maintaining that drive to win. I would love to go to a school that was winning. And that’s what I feel I can help provide the team at Salem University. So that’s where I have signed and have committed to going to school,” said Hack.

Salem University is a smaller school, but after going on visits there Hack realized that it actually works much better for her since she also plans on having a good academic record and smaller class sizes allow more one-on-one time with professors. Salem University had other advantages as well.

“I chose this school also because it does one class a month, so you go to one class all month and then you take your final at the very end of that month… This would help me achieve better marks academically,” said Hack. 

Being strong in both sports and studying, Hack was accepted to all universities she applied for.

“I’m super proud to say that I was accepted into every single one of (the universities I applied for),” said Hack.

But in the end, Salem University was the best fit for her from all sides. She also received a scholarship there that will help her to get through the school years. 

“I got a good scholarship to go to this school, and that would help me financially as well as continue to pursue my dreams of playing water polo at a college level and receiving new experiences, new coaching, new teammates. So it will be a completely different change in my life,” said Hack.

The school will start around the end of August. And even though Hack is not new to leaving home behind in pursuit of her dream, being that far from Estevan and her family will still be a challenge.

“It’s pretty scary… I have some experience of moving away from home. I moved away when I was 15 just two hours away to come to Regina. And that was super hard, but I got to come home every weekend or most weekends,” said Hack.

She plans to come home during the breaks if she’s not tied up with training, and she also hopes that her mom, Mona Hack, will be able to come visit sometimes.

“It would be a dream come true seeing her there, watching me playing at the university level, seeing my team,” said Hack.

At the same time, Mona said that she was very excited for her daughter since that's what Taeghan always wanted.

In West Virginia, Hack will get a chance to play Division 1 and 2 schools. Their team will play in a Western Water Polo Association conference, in which they will need to win to be able to go to NCAA championship.

“(That) is what I’m hoping that our team can achieve and that we can show that we are not just a small team, that we are able to come in, we are able to fight, and we are able to win it,” said Hack.

Hack set the plank high for the next four years, but as she proved many times before she has all it takes to reach her goals.

“I want to be one of the best players on the team… I would like to have one of the top academic scores and continue ... being the highest team in the conference that has the highest GPA. So I’d like to prove that I’m able to be in the university while playing the sports at a competitive level,” said Hack.

She wants to pursue a career in nursing after, but for now, she is getting ready to start a new, American, chapter of her life. 

“I’m looking forward to it, I’m excited to meet my teammates, play with them and hopefully win in that conference, which I think it will be super amazing,” said Hack.