SALISBURY, Md. – This is "Nest to Nest," a regular series spotlighting the big miles and bigger stories of the Sea Gull student-athletes on each team who traveled the farthest to be at Salisbury University. This week, we tag along with
Mackenzie Demaio of women's lacrosse as we visit arguably the most postcard-worthy locale in the Continental U.S.
Mackenzie Demaio | Gr. Attack, Women's Lacrosse
Hometown:
San Diego, California
Population:
1,404,452
Distance from Salisbury:
2,738 miles
Driving Time:
41 hours
What would you say your hometown is known for?
I would say the food, in my opinion. If there's something I miss the most about San Diego, it's the food. I would also say the weather. Those are two of the biggest things I think everyone talks about when they think of San Diego – you can throw the palm trees in there, too.
What's your favorite hometown hangout spot?
So I lived right next to the beach in a part of San Diego called Coronado, which is an island. Half of it is a Navy base, and the other half is kind of just like a town. So I spent a lot of my time at the beach; we rode our bikes a lot and did different things along those lines outdoors.
Which local sports teams do you root for?
Well I was actually born in Boston before I moved to California with my family, so I am actually a New England Patriots fan, Red Sox fan, Celtics fan, all the Boston teams.
How did you hear about Salisbury University?
Actually, my family moved east because my brothers were playing lacrosse at the University of Maryland. My parents were flying here every weekend to watch them play, and then they ended up making the decision to move us out here to Maryland. And that's where I heard about Salisbury, but I did my first four years at Hood College in Frederick; Salisbury was a bigger school that I wanted to transfer to, and I ended up doing that for my graduate year.
What's the biggest difference between life in your hometown and life here in Salisbury?
Well compared to Frederick I think I prefer Salisbury because of the beach right down the road; that's a nice perk. A big difference between here and San Diego is the weather; it's a lot colder here. A big thing I noticed about Maryland overall is that there are so many trees and not a lot of water. California is also very, very hilly, depending on the area you were in; there were a lot of mountains too.
What's something you can turn to that reminds you of your hometown on the days when you miss it?
I have a little tattoo on my arm that has the California bear from the California flag, so I can just look at that when I want a little reminder.
How would you sell someone on visiting your hometown?
I mean, there are so many different things I could talk about. Usually I end up talking about my favorite food there, which is a California burrito – French fries, carne asada, sour cream, cheese, sometimes guacamole – they have the best burritos out there. Disneyland is also right down the street from San Diego, and I also really like snorkeling. There's so many things you can do, and I highly recommend visiting if you can.
Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with affiliate membership in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (football, men's & women's swimming), Coastal Lacrosse Conference (men's lacrosse), State University of New York Athletic Conference (field hockey), and Colonial Women's Golf Conference (women's golf). With over 500 student-athletes in 23 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the nation's most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, featuring dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on and off the field. The Sea Gulls have won a combined 23 team national championships, 24 individual national championships, and 207 conference championships, and have produced 54 Academic All-Americans.
To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.
