Women’s basketball captain Samantha “Sam” Partonen ’14 has wins on the court and in the classroom, but her real joy is being a part of the UMW Eagles women’s basketball squad. “Our team is the most positive, hard-working team I know, and that’s the only reason I am able to experience any kind of individual success,” said Partonen, an honor student. Coach Deena Applebury said the senior guard gives as much as she gets. Partonen earned first- and second-team status on the All-Capital Athletic Conference women’s basketball team, and she joined her Eagles teammates among the Elite 8 in the 2012 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III women’s basketball tournament. Partonen led the Eagles with 102 assists and averaged 12 points per game last season. She led the season in points per game with an average of 11.3, helping her team end with an 18-8 record. A native of Burke, Va., and valedictorian of her Robinson High School class, Partonen studies English and plans to … [Read more...]