University of Connecticut Athletics
Sanford, CT Native, Reflects on UConn Career
7/11/2018 12:38:00 PM | Softball
Played in 1994 and 1995 seasons for Huskies.
STORRS, Conn. - As the summer months roll on, UConn softball looks to catch up with some of the people who have laid the groundwork to make the team what it is today – reviving its "UConn Softball: Where Are They Now?" feature series to highlight the accomplishments of some of our proud alumnae.
Sandra Sanford transferred to UConn for the start of the 1994 season, after spending the first two years of her collegiate career at C.W. Post/Long Island University where she played both field hockey and softball.
A native of Southbury, Conn., Sanford attended Pomperaug High School – meaning she had homegrown roots when joining the Huskies under Hall of Fame head coach Karen Mullins. She played two seasons in Storrs, helping the program to a combined 66-38 record and a 1995 Big East Championship.
Sanford served as a co-captain in her senior season at UConn and did not disappoint, as she was selected NSCA All-Northeast Region First Team as a designated player. She recorded a home run, 23 RBI and 42 hits while hitting .274 in Big East play during the campaign.
Since graduation, Sanford's career was as a social worker and then head softball coach at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa. For the last 24 years, she has been with her partner, Jennifer Wardwell – a 1997 UConn graduate and former Husky softball player.
At UConn, Sanford studied human development and family relations, with a concentration in family services and counseling.
Catch up with Sandra below by reading her responses and stay updated on our alums by visiting our "Where Are They Now?" homepage HERE.
Where do you live now?
I live in the beautiful, small coastal village of Yarmouth, Maine.
What was your major at UConn?
I studied Human Development and Family Relations with a concentration in Family Services and Counseling.
What is your current occupation?
I am now a wife and the full-time mom of an awesome seven-year old daughter (Tessie) after a career as a social worker and then as the head softball coach at Allegheny College in Meadville, PA.
What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment since graduating from UConn?
My greatest accomplishments since graduating from UConn are being a mom to Tessie and a partner/wife of 24 years to Jennifer Wardwell, '97.
What's your favorite UConn softball memory?
We were stuck in California due to severe rains and flooding during our spring break trip in '95. The highways and fields were flooded so we couldn't go anywhere. We worked out, did circuits in the parking lot, lifted at a local gym, and got a lot of fun team-time in at the hotel! We did end up playing a couple of games by the end of the week!
How did your time at UConn help prepare you for life after graduation?
Being a UConn softball player helped me have the mental toughness to give birth to my daughter naturally and without pain medication. I clearly remember, while in labor and giving birth, being thankful for my athletics background to help me be strong enough to do such a difficult thing.
My time as a Husky also helped me prepare for and achieve one of my bucket list items of completing the Marine Corp Marathon in 2014 in honor of my father who is a Marine and Vietnam veteran. Goal setting and perseverance - UConn athletics honed those skills in me!
Sandra Sanford transferred to UConn for the start of the 1994 season, after spending the first two years of her collegiate career at C.W. Post/Long Island University where she played both field hockey and softball.
A native of Southbury, Conn., Sanford attended Pomperaug High School – meaning she had homegrown roots when joining the Huskies under Hall of Fame head coach Karen Mullins. She played two seasons in Storrs, helping the program to a combined 66-38 record and a 1995 Big East Championship.
Sanford served as a co-captain in her senior season at UConn and did not disappoint, as she was selected NSCA All-Northeast Region First Team as a designated player. She recorded a home run, 23 RBI and 42 hits while hitting .274 in Big East play during the campaign.
Since graduation, Sanford's career was as a social worker and then head softball coach at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa. For the last 24 years, she has been with her partner, Jennifer Wardwell – a 1997 UConn graduate and former Husky softball player.
At UConn, Sanford studied human development and family relations, with a concentration in family services and counseling.
Catch up with Sandra below by reading her responses and stay updated on our alums by visiting our "Where Are They Now?" homepage HERE.
Where do you live now?
I live in the beautiful, small coastal village of Yarmouth, Maine.
What was your major at UConn?
I studied Human Development and Family Relations with a concentration in Family Services and Counseling.
What is your current occupation?
I am now a wife and the full-time mom of an awesome seven-year old daughter (Tessie) after a career as a social worker and then as the head softball coach at Allegheny College in Meadville, PA.
What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment since graduating from UConn?
My greatest accomplishments since graduating from UConn are being a mom to Tessie and a partner/wife of 24 years to Jennifer Wardwell, '97.
What's your favorite UConn softball memory?
We were stuck in California due to severe rains and flooding during our spring break trip in '95. The highways and fields were flooded so we couldn't go anywhere. We worked out, did circuits in the parking lot, lifted at a local gym, and got a lot of fun team-time in at the hotel! We did end up playing a couple of games by the end of the week!
How did your time at UConn help prepare you for life after graduation?
Being a UConn softball player helped me have the mental toughness to give birth to my daughter naturally and without pain medication. I clearly remember, while in labor and giving birth, being thankful for my athletics background to help me be strong enough to do such a difficult thing.
My time as a Husky also helped me prepare for and achieve one of my bucket list items of completing the Marine Corp Marathon in 2014 in honor of my father who is a Marine and Vietnam veteran. Goal setting and perseverance - UConn athletics honed those skills in me!
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