How Emory athletes find the Eagle Edge

Crow Thorsen

FROM FIRST SWIM CLASS TO A COLLEGIATE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP  

Tears streamed down the eight-year-old’s face. He’d learned to swim at the beach when his family lived in San Diego, but he did not want to go anywhere that day, including his first summer league swim class.

“My family had just moved, and my parents knew joining the swim team was a good way for me to make new friends. Luckily, the first day was all games in the pool, and I was hooked,” says Crow Thorsen, who graduated in May 2025 with bachelor’s degrees in international studies and psychology. “I’ve been swimming competitively ever since.”

A team captain and standout with the Emory swimming and diving team, Thorsen is an NCAA Division III National Champion and record holder in the 400m individual medley and 800m freestyle relay. He holds Emory’s varsity record in both events and earned All-American honors in eight events, as well as College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America honors.

Thorsen is now pursuing a master’s in management at Emory. He values Emory’s academic rigor, but personal relationships brought him to the university and have been key to his success.

“I chose Emory because I loved the swimmers and coaches I talked to throughout the recruiting process,” he says. “It meant a lot that so many upperclassmen took the time to connect with me although we wouldn’t be overlapping on the team.”

Thorsen sees his Emory experience defined by his time on the swimming and diving team.

“I arrived on campus with 80-plus teammates who were my friends from day one. My memories with them, coaches and others mean the world to me. I’ve learned that it’s all about relationships.”

Thorsen offers younger student-athletes the same advice his head coach, Jon Howell, gave him and his Emory teammates.

“You get out of it what you put into it. Invest wisely and go big,” Thorsen says. “Working hard is fun and rewarding, so give your all in your sport and in the classroom. And always remember to make time for your friends — especially those who make you smile.”

Leah Wang

FROM EAGLE SCOUT TO EMORY EAGLE 

Leah Wang was a member of a select group of Eagles even before she joined the Emory women’s soccer team. While she was earning academic and athletic honors in high school, Wang was also a member of the inaugural group of 1,000 young women who earned the coveted Eagle Scout rank in Scouting America, formerly Boy Scouts of America. Only an estimated 6% of the nation’s millions of Scouts complete the demanding requirements to reach Eagle. But Wang was just getting started.

A junior majoring in history and business, Wang was selected in fall 2024 for the NCAA Division III Student Immersion Program and attended the NCAA Convention in January 2025. There, she gained insight into the governance, leadership and operations of college athletics, while networking with industry professionals and building relationships with student-athletes from across the country, many of whom she keeps in touch with today.

On Feb. 5, National Girls and Women in Sports Day 2025, Wang spoke before the United States Congress, supporting the “Fair Play for Women Act,” a bill to strengthen Title IX. She was selected for that honor through her work with the Voice In Sport (VIS) Foundation, a nonprofit that advocates for girls and women in sports through research, education and advocacy. Her work with VIS also brought recognition as a 2025 Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award Regional Honoree by the Billie Jean King Foundation.

Closer to home, Wang serves as founder and president of the Asian and Pacific Islander Student-Athlete group on campus, among other volunteer engagements with the university community.

“Balancing my commitments and social life has been challenging, but I’ve been able to maintain strong academic performance, continue to grow as an athlete and build meaningful friendships along the way,” Wang says. “It’s still a work in progress, but I’ve learned to stay grounded and appreciate the opportunities I have.”

She points out that her success is far from a solo act.

“I’m especially grateful to my advisors, coaches and leaders of the athletic department,” she says. “And the Eagle Edge Program has helped me build professional skills through resume workshops, networking opportunities and career development resources.”

Wang is also thankful to her fellow student-athletes.

“We have a strong sense of camaraderie and mutual support,” she says. “Whether it’s studying together, showing up for each other’s events, or building friendships off the field, the student-athlete community plays a meaningful role in my Emory experience.”

Josh Grand

SOCCER AS A STEPPING STONE TO OTHER LANGUAGES AND CULTURES

Josh Grand says his zeal for soccer taught him to speak new languages, introduced him to his best friends and instilled lessons he will carry for a lifetime.

“From a very early age, I learned that a big world exists beyond our own little bubbles,” says Grand, whose parents work in foreign policy and international development. While he was growing up in various locations, soccer showed him that people are all fundamentally alike.

“Whether I was on a team with Central American immigrants in Washington, D.C., university students in Argentina, or Dutch teenagers in Amsterdam, it became clear even before we could communicate that we shared more in common than what set us apart,” the senior says.

Grand served as captain on a championship team at his Atlanta high school, earning both academic and athletic recognition. At Emory, he is a Sonny Carter Scholar and a Franklin Fellow through Emory’s political science department. He has served twice as team captain, played on two UAA Conference championship teams, and is a three-time member of the UAA All-Academic Team and three-time UAA All-Conference soccer player, among other honors.

The athletic feats have been accomplished while double majoring in international studies as well as philosophy, politics and law.

“Emory offers the perfect balance — a chance to learn from world-class faculty while competing for national athletics championships and still having a great social life,” Grand says.

But the deciding factor was Emory’s coaches, who stuck with him throughout the entire college recruiting process, even after he tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

“That really meant a lot,” says the midfielder, adding that the support and encouragement have continued. “I’m not sure I’d still be able to play soccer if it weren’t for our trainer and the rest of the Athletics staff,” Grand says.

“And balancing my commitments is a lot, but being surrounded by 30 other guys going through the same thing keeps me motivated to maximize every minute of the day.”

Grand advises fellow student-athletes to ask for help when needed and lean on their networks. “And remember to take a step back now and then to appreciate how lucky we are,” he adds.

Sydney Holden

A LONG, BUT NOT LONELY, ROAD BACK TO WELL-BEING

The cartilage lining the edge of Sydney Holden’s right hip socket was torn in half. Her right femur — the strongest bone in the human body — was rotated 30 degrees.

The injury forced Holden to face one of her worst fears: she might never again run track, the sport that had been her passion since she was a five-year-old member of the Los Angeles Jets Youth Track Club.

It happened during her first year at Emory.

“I underwent a femoral osteotomy; they broke my right femur, rotated it into the correct position and inserted a titanium rod for stability. Physical therapy was excruciating and the recovery process challenged me physically, mentally and emotionally,” says Holden, who had to “re-establish connection” with her right leg and relearn to walk, run and, finally, sprint.

“The injury changed the way I see my future,” says the senior, who is double majoring in human health and integrated visual arts. “I’m more determined than ever to become an orthopedic surgeon and help others reclaim their strength.”

Even before that turning point, Emory offered Holden the balance she was seeking: top-notch athletics programs and a prestigious pre-med program to boot.

“My coaches and teammates kept me involved and encouraged me throughout my recovery,” says Holden. While it cost her two years of competition, she explains she wasn’t alone on the journey. “From day one, they helped me manage my schedule and athletic commitments, offering advice and sharing laughs.”

Holden, a Sonny Carter scholar, is once again running the 400m and 800m dashes for the women’s track and field team. Her days now begin with weight training in the early morning, followed by classes through late afternoon and track practice in the evening.

“It’s taken a lot of discipline, but I’ve grown through this experience. Balancing academics, athletics and social life at Emory is all about finding your own flow, and it takes practice.” She has learned that asking for help isn’t a weakness, but a strength.

“It’s also important to be patient with yourself and always remember to make time for the things that bring you joy outside school and sports,” adds Holden, who spent her summer studying for the Medical College Admissions Test. “For me, it’s taking a break occasionally to explore our beautiful campus with my four-year-old French bulldog Cudi or getting creative with my art.”

Lily Kennedy

ATHLETICS GOT HER ATTENTION, ACADEMICS CLOSED THE DEAL

Lily Kennedy was in third grade when she discovered basketball. She’s loved the game ever since. In 2022, she was named New York State Public High School Women’s Basketball Tournament MVP and made First Team All-Greater Rochester Girls Basketball.

“I chose Emory for the opportunity to play basketball at the next level while receiving a great education,” says Kennedy, a senior majoring in biology. “Athletics originally drew me toward Emory, but the amazing academics ultimately convinced me this is where I wanted to go.”

Now a guard on the Eagles women’s basketball team, Kennedy received 2024-25 UAA Winter All-Academic Honors and is a recipient of Emory’s Pathways Center Domestic Award, which helped fund her summer research with the Draganova Lab in the university’s Department of Biochemistry.

When Kennedy is not studying and playing ball, she serves as treasurer of the Emory Meals on Wheels Club and coordinator of volunteerism for the women’s basketball team. 

Kennedy found the demands of college athletics, academics and social life challenging until she devised a system to organize her studies and other commitments. Today, she plans her schedule in advance, explaining she’s had considerable help along the way.

“The university’s learning-assistant sessions for classes like chemistry and biology were incredibly helpful,” Kennedy says. “And the women’s basketball team has a great study hall for first-year students.”

She adds that her fellow student-athletes also provide support, describing them as “an amazingly tight-knit community” and counting them among her closest friends.

“My teammates and I spend time together outside basketball and support each other in our personal and academic lives,” says Kennedy. “They provide a shoulder to lean on when you need it, and they are there to cheer for you on the court.”

And Emory’s coaches, she says, are focused on more than just athletic competition.

“Our coaches are incredibly dedicated to helping each player succeed, like sending us information on networking events and internships,” says Kennedy, adding that her student-athlete experience has profoundly influenced her Emory experience, introducing her to her closest friends and some of her favorite memories.

Mica McGinley-Smith

LEARNING LIFE SKILLS ON THE DIAMOND

Mica McGinley-Smith discovered his affinity for baseball in elementary school and went on to excel in middle and high school as a Lakes Region All-Star and All-New England selection by the New England Baseball Journal. Meanwhile, his academic diligence also won him several awards, including a high school summer research scholarship.

“I chose Emory for its unique balance of elite academics and competitive athletics,” says the junior neuroscience and behavioral biology major, who sees balancing academics, athletics and friendships as a challenge and an opportunity. “I’ve found success by staying focused on my long-term goals while making space for friendships and personal growth.”

Emory’s support systems and resources have been crucial to his success. He credits coaches, athletic trainers, mental health specialists, faculty mentors, academic advisors and fellow athletes for their support.

Beyond baseball and academics, McGinley-Smith has served in several leadership roles, including as cofounder and co-president of the Emory chapter of the Hidden Opponent, a national nonprofit dedicated to ending mental health stigma in sports culture.

McGinley-Smith spent summer 2025 working with a wilderness search and rescue team in New England and investigating deep brain neural stimulation in a research lab at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.

He also wrestled with one of the toughest challenges he had ever faced — the decision to leave behind his college baseball career.

“I discovered that my very real passion for medicine kept growing, and I realized I needed to give myself time to fully explore that passion,” says McGinley-Smith. “Stepping away from baseball wasn’t about losing something but about making room for something new that I’ve truly fallen in love with.”

His teammates and coaches have been “incredibly supportive” of his decision, and he plans to continue supporting the team, cheering them on at games and celebrating their successes.

“Being an Emory student-athlete and a member of such a great team has shaped my identity, taught me resilience and helped me develop important leadership and communication skills,” says McGinley-Smith. “I’ll carry those lessons with me into my medical career and for the rest of my life.”