Sept. 22, 2010

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - LMU: Why did you choose LMU?
Simko: I chose LMU because of the location, I love the weather in California, obviously for tennis and the strong conference we are in, strong academics.

LMU: How is Los Angeles compared to Australia?
Simko: They are quite similar actually, it is winter right now in Australia, so I am enjoying the weather here. Los Angeles is huge, it is just so spread out, so I wasn't really expecting that; I really like Venice beach, its crazy there, but really different and cool. There is a bit more fast food here and a few of the phrases or words are different--which has gotten me into some awkward but funny situations. Overall though I think everyone is pretty "cruisy"...
LMU: Cruisy...like chill? (this must be one of those phrases)
Simko: Yeah like chill, haha

LMU: What other schools did you look at?
Simko: I looked at schools all over the US--Florida, Texas, Montana, Tennessee, and California. But I was pretty sure I wanted to go to Florida or California for the weather and good locations. I didn't visit before I decided to come here, but I was pretty sure I wanted to be in California, and I love it.

LMU: Why did you choose to come abroad for school?
Simko: In Australia when you go to a university you don't really have school sponsored sports, so I wanted to come to the US so I could continue a high level of academics and sports. Plus hopefully I will have a lot of fun and new experiences.

LMU: So being from Australia, do you surf?
Simko: I live right near a huge surf spot, so a lot of my friends are really big surfers, but I just go out for fun and hang out...I can do a few little tricks.

LMU: When did you start playing tennis?
Simko: I started mucking around when I was 8years old, but I got more serious about it as I got older.

LMU: What is your favorite part of the game?
Simko: I really like the competitive nature of singles, but I enjoy the dynamic of doubles. With a partner it is a little more relaxed and fun.

LMU: What are your goals this year?
Simko: For tennis I really just want to improve as much as I can, help the team achieve our goals and earn a winning record. With school I want to maintain good grades for all my classes, have fun and meet lots of people.

LMU: You have an older brother and a younger sister right?
Simko: Yes they are both in Australia...and I have a Labrador pup named Rafa, he is the greatest dog.
LMU: Name after your favorite tennis player I can presume?
Simko: Yeah, I have a lot of tennis players I like, but I think Rafa is my favorite...

Head Coach Brad Sceney said this about his Freshman athlete, "Daniel is an all court player. And as an Aussie, he has a natural knack for playing good doubles. He is very athletic and clearly demonstrated that in the first 2 weeks here with his fitness tests. Being a very hard worker, Daniel will improve rapidly in college and we look forward to getting him into tournament play in the next few weeks."