Chico State Athletics

Entering the fall, Nicole Marquez was like most Chico State student-athletes heading into their senior year of competition. The women's soccer defender aspired to deliver her best play ever for the 'Cats and finish her career on a high note. Of course, COVID-19 short-circuited those plans, depriving Marquez of that final season, a traditional Senior Day ceremony, and the chance to thoroughly cement her importance to the program. Preparing to graduate in December, the Wildcat Family is seeing to it that she will not be leaving without a well-deserved and well-earned spotlight. That's why Nicole Marquez is our latest Wildcat of the Week.
 
"Nicole was a player we took a chance on because of her spectacular enthusiastic personality to go along with some solid soccer skills," Wildcats head coach Kim Sutton said fondly. "What we got was more than I could've ever dreamed of. Nicole lights up a room with her charming, warm and friendly—and often loud—personality. On the field she was confident; a player who would play calm when necessary with her fabulous touch. I can't say enough about Nic."
 
Marquez definitely feels the same affection for the coach that has guided her since coming to Chico in 2016.
 
"(Coach Sutton) is without a doubt one of the most influential coaches in my career," Marquez said. "She never gave up on me, and I always had her support. Even though it took the whole year to pass the team's fitness test, she never made me feel like I was hopeless. Coach Sutton showed me what hard work was all about, and how much you had to put in to be successful."
 
When the official word came down that the 2020 women's soccer season was postponed, Marquez had to deal with a cascade of emotions. She's a lot more philosophic about the situation as the end of the fall semester approaches.
 
"My heart dropped (when the announcement came)," Marquez said. "I was very much looking forward to playing that last season. I'm a vet and wanted to play my best yet. But you know, it is what it is."
 
Still, the sting of having her Senior Day ceremony taken away remains a disappointment.
 
I can't lie; I'm a little bummed," Marquez said. "It's not for the attention, though. It was for the lack of closure. I never got to really say goodbye to my teammates."
 
When asked about the highlights of her Chico State soccer career, Marquez stressed the friendships she forged with her teammates as being at the top of list.
 
"I loved to practice," she said. "That's where I hung out with all my friends. Sure, it was hard work and we had to be focused, but you got to be with your friends. It was fun!
 
"The team would always go on a camping trip before school started, and that's where the friendships developed. In my junior year, all we did was hang out and rest after two weeks of double day practices. It was cold up in the mountains, but it was great to get out of the Chico heat. Those are really great memories."
 
Her outgoing personality made Marquez a natural candidate to serve as a team leader for the 'Cats.
 
"I was never going to be in the corner," she said. "I kind of knew early on that I was going to play some type of leadership role. By my junior year, I had the confidence to step up and turn my energy into something more productive. Being on the team's leadership council helped me developed my communication skills on and off the field."
 
"Nicole grew into an inspiring leader," Sutton concurs. "She was always enthusiastic and committed. I'm heartbroken we didn't get a senior year with her leading us to victories and FUN!"
 
Marquez  has carried that commitment into the classroom as well. An exercise physiology major, she has earned four California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) All-Academic Awards, and has three Division II Athletic Directors Association Academic Achievement Awards.
 
In addition to wrapping up her academic responsibilities, Marquez is currently working as a rehab physical therapy aid at Butte Premier Physical Therapy in south Chico.
 
"I administer ice and heat and electrical stimulation to the patients after the physical therapists are done working with them. I'll finish their exercises if the PT has to move on to another patient. I've made a lot of contacts."
 
Marquez, who has applied to several schools to earn a doctorate in physical therapy, plans to return to her hometown of San Jose following the semester. But she'll always remain a part of the Wildcat Family.
 
"(The Wildcat Family) is a 100 percent real thing," Marquez said. "We're more than just friends. We're a close-knit group of people. Every fall, (Chico State Athletics) puts on a barbecue where all the athletes get a Wildcat Family t-shirt. You wear them with a sense of pride. I'll still be part of the Wildcat Family even after I leave Chico."
 
Marquez hopes that her soon-to-be-former teammates will get to see some action sometime in the spring. But no matter what happens in the first few months of 2021, she encourages her fellow Wildcats to stay positive.
 
"Just keep on keepin' on," Marquez said. "Take it one day at a time. Stay close to your family and loved ones as much as you can.
 
"We're not getting to play sports right now, so that gives us opportunities to put our energy into other things, like talking to your family and exploring new interests."
 
Words of wisdom from a true leader, who finally gets the official goodbye she deserves.
 
Do you know a Wildcat who deserves to be considered for a Wildcat of the Week honor? We're looking for current student-athletes who are making you proud athletically, academically, and/or in the community. If you have an idea, please take a moment to let us know by completing this five-question survey.