‘Sunny’ Sullivan pulls double duty with Stanford, U.S. soccer
‘Sunny’ Sullivan pulls double duty with Stanford, U.S. soccer
On one of the many plane trips she has taken lately, Andi Sullivan came upon this unnerving passage while studying for her course in probabilistic analysis:
The monthly worldwide average number of airplane crashes of commercial airlines is 3.5.
What is the probability that there will be a at least two such accidents in the next month; b at most one accident in the next month?
[...] questions might give the average air traveler pause.
[...] the Stanford junior is flying high as the Pac-12 soccer Player of the Year and a prime candidate for the MAC Hermann Trophy as national player of the year; she was a semifinalist last year when she was a first-team All-American.
Sullivan, who played well in two exhibitions against Switzerland in October, adds to the Northern California presence on a roster that already included Stanford grads Kelley O’Hara and Christen Press, along with Alex Morgan from Cal, Julie Johnston from Santa Clara and Redding native Megan Rapinoe.
Wambach played for the Washington Freedom in two different pro leagues, and Sullivan lived nearby in Lorton, Va.
The daughter of former Coast Guard Academy athletes has been part of the national-team program since she was 15.
At 18, she captained the CONCACAF-winning team as the youngest player on the roster.
When she received her first call-up to the senior national team last month, she said, I was very shocked.
Just before the second match against Switzerland, Ellis and assistant coach Tony Gustavsson told the players to try the long ball.
“Christen is a really fun player to play with,” she said.
If things go right for Sullivan, she could play in the 2019 World Cup in France and the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
Otherwise, she’d like to help the Cardinal to an NCAA title (the College Cup is in San Jose) or even two and get her degree in 2018.
“It’s about the mind and machines and how they interact,” she said.
How Sullivan finds time for a full academic load and pull a 3.37 GPA is a mystery, given her frenetic travel schedule.
“Stanford is used to having people doing amazing things outside the classroom,” she said.
[...] my fellow classmates are always ready to help me.
Stanford coach Paul Ratcliffe calls her “the epitome of a scholar-athlete.”
“She had an unbelievable header last year, and it seemed like she was in the air for five seconds,” Ratcliffe said.
Tom FitzGerald is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.
Here’s Stanford soccer player Andi Sullivan’s recent itinerary:
Scored a goal in 3-2 overtime win over UCLA, and her corner kick led to Maddie Bauer’s game-winner.
Had a goal and an assist in 3-2 win over Oregon State.
Sandy, Utah, to train with the U.S. national team.
Delivered a long assist to Christen Press for a goal and set up Kelley O’Hara’s assist on a Carli Lloyd goal in 5-1 win over Switzerland.
Stanford in NCAA tournament