July 13, 2009
By Amy Beggin
UNM Media Relations
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.- Caroline Durbin walked on to the UNM campus on June 8 officially a member of the Lady Lobos. After a long day of waking up at 6:00, going through an hour of workouts and attending two classes, she stepped into the Johnson Center gym at about 4pm with a basketball in hand. Instead of the typical exhausted, overwhelmed freshman trying to adjust to all that is new, Durbin laced up her shoes and took her first shot as a Lady Lobo. Swish. Nothing but net. Surprised? I’m not. Durbin went on to drain shot after shot and completed the workout as if she had been through it a hundred times before. Her game is similar to current Lobo sophomore Sarah Halasz, in her ability to run the floor and find ways to put the ball in the basket. Durbin, your typical gym rat, could be an impact player for the Lobos this year because of her athleticism and motivation to get better.
Who: Caroline Durbin
Height: 6-foot
Position: Guard
High School: Westlake High School
Hometown: Austin, TX
Trivia: Favorite New Mexico restaurant: Los Cuates; Dream Travel Destination: New Zealand; Most Looking Forward to: Playing in the Pit.
It may not come as a surprise after seeing Caroline Durbin play in a New Mexico Women’s Basketball uniform, that her favorite movie is “Forrest Gump.” The words “Run Caroline Run,” may be used often by Durbin’s coaches and teammates during her career as a Lady Lobo. Durbin recently completed four weeks of summer school, and strength and conditioning training with her UNM teammates. In numerous pick up games this summer, it was evident that with Durbin’s athleticism and scoring ability, she is a natural at getting out and running the floor.
Also evident in the four weeks Durbin was in New Mexico, was her passion for the game, especially the offensive side of the game. “My earliest basketball memory is my dad teaching me a jump shot when I was 11 years old.” Durbin recalls. ” To hit a game winning shot in a UNM uniform would be a dream come true.”
Durbin is no stranger to scoring or winning. Last year, she guided her Westlake High team to a 29-5 record as she averaged 13 points per game and five rebounds. Durbin was named the MVP of her conference her junior year, was first team all- conference for three years and an all-region member her senior year.
Although Durbin had a banner high school career, she is also determined to have a successful college career. After going through a tough, physically exhausting four weeks of summer school, where she took Music Appreciation and Technical and Professional Writing, Durbin has learned a thing or two about herself. “I didn’t know I could wake up at 6:00 every morning and go through a hard workout.” She said. Durbin proved to herself that she could get through all the workouts, even the ramp workout. The first week of workouts the team went out to the ramp by the football and soccer stadiums and ran, jumped, and shuffled its way up it several times.
Now that Durbin is home, she is going to find a little time to rest and relax. Swimming and attending concerts are at the top of her list, but basketball is still number one. “I am going to be doing some basketball coaching this summer. Parents from around where I live have asked me to work one on one with their daughters. I teach them a lot of fundamentals and things like that.”
Durbin is one of four new faces to the Lobo squad this year and one of four players from the state of Texas.
Continue to check golobos.com for additional features on the Lobo newcomers.