Athlete of the Week: 10 questions with Hillary Cox, New Trier field hockey

Hillary Cox is a senior defender for the New Trier field hockey team, which is undefeated this season and picked up a huge 2-0 win over Lake Forest on Monday, April 12.

Do you have any pregame rituals or superstitions?

I have to braid my hair in a specific way before every game. I wear a headband braid, which goes across the top of my head. Also, I always do a special little handshake with my goalie (Bella Lauber) before every game.

What are your plans for next year?

I am playing field hockey at the University of Iowa. I love the team culture. As soon as I went there, I knew I loved the team. I love the school, too. They let me do mechanical engineering and play field hockey, which was a big deal for me and hard to find.

Who is the funniest girl on the Trevians?

I would say this year it’s Caroline Ellerman. She’s very, very smart, so she just makes comments that are really funny. We say she talks a little bit like Shakespeare. 

If you could play another sport, what would it be?

I wish I had played soccer or hockey as well. But in the offseason, I usually run track, which I enjoy. But I leave for school in mid-June, so I’m not this year. I didn’t want to be running track right up until I had to leave.

What do you like to do off the field?

I really enjoy hiking and camping and any sort of outdoor activity.

What is your dream job?

There’s a chance I go into the military after college or work for the Secret Service or the FBI. I’m not sure what I want with life, just something a little crazy.

If you are in Walgreens with a couple bucks, what are you buying?

I’m going and buying myself a coffee, like one of the cold-brew coffees in the fridge. I love coffee. I drink it every day. 

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

If COVID hadn’t happened, I would have gone to Portugal for my senior spring break. I would love to go there. 

What is something people don’t know about you?

Most people don’t know that I love listening to music and I play the guitar as well. I picked it up about a year-and-a-half ago. I’m not super good, but do enjoy playing. 

What has this short, unusual season been like for you and the team?

It is a little disappointing, missing out on our big St. Louis tournament and the state tournament, but we have a great group of seniors this year and we’ve been able to squeeze in a lot of team bonding — dinners, a Nerf gun fight, we walked to the beach together. We do something almost every day as a team. We make it work and have fun. … And we counted (a 2-0 win over Lake Forest Monday) as our fake state game.