Senior Spotlight: Bridget Danko

MILWAUKEE – A senior attacker out of Towson, Maryland, Bridget Danko grew up in a family that lives and breathes lacrosse. Her father Paul competed collegiately at North Carolina, playing a key role in winning two national titles with the Tar Heels in 1981 and 1982. Her older sister Molly spent her college days playing at Denver University while her brother Paul spent one year at Denver before transferring back home to play at Towson.

"From the time I was in middle school, I knew that playing lacrosse in college was something I wanted to do," Danko said. "I remember first picking up a stick when I was really young and just falling in the love with the game. It felt like something that came naturally to me."

Danko served as a team captain as a senior in high school at The Bryn Mawr School – the first high school in the United States to form a women's lacrosse team. She recounts her school celebrating 90 years of women's lacrosse during her senior year as one of her fondest memories of high school lacrosse as numerous alumni from decades past came to be honored with the current team.

Her high school coach, Jordy Kirr, enjoyed a successful playing career at The Bryn Mawr School and Georgetown University before starting her coaching career working as an assistant under Marquette head coach Meredith Black during the 2013-14 season at MU. Kirr returned to Bryn Mawr to take the head coaching job in 2015, where she coached Danko for her final year of high school.

"My top two schools in the recruitment process we're Marquette and Denver," she said. "Although my siblings both went to DU, I wanted to do something different. I really fell in love with the school at Marquette, being in the city and learning about the team atmosphere that was here."
Danko, Bridget

She went on to play in 17 games, scoring three goals and dishing out one assist during her playing career at Marquette. MU head coach Meredith Black and the Marquette staff raved about what Danko brought to the team, both on and off the field.

"Bridget has grown tremendously into her leadership role as a senior and has been someone the rest of the team can rely on," Black said. "She has gone out of her way to be a good teammate and servant leader for the program. Every time Bridget got onto the field, she provided a spark for the team that always came at an important time."

When recounting the top moments of her time at Marquette, she brought up a game during her freshman year when MU played at Denver. Her sister Molly was a senior at Denver in 2017, meaning the two sisters got to square off against one another for the final time in their careers.

"That was definitely one of the coolest moments of my lacrosse career," Danko recalled. "My whole family came out to Denver to support us and it was just an awesome feeling to see my sister on the other sideline."

Almost three years after playing her sister, Danko's career came to a premature conclusion after the rest of the 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19. The hardest part for her was realizing that she won't get to be a part of a team anymore that shared an unforgettable bond.

"The relationships I was able to build with the girls on this team throughout the past four years mean everything to me," Danko said. "We all thought we had more time together and it was gone just like that. I'll always cherish the memories we had together, and I know that I'm going to stay in touch with these girls for the rest of my life."

Although her playing career came to an end, the elementary education major will be back in Milwaukee this fall to complete her student teaching requirements for one semester. She hopes to provide some of the lessons she's learned in the classroom and on the playing field to the kids she teaches.

"I'm definitely far more organized because of playing lacrosse," Danko said. "I've had to develop discipline, timeliness and a structured schedule from being a member of this team. I think those skills that were engrained in me will definitely be beneficial as I move into my career."

Keep up with the Marquette women's lacrosse program all season long through social media by following on Twitter (@MarquetteWLax) and Instagram (@MarquetteWLax) and `liking' on Facebook (/MarquetteWLax).

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