Flame on the Hot Seat: Dariana Blanton
Photo courtesy of Lee Athletic Communications.
This week’s Flame on the Hot Seat is junior lacrosse player Dariana Blanton. Coming from Canton, Georgia, she joined the Lady Flames in the fall of 2019. Dariana is a communications major with an emphasis in advertising. When not cradling a lacrosse stick, she’s going thrifting or using her sewing machine.
What brought you to Lee?
“Lacrosse brought me here. I got recruited, and I just fell in love with the area of Tennessee and how beautiful the mountains are.”
Why did you start playing lacrosse?
“It’s not super common where I’m from. It was a new sport. Not a lot of people played it whenever I started. I started playing when I was 12, and they had an after-school program at my school where people would come and show you how to play and throw a ball with your stick. I found it at my school on a flyer, and I just wanted to try it out.”
What’s your favorite thing about playing lacrosse?
“Definitely the team and the community of lacrosse. Whenever you play on a team, you have 20 other friends, and being a part of something greater than yourself is really cool. It's taught me so much about different leadership skills and how to work well with others.”
How do you stay calm and collected when the game is not going your way?
Photo courtesy of Dariana Blanton.
“One major way that I do it is that I try to remind myself that I’m responsible for more than just my own actions. I’ve been the captain since last year on my college team, and then in high school I was captain for two years. Knowing that I have a responsibility to be a leader of the team and to be a role model to the younger players, that’s what typically motivates me. People are watching, and we have a school on our jersey that we represent. [I’m] just making sure that I’m bringing good light to it and letting my actions reflect Lee’s morals and values.”
What does your pregame routine look like? Is there anything you or your team do before a game that’s interesting or unique?
“One thing we started the past couple of years is my coach Megan will order a bunch of [little press-on] tattoos at the beginning of the season, and we’ll put them on altogether as a team before the game. There’s typically a quote associated with a tattoo. Putting the tattoos on together as a team is definitely a pregame tradition that we love.”
What is your favorite memory at Lee so far?
“The first thing that comes to mind is meeting my boyfriend, but that’s so cheesy! I met my boyfriend last year, and he actually played soccer here too. Meeting him is definitely my favorite memory.”
What do you look forward to most about your time here at Lee and with this team?
“Hopefully, a conference championship for us. We have two more years that I’ll be here to get it, so that’s what I’m looking forward to. That’s what we keep working towards as a team, a conference championship.”
What would you say is your go-to song to get into the zone before a game?
“‘Heart of Glass’ the Miley Cyrus cover. That’s a good song. I love that one.”
What are your hobbies outside of lacrosse?
“I really love going thrifting and sewing. I can sew. I have my sewing machine, so fashion is one of my hobbies. I like hiking and camping if I can. Being a student-athlete, it’s difficult to have other things sometimes.”
Can you give a fun fact about yourself?
“I’m half-Mexican, and I don’t look it, especially since I’ve been dying my hair more blonde recently. That’s something I would like people to know about me. My mother’s straight from Mexico. I’m proud of my heritage.”
What’s your favorite movie of all time?
“Oh my gosh ‘Pride and Prejudice!’ The Joe Wright one with Keira Knightly is my favorite. The first proposal I would literally listen to over and over again and have it all memorized. I love it.”
