Softball
April 27, 1980
Lovieanne Jung
Lovieanne Jung, 28, won a gold medal in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, where she was one of five Americans to start in all nine games. This will be Jung’s second Olympic games. She is also a two-time World Cup Champion and a two-time Pan American Gold medalist.
She attended the University of Arizona and is a member of the NPF All-Star team. She was born in Honolulu, Hawai‘i but was raised in Westminster, Calif. Jung has an English bulldog named Hoku (meaning “star” in Hawaiian) and a pitbull named Gator. Her long-time boyfriend Jon Garland plays for the Los Angeles Angels. Her mother named her after the Gilligan’s Island character Lovie Howell.
Born: January 11, 1980 in Honolulu, Hawai‘i
Current Residence: Tucson, Arizona
Ethnicity: Chinese, Lithuanian, Filipino, Spanish, Hawaiian
Height: 5′6″
Position: Second base
Did you know?: Jung aspires to become a firefighter.
Career Highlights
• Two-time World Cup Champion (2006 & 2007)
• Two-time Pan American Gold medalist (2003 & 2007)
• Two-time World Champion (2002 & 2006)
• Olympic Gold medalist (2004)
• Gold medalist at Pan Am qualifier (2005)
• Silver medalist at ISF Junior Women’s World Championship (1999)
At the Univ. of Arizona
• First Team NFCA All-American (2002 & 2003)
• First-Team All Pacific Region (2002 & 2003)
• Top three finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year (2003)
• Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year (2003)
• Led NCAA in homeruns (25), slugging percentage and RBIs (81)
• Two-time First-team All-Pac 10 (2002 & 2003)
• Appeared in two Women’s College World Series (2002 & 2003)
Interview by Nancy Weng
What made you interested in softball?
Softball was something I started doing so I wasn’t bored as a child and didn’t have to stay home. I did workouts and played around at a recreation ball place, and a coach asked me if I wanted to play travel ball. The rest is history.
What were some of the obstacles you had to overcome in becoming a professional softball player?
One was playing the middle infield. I always wanted to play those positions (shortstop and second base), and many people told me over the years that I would never play there because I was too small. I usually played outfield and catcher, but I was determined and, when I got to college I took weight lifting as a class and did a lot of conditioning in order to earn my spot in the middle infield.
Did ever you consider any other professions?
After the Olympics, I plan to train to be a firefighter.
What is your daily routine like?
I wake up at 7 a.m. and do a conditioning and weight workout until around 11 or noon and then go eat lunch. After lunch, I take care of my dogs and then head to the field around 1 or 2 p.m. for hitting and ground ball work. Then it is back at home for dinner and rest.
How do you feel knowing that the Olympics are coming up soon?
I am really excited for it to be here! We do a tour before the games and traveling all over, so I am excited to be in one place for a long time in order to focus and win the gold.
What are your plans after the Olympics?
Go back to Tucson and train for firefighting and EMT class. I also plan to travel.
Who is your role model?
My parents. They were young when they had my brother and I and didn’t really have a lot of money. But they made the best of it and raised us to be good people.
If you could meet anyone, alive or dead, who would it be?
Albert Einstein. I would love pick his brain.
Do you have any advice for aspiring athletes?
Never give up.
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