Service Credit Union Student-Athlete Spotlight: Hailey Lui & Linus Fallberg

By Mia McAuliffe
Special to UNHWildcats.com

The latest Service Credit Union Student-Athlete Spotlight features junior Hailey Lui of the gymnastics team and senior Linus Fallberg of the men's soccer team.

Hailey, an English-born gymnast whose hometown is Collegeville, Pa., was a freshman when the gymnastics team won the EAGL championship at the Whittemore Center in 2019. Following her accomplishments of making the EAGL All-Tournament Second Team for Floor and All-Tournament First Team for Beam and Bars, she was also named EAGL Rookie of the Year in 2019. Hailey continued to progress in her sophomore year by making the All-EAGL First Team for Beam and Floor in 2020. She also has shown successful hard work in the classroom as Hailey was named a WCGA Scholastic All-American in 2020.

Originally from Jonkoping, Sweden, Linus is a midfielder for UNH men's soccer. He has started and played in 57 games and has scored five game-winning goals over the past three years of his UNH career. During his freshman year, Linus made the America East First Team and America East All-Rookie Team. He is also a part of the two-time America East Championship Team. Linus has proved himself to be an exceptional student on top of being an outstanding athlete, earning a spot on the America East Academic Honor Roll in 2017 and 2018, and on the America East Commissioner's Honor Roll in 2019.

Now that we know a little bit about our spotlight athletes, let's take a deeper look at who they are and how they represent what it means to be a student-athlete at UNH.

Q&A WITH HAILEY:

When did you start gymnastics?

I started gymnastics when I was three years old. As a kid, I was always extremely active and unable to sit still. When my sister started taking gymnastics classes, I would constantly imitate her. My mum figured it would be safer to put me in the classes (and hoped it would tire me out).

When did you realize that you wanted to compete in college?

Ever since I was little, I loved sports, whether that be watching them or participating in them. It's hard to pinpoint exactly when I came to know I wanted to compete in college, but it had been one of my primary goals for as long as I can remember. Growing up in the gym I had always looked up to the older girls. Seeing them go on to compete in college and love it made me want that to.

How do you incorporate your love for traveling into your passion for gymnastics?

My love for traveling and my passion for gymnastics have always been closely intertwined. Gymnastics is a sport that requires frequent traveling for meets and training. This has provided me with many amazing opportunities to explore places I would not have been able to otherwise. Whether that be in North Yorkshire, England where I had my first competition, or Sofia, Bulgaria where I spent time training. I have always made it a point to seize these opportunities and explore while competing.

How do you prepare yourself mentally and physically for a competition?

I prepare myself for competitions by having confidence in myself and the training regimen put together by my coaches and trainers. I have trust in the work that I have put in, day in and day out, in practices, lifts and past competitions. Gymnastics is a huge game of mental toughness and by staying focused on what is in front of me is key in keeping me moving up and forward. #trusttheprocess

What motivates you to be successful at what you do?

Something that motivates me to be successful is that I know I am my own biggest competition. The only way to improve is to hold myself accountable. By setting goals it gives me something to work towards and then build off of.

What are your goals for the upcoming season?

While things may be a tad different this year, my team and I are continuing to put our foot on the gas for the upcoming season. Our goals include consistently scoring above 196.00 in each competition and maintaining a team GPA of over 3.6. Ultimately, our team's overarching goal day-in and day-out is to stay in the moment and make every turn count; we often say "one skill at a time, one routine at a time, one event at a time, everyone all in this together 100%."

OUT OF THE GYM WITH HAILEY:

Favorite Color: White or Dark Green
Favorite TV Show: Greys Anatomy
Favorite Movie: The Blind Side
Favorite Food: Sushi
Favorite Snack: Chips and Guac
Favorite Musical Artist: The Lumineers
Favorite Pump-up Song: Remember the Name
Favorite Phone App: TikTok
Favorite Pro Sports Team: Pittsburg Steelers
Favorite Pro Sports Athlete: Michael Phelps
Favorite Place on Campus: Wildcat Stadium
Your Dream Job: Professional Team Physician

Q&A WITH LINUS:

What is it like to represent Sweden at UNH and have so much success?

It is always a great feeling to represent my home country at any given moment and especially on the field where I also represent the University and the team. The success comes from everyone on the team and I am just happy to be a part of it and the success that we are experiencing together.

What is your most memorable sports moment at UNH?

When we won our first America East Championship at home in front of the school in 2018.

What do you plan on doing after graduation?

I want to stay in the Unites States and play soccer at the professional level.

What have you learned during your career at UNH that has made you the player you are today?

That it requires discipline, hard work and you will experience ups and downs along the way.

Does your family get a chance to watch you play? If so, what does that mean to you?

My parents watch every single game at home. It means a lot to me since I would not be here and have the opportunities that I have today if it was not for them.

OFF THE FIELD WITH LINUS:

Favorite Color: Blue
Favorite TV Show: Entourage
Favorite Movie: Good Will Hunting
Favorite Food: Steak with Fries and Red Wine Sauce
Favorite Snack: Ben & Jerry's
Favorite Musical Artist: Juice WRLD
Favorite Pump-up Song: Hey Brother - Avicii
Favorite Phone App: Instagram
Favorite Pro Sports Team: FC Barcelona
Favorite Pro Sports Athlete: Lionel Messi
Favorite Place on Campus: My Room
Your Dream Job: Professional Soccer Player

Check back every Monday to get to know two more Wildcats as part of the Service Credit Union Student-Athlete Spotlight. Thank you to Service Credit Union for sponsoring the Student-Athlete Spotlight.

Previous 2020-21 Student-Athlete Spotlights

Julia Neyland (Women's Lacrosse) & Brian Carter (Football)
Grace Middleton (Women's Hockey) & Charlie Kelleher (Men's Hockey)
Lisa Olsson (Women's Ski) & Nick Guadarrama (Men's Basketball)
Kate Bilyeu (Women's Volleyball) & Patrick Kenney (Men's Skiing)
Faith Bonett (Women's Basketball) & Angus Crookshank (Men's Ice Hockey)
Ava Boutilier (Women's Hockey) & Aidan Sullivan (XC/Track & Field)
Bloem van den Brekel (Field Hockey) & Jacob Gould (Men's Soccer)

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