Long distance connection for one Cal Lutheran player

Pia Gudmundsen is going the extra mile to make it home for the holidays.

The Cal Lutheran junior forward is flying to Norway to see her family

Gudmundsen left Saturday night to make the 14-hour flight home. She will spend a few days with relatives and then make a 17-hour return flight to be back at practice for CLU on Dec. 27.

"It is a long trip, but it is worth it because I don't get to see my family the entire year otherwise," Gudmundsen said. "I am really excited to spend time with them and to have a white Christmas."

Gudmundsen is not your average college student-athlete.

Before coming to CLU last year, the 23-year-old already had attended law school in Norway for two years.

"I could have finished it, but I really wanted to play basketball, and this was the only time I could do it," she said. "That is why I sort of dropped everything. I felt like I couldn't pass up this chance, and I just had to go."

Gudmundsen's coach in Norway advised her to play at the Division III level to avoid any eligibility issues.

"The Norway America Foundation helps us with everything, and Cal Lutheran had a really good scholarship program," Gudmundsen said. "It was the only school in California that that gives us scholarships, and I felt like as long as I was going over, I might as well be somewhere warm."

Gudmundsen has been receiving a quality education on and off the court.

She didn't see action in any games last season, while making the transition to a more organized and structured system in the United States.

"I always wanted to practice for so many hours as we do, but at home, basketball isn't very big. They don't have the preseason work and all the athletic trainers and everything like they do here," Gudmundsen said. "It's a hard adjustment to focus for that long of a time, but I have really liked it. It's what I have always wanted."

Gudmundsen has taken advantage of the additional resources to make an impact for CLU this season. She has played in eight games, including making two starts.

But Gudmundsen's value to the Regals goes beyond her minutes spent on the court. Her maturity and worldly experience have benefited the entire program.

"I would take 10 more players like Pia in a second," CLU head coach Roy Dow said. "She is just phenomenal and is old-school when it comes to basketball. She loves to play and be a part of a team. She has no agenda at all."

Gudmundsen credits her teammates for helping her adjust to the American game.

"They have been great. They are constantly teasing me about my accent, but they have made me feel really welcome," she said. "When I first came here, they had to explain everything to me and really guide me and support me. But this year, it's so much easier because I know the drills and how things work."

Gudmundsen started playing basketball in Norway when she was 11. But she was forced to take a few years off because there wasn't a team nearby to play for.

"I didn't play at all again until I was 16. Since then, basketball has been everything to me," she said. "I took it for granted until that gap happened. I would cry every time I saw basketball on TV."

Gudmundsen's eventual return to the court came with a slight twist.

"Where I lived, they didn't have a women's team, so I had to play on a men's team and a junior team for boys," she said. "I had to really prove myself so much with the guys, and it made me take it really seriously."

Gudmundsen is on track to graduate in the spring with a degree in political science. Her career goal is to work in human rights for an international organization.

Gudmundsen wants to pursue a master's degree in public policy so she can use her final year of eligibility with the Regals next season.

"It's been such a great experience, I really don't want it to end yet," she said. "I want to explore my opportunity in basketball to the fullest."

That means Gudmundsen will be making at least one more trip home for the holidays. This week, she arrived bearing plenty of gifts. "Everything is cheaper here, so my aunt transferred me money to buy presents for everyone," Gudmundsen said. "I kind of went nuts and kept buying things I thought would be great for everyone and spent my own money too. I am a poor student and shouldn't be buying so much. I don't know how I am going to bring all these bags over."

Considering how much time she will spend on a plane, Gudmundsen is fortunate to possess an ability coveted by many frequent fliers.

"I can sleep like anywhere. I don't even have to be tired," she said. "As long as I have a sweater to use for a pillow, I am good."