Jay Hagan
Water Polo
1992 – Marshall – Animal Physiology and Neuroscience
Tracy Hagan (Cole)
Cross Country/Track and Field
1992 – Revelle - Animal Physiology and Neuroscience
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Jay Hagan playing Water Polo in 1992.
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There have been many Triton Athletes who have stayed as a team long after graduation, including Jay and Tracy Hagan. Jay Hagan-Water Polo ’92, and wife Tracy Hagan (Cole)- Track and Field, Cross Country ’92, met while they were student-athletes at UC San Diego. Among the many things that they have in common, they were both exceptional, hardworking members of their Triton teams. Jay was a two-time team captain and a member of three conference championship teams that went on to earn a 6th place finish at the NCAA National Championships (’89, ’91, ’92). Tracy was an essential member of the cross country team, playing an integral part in the capturing of the 1992 NCAA Division II Western Regional title. Just like when they were student-athletes, Jay and Tracy play an important role in our San Diego community: Jay is the Chief Financial and Business Officer of Orexigen Therapeutics, a biotechnology company, and Tracy is a practicing orthodontist. They currently reside in the San Diego area and have two children.
Although Jay and Tracy have wildly busy schedules, they make staying active a priority. Tracy continues to run, and believes “the coaching I received while at UCSD has stayed with me over the years and has helped me remain a strong runner.” Jay also stays close to his Triton roots and plays water polo with the Sunset Water Polo Club in La Jolla, whose majority of its members are water polo Triton alumni athletes, including his former teammates.
The couple credits UC San Diego Athletics with giving them a variety of skills that have served them well in their careers. “Learning how to rebound from a setback or loss in an important game and figure out how to get better was a key aspect of my collegiate water polo experience,” Jay says, which has given him a strong ability in “dealing with the inevitable setbacks you can encounter in drug discovery and development.” Working as the Chief Financial and Business Officer can be challenging, but Jay says that “impacting human health through breakthrough medicines is very rewarding personally.”
Tracy also believes her Triton experience has helped her achieve success: “Being an athlete, especially on a team sport, helps you develop tools that can help you succeed in life. Perseverance, teamwork, dedication, discipline, motivation, and great work ethic are among them.” As an orthodontist, Tracy works extremely hard to provide the best care to families, while making it a priority to make time for her own: “I am really proud of how I have managed my work-life balance,” she says. “I feel I have the best of both worlds.”
One of Tracy’s most memorable moments at UC San Diego was when her cross country team made it to Nationals. She still gets a feeling of pride when looking back on her experiences here: “UCSD has always held high standards for their athletes, and I feel very proud that I was one of them.” Jay similarly thinks of the Conference Championships in 1991 when his team won in a close match against Air Force as one of his greatest student-athlete memories. Above all, the greatest reward that resulted from their experiences at UC San Diego was meeting each other and finding a lifelong partner in a fellow Triton!
Alumni Spotlight is written by student-athlete Lauren Iannetta (’17), a history major from Eleanor Roosevelt College. She is a second year on the women’s rowing team. If you are interested in sharing your Triton Alumni Athlete story, please contact Danielle Boyle Melman at daboyle@ucsd.edu.
Previous Alumni Spotlights:
Gordon McNeill - 1992
Lauren Segars - 2008
Shane Poppen - 2009
Sherine Ebadi - 1998
Brett Stuckey - 2009
Richard Freer - 1975
Christina Guintu - 2001
Toya Ellis - 1991
