Marta Gomez was really concerned that she might be too far from home.

Would she be able to enjoy her family during holidays, and other special times?

After all, Barcelona was almost five hours away from her home town of Valles, Spain.

Despite the distance she planned to move forward and attend a university in Barcelona.

Then Wyoming assistant coach Bojan Jankovic came to visit her and her parents.

He said, 'I'm an assistant coach at Wyoming and we would like you to play for us'," according to Marta. "I thought Barcelona was a long way from home, but I had no idea how far I would end up from home in Wyoming. So my first reaction was that the U.S. was way too far away, and I didn't want to go.

"But my parents knew it was an opportunity of a lifetime, so they thought it was a great idea. My Dad (Fernando) asked me to try it for a year. If I didn't like it after my freshman year, then I could come back home.

"I'm still here and I don't see my family for nine months at a time other than Skyping about once a month. You just never know."

Gomez' freshman year was impressive. A starter, she wound up being named to the Mountain West's All-Freshman team.

"Actually my freshman year was so busy, so exciting, that I really didn't have much time to think about how far away from home I was."

Things changed her sophomore season, however. She wasn't a starter anymore, and ended up come off the bench for Joe Legerski and the Cowgirls.

"When I wasn't starting, I thought about all kinds of things including how far away from home I was. Not starting was a blow to me. Early on, I had some thoughts of going home. But, of course, my parents knew it was best for me to stay. My Mother (Chefi) said, 'well, you've come this far, why don't you stay', Gomez continues. "It took me awhile to adjust to coming off the bench. Eventually I realized that it wasn't who starts that means as much as who is contributing to the team."

The rest is history. She was twice named the league's Sixth Player of the Year as a sophomore and as a junior. "I decided to make the most of it," she says.
  
She certainly has.

On Dec. 8, the senior scored her 1,000th-point for the Cowgirls during a victory over Idaho in the Double A.

In his usual classy way, Legerski called time out when Gomez reached the plateau so that she could receive the well-earned recognition from the crowd.

"Honestly I did not know that basket did it for me, but I was thinking it was an odd stage in the game for coach to call a time out."

In addition to her accomplishments on the court, Gomez also is a three-time MW All-Academic honoree as a major in communications.

"My goal was to play college basketball on a scholarship and get a college education," she says. "I never thought I would be able to accomplish what I have, or that I might be a small part of any Wyoming history."

She has now played in 101 Cowgirl games!

While her English was "broken" when she arrived in the U.S., she never looked at it as a barrier. Living in the dorms with several teammates who also were from foreign lands really helped her as a freshman. "We bonded because we were all going through the same things. We all needed to adjust together. That really helped me."

What she hasn't gotten used to is American food, however. Between her freshman and sophomore years she really didn't feel all that grand. "It was the fast food," she says rolling her eyes. "There's just so much more fat in the food here. That was a big difference for me, we eat a lot more chicken and fish in Spain." Her favorite food? "It's the paella that my grandmother makes." It's amazing, she says.

"Our new training table has been great for all of us. It's very healthy. That has been a really good thing, and we really enjoy it, because we know we're eating right."

Gomez is beyond proud of being a team captain along with fellow senior Bailee Cotton and junior Taylor Rusk. "We all knew when Liv (Roberts) graduated that we had to step up. I was really ready to be one of the team leaders."

Her biggest role as a captain? "Making sure that everyone is on the same boat. Keeping everyone on the same page with the same goals, that's the role of a leader, in my opinion. I think it's important to be a good teammate. I just love everyone on this team. I have so much respect for the girls who don't get to play much. They are just as excited when we score, just as excited when we win. That's the definition of character to me."

Gomez would like to continue playing basketball professionally somewhere in Europe following graduation this May. "I can't believe it (graduation) is actually here," she says.

She just completed an internship in the athletic video department and had a great time. She will spend her final semester at Wyoming as an intern in media relations prior to her graduation.

"I really enjoyed the video experience," she says. "Right now could see myself editing for someone like a national network, putting together sports packages once I'm done with basketball."

It's been quite a ride for Marta, this U.S. experience. "My mother says to me all the time, 'just think if you would have stayed in Spain, or come back home after a year the things you would have missed'," Marta says. "She would tell me all the time, 'you already know what you have in Spain so why wouldn't you experience what's out there. 'You didn't want to go to America, but look what you would have missed!'

"What I have experienced, I would do again in a heartbeat."

Gomez has nothing but great things to say about the Cowgirl coaching staff. "They've been great," she says. "(Assistants) Heather (Ezell), Bojan and Fallon (Lewis) came my freshman year, so we all adapted together. Joe and G (assistant Gerald Mattinson) have been amazing. They have believed in me, and I really appreciate that. They have been great coaches for all of us, but they are better people because they care so much. They always want the best for us."

Marta has two brothers, Chema, a musician, and Daniel who played basketball—probably not as good as his sister—and is attending a police academy.

Her family has never been to the U.S., but they are coming for Marta's Senior Night in early March. That will be a very special night for Marta. "I'm so excited for them to come. It was because of them that I stayed, and I know they are proud of me. None of us ever thought I would accomplish what I have.

"I decided coming into my senior year that I was going to enjoy this season, and have fun no matter what, and we've had a lot of fun so far. I want to experience every moment. With each practice and each game, I'm coming closer to the end. I try not to think about that, just all the great memories.

When she's done in March, Marta and Cowgirl fans will have plenty of those.

Happy Holidays, everyone!