Track and Field

On day one of the NCAC semi-finals Feb. 24 in Greencastle, IN, the women’s track and field team placed first of seven teams, while the men’s team placed sixth of eight overall. Also present at this championship was the women’s basketball team. All three teams cheered one another on throughout the events.

“If I’m being a little selfish, I will tell you Wittenberg’s track team was there too at the track meet but wasn’t at the basketball game,” Track and Field and Cross Country Coach Ray Appenheimer told the Review. “I really think [it] speaks to this place and this community. … We understand that the more supportive your community, the better your performance is going to be. … So much of what we do around here is ‘I see you … and I want to be here for you, and if there’s anything I can do to help support you, help challenge you, help build you up, I’m gonna do that for you.’ That’s not only a basketball or track thing, and it’s not only a department of Athletics thing — it’s an Oberlin thing. It is part of the fabric of this place, and it’s why we all choose to come here every single day.” (“Track and Field, Women’s Basketball Cheer Each Other On During NCAC Championships in Indiana,” The Oberlin Review, March 3, 2023)

Basketball

At the same NCAC tournament, the women’s basketball team defeated Wittenberg University 63–57 to advance to the finals, promoting them to the fourth seed in the conference. In the finals Feb. 25, Oberlin lost 79–71 to Ohio Wesleyan University’s Battling Bishops after a valiant effort. With just over 12 and a half minutes left in the game, the Yeowomen led by 11 points, but the third-seeded Battling Bishops ultimately upped their defense to win their sixth NCAC championship.

Lacrosse

Playing in poor weather conditions April 5, the women’s lacrosse team won its final non-conference game 15–5 before it entered a string of NCAC games.

“It was very sporadic, and in the moments of torrential rain, the game became very back-and-forth,” College third-year Audrey Koren told the Review. “Both teams had difficulty holding onto the ball because it was hard to see and everything was slippery. Once the rain would stop for a while, we did a good job regaining control and maintaining possession.” (“Women’s Lacrosse Defeats Baldwin Wallace,” The Oberlin Review, April 7, 2023)

Softball

The softball team ended its season April 26 with a 4–3 win in game two of a doubleheader against The College of Wooster. The game lasted nine innings. At the end of the seventh inning, the College of Wooster Fighting Scots and the Yeowomen were tied 1–1, but the Yeowomen pulled ahead in the bottom of the ninth with three additional runs. College first-year Hailey Alspach intercepted a steal during the game. Earlier this semester, Alspach spoke to the Review about her hopes for the team. “We have become an aggressive offensive team with a greater knowledge of how to handle certain defensive situations,” Alspach said. “Moving forward in the season, the team is really excited to see what we will be able to accomplish with everything we have learned. Hopefully, we’ll be able to show that this team is better at competing than last year and come out with more wins than before.” (“Despite Early Losses, Softball Optimistic for Season,” The Oberlin Review, March 10, 2023)

Baseball

Over spring break, the baseball team made a trip to Arizona for the Tucson Invitational, where the team won four games and lost three. During the team’s first matchup against Carleton College on the fifth day of the invitational, which Oberlin won 11–1, College third-year pitcher Vince Dolcemaschio won an NCAC award for his work on the mound. “[The trip] was awesome,” Dolcemaschio told the Review. “For me personally, baseball is my passion and number-one priority. Being able to only focus on baseball without the burden of school or homework was a pleasure. I wish every week could be like that.” (“Baseball, Softball Find Success During Spring Break Trips,” The Oberlin Review, March 31, 2023)

Tennis

The men’s tennis team won its final match before entering the NCAC tournament. This final win was an away game at Ohio Wesleyan University, and the final score was 8–1. Both the women’s and the men’s teams lost in the first round of the NCAC tournament — the men saw a 5–4 loss to Wabash College while the women lost with the same score to The College of Wooster.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

You’ve published several works about race, gender and sport. How did you first become interested in the intersectionality of those topics?

Like a lot of sociologists — and maybe researchers in general — many of my academic interests are rooted in personal experience. Being an athlete most of my life, especially being a Black, biracial woman in sports, shaped my interest in learning more about how our positionalities affect our athletic and fitness experiences and our perceptions of our own bodies. When I was in graduate school, I had an identity crisis of sorts; I had always been active and involved in sports and was always training for something, but suddenly I wasn’t. I started running and after a while I loved it. I did several 5Ks, 10Ks, and half marathons. The sociologist in me could not help but notice how white and homogenous recreational running tends to be. It is also expensive to participate in these events, buy the gear, and embed yourself in “running culture.” Studying Black middle- class women in recreational running ended up being the focus of my dissertation.

Members of the Oberlin College community are known for being unafraid to talk about social issues — how did the school’s culture influence your work?

Oberlin’s progressive history, and being in a community that encouraged exploring new ideas, speaking up, and challenging authority, are definitely factors that shape my work and how I approach it. Being a Sociology major at Oberlin really helped me hone my critical thinking skills and opened my eyes to issues of social inequality that I wasn’t fully aware of before coming to college. Now that I am a sociologist, I engage in sociological storytelling — methods like life story interviewing and autoethnography — which are definitely grounded in my desire to center marginalized voices and go against the grain with how I approach better understanding society. I think my inclination to question the status quo and push the boundaries of what it means to engage in scholarship is very Obie.

How did your experience as a basketball player at Oberlin influence your areas of study?

Playing basketball at Oberlin was one of the most meaningful, life-changing experiences I have had to date. The central role of athletics during these formative years will make sports and physical activity a part of my life forever. I love that I have been able to make thinking, writing, and talking about athletics, empowerment, and camaraderie among Black women a part of my job.

What made you want to come back to Oberlin as a faculty member?

When I started graduate school more than a decade ago, I told my mentor that working at Oberlin was my dream job. Some people told me not to share that goal with others, because many academics think we should only strive to work at large research universities. I never really had that desire. I wanted to work in a close-knit community, spend time getting to know students in smaller classes, and engage in mentorship. When there was an opportunity to come back to work at Oberlin and I was offered the job, I was excited. I never thought I would be in my undergraduate academic advisor’s former office, doing my best to make an impact on students’ lives as much as he did. It is a comfortable and familiar environment for me. It is also closer to our families than when we lived in Texas, so it is nice that our kids can grow up within driving distance of their grandparents and other extended family and friends. Hopefully when they get older, we can take them to enjoy events on campus like my partner and I did as students.

In what ways have you stayed connected to Oberlin’s athletic community?

I have stayed pretty connected since I graduated from Oberlin. For a while, my teammates and I made a point of coming back for our alumni games every year, but that fell off as we scattered across the country and started having kids and achy backs. I have served on the board for the Heisman Club and now am a member of the Faculty Athletics Committee. I also enjoyed doing some Zoom conversations with the Black Student- Athlete Group during the pandemic before I became a faculty member. I try to make it to a few women’s basketball games per year, and hopefully I’ll have more time in the future to go see more of my students compete on their respective teams.

What impact do you hope to make with your work going forward in Oberlin’s Sociology department?

I hope I can keep teaching material that resonates with students and gets them thinking about topics in new ways. I also like to teach material that makes students walk away not only feeling like they better understand the inner workings of society, but like they also see themselves and their biographies with more clarity. Making learning accessible is really important to me. I did not see many teachers or instructors that looked like me coming through school and higher education, so I also hope I can show other women of color on campus that they can be professors —and whatever else they want — too. We belong and are needed in these spaces.

What are some areas within sports specifically where you think people could do better to address social issues?

I hope conversations will continue about gender identity in sport, so we can find better ways to make competition and fitness inclusive and empowering spaces for people with marginalized gender identities. Using an intersectional perspective in these conversations is really important, so we ensure that we are centering the voices of student-athletes who may identify as trans or non-binary but also identify with a marginalized racial group, have invisible illnesses or disabilities, or are from a disadvantaged economic background.

Both track and field teams were wrapping up their first day of competition, and basketball was competing against Wittenberg University in the semifinal round. Toward the end of the day, Head Track and Field and Cross Country Coach Ray Appenheimer noticed that many of his athletes were interested in the game and allowed some to walk over to support the basketball team.

“As the first day of competition was winding down, you could see lots of folks on their phones watching the livestream,” Appenheimer said. “I would say there were probably 20 or 30 of them who [were] obviously really into it. One of our seniors, [fourth-year] Theo Haviland, was like, ‘Hey, coach, can we go?’ I was like, ‘Sure, of course you can go.’”

DePauw’s Indoor Track and Field Center is about a half mile walk away from Neal Fieldhouse, where the basketball game was held, so a few members of the track and field team had to run over in order to make it by the end of the third quarter.

“I was concerned because our sense of direction isn’t always the best on this team,” Appenheimer said.

Fourth-year Iyanna Lewis, defending NCAC women’s weight throw champion, also led multiple rounds of the song, “Yeo Baby.” The track and field teams also donned capes — Lewis cred- its fifth-year Captain Sarah Voit for the idea — which they waved at Wittenberg whenever the Tigers attempted to make free throws.

“The rest of the parents that were at the game [were] just surprised that all of us had come in,” Lewis said. “Afterwards, I watched it back and the announcers were like, ‘Whoa, Oberlin’s fan section is so huge.’ We could tell that they were playing music to try to get us to dance.”

With two minutes left to spare, the rest of the team was able to make it to the game, though Appenheimer noted that, “in basketball times, [two minutes is] a half hour.”

Ultimately, fourth-seed Oberlin upset Wittenberg, the first-seed team in the tournament, and danced its way to the finals for the first time since 2018 to continue their Cinderella run. Before playing against Ohio Wesleyan University, the basketball team repaid the favor and cheered on the men’s weight-throwers and women’s shot-putters.

Although the clock struck midnight too soon with a 79–71 loss and 17–11 overall season finish, third-year guard Gina Lombard, who played an integral role in both games and was named to the NCAC third-team after the finals, enjoyed the celebration after Oberlin’s success over Wittenberg and its hard fought attempt against OWU.

“The feeling of beating [Wittenberg] and having the whole track team there to celebrate with us … was something that [I’ll] remember for a while,” Lombard said. “The whole weekend was a highlight for me.”

Appenheimer reflected that inter-team support is what makes Oberlin unique from different schools, even beyond athletics.

“If I’m being a little selfish, I will tell you Wittenberg’s track team was there too at the track meet but wasn’t at the basketball game,” Appenheimer said. “I really think [it] speaks to this place and this community. … We understand that the more supportive your community, the better your performance is going to be. … So much of what we do around here is ‘I see you, … and I want to be here for you, and if there’s anything I can do to help support you, help challenge you, help build you up, I’m gonna do that for you.’ That’s not only a basketball or track thing, and it’s not only a department of Athletics thing — it’s an Oberlin thing. It is part of the fabric of this place, and it’s why we all choose to come here every single day.”

Before heading into the match against Wooster in the NCAC Championship Quarterfinals, fourth-year Đorđe Otašević took time to reflect on his three seasons competing for Oberlin.

“I am sad that my college career is coming to an end, but I’m proud of my team and everything we’ve done so far,” Otašević said. “We proved that we can play against anyone, even a great team such as Wooster. We will play our game, stick to our principles and game plan, and leave it all out on the court.”

Coming straight from a victory against the Fighting Scots for the first time in 35 years, the Yeomen competed valiantly against Wooster but ultimately came up short. Down by nine at halftime, the Yeomen struggled in the early moments of the second half but went on a 13–2 run to shrink Wooster’s lead to just three points, 65–62. Otašević; second-year Will Bousquette III, who was Oberlin’s scoring leader with 16 points; third-year Dimitrije Radusinovic; and first-year Adam Navarre all contributed to the scoring sheet, but their efforts proved futile as the Yeomen went on a five-minute scoring drought and ultimately lost 92–77.

Meanwhile, the Yeowomen en tered their contest against fifth-seed Denison as the fourth seed with a 15–10 season record. Oberlin had swept the Big Red in its previous two meetings this season and entered the game brimming with confidence. The stakes for this game were even higher, as Denison Head Coach Maureen Hirt was previously an assistant coach for Oberlin’s team and played a significant role in helping the Yeowomen get to the semifinals in the historic 2021–22 season.

Both teams came out of the gates firing, combining for 20 points in the first five minutes. Denison stayed one step ahead throughout the first quarter, which finished with the Big Red leading 20–17.

Overall, scoring slowed in the second quarter, with good defense and intense pressure on ball handlers and shooters. Buckets by first-year Lily Najmulski, third-year Jaedyn O’Reilly, and third-year Alyson Jefferson kept the Yeowomen in contention, and a buzzer-beater by second-year Kendal McCall lessened the Big Red’s lead to two, with Denison leading 30–28 at half. Second-year Bryana Woodard tied the game with layup to start the half, which set the tone for the third quarter. The two teams kept the scoring numbers high and stayed neck and neck thanks to Najmulski and third-year Gina Lombard. The duo knocked down a pair of two three-pointers each, which gave the Yeowomen a four-point advantage entering the fourth.

Najmulski and Lombard continued their success in the fourth by knocking down back-to-back three-pointers in the opening minute, which got the crowd rolling. Second-year Camille Zinaich, fueled by the moment and the crowd’s energy, knocked down three mid-range jumpers in a row to extend Oberlin’s lead to 14.

Down 66–52 with five minutes remaining, Denison crawled back valiantly and scored nine consecutive points to cut the lead to 5. First-year Angela Kumler held her nerve and sank her free throws, solidifying the Yeowomen with an unreachable seven point lead. Oberlin held on to knock off Denison 72–62 and advanced to the NCAC Championship Semifinals. They will face the number one seed, Wittenberg University, in Greencastle, IN.

Zinaich is looking forward to the upcoming matchup. She’s not only excited to be in the semifinals for two consecutive years, but she also hopes to avenge the team’s previous losses against Wittenberg this year, one of which was the final game of the regular season.

“It feels pretty awesome to be back in the semifinals,” Zinaich said. “Last year we did not play our best and we left Indiana feeling pretty bad, so it’s good to be back for some redemption. I am really excited to be playing Wittenberg. We lost to them twice this year, so we really want this win and want to end up in the championship game. The team and I are definitely striving for a championship this weekend.”

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What is the age distribution like on the team? Are there a lot of younger students?
There’s two fourth-years, four in my class, five second-years, and five first-years. The captains are three third-years and one second-year, but we definitely have a lot of leaders on the team whether they’re captains or not. Just talking to the first-years and the second-years has been a challenge for me personally because I didn’t have my first year of playing, so last year was my first year of playing.

I’m one of the captains on the team, so I spend time being more of a leader for the other 15 players on the team instead of just focusing on myself. My focus is being more vocal, more communicative, and more receptive to feedback. It’s my first year being a captain in college on this team, but in high school I was also a captain.

How has your team contributed to your success?

We all get along well, and we all are willing to put in the work to understand what we like and what we don’t like with our passes and how our pace is. And that is something that helps us on the court. I believe we have great chemistry, especially when there are certain rotations. As a team, I think communication has definitely been a challenge, but we’ve been working on it throughout the season.

Beyond the court, you’re also a co-chair of BSAG. What’s that like? Has it had any impact on your basketball experience at Oberlin?

Being a co-chair of BSAG definitely keeps me busy. We’ve had a few events, and we’re planning a few more in the spring. I’m definitely busier now than in the fall. Being co-chair allows me to connect with so many athletes across campus, which I enjoy because I don’t always get to talk to people outside of practice or see them a lot in the training room. It’s a lot of coordinating and event planning, talking to different groups on campus and talking with Delta Lodge Director of Athletics & Physical Education Natalie Winkelfoos and Senior Associate Director of Athletics Creg Jantz.

On the court, it helps me with the communication aspect and the time management aspect because with basketball, you have to learn plays and show up to practice, lift, recovery, all those different things. When I also have BSAG on the schedule, it can definitely be a lot to juggle at times, but it has helped me to prioritize a lot.

What are you most excited for in your role with BSAG this year?

I’m definitely most excited for the basketball tournament. Last year, we had one in March when Black History Month events were in March, and it was called the Black History Month Tournament. This year, it’s called Obie Madness, and it’s going to be in April. I’m definitely excited for that because we get a lot of participation in the basketball tournament because it’s not just athletes, it’s people across campus — people in the Conservatory can join, and people in the community come out to watch. I’m glad I can  spread the word about the different Black athletes on campus and share their accomplishments because there aren’t a lot of them in different spaces and on different teams. It’s nice to highlight it.

The first time I registered the existence of LeBron James was in 2006, when I was in kindergarten and getting into sports. My dad always put Cleveland Cavaliers games on the TV when they were on, so I took an immediate interest. The first thing I noticed, even as a six-year-old, was that LeBron was different from everybody on the floor. He was stronger, faster, and smarter, and utilized his skills better than anyone else.

What my dad made sure I learned as I got to know LeBron the player was who he was before he became an NBA star. His tough upbringing involving childhood homelessness in Akron, OH, is now well known, but it continues to stick with me today. How could a kid that missed 83 days of school in fourth grade due to his unstable home life become so unbelievably successful?

I couldn’t relate to his life story, but I was inspired by it. It made me feel like I could do anything as I watched the kid from Akron take Cleveland to its first NBA Finals appearance in team history in 2007.

2007-08: 10,689 points

One of the first times I ever saw LeBron in person was in the 2008 NBA Playoffs against a veteran Boston Celtics squad that had Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen. The Cavs pulled out a 74–69 win thanks to LeBron, who tallied 32 points and six assists, meaning he had a hand in over 50 percent of the team’s points. When I got to first grade the next day, I was so excited to tell my gym teacher — who allegedly met LeBron at some point — that I was at the game.

The Decision and the Miami Heat years: 15,251 points

Although I loved LeBron during his first stint in Cleveland, I wasn’t mature enough to give him a break when he made the first — and pretty much only — big mistake of his career. In July 2010, he infamously announced he was leaving Cleveland for Miami during an hour-long special on ESPN called “The Decision.” The event led to the burning of his jerseys all around Northeast Ohio, and I would have set mine ablaze too if it wasn’t for my belief in the “don’t play with matches” line they told us in school.

Seeing what LeBron did in Miami was extremely painful. His team won all the time — two titles in four years — and he seemed to have so much fun while it happened. How could he leave Cleveland in the dust like nothing happened when he had been the biggest sports figure in Northeast Ohio for years?

The Return: 23,170 points

In Summer 2014, LeBron’s contract was up with Miami, and the discussion over where he would land heated up again. I remember I was at the dentist when former ESPN analyst Chris Broussard OC ’90 tweeted on July 6, 2014, “Cleveland has replaced Miami as my frontrunner to land LeBron James…”

Five days later, LeBron announced he was coming back home in an essay published in Sports Illustrated. It rejuvenated Cleveland, which had seen zero playoff wins by any of its teams during LeBron’s tenure in Miami. The only frustration for me was that my old jersey was now three sizes too small.

Ending the Drought: 26,833 points

I was 15 and watching with my dad on June 19, 2016, when LeBron James and the Cavaliers ended Cleveland’s 52-year pro sports championship drought. His famous block on Golden State’s Andre Igudola is cemented into my mind as it is in every other Cleveland sports fan’s. The fact that his most famous moment was a defensive hustle play encapsulates who he is as a player — great in every facet of the game. Unlike his championship celebrations in Miami where he was smiling and palling around with his teammates, LeBron broke down during his postgame interview and yelled, “CLEVELAND, THIS IS FOR YOU!”

2018 Carry and Second Departure: 32,958 points

By 2018, the quality of the Cavs roster was diminished by player turnover, including the departure of a key point guard. What LeBron did with this team was something I have never seen another athlete do. With a roster of zero other x-factor players, he put the team on his back and willed them to a Finals appearance, sporting double ice packs on his knees after each game. The team eventually lost to an unfairly stacked Golden State roster led by Steph Curry and Kevin Durant, but I can say that year was the most impressive individual performance by a single athlete I’ve ever seen.

When LeBron left Cleveland for the second time that summer, I couldn’t even be mad about it. He brought Cleveland a championship and did all he could to do it again. As an extremely mature high school senior, I wished him the best as he joined the Lakers.

February 7, 2023: 38,390 points

After a tumultuous four and a half seasons in LA that included an NBA championship but also a couple of losing seasons, LeBron closed in on what was once thought to be an unbreakable record. For 38 years, Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had the all-time NBA points record with 38,387. Last Tuesday, LeBron passed him with a fadeaway jumper over Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kenrich Williams in Los Angeles.

When I watched the shot go in, I wasn’t reminded of Cavs highlights or any other of his NBA moments. What I immediately thought of was LeBron’s roots in Akron. A kid who had been dealt as bad a hand as anyone achieved one of the most impressive milestones in sports history. I’m 22, and I already can’t wait to tell my grandkids about him.

Before the game began, however, Lombard was unaware of the previous school record and was primarily focused on breaking her own personal record as the game went on.

“I was really just trying to break my career high, which was six,” Lombard said. “I had already hit six by halftime, so I was just telling my teammates that I wanted to hit one more and break my own record. I hadn’t even thought about what the program record was at that point.”

After emerging from the game, Lombard was surrounded by her encouraging teammates and coaches.

“My teammates have been extremely supportive,” she said. “After the game, I walked into the classroom and they all dumped water on me and we celebrated. It was really sweet.”

Lily Najmulski, a first-year guard, was impressed by Lombard’s accomplishments, but moreso with her teammate’s leadership.

“As a first-year shooting guard, seeing Gina break the three-point record was inspiring,” Najmulski said. “I feel lucky to play alongside Gina, and I can’t wait to keep learning from her. Gina is an important part of the team, both on and off the court. Even while she was setting the record, she was encouraging me to shoot the ball. Gina is a competitor who wants to play well and pushes others to do the same.”

Camille Zinaich, a second-year guard and forward on the team, scored 12 points throughout this game and was also awed by Lombard’s abilities and the team’s victory on the court.

“I was really happy with the win and scoring a hundred points, since Oberlin women’s basketball hasn’t scored a hundred points since 2002,” Zinaich said. “Gina has been a consistent leader on and off the court and, with momentum from the Wooster game, the team is well positioned for our final games and the tournament.”

After her outstanding performance on Saturday, Lombard has high hopes for the remainder of the season. “I think if I had to pick my next goal, it’d be to break the 3s made in a single season,” she said.

Najmulski also highlighted how essential the victory against Wooster was for the team.

“Beating Wooster this year was important because it will, hopefully, give us momentum as we continue our conference play and into the conference tournament,” Najmulski said.

Beating Wooster was no small feat, and it demonstrated how the women’s basketball team continues to put up impressive performances on the court. Since the Wooster game, the Yeowomen defeated Hiram College Wednesday, Feb. 8, 64–47. They face DePauw University Feb. 11 at home 1 p.m.

The Yeomen started out the contest on fire and got a 14-point lead by the end of the first half, holding the Fighting Scots to just seven made field goals. Oberlin’s Head Men’s Basketball Coach Shiva Senthil, who is in his first year of coaching the team, believes his squad had a mental edge early on.

“We set ourselves up with a really good mindset in warmups,” he said. “Our guys were locked in and we understood how big a game this was for our program. They executed to perfection and played really hard. When you do that, things start to bounce your way.”

Although Oberlin built a nice lead early, Wooster — which came into the game with a 9–1 record in the conference — was not going to go out quietly. They rallied in the second half and took a one point lead with 7:38 remaining. Senthil reminded his team to focus on what they could control during Wooster’s run.

“We had to continue executing and understand that good teams are going to make runs and how we react to those runs is going to determine the outcome,” he said.

Fourth-year forward Đorđe Otašević believes the first half performance gave them confidence they could retake the lead.

“We understood that we got up by 14 points earlier and that we could take the lead again,” he said. “We kept doing what we worked on and stuck to our principles. We believed in each other, plus the energy from the bench was unbelievable.”

Defense was a critical factor for the Yeomen in their win. The team held Wooster to just 29 percent shooting from the field and racked up seven blocks and six steals. Second-year point guard Yuuki Okubo played a significant role, tallying three steals and two blocks of his own.

“First as a team, we did a really good job of sticking to the game plan the coaches made for us,” Okubo said. “Everybody was locked in on a string and knew what the rotations were. For me, last time we played Wooster I didn’t have a good game so I just tried to come out with energy to propel us forward.”

Senthil agrees that it was a great defensive team effort.

“Every single person whether they were on the court or the bench understood their role to perfection,” he said. “They played incredibly hard and got to every single rotation and contested every single shot. It was the best execution of our game plan we’ve had all year.”

Offensively, the Yeomen attacked Wooster by getting all members of the team involved. Okubo led the way with 14 points, while Otašević scored 12 with efficient shooting, going five of six from the field.

“I was able to get the shots we work on every single day, and I played to my advantage,” Otašević said. “Wooster was adapting to our offense, but we were able to have good reads and my teammates were able to find me for open shots.”

Five other Oberlin players finished with at least six points, proving that it was a team effort offensively. Okubo, who has the second best assist-to-turnover ratio in all of NCAA men’s basketball this year and was recently named NCAC Player of the Week, centers his game around getting teammates involved.

“My job is to get everybody involved so I try to do the best I can to get everybody in their spots and get them good looks,” Okubo said. “I think we’re a much better team when the scoring is spread out and we can all contribute.”

Players and coaches recognize the historic impact of Saturday’s victory.

“It’s really, really special, and I’m happy for our guys and what it means for our season,” Senthil said. “Our guys have worked really hard, and I’m happy they got this result because they really deserve it.”

Okubo also appreciates the win and what it can do to motivate the team.

“It means a lot,” he said. “It’s huge for the program because it gives us confidence and the boost we need.”

The team’s 1–9 record in the NCAC going into the game may suggest that it is a rebuilding year. However, the victory over Wooster showed that Oberlin can compete with any team in the conference. This is not lost on Otašević.

“We worked hard, we believed, and we achieved something great,” he said. “However, we can’t be satisfied with this because we still have a lot to do to secure the conference playoffs spot and have a shot at the championship. With the win over Wooster we proved that we can play with anyone and we just need to keep improving from here on out.”

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

When did you start playing basketball, and what made you decide to play in college?

I think the first organized basketball I did was when I was five. I was in kindergarten, and my church had a girls’ league, so it was with my neighbors. We would play at the church, which had a basketball court. That was the first time I got a pair of high-tops and played.

For me, playing in college was always the goal in high school. I originally wanted to play as a tool to get an education or to go somewhere that I may not have academically been able to get into on my own. But I think for me it was always just like, “I don’t want these four years in high school to be it. I want to keep playing just because I love it.”

How did you get started with photography, and how did you start taking photos for Oberlin Athletics?

I bought my first camera at 16. My twin sister was a gymnast for 10 years, and I started photographing her at her meets because they were really long and I wanted something to do. From there, I did family portraits and stuff over the summer, and in my junior year of high school, I helped out the school newspaper. I would go to sports events for them, edit photos, and post on my Instagram. That became really fun because in my senior year, there was a group of us who did photography and videography — we’d all show up to games and take photos together. When I got to Oberlin in the fall of 2020, I was sad that we didn’t have actual meets or competitions because I really wanted to help out and take photos. I was planning on doing it for free, but after my media day photos, I talked to Assistant Director of Athletics Communications Amanda Phillips. She said, “We need photographers. Do you have your own camera?” And I was like, “Oh, yeah, I’m all set up.” I really enjoy it, and I like being able to have an artistic lens that I don’t necessarily get through playing basketball or being in school.

People enjoy the photos, too. I like giving people something that they’re happy to look at. I’ve had people come up to me and be like, “Oh my God, the pictures are so good. I feel like you made me look so good.” It makes me happy to catch people in a moment of intensity and joy.

What is your favorite genre of photography?

My favorite — my girlfriend often talks to me about this — is a series of self-portraits that I did. I was also planning on making a video when I got top surgery over the summer to document the process or my own feelings toward it, but I focused on recovery and didn’t do that.

I really love doing stuff that’s more artistic, more indie, but sometimes people don’t want to do that. I don’t necessarily have as much time, but I do love, love, love shooting basketball. I’ve also done a couple weddings — I love that because it feels so special to be a part of somebody’s special day, capturing a moment that’s only gonna happen once, so that’s another one of my favorite things. I had a really fun time going through and editing the photos and just putting stuff together for them that they would enjoy.

How do you see photography as a form of art?

Personally, I love capturing other people’s moments of joy. That feels really special. One of my favorite photos I’ve ever taken is of one of my really close friends — I shot her brother’s wedding this summer, and the photo is of her and him in the kitchen before the wedding eating pierogies over the sink. It wasn’t posed, they were just eating the pierogies because they were hungry, but they’re in full dress, makeup on, all ready to go. I know she’s gonna like it forever, and it’s so reminiscent of their relationship. On the sports side of it, I know the amount of work people put in and the intensity it takes to be in those moments, so it’s really cool to catch teammates being excited on the sidelines. Most people are pointing the camera on the court, but when you pan over to all the people who work with you every single day and they’re excited for you, that’s also beautiful. I think that’s art in and of itself. It’s cool to get the action shot, but it’s also cool to catch moments of the coaches in their intense moments and players reacting to that.

The idea began with Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach Nate Smith, who wanted to unite athletics and the Conservatory, with the added benefit of improving the in-game atmosphere. However, the undertaking was more challenging than expected. After unsuccessful attempts to reach out to Conservatory professors, Smith tasked third-year guard Henry Lieber with pitching the idea to his Conservatory classmates. Luckily, second-year jazz saxophonist Harrison Fink was enthusiastic and assembled a band.
Instead of going for a more traditional pep band setlist, the band decided to play popular songs like Meek Mill’s “Ima Boss,” which is the men’s basketball team’s unofficial anthem and has a melody that makes for a great horn section solo.

Reflecting on the experience, Fink recognized the perks of playing for the team.

“It’s a lot of fun to engage with the team and have a part in the energy that the audience has,” Fink said. “On top of that, we get to watch the games, which is always fun. So it’s just a fun experience.”

The basketball players also enjoyed having a pep band. While the team lost to Ohio Northern University 62–58, players had positive things to say about the presence of the pep band. Third-year basketball player Anastasis Spyroglou commented on the spirit they created in the gym.

“I really like our band,” Spyroglou said. “I like the positive energy they send to the crowd and players as well.”

Smith also expressed gratitude and appreciation for the pep band.
“Our players have really loved it so far,” Smith said. “All the feedback that I’ve gotten, that I’ve received from the players, has been super positive. I think they really enjoy the little riffs and just the music in the gym. … There’s an element of getting the crowd involved through music, so we’re very fortunate to have ’em. They’re a bunch of really talented individuals, and we’re fired up.”

The band will make their next appearance Saturday, Dec. 10 at a game against Hiram College.