For the first time, cross country had their very own Senior Night, organized by the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. In previous years, the cross country seniors were celebrated alongside track and field during one collective ceremony at the end of the year. This year, however, SAAC organized a ceremony to celebrate cross country on their own during the women’s soccer game against Hiram College. 

Fourth-year Margo Lee, who has been running track since she was five years old, expressed how personal this ceremony felt. 

“Definitely sad,” Lee said. “I have been playing at Oberlin for only two seasons, and I think that has made it especially personal. Wednesday was Senior Night, then we had our conference Saturday, which made me super aware going into Senior Night — like, I’m a senior and it’s my last one. But yeah, I’m feeling good.” 

Lee had the unique experience of being a transfer student-athlete, which has impacted her experience at Oberlin. When asked how her experience may have been different if she hadn’t joined cross country, she explained that her team served to ease the anxiety that came along with transferring. 

“I honestly can’t imagine my time as a transfer student at Oberlin without being on the cross country and track teams,” Lee said. “Transferring to a small school, especially halfway through an academic year, is such a scary thing to do, and I feel so grateful that I was greeted by a group of wonderful people who quickly became my closest friends.”  

Each senior expressed how different this year was compared to previous years playing their sport. Lee notes how this year she felt acutely aware of the fact that she is graduating in the spring.

“As a result, I am intentional about being present, definitely more so than in my previous year and a half at Oberlin,” Lee said. “I’m definitely emotional about having limited time to be a part of something so incredible as Oberlin cross country and track and field, so I try to soak up every moment, whether I’m in the middle of a tough workout, writing mantras on my teammates’ arms before a race, or walking with teammates from the locker room to [Stevenson Dining Hall] for dinner.” 

This past weekend, the cross country team participated in their first round of conference meets hosted at Denison College. Despite the meet being two hours away, they were greeted by 20 of their fellow track teammates who carpooled to cheer the team across the finish line. Lee described the comfort this brought her, making the away meet feel like home. 

“Our coach, Ray Appenheimer, often talks to us about the importance of making every meet feel like a home meet, and our team made sure that happened last weekend,” Lee said. “Throughout most of the race, I could hear my teammates cheering, and that energy gave me strength and pushed me forward. Perhaps most notably, they delivered a Yeo Baby cheer that I could hear for an entire mile.”

The cross country team is known for their exceptional spirit on the course. Lee highlighted how Oberlin was the only team who was covered in glitter and mantras they had written on each other in Sharpie. 

“I’ll write like ‘I’m strong,’ ‘I’m fearless,’ ‘I’m great,’ that kind of thing,” Lee said. “This weekend I wrote, ‘For the love of OCXC, OBLITERATE YOURSELF’ and I think that kind of thing lightens the mood. It’s like, I’m about to endure 20 more minutes of being drenched — but [I’m] having fun.”

Hunter Wilson, a fourth-year on the football team, emphasized hoWw rejuvenating his last season has been with new head coach John Pont. Wilson described the end to his football career as bittersweet.

“I would say that being with the guys for so long and growing such a strong bond with them has meant a lot for me,” Wilson said. “And it has really brightened my experience at Oberlin. But now that it’s coming to the end, knowing that I’m not going to be able to see them as much and interact with them and get to do all the things that I was doing like practice in the morning, lift, things like that — that’s gonna hurt a little bit, but obviously I really enjoyed my experience, and spending time with my family on Senior Night meant a lot for me.”

When asked how this year’s Senior Night differed from previous years, Wilson emphasized the impact that Coach Pont has made on the team’s camaraderie. The team won 37–35 on home turf against Concordia University Chicago for the first time in four years. 

“So this season, under our new head coach, Coach Pont, I felt a greater sense of faith and camaraderie amongst our team as opposed to previous seasons, when there was a lot more negativity in our program,” Wilson said. “Whereas this year, you know, when things have gotten difficult, we’ve all maintained positivity, and we also were able to get a big win in our second week of the year, and the season is not over yet. So, we still have two more opportunities. So, you know, obviously we’re moving in the right direction. There’s a lot of growth from last season just in terms of the faith that people have in our team. That just continues to build.” 

Wilson expressed how the recognition he received during the ceremony brought him immense satisfaction. 

“I felt recognized, especially for my contributions to the team,” Wilson said. “I really cherish the discipline that being a collegiate athlete taught me. It required me to create a schedule. It required me to be on time and attend everything that I had set in my schedule and give it my full effort and ability, which I feel like moving on into post undergrad and my life taught me a lot of lessons that I can continue to maintain.” 

Field hockey competed in their Senior Night game on Saturday, putting up a strong fight against Allegheny College, but ultimately losing 1–0. For fourth-years Abbie Patchen and Dee Pegues, the celebration evoked many heartfelt emotions. 

“I was feeling super reflective and sad that this was my last year playing field hockey,” Pegues said. “I’ve put so much work into the sport for so long that it feels weird that it’s over. But that moment on the field surrounded with the best team in the world, I felt nothing but pride and happiness. I am so glad I could spend my last game with them.”

Similarly, Patchen explained how nervous she was for the last game of her career. 

“I was more nervous for that game than I probably had been for any game in my career,” Patchen said. “There’s a lot more pressure when it’s the last game and all of our families were there but once we started warming up it all went away and we were all just able to have fun and enjoy our last time playing together.” 

A common Senior Night tradition is for all non-seniors to decorate the locker rooms for the graduating class prior to game day. Pegues expressed how not participating in the decorating was particularly moving. 

“I think the biggest difference was not decorating the locker room,” Pegues said. “I remember spending hectic late nights decorating the locker room for previous seniors. It felt so weird being on the other side of that experience. I know it seems small, but not decorating the locker room really stuck out to me.” 

When asked what they’d miss most about the season, both players emphasized how the time they spent with their teammates meant the most to them. 

“What I’ll miss most is getting to see them at the end of every day,” Patchen said. “Getting to laugh with them, just while we practice. Sometimes school can be really stressful. But practice and playing feel like it’s a time where you get to be outside, run around, and spend time with all of my best friends.” 

“I’m going to miss the team so much,” Pegues said. “Not just interacting with the team, but also playing with them, especially the seniors. The seniors and the team have been the one constant in my four years at Oberlin, and seeing us all improve over the years has been so special to see. I’m going to miss playing with them so much.”

“We’re running our best when it matters most,” Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Coach Ray Appenheimer wrote in an email to the Review. “It’s a testament to how hard they have trained and how well the team has taken care of themselves throughout the semester.”

The women’s team finished the competition with 99 points. Third-year Sage Reddish led the Yeowomen and finished in 23 minutes and 13.4 seconds, earning them second-team all-conference honors. Fourth-year Eliza Medearis and third-year Camila Ciembroniewicz both earned third-team honors, while fourth-year Margo Lee, second-year Amber Borofsky, first-year Sophie Mateja, and third-year Caleigh Lyons all made it into the top 50.

The men’s team finished the competition with 62 points. The team’s best performances came from third-years Walter Moak and Jonah Barber, who ran the 8K in 26:12.2 and 26:18.7 respectively, earning the pair first-team all-conference honors. Third-year Johnny Ragsdale was not far behind and earned third-team all-conference honors with a time of 26:42:5. 

“We couldn’t have asked for a more positive start, to be honest!” Ragsdale wrote in an email to the Review. “I think we all ran great individually, but more importantly we worked very well as a team on a difficult course. That’s what will help us most at regionals!”

Appenheimer was quick to credit the runners who were highlights for the team this past weekend.

“So many of the runners stepped up today,” Appenheimer wrote. “Up front Walter, Jonah, Sage, and Eliza did a great job leading. For both Camila and Johnny, it was their first time getting all-conference honors in cross country. Danny, Margo, and Aiden were also close and ran great for the team. It was a total team effort.”

Ragsdale echoed Appenheimer’s statements and was quick to highlight how highly each runner placed in the race. 

“It just shows the strength in depth we have on this team!” Ragsdale wrote. “Cross country isn’t about who has the fastest runner, but the fastest team. For both the men’s and women’s teams, that’s the case!”

The positive note set the team in a great position for their final two events, one of them being the NCAA regional championships.

“We are all super excited for regionals,” Ragsdale wrote. “It’s going to be a fast course and the feeling around the whole team is we are so amped to toe the line together! If we treat regionals like we’ve treated every workout and every other race this season, we are a dangerous team.”

This meet will not be the first time that track and field athletes have hit the road to lend support to the cross country team. Because most cross country athletes are also part of the track and field team in the spring, the two teams are very closely tied. According to Reese Hyatt, a third-year sprinter on the track team, athletes who compete exclusively in track frequently take time out of their weekends to travel to cross country meets to support their teammates. 

“If there is a meet that is close enough, we try to gather some track folks to go and watch,” Hyatt said. “I try to travel to support as much as possible.”

Kambi Obioha, another third-year sprinter on the track team, added that attending cross country meets can be important for team spirit. 

“We go to cross country meets to just run around and support and just to get the whole team hyped for competition,” Obioha said. 

Obioha also mentioned that, when the cross country team competed in Granville earlier in the season, he was able to attend. 

“It was very competitive, and they’ll be doing the same race,” Obioha said. “I’m excited to come out and support again.”

Amber Borofsky, a second-year on the cross country and track and field teams, said that cross country athletes appreciate the support and energy that the track athletes bring.

“I love being able to hear our Oberlin cheers, like the ‘Yeo Baby,’” Borofsky said. “It’s also really exciting when you’re looking around and seeing teammates or other people from Oberlin to know that you have that broad support.” 

While the two teams are separated during the fall, athletes mentioned that, when cross country athletes compete alongside track and field in the spring, the separation doesn’t affect them or the team’s chemistry. 

“I think that the track and cross country team could be described as a big family,” Hyatt said. “Towards the beginning of the year, it may feel a bit separated or disconnected due to us practicing and meeting separately. … Once we join together for indoor season, the team becomes much more connected and feels a lot more like a family.” 

Obioha mentioned that, despite the differences in their individual events, the athletes who compete exclusively on the cross country or track and field teams never waver in their support for one another. 

“We operate like one big family, so regardless of whether somebody runs longer than another person or not, or we’re not in the same events, we stick together as one unit,” Obioha said. “We mainly do it for the purpose of supporting each others’ goals and getting them through challenges together.” 

According to Borofsky, part of the unity that the teams feel is due to the continued support of the cross country team from the track and field athletes who don’t compete in the fall.

“We come together on track and bring the energy for each other, and likewise, they bring the energy for us,” Borofsky said. 

Hyatt added that supporting the cross country team in the fall is essential for creating a healthy team environment once the two teams merge together in the spring. 

“I think it’s really important to have a good relationship with the cross country team because, at the end of the day, we are all the same team,” Hyatt said. “Making good connections with the team in the beginning of the year will ensure success towards the end of the year once we are all competing together and cheering each other on.” 

Obioha echoed the sentiment and added that the cross country athletes also add a lot of energy and support to the track team during the spring season. 

“Regardless of whether you’re alone or not in your event, you’re always going to have people from the cross country team, or really good friends who are in your same events, come out and support you,” Obioha said. “You’re never alone when it comes to competing.”

The teams have carried their momentum into the beginning of this season. The Yeowomen placed second in two of their four meets, and the Yeomen have similarly finished in the top third in half their meets. 

The Yeowomen are led by the duo of fourth-year Eliza Medearis and third-year Sage Reddish, who have routinely placed in the top 10 this season. Last weekend, they finished seven seconds apart from each other, earning sixth and seventh, respectively. Medearis credited Reddish for their combined accomplishments.

“For me personally, Sage is my running buddy, ride or die,” Medearis said. “And I feel like everyone on the team has at least one person, if not three or four people, that have worked out together. Someone you can just look for in a race. That’s so valuable. That was definitely how our men’s team won [the] conference last year, by just being together and looking out for each other.”

The Yeomen ran well last weekend, placing all five of their runners in the top 45. Third-year Johnny Ragsdale, who rounded out Oberlin’s top five, was appreciative of how the team works together to push each other through pain and discomfort. He acknowledged  the team’s mental toughness as one of their strong suits.

“I think we run really well together when in a lot of pain,” Ragsdale said. “On cross country courses, you get in a lot of pain, and you gotta stay tough, you gotta deal with that. And I think that this group has really grown together over the past couple years, how we’re able to work together and build together.”

Head Coach Ray Appenheimer was quick to focus on the community the cross country team has built and the aura surrounding the team.

“So much of what we do, and get so much out of is extracting as much joy and connection out of each day,” Appenheimer wrote in an email to the Review. “This team is such a positive community that supports one another at practice, at races, and throughout their lives. There is such a positive energy around this group that success is all but assured.”

Medearis echoed Appenheimer’s statement and emphasized the importance of balance on the team.

“Leading up to the meet [last weekend], we just had spent the whole day together, we were goofing off, spending time with each other, and having fun,” Medearis said. “And I think that really leads to strong performance. We’re competitive, but we know how to have fun with it. Everyone is genuinely happy to be there and go out and do our best.”

The NCAC Championships are in under four weeks and both teams are looking forward to the competition. However, runners and coaches alike signified the importance of enjoying the journey and not thinking too much about the race.

“We are getting closer to the championship portion of the season,” Appenheimer wrote. “We want to stay healthy, stay positive, stay focused, and take care of ourselves and one another. We’ve found that always being focused on the process ends up yielding the best results.”

Medearis had a similar view. She expressed excitement about the championship race but was wary to look too far ahead.

“Winning [the] conference would be huge,” she said. “A conference second place would also be huge, but we have to shoot for the moon. We definitely want to be the winners. But we also just want to have fun. I feel like that’s the main goal for me and the entire team, … just finishing out [the season] really, really strong and happy.”

Cross country will continue their season next Saturday, Oct. 14, at the SUNY Geneseo Mike Woods Invitational in Geneseo, NY.

The women’s team, led by fourth-year Eliza Medearis and third-year Sage Reddish, finished in second place with 36 points in the 6K; three runners finished inside the top 15. 

Medearis led the Yeowomen, clocking in at 25:47.80, earning her second place in the 102-runner field. 

“I’m excited to have a really solid team and, maybe, have a shot at winning the conference or at least doing better than last year,” Medearis said. “Last weekend’s meet was probably the toughest course we’ve ever run, but it was super fun and the team did great, which is giving us so much confidence going into the season.” 

Reddish crossed the line at 26:24.00 to take seventh. First-year Sophie Mateja was right on her tail, finishing at 26:38.60 to take twelfth. Additionally, third-year Camila Ciembroniewicz finished sixteenth at 26:50.90, and fourth-year Margo Lee finished two spots behind at eighteenth place with a time of 26:54.60. Second-year Amber Borofsky finished twenty-sixth at a time of 27:20.20, while third-year Caleigh Lyons finished forty-first at 28:24.90.

The defending conference champion men’s team placed third overall in the 8K, leading all NCAC schools with 128 points. 

Third-year Walter Moak was one of the fastest runners for Oberlin and was excited about how the team performed last weekend.

“The conference preview was a very encouraging start to our season,” Moak wrote in an email to the Review. “While our early positioning should have been more aggressive, the fact that no other NCAC team beat us is a great sign for our fitness. Like last year, our strength is our depth — we have about ten runners who could fill our top five spots.”

Moak explained the unique system of cross country scoring.

“Each team’s score is the sum of their first five runners’ places (e.g. 2nd, 10th, 18th, 22nd, 30th = 82 points),” Moak wrote. “Each team’s sixth and seventh runners are known as displacers; if they finish ahead of other teams’ scoring runners, they increase those teams’ scores. The team with the lowest score wins.” 

In the 172-runner field, third-years dominated Oberlin’s top times. Moak set the tone for the Yeomen, clocking in fourth overall at 28:11.00. Fellow third-year Johnny Ragsdale placed twenty-first, finishing at 29:05.50. Similarly, third-year Jonah Barber placed thirty-first, with a time of 29:21.80. Ten seconds later, second-year Liam Newman finished with a time of 29:30.10 at thirty-fifth place, and first-year Sam Moretensen clocked in at forty-sixth place with a time of 29:51.10. Five seconds later, first-year Will Gordon finished forty-seventh at 29:56.10, and third-year Danny Markey finished forty-ninth at a time of 29:58.90. 

“Denison was a very challenging course, physically but especially mentally,” Ragsdale said. “It challenged us to use our teammates and not let minor setbacks exacerbate themselves. Something to remember about distance running is that it is 95 percent mental. Heading into future meets, I think the best thing we can do is to let our experience give us confidence. If we continue to compete with smiles on our faces and have more fun on the course than our competitors, I know this team can accomplish a lot.”

Barber echoed Ragsdale’s sentiment.

“I think what this team embodies is solely focusing on enjoying the process and running together,” Barber said. “We’re not concerned about other teams or results, just purely [about] the privilege that is running with your team. I think channeling that energy will be crucial going into our future meets.”

The cross country teams face another challenge this weekend as they make the long journey to New York to compete in the University of Rochester Yellow Jacket Invitational.

This past January, the NCAA made changes to rules surrounding on and offseason practice scheduling starting this semester. Specifically, they have changed the measurement for the length of the season from weeks to days.

“A new playing seasons structure for all sports besides football will be established that eliminates weeks as a measurement for a season,” the NCAA website says. “This establishes a traditional start and end date for fall and spring segments, increases the nontraditional segment interaction from 16 to 24 days, measures the winter sports season by 114 days with the flexibility to use eight days before or after the season, and measures seasons for sports such as golf, rowing, and tennis by 114 days.”

The changes to the rules will likely equate to a more intense or longer offseason, which the NCAA calls “nontraditional segment interaction.”

Natalie Dufour, a third-year middle hitter on the volleyball team, appreciates what the offseason can do for her individually and for the team as a whole. She asserts that the offseason is really what athletes make of it, and that individuals and teams who work incredibly hard will then see the results and rewards in the fall.

“In my past couple of years here, what [the offseason] has looked like is practice three times a week, and also we lift twice a week when we have practices with coaches,” Dufour said. “It’s more focused on individual skills and breaking down mechanics, while during the season in the fall, we’re much more focused on team dynamics and building those connections.”

Since volleyball is a fall sport, the team begins competition around the beginning of the school year. Due to the immediacy of the season, volleyball players, like all fall athletes, must treat the summer as a continuation of their offseason. Dufour said players must maintain their fitness and practice regularly during the summer in order to compete well in the fall.

Myranda Montoye, a fourthyear on the cross country and track & field teams, agreed with Dufour’s statements. She said that since track is such a technique and effort based sport, not training regularly will have immediate detrimental effects to runners’ speeds and times.

“The sport of running doesn’t allow you to take much time off because it’s not really a skillbased sport — you have to run,” Montoye said. “If you take more than a week or two off, you’re losing fitness.”

Montoye joined the cross country team this year as additional offseason training for her track season. She runs the 400-meter, which is a quarter-mile, either one lap around the outdoor track or two laps around the indoor track. She said that her issue is less her speed and more her endurance in the race, and that cross country training will improve her endurance and track results greatly.

Gavin Girard, a third-year defender on the men’s lacrosse team, is also in favor of the intensity and workload in the offseason. Lacrosse has three scrimmages in the fall offseason, two against other colleges and one against alumni. The rest of their offseason includes practices and additional lifting.

“Typically, we’ll go three times a week, go for about two hours, but in reality it’s more [like] two and a half hours with stretching and all that kind of stuff,” Girard said. “But it’s pretty intense once we get going.”

Girard, alongside multiple Yeomen on the lacrosse team, competed in a summer league to maintain his fitness and skills. He echoed the sentiments of both Dufour and Montoye.

“Absolutely [the offseason] helps,” Girard said. “I think especially with a huge [first-year] class of guys coming in who are learning the ropes of things, having the time and scrimmaging in the fall is huge for building that chemistry we’re gonna need.”

Volleyball’s next game is today in Wooster against St. Mary’s College of Indiana, lacrosse has its alumni game Saturday, Sept. 23 at 3 p.m., and track and field will likely start their season around early December.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Congratulations on receiving an at-large bid to compete at the DIII National Championships. What were your first thoughts when you received your invitation?

Going into the regional meet, I didn’t know that was a possibility at all. I knew there was an outside chance of us qualifying as a team, but I didn’t think anyone on the team would really have a shot at the individual bid. Immediately after the regional race, Head Track and Field and Cross Country Coach Ray Appenheimer came up to me and said, “If Calvin University gets a bid, then you would be the seventh individual to qualify.” That was thrilling. I knew I’d had a great race.

The conditions were pretty rough in Michigan. How did you keep your body warm in the lead-up to the race, and how did you deal with the snow and ice?

Yeah, the conditions were pretty crazy. There were three inches of snow on the ground, and temperatures were in the 20s. I’m from Virginia, so we don’t really get that much snow — certainly not during the cross country season. Typically those temperatures and conditions are only during the indoor track season. That was definitely my first time racing in that amount of snow and cold. One of the tactics we employed to keep me warm was to use olive oil to cover my skin just before the race — it works as a layer of blubber, and it’s nice because it keeps you a bit warm but doesn’t restrict motion. The team also had these old swim jackets, which I’d never really seen before. Somehow the coaches managed to get their hands on a couple of those, so I was wearing one right before the race as well.

When did you begin running competitively?

I started running a little later than most people who run in college – in the fall of my junior year. My high school team was very good, so I was surrounded by some very talented and dedicated runners. Some of my teammates were winning individual state championships, and our varsity team in my junior year even qualified for the Nike National Championships. I wasn’t on that team, but it was amazing to see what could be accomplished with some dedication.

It takes a team to get you to the top. Who has helped you the most this season and in your career?

I think one thing that is special about our team here is that we have a lot of depth. I ran virtually all my workouts with other people, and at the beginning of the regional race, we tried to form a pack and run together as long as we could. For the first mile and a half of that race, I was right next to fourth-year Ross D’Orfani, and second-year Jonah Barber, and even when I pulled away later, I knew they were working hard. Nationals were different, of course, because I was the only person racing, but we still had a really big group of people — probably about 15 of my teammates from both the men’s and women’s teams — come up to watch and cheer.

Qualifying for Nationals is an amazing accomplishment. What are your goals for the indoor and outdoor track season?

One of my big goals for the indoor track season is to take down the school record in the mile. I’m currently five seconds off, and while five seconds is more of a gap in the mile than in the 8K, I think I can definitely cover that. I think there are other people on this team who can break that record too. We’re going to have a really strong mile group this year. As for outdoor track, I’m really excited to return to the steeplechase. That’s an event that I never did in high school and only ran twice last year, but I had a lot of success in it. I placed second in the conference meet, and I ran a really big personal record, so I’m excited to see what I can do with a little more preparation and experience.

The men’s cross country team, led by fourth-year captains Chase Sortor and Sam Russ, took home its first North Coast Athletic Conference Championship this season. To top off the championship win, Head Track and Field and Cross Country Coach Ray Appenheimer, Associate Head Cross Country Coach Izzy Alexander, and Volunteer Assistant Coach Anna Scott, OC ’22, took home NCAC Coaching Staff of the Year for the men’s division. Cross country now looks toward the NCAA Great Lakes Regional tournament and the NCAA Championships in the coming weeks. Fourth-years Niels Vanderloo and Sunniva Sheffield earned NCAC first-team honors, followed by fellow fourth-years Ross D’Orfani, Sam Russ, and Matthew Walton, third-year Eliza Medearis, second-years Walter Moak, Jonah Barber, and Sage Reddish earning NCAC second-team.

On the flip side, football’s performance has been disappointing, with a 0–9 record thus far. However, the Yeomen have had close, hard-fought battles against Kalamazoo College, Alvernia University, and Kenyon College. Notable performances came from the team captains: fourth-year and quarterback Chris Allen Jr., who threw 11 touchdowns with only eight interceptions, and fifth-year Brian Colarusso, who leads the team thus far in both receiving yards and touchdowns.

Although they began this season with 12 incoming first-years making up nearly half the team and a brand new head coach, women’s soccer has been another one of Oberlin Athletics’ bright spots this fall season, finishing with a winning record of 7–6–2. In the postseason, second-year Heather Benway was named NCAC’s Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Year, third-year Brynn Adams and second-year Sofia Mitchell earned NCAC second team honors, and second-year Zoe Garver earned third team honors.

“Starting a new season with a new coach is always a hard thing to settle into,” fourth-year midfielder Camille Franklin said. “[Head Women’s Soccer] Coach Taylor Houck made it a priority to make sure the team felt comfortable with her and with each other. [She] always told us that our greatest strength was the love we have for each other.”

Men’s soccer had an up and down season this fall, going 5–7–3 overall and 1–4–3 in conference games with well-earned draws against Denison University, DePauw University, and Wooster and a triumphant 5–1 victory against Hiram College. This team was spearheaded by experienced captains: fourth-year Jon Schafer, fourth-year Zack Butter, and second-year Anthony Pacewicz. Second-year Toby Wells-Zimmerman led the team with 16 points and 40 shots taken while tying for second in the NCAC with six assists, and Pacewicz came in clutch for the Yeomen, scoring two game-winners and putting up an additional goal and assist for seven points on the season. As a result, Pacewicz and Wells-Zimmerman earned NCAC second-team and third-team honors, respectively.

Field hockey has not seen copious amounts of success the last few years, but it banded together to win some crucial games this season, finishing with a 4–12 record, its best season since 2013. The team proved to be mentally tough, emerging victorious in both games this season that went to a penalty shootout, and third-year defender Abbie Patchen earned her NCAC third-team honors for the second year in a row.

“We have grown so much as a team,” fourth-year goalie Post said. “I think the biggest way is how we continue to treat each other with grace, motivate each other on and off the field, and push each other to be better athletes.”

Oberlin’s volleyball team, led by captains third-year Andréa Jones, third-year Taylor Gwynne, and fourth-year Zoe Kuzbari, started its fall season off well, winning six of their first seven games. However, the wheels fell off toward the end of the season, resulting in a 7–16 finish. Second-year Cami Sweet and fourth-year Iyanna Lewis also earned NCAC second and third-team honors for volleyball, respectively.

Although the team didn’t achieve all the results they hoped for, Jones highlighted the importance of the team’s culture and relationships.“I felt like we had a winning season within the improvement of our chemistry as a team, and I feel like that is the most important part of being on a team — making sure that every one of us has each other’s back as we go through the tough times as a team,” Jones said. “I have never felt more supported by a team that I call family.”

Although some teams, such as men’s and women’s soccer, who will have an abbreviated season this spring during which coaches will be able to return and work with their teams, and many cross country runners, who will transition to winter track, most are preparing to stay in shape for unofficial winter training, when they can receive no coaching per NCAA rules and regulations.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

When did you start running, and how did you join the team?

I started running track in elementary school, but I didn’t really seriously start training until high school. In high school, I started training every day after school, but I was never that good at it. I didn’t know if I could compete at the college level, and then I came here. I joined the team, but I was unsure if I would run. However, when I finished high school, I was like, “If I don’t do this, I’m gonna be very bored, and I’m gonna have so much more fun if I am doing something challenging.”

What’s your favorite event to run?

Cross country is one of my favorite things, but in track, definitely the 10 kilometer because it’s the longest event that they have. When it’s a longer event, it’s like a slow burning pain the whole time. I like the less intense but longer, drawn-out race. The 10K is so much fun because it’s 25 laps on the track, so you just completely zone out when you run.

How do you balance athletics and being in a co-op?

One good thing is that co-ops have a time aid policy. Based on how many hours of a paid job you work, you can work fewer hours in the co-op. If you work five hours of a paid job, it’s one hour less. That’s been helpful because I don’t have to work the full five hours required. Co-op work takes up time, but it almost doesn’t feel like work because you’re eating and doing things that are fun with your friends every day. I also know I can go to the co-op even if it’s after 8 p.m., which is when Stevenson Dining Hall closes.

What made you want to become an Accessibility Coordinator?

Accessibility is just very important in the co-ops because there are so many different commitments and everyone’s needs are different. It’s a job that I care a lot about. Part of it is just food accessibility and dining, especially in Pyle. I really like working with my fellow co-op Accessibility Coordinator, College fourth-year Sammy Siegel. We’ve done a lot of physics research together in the past, so I knew I would work well with them.

The Wooster cross country course is notorious for its grueling environment and lengthy hills, but this challenge did not prevent the men’s team from crushing each expectation set on the eight-kilometer course.

“The hills at Wooster’s course were brutal, especially the final half-mile incline,” second-year Walter Moak said, a sentiment echoed by many of the runners. “[We] had to establish our position earlier in the race.”

Head Track and Field and Cross Country Coach Ray Appenheimer, who has been at Oberlin for 19 years, was incredibly proud of his standout athletes, especially the fourth-years. Captains Chase Sortor and Sam Russ set an early pace and provided confidence. Niels Vanderloo and Matt Walton ran lifetime personal bests, and Ross D’Orfani finished eighth, earning his third career all-conference award. Moak, who placed ninth, improved 32 places from last year’s NCAC Championship and kept the team in the lead, while second-year Jonah Barber finished in the top five out of Oberlin runners despite some race-day challenges.
Appenheimer described how the victory was a team effort and explained how the coaching staff and team will use this accomplishment to propel their future seasons.

“[It was] not just the five runners who scored, not just the 12 who ran,” he said. “It was everyone … determined to celebrate every moment of the race and every moment of that day.”

Cross country is often viewed as an individual sport, but this could not be further from the truth, as the team relied on each other for support and motivation. Russ and Sortor greatly contributed to the win by encouraging positivity and a strong team mindset. Russ ran relentlessly and fearlessly but also focused on having fun.

“Contributing to the team victory on Saturday is the highlight of my running career,” Russ said. “We viewed the race as a celebration of all our hard work and our love for one another.”

Sortor also motivated his teammates to draw strength from one another.

“[My teammates] are some of my biggest inspirations and continually push me to be a better athlete and leader,” he said.
Before the race, he was shaking with nerves because of the daunting course but Barber still managed to run enthusiastically and thanked his teammates for helping him.

“[I] contributed solely by feeding off my teammates ahead of me, behind me, and around me,” he said.

After the races concluded, Coach Appenheimer, Associate Head Cross Country Coach Izzy Alexander, and Volunteer Assistant Coach Anna Scott, OC ’22, were named the NCAC Coaching Staff of the Year for the men’s division. Together, the three coaches pushed each athlete to reach their maximum potential and ultimately, victory. Despite the conclusion of the season, the entire cross country team will continue to train, practice, and compete especially in preparation for the winter track and field season.

“Let’s not spend time talking about successes, let’s attend to the things that make us successful — our effort, our attitude, our belief in ourselves and the people around us,” Appenheimer said. “If we do that, then our success is all but assured.”