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.”

Both Smith and Cornwell played football growing up, despite the lack of women’s teams available to them. 

“Starting in middle school, I told everyone I could how much I loved football and wanted to play,” Smith wrote in an email to the Review. “Every time I did, everyone would give me a weird look or shoot down the idea. My parents were passively supportive … no one in our family had ever played football …  At first, I was just testing myself — was I strong enough to do it? And then I wanted to be good.” 

Smith ended up becoming the first woman to ever achieve a varsity letter in football at her high school. In college, she played with the Iowa Courage, a women’s club team. She eventually moved to Atlanta where she played with the Atlanta Xplosion for five years as part of the Independent Women’s Football Team, during which she collected two national championships. In 2010, Smith was called up for the very first United States National Women’s Tackle team. There, she played center and earned second-team All-World All-Star accolades during their gold-medal performance at the first-ever International Federation of American Football Women’s World Championship. 

Cornwell also played football, although as she got older and her fellow players got larger, she realized her size would make it difficult for her to continue in the sport. 

“As everyone started getting really big, and I was 5’4’’ and going against a 6’2’’ [defensive back], that wasn’t fun anymore,” Cornwell said. “But coaching was a way for me to stay in the game because I loved how it pushed me mentally and physically.” 

Cornwell began coaching in high school and continued through college. In 2022, she was selected for the NFL Bill Walsh Diversity Fellowship, where she was able to work with the Tennessee Titans and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She was also selected for the NFL International Player Pathway Program where she coached four international players, two of whom were selected to NFL teams for the 2023 season. 

Cornwell and Smith have both managed to have successful careers in professional football, even though it is still a largely male-dominated field. In the 2022–23 NFL season, there were 15 female coaches out of the roughly 400 total NFL coaches, which is the highest number achieved in the league for any season. In general, the number of female coaches has been on the rise in the NFL, partly in response to the League’s diversity initiatives, such as the Bill Walsh Diversity Fellowships and initiatives requiring teams to have a woman or a member of an ethnic or racial minority on their offensive coaching staff.

Smith noted that the increase in opportunities for women in professional coaching roles has been impactful. 

“Over my lifetime, I went from being one of the few girls to play high school football to seeing girls represented in Super Bowl Commercials to working at a school where there are two female position coaches,” Smith wrote. “Every woman in those roles has continued the legacy required when you are the first to accomplish a milestone: not to be the last. I love that each woman has a different story of making their own path.”

Cornwell also mentioned the benefits of the NFL’s diversity initiatives. 

“I think the accelerator programs are awesome,” Cornwell said, in reference to programs from the NFL which bring together existing head coaches and new coaches of marginalized identities. “It’s doing a good job getting people who are qualified and who are a minority in an area where they can be seen, and it’s just continuing the whole mindset of, ‘Don’t hire them because they’re a minority. Hire them because they are also qualified.’” 

Both Cornwell and Smith agreed that the new opportunities which allowed them to build their careers and end up coaching at a college level exceeded what they had ever imagined was possible at a young age. 

“It was once unusual or uncommon for girls and women to be involved in football — that has changed dramatically,” Smith wrote. “Becoming a college football coach was beyond any dream I had growing up, but I love that it can be for girls now.” 

Despite the opportunities and success she’s had, however, Cornwell also noted that her gender, particularly in combination with her age, caused some people to initially write her off. 

“There’s always some hesitancy from some coaches because I’m so young. I’m 22, and I’m a female, so they’re always like, ‘Why are you doing an NFL internship?’” Cornwell said. “That part is hard, but how I overcome it is I know my stuff. I’m on my game. I impress people by my work ethic and my knowledge of the game, especially for my age.” 

Cornwell also noted that despite some of the initial hesitancy, once people and players started to work with her, they realized that her gender doesn’t impact her ability to coach. 

“Good leadership and great leadership qualities don’t really differ by gender,” Cornwell said. “I think at the end of the day, almost every single player that I’ve ever worked with, … if they did have any worry about having a girl coach them, at the end of the day, I’ve realized as long as you’re getting them better and you know what you’re talking about and you show up and you show that you care, they do not care that they’re being coached by a female. They just care that they have a good coach.” 

Smith agreed, mentioning that the most important aspect of coaching is building relationships with the players. 

“I was some of my players’ first female coach,” Smith wrote. “I take my role seriously to first make sure they know I care about them as people … and next, to make them as prepared as I can for anything they might encounter.”

Nye has a real love for his team, who he says he has a “really special connection with,” and credits them for making his Oberlin experience so enjoyable.

“Ever since I came here, people were just so nice to me,” Nye said. “You want to pick a college that’s a great school where you can make easy friends and be happy with the guys around you. You can be as good as you want, but if you’re not happy with the people that you’re with, I don’t think that there’s much of a chance to stay there. So, you know, what keeps me going every day is the people I’m around, the team, they always have my back.”

Nye faced stiff competition in training camp, battling against five other quarterbacks, including four first-years, for the starting job. Even after he was named the starter, the quarterback room was completely supportive of him while pushing each other to be better. This healthy team dynamic has been reinforced by the introduction of John Pont as the team’s new head coach. 

Nye said that Coach Pont came in and totally changed the team’s culture. He gave Nye another chance at quarterback and let him use his creativity as a weapon, not an impediment. 

“[Coach Pont] always tells me that he gives me the keys to the offense,” Nye said. “He said he gives me the plays, but you know, I am really in command of the offense. I can change anything if I see something, you know, that he might not see on the sidelines [but] I see on the field. I can change it whenever because he said, ‘If you see something, take it.’”

Last year, Nye was struggling to adjust from high school football to the collegiate level and was switched over from a quarterback to a wide receiver because he wasn’t adapting quickly enough to the team’s offensive philosophy. He felt that he wasn’t given the room to grow and develop under last year’s coaching staff, and that the lack of creativity and individual thought hindered his ability as a player. However, Coach Pont’s arrival was exactly what Nye needed to get his mojo back.

“I feel like last year, part of the reason for me not being successful at the quarterback position was I wasn’t really confident,” Nye said. “I couldn’t quite be myself back there. And [Pont], ever since spring ball, he just let me play. So, you know, letting me play was a big thing for me. And his offensive philosophy was a lot simpler to learn. And once I knew the playbook, we just had a special bond from the start, so I’m really happy that he came here.”

Although Oberlin suffered a tough defeat to Denison University last week, the team earned their first win in two years the week prior, thanks to Pont’s arrival and Nye’s heroic efforts. Nye downplayed his role in the win but will always remember the joyful environment after the game. 

“It was definitely … a special moment just seeing everyone smile after the game,” Nye said. “I haven’t seen that in two years since high school. The support that we had from the students was incredible, you know, the stadium was loud. Everyone was rushing the field after the game — it was like we won the championship. In the locker room after the game, everyone was just so happy. It was great to see everyone come together and win the football game because we haven’t done that in so long.”

Winning the game was an incredibly sweet reward for the hard work the team has put in this year. Nye’s individual efforts in the game earned him an additional honor – the North Coast Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week Award for a Football Offensive Player. His four-touchdown performance, along with his 231 passing yards and 150 rushing yards, was the best of the week in the conference. 

Nye remained humble about the recognition and was quick to credit his teammates, saying that it would not have been possible without their exceptional performances as well.

“I was a little surprised,” Nye said about the accolade. “But, obviously, my teammates did a great job helping me, getting me in that position. My [offensive] line did incredibly well all week — in that game, they gave me so much time to make the right reads. My receivers got open for me and did a phenomenal job all game. And, you know, I just had so much time to be comfortable in the pocket and escape every time, anytime I want. … It was a whole team effort. I wouldn’t win Athlete of the Week without my receivers or without the linemen or the defense coming up big at the end to win that game.”

Nye also credited his father with all of the success he has had in his football career. His dad worked his way up from Division III football at Bowdoin College to a tryout with the New York Giants and was Nye’s coach for most of his football journey. Nye said his dad pushed him to come to Oberlin and that he motivates him to be his best self every day. 

For the rest of the year, Nye wants the team to give their all to every game they play, regardless of the opponent. He is excited about all the young talent on the team and the positive attitude the coaching staff continues to reinforce, regardless of how tough a loss can be. Nye is also looking to leave a personal imprint on the history of Oberlin football.

“I want to be a quarterback that’s known for winning games here. My number one goal is to win games and bring Oberlin [football] back on the map.”

“The team is adapting to Coach Pont’s new coaching staff very well,” fourth-year Jack Diskin said. “A handful of guys were able to work with him during last spring semester and get a kick-start on building chemistry with him.”

Diskin was one player who performed especially well in the game. He benefited from the outstanding performance of second-year quarterback Drew Nye, who threw 21 out of 33 pass completions for 231 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. He earned the North Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week award, establishing himself as a critical piece in the offense for the rest of this season. Along with a great game from Nye, third-year Evan Smith-Rooks hauled in eight receptions for 80 yards, and players like second-year Connor Steele, third-year Greg Lane, and Diskin caught key touchdown passes. 

Saturday’s win was the first at home in almost four years, with the last one on October 19, 2019 against the Hiram College Terriers. This has had a tremendous impact on the players — for upperclassmen players, it is their first home win, and the first win of any kind for first and second-year students. 

“Just winning this game was a big deal since we haven’t won a game in almost two years, which would’ve been my [second] year here at Oberlin,” Diskin said. “We worked hard for this one, and to see things come together is truly special. I’m really proud of the whole team for going out and battling on Saturday.”

For first-year students, like Jamykle Benison, it is a great way to start their football careers at Oberlin. Benison rushed for 47 yards and one touchdown in only five attempts, which certainly sets him up to be a star of the program in future seasons. He wasn’t the only one with an electric touchdown — Diskin had a great play, catching a 29-yard pass from Nye and following it up with a great pitch-and-catch touchdown, further cementing the Yeomen’s lead over the Cougars.

“It was a really special moment for me catching my first touchdown of the season in front of that crowd,” Diskin said. “Having the trust of my teammates and coaches to throw the ball my way means a lot, and it really speaks to the level of confidence we have in our offense.”

That confidence was also transmitted toward the stands, leaving the crowd buzzing with energy throughout the game. On the defensive side of the ball, third-year Brandon Hall made nine tackles and two tackles for losses, and second-year Solly Brennan grabbed a crucial end zone interception, which prevented a potential Cougars touchdown. Finally, second-year Hunter Green and fourth-year Jake Russell combined for four sacks and made seven stops each.

“The crowd energy this Saturday was the best I had ever seen here, and we definitely fed off that energy as a team,” Diskin said. “I hope to see more and more fans come to our home games this year to continue what we started on Saturday.”

With key players on the offense and the defense, outstanding performances by the incoming class, and a new coaching staff working hard, the team is headed in the right direction.

“The win was special for every member of our team,” Coach Pont said. “We played together, kept believing, and every piece of the team contributed to the victory. It was a great day for Oberlin football. I’m excited to see the continued growth and development of our team as the season progresses. We have formed strong bonds that I have no doubt will only grow stronger.”

Diskin believes the win will inspire the team throughout the rest of the season. 

“I truly do think this team can keep this momentum going and continue to win this season. This is one of the best Oberlin teams I’ve played on in my time here,” Diskin said. “With Coach Pont as our head coach, everyone feels way more confident to go out on Saturdays and play to the best of their ability. I’m really excited to see what more this team will accomplish this year, but I know for certain this season will be a special one.”

Catch the football game this Saturday, Sept. 16 at 1 p.m. at Bailey Field against Denison University.

John Henry Wise was born in 1868 to a German father and a Hawaiʻian mother. Originally a student at Hilo Boarding School, he was brought to be a part of the first class of the Kamehameha School for Boys by the Reverend William Brewster Oleson, OC 1877, who wanted to educate native Hawaiʻians on Christianity in hopes of spreading a Protestant revival across the island.

“These sons and grandsons of the first missionaries were looking for someone to lead Hawaiʻians back into the church,” Catherine Cruz and Sophia McCullough reported for Hawaiʻi Public Radio. “They knew they couldn’t do it so they were looking for a Hawaiʻian.”

Wise excelled in the classroom, and the Board of Trustees at the school voted to send him to study for three years at the Oberlin Theological Seminary in 1890, which was a rare exception for a native Hawaiʻian to pursue college.

“We do not want higher education at all in the Kamehameha Schools,” Reverend Charles McEwen Hyde wrote in the late 1900s on the subject of education within the seminary. “Provision for that will be made in other ways in exceptional cases. The average Hawaiʻian has no such capacity.”

While Wise noted the strict schedule — for instance, students weren’t allowed to leave for town without supervision — he enjoyed his time at the seminary and wanted to take advantage of the opportunities Oberlin gave him. One of these was the inaugural football team that formed during the 1891– 92 season, which he joined initially as a guard with two other members of the seminary. He is widely believed to be the first native Hawaiʻian to play college football and during his two years on the team, he was a widely acclaimed player. According to the Oberlin News, Wise was “able to run with three men on his back without noticing the extra weight.” He was also noted for his strategy and ability to execute gameplans.

“Wise went through the line every time he was signaled and kept a hole for the ball until the last of the second half, when the hole was filled by U. of M. quarterback before the ball could follow,” the Review reported in an issue on October 27, 1891.

When John Heisman began his role as Head Coach, Wise was part of a record-breaking season where they went 7–0 in the 1892–93 season. Notable highlights of that year included being the last in-state team to defeat The Ohio State University and playing a contentious game against the University of Michigan, in which historian and former Robert S. Danforth Professor of History at Oberlin Geoffrey Blodgett noted that it was unclear who actually won.

Wise returned to Hawaiʻi following graduation to do evangelical work and noted the disarray. When he was still in college, Queen Liliʻuokalani, the last and only queen regnant of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, was overthrown and placed in house arrest, and a provisional government was instituted in her palace. Hawaiʻian Evangelical Association leaders such as Hyde were dividing the members of the congregation with anti-royalist views, arguing that there was only the “civilized Christian party” or the “royal heathen party”, implying that they could only be Protestants if they were against Queen Liliʻuokalani. As a result, Hawaiʻians in these churches left for other sects, such as Catholicism or Mormonism. Wise, however, worked to advocate for the restoration of the Queen by speaking one-on-one to Native Hawaiʻians in the congregations, to the dismay of his former mentors and sponsors.

“John Wise, whom we have been educating at Oberlin for three years at a cost of over $2,000, has been doing nothing but advocating restoration and associating with royalists,” Hyde said.

As Ronald Williams Jr. wrote in his essay, “To Raise a Voice in Praise: The Revivalist Mission of John Henry Wise, 1889 – 1896”, Wise chose both his religion and the rights of native Hawaiʻians in the divide that HEA leaders were trying to wedge.

“Asked to choose between his nation and his God, Wise defended both against the attacks of his church leaders,” Williams Jr. wrote. “He challenged the assertion of his administration that their actions were part of God’s plan: he claimed his Christianity.”

Wise would take his love for his country even further and participated in the 1895 Wilcox Rebellion, where he met with fellow royalists, was commissioned to an underground army, and tasked with preparing guns near Waikīkī. However, he was tried for and sentenced to three years in prison on the same day that Queen Lili’uokalani was tried. During his time there, his two letters of pardon were denied.

“It is probable that the few remaining native insurgents will soon be released, except John Wise, a native educated at Oberlin, who has proved a fractious prisoner,” an 1895 piece from The New York Times titled “Honolulu May Release All Prisoners” read.

Wise was ultimately one of the last prisoners to be released. After his time, he worked a wide variety of jobs to advocate for Hawaiʻi language and culture such as delegating with former prince David Kawānanakoa at the 1900 Democratic National Convention, serving as a senator, translating Hawaiʻian legends for the Bishop Museum, and teaching the Hawaiʻian language at both the Kamehameha schools and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Wise took his lessons learned from Oberlin and used them to put his people and religion above all else throughout the duration of his life.

“I so love America, and I love Oberlin for giving me this education, but my heart belongs in Hawaiʻi,” Wise wrote in a letter to his family.

“This has afforded me great opportunity to show our team who I am and that I care about them more than just being football players,” Pont said. “Also, we have an open-door policy and our team has been great about stopping by and spending time getting to know each other.”

Hammer is a former Northwestern University defensive graduate assistant, a team that, like Pont’s old team, was in the Big 10 conference. He will be working with the Yeomen in the upcoming fall season.

“Coach Hammer is a tireless worker who has tremendous attention to detail,” Pont said. “He is highly intelligent and is always searching for the most efficient and effective way to do whatever we are doing. He fully exemplifies our team values of love, care, respect, and faith every day.

Fourth-year captain Hulan Edward gave his input on what he believes the coaches will contribute.

“With a new staff comes a new energy to the program,” Edward wrote in an email to the Review. “Coach Pont is very clearly committed to giving his all to this program. … His background lends directly to creating a culture of future success here at Oberlin and I’m excited to see what he does with the program. As for Coach Hammer, I haven’t really gotten to interact with him much. But from what I’ve heard, nobody brings more energy and enthusiasm to practice. I really think this new energy and direction has potential to drastically change Oberlin football for the better.”

First-year offensive lineman Jacob Bennett spoke on how he believes both Hammer and Pont will aid the team in the upcoming season.

“I believe that they will provide a new sense to the game that for the better we didn’t get from the previous year, I can feel the difference already with new coaching and it is a change for the better,” Bennett said. “They will provide us with a new way to play the game.”

During the 2022–2023 season, the football team ended with a 0–10 losing record, but the implementation of a new coaching staff has given the team high hopes to not repeat this past outcome. “Last season we were plagued by attrition by injury and by players leaving in the offseason,” Edward wrote. “I think that finding ways to retain players and keep them healthy, especially given the fact that we do have a smaller roster, should be one of the top priorities for next season. Everything else can be built from there. I think that the team goals are pretty simple: be better than last year.”

Coach Pont also has specific aims for the upcoming season, including constructing firm and positive beliefs within the program. “Our goals are to build a tightly- knit team who believes in each other and our program, to connect with and positively impact our College and community, to prepare physically and mentally to give our all on and off the field; and to be the best people we can be,” Pont said. “If we work daily toward those goals, the wins will take care of themselves — and we all want to win.”

While the previous season did not go as planned, the Yeomen remain hopeful for the upcoming fall season. Bennett says the team goal is to win some games this year. Through hard work and dedication from the coaches and players, they will be ready to put their best foot forward.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What was your coaching role before you took the job at Oberlin?

I’ve coached football for about 15 years and most recently was at Indiana University Bloomington as an athletic performance assistant. I helped out on the offensive side of football as an analyst breaking down film, studying the next opponent, and helping the offensive coordinator and offensive staff develop a game plan. In the weight room, I was just an extra set of eyes, hands, and feet, and I helped out any way I could. I made sure that the student athletes were staying safe while lifting and using proper technique to make sure they didn’t get injured.

What were the most important things you picked up from your role with Indiana’s football program?

I think the most important thing I learned was to make the most out of the time you have with the kids. Being in the weight room, I had very short periods of time that I was able to be with the student athletes each session because they had many other responsibilities. In the weight room, you have a limited scope, but you still want to build the student athletes up physically, emotionally, and mentally while you’re in those spaces. That helped me become a better coach regardless of the division.

What made you decide to come to Oberlin and return to Division III athletics?

I actually interviewed at Oberlin a few years ago when the spot opened up after Jay Anderson left the school. I loved the interview, felt like it went really well, and was ready to come and be the head coach here, but that’s not how it worked out. I’ve learned a lot over these last couple years that has helped me become a better coach and helped me professionally. When I had the opportunity to become the head coach, knowing the College itself, knowing what it’s about, knowing the people that are here — like Natalie Winkelfoos and Mike Mancini — and knowing President Ambar’s vision for the program, it was a no-brainer. Athletics that value academics is something that’s near and dear to my heart. I believe in this model and that this program can be really successful, and I want to help lead it to another level.

What is your main philosophy for coaching and leadership?

Building relationships on the personal level and getting to know the individual is the most important thing. Especially in sports, the players often don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care about them. Players will play harder and learn more because they know that you care about them as a person and more than just as a football player. I also believe that coaching is education. It’s about teaching, and we do that by getting to know the kids — what their goals are, what they want to get out of the experience — and tailoring the experience to those goals.

How do you envision football contributing to the Oberlin community?

I hope that this program will continue to bring in people who want to become world-changers. I think Oberlin College, by its very nature, attracts people from all over the world that want to help make the world a better place. I think our football program should be in line with that vision and identity.

Oberlin had a rough season this year with some close games. What are you working to improve on for the 2023 season?

It’s again just about getting to know the student athletes — who they are, what they do really well — and putting them in position to do those things. Basing our schemes around who our student athletes are and not necessarily trying to fit them into a playbook or a set of rules will help them feel as comfortable as possible. Hopefully, through doing those things, they’ll have more fun. When we have fun, know what we’re doing, and use our talents to the best of our abilities, I think we can be very successful on the field. Thankfully I’m certified in strength and conditioning, so I can be in the weight room with our team throughout the off season, help them develop, and get to know them.

Your grandfather, John Pont, has been a significant influence in your life. How has he and your family helped you in your journey to becoming a head coach?

My grandfather has always been one of my greatest role models in life. When he passed away, the line of people that came to visit and pay their respects went on for hours. So many of the people that I got a chance to talk to spoke to how great of a human he was and how great of an impact he had on their lives, far beyond the Xs and Os of football. As a young kid, I wanted to be a head coach because Grandpa was a head coach, and seeing the impact that he was able to have on people as a coach helped frame my mindset about it.

My grandfather’s brother, Rich Pont, was an assistant coach at Yale University for years and years. My parents both ended up coaching my high school as well. My dad coached football, field hockey, and women’s lacrosse, and my mom coached women’s lacrosse. They all have influenced me and always made me want to do the same for others.

This year’s Super Bowl is different from past Bowls for many reasons. For one, SB LVII stands as the first time that two Black quarterbacks will face off for the NFL championship: Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts and Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes. This is a great step forward for a league that has historically dealt with issues of race and leadership.

This Super Bowl is also the first time two brothers will meet on the biggest stage in football. Philadelphia center Jason Kelce will compete against his younger brother, Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce, in what is sure to be a nail-biter of a game. Both brothers already have a Super Bowl ring under their belts, and as Travis Kelce told reporters after his AFC Championship win, “Mom can’t lose.”

In addition to these unique elements, the Eagles-Chiefs matchup itself is full of possibility. Philadelphia’s air raid offense may prove problematic for the Kansas City defense, with deep threats like Dallas Goedert and A.J. Brown. The Eagles also have one of the strongest defenses in the entire League, with a stellar defensive line that amassed a franchise record 70 sacks throughout the 2022 season.

Second-year Oberlin tight-end and diehard Eagles fan Josh Woznicki agrees that Philadelphia’s D-Line will be the most important part of the showdown.

“We’ve already seen what happens when guys like Haason Reddick and Brandon Graham over games,” he said. “When they stop the run early and force teams into drop-back scenarios, it almost always works out in their favor. The problem with the Chiefs is that they are usually able to get around this by Mahomes athletic ability. We’ll see if his injury limits him in this area at all, but I think either way, the game will come down to if the pass rush can put enough pressure on him to force mistakes and limit big plays.”

However, third-year Oberlin offensive tackle and fellow Eagles fan Danny Ben-Tal doesn’t agree with his teammate on what the key point of the game will be.

“The pivotal thing that the Eagles need to do to win the game is win the possession battle,” he said. “Most of their struggles this year have stemmed from their opponents beating them in time of possession.”

Maintaining control of the ball will definitely need to be a major part of the game if Philadelphia wants to stand a chance Feb. 12. However, the Eagles are only half of the equation. Kansas City will bring a veteran offense into Glendale, helmed by head coach Andy Reid and a roster full of experienced players. Though playing through a high ankle sprain, having a quarterback like Mahomes, who already has a Lombardi Trophy under his belt, will undoubtedly prove extremely beneficial to the Chiefs’ offense. Kansas City’s linebacking core and defensive backfield are also bright spots on the roster, with studs like Willie Gay and Justin Reid locking up opponents on a frequent basis.

Former Oberlin quarterback and lifelong Chiefs fan Chris Allen Jr. shared a similar opinion about the Super Bowl matchup.

“I think the two most important parts to the game will be how the Chiefs’ DBs and LBs play against the Eagles’ WRs and the battle between both O-Lines and D-Lines,” he said. “I think that’s where the biggest disparities are between the two teams, and it will be interesting to see how each team sets up their game-plan.”

Whatever your prediction and regardless of who you want to win, Super Bowl LVII is set up to be another thrilling finale to the NFL season.

Although the Yeomen had a rough start to the season, losing by only a few points to Kalamazoo College and Alvernia University in their first two contests and blowing a halftime lead to Kenyon College in a 28–21 loss, they still fought valiantly before a large crowd of families, students, and Oberlin residents, many of whom arrived to celebrate the graduating seniors and stayed until the end of the game despite the snow and freezing rain that fell.

Before the first kickoff, the team took the time to honor their graduating players Chris Allen Jr., Brian Colarusso, Matt Siff, Hulan Edward, Bobby de Luna, and Brandon Davies. Allen Jr. and Colarusso especially stepped up for the team. The former snuck in Oberlin’s first touchdown of the day, following first-year Solomon Brennan’s impressive 73-yard kickoff return. Allen Jr. found the endzone again in the second quarter, this time through the air. Colarusso caught Allen Jr.’s beautiful 36-yard pass for his 12th career touchdown, finishing the game with eight catches for 125 yards and three rushes for 28 yards. Siff came in as Allen Jr.’s backup in the second half, finishing the game with 61 yards off four completions. Edward, de Luna, and Davies were injured, so they did not have the opportunity to compete.

Oberlin football is losing only six graduates, and therefore has time to develop the young team. First-year players like Brennan give the team plenty of reason to remain hopeful and confident going into the next few years. Although they finished with a 0–10 overall record, their worst since 2016, and now a 49th consecutive season without a winning overall record, the football team will strive to break the streak next season.

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.