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.”

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.

First introduced at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, the heptathlon is a competition in which athletes, typically competing in the women’s division, participate in seven events: the 100-meter hurdles, the long jump, shot put, and the 200-meter run on the first day, and the broad jump, javelin throw, and 800-meter run on the second day. The event requires participants to be proficient in all areas of track and field and the training regimen is different from that of athletes who only run or only throw. Athletes like Hill and Vaughn work with multiple coaches on their teams who specialize in different areas of track and field.

“We have throws practice twice a week on top of our regular practices,” Hill wrote in an email to the Review. “We hurdle twice a week, high jump and long jump once a week, and do sprint work three times a week. We also lift, do tempo workouts, and perhaps most importantly take rest days!”

Heptathletes are allowed one false start in the track events. Two false starts result in disqualification. In the shot put, broad jump, long jump, and javelin, each athlete is given three attempts.

“The heptathlon is my favorite event to coach,” Assistant Track and Field Coach for Sprints and Hurdles Ben Wach wrote in an email to the Review. “I love that it’s unsolvable. Because what is required to be good at each event has effects — some positive and some negative — on each other event, every improvement creates new opportunities and new challenges. Getting to work through that process with people as resilient and hard-working as Hayden and Celia is as interesting, engaging, and fun an experience as I can have as a coach.”

In the competition last weekend, Hill put on a quality performance, winning the shot put, 200-meter run, and 800-meter run. She also posted personal records in shot put, the 800-meter, the 100-meter, javelin, and long jump, which all together add up to five of the seven events. Hill’s efforts earned her the NCAC Field Athlete of the Week award, and she is looking to build on her momentum in the NCAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship this weekend.

Vaughn, who just began training for the heptathlon this year, had a successful weekend, coming in sixth place overall. As the two heptathletes competing for Oberlin, Hill and Vaughn spend much of their training time with one another. In an email to the Review, Vaughn expressed her admiration for Hill’s dedication and commitment to the heptathlon.

“Hayden is such a naturally gifted athlete,” Vaughn wrote. “I got to watch her get better every practice, and it’s wonderful to have someone as incredible as her to look up to everyday. She’s so observant, kind, and diligent.”

Vaughn’s trademark has become her signature yell during her events, which she attributes to a much-needed release of anxiety and tension, especially following a bad event.

“At the end of the first day Hayden asked me ‘Do you use anger to fuel you?’ and I said, ‘Do you ask that because I yell in my events?’” Vaughn wrote. “I think of it as expelling all negative thoughts. Everyone says it reminds them of [Clare Tiedemann, OC ’22,] and I like to think it’s keeping her legacy alive even though I didn’t know her well. I asked Hayden if she was using anger now to fuel her, and she was like, ‘Oh yeah, after my high jump I wanted to take the anger into shot put.’ … She did and it was incredible. … After using anger, she kept PRing insane amounts, and I’m so glad she found something that worked so well for her!”

Vaughn and Hill’s bond has helped propel them to the top of their conference, and the support they have for each other and among the rest of the track and field team has made a world of difference in their development and success.

“That bond among the team is the most important ingredient to each person’s success here,” Wach wrote. “Success in track and field requires competing at the very edge of your body’s capacity — having the support of 80 other people who are invested in your success makes finding that edge so much easier.”

Track and field culminates its season at the NCAC Championships this weekend at Ohio Wesleyan University.

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.

Though all members of both rosters performed at high levels, the hurdlers and sprinters were the definite highlights of the day. Fourth-year Chilly Wallace dominated the women’s 100-meter hurdles. She won first overall in the race with a time of 15.57 seconds, marking her first victory of the outdoor season.

“I feel really good about my performance this weekend,” Wallace said. “I’m happy to have qualified in conference for all of my events on the first try. [I even qualified] in the 200, which is an event I’ve only ever done [once before during] my [first] year.”

The Yeomen and Yeowomen had multiple winning relay teams as well, closing out the entire meet with back-to-back wins in their respective 4×400 races.

“We blew [the 4×400] out the water,” second-year sprinter Cole Fuller said. “Once [fourth-year] Simon [Lowe] was ahead of everyone at 150 meters in the first leg, I knew this was our race to [win]. As long as we kept our distance away from the competitors, we were chilling. It was also amazing to see our national rankings sitting in seventh after the race. I’m very excited to see if we can maintain, possibly better it, later this season.”

Fuller and Lowe were accompanied by second-years Kambi Obioha and Sam Fechner in their success. Third-year Myranda Montoye, second-years Camila Ciembroniewicz and Sage Reddish, and first-year Clara Smith guided the Yeowomen to victory as well.

However, the 4×400 race was not Fuller’s only relay of the day. He had already run the 4×100 earlier that meet, an event that ended in far more dramatic fashion. In attempting a hand-off in the third leg, Fuller ended up falling to the ground and diving, thrusting the baton to Fechner.

“I took one for the team in the 4×100 — I knew our exchanges were smooth, and I needed to keep that up,” Fuller said. Despite his stumble, Fuller performed at a very high level. “We’re now competitive in the conference,” he said. “It’s very exciting to see what’s to come with this group.”

When looking at Oberlin’s overall running results from last Saturday, one thing is certain: Both teams show a lot of promise for the outdoor season.

“As for what I’m looking forward to, I’m excited to see how I continue to improve given that I’ve started off so strong, but also my teammates,” Wallace said. “The outdoor season has just started, and there have already been lifetime bests and conference qualifiers. Who knows what else is in store for Oberlin track and field?”

Wallace’s optimism for the future of Oberlin’s track and field athletes is a sentiment shared by many on the team.

“The team showed up for each other and there were a lot of PRs and conference qualifiers [throughout the meet],” third-year Eliza Medearis said. “We’ve been a pretty strong team in the past, but we lost a lot of seniors last year. It’ll be a lot harder to get the conference championship this year, but I think we can do it.”

Despite the loss of experienced teammates, Oberlin’s track runners don’t seem to have missed a beat. Tomorrow, the teams will travel to Delaware, Ohio to compete in the All-Ohio Championships.

Fourth-year jumper on the women’s track and field team Aesha Mokashi went through an array of emotions after completing her college athletics career two weeks ago. 

“I remember going back to my parents’ Airbnb, reminiscing and getting very emotional about it,” she said. “It hit me that it was the last time I would ever run track. There aren’t that many opportunities to just pick up and go and do track in the way that you can [with other sports].”

For many college athletes, their final event or game for their school is their last opportunity to participate in their sport competitively. For Mokashi, it was the first time something that had been such a major force in her life ended in that way. 

“I don’t think there’s ever been a moment in my life where I’m like, ‘Oh, this is the end of something,’” she said. “There’s always been continuation and it was such a big part of my life. It was kind of overwhelming.”

Fourth-year Bonnie Wileman appreciates the free time she has had since her field hockey career ended in the fall, but still misses being on the team.

“I have a lot more free time than I previously had,” she said. “Now it’s the offseason, so during previous years, I would still be lifting and conditioning and practicing right now. I miss my team and seeing everyone every day, and I miss the structure of that.”

Fourth-year soccer player Ryan Kim also has mixed emotions about his career ending this past fall.

“The fact that I am finished with soccer did not sink in until the start of this semester,” he said. “It was a bittersweet moment, as I was grateful for everything that soccer has given me, but on the other hand, it was sad that I could not put an Oberlin uniform on again.”

Kim felt some relief when he completed his career, but nevertheless, he misses the excitement of the competition.

“There definitely was a feeling of relief after ending my college career because I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself to perform well, which has helped motivate me to become a better player,” he said. “On the flip side, this pressure can sometimes be a lot because the upcoming game can be the only thing on your mind for days as matchday approaches.”

All three retired fourth-year athletes have incredibly fond memories of the experiences they had on their teams. Mokashi cherishes the support she got from her teammates while competing in her events. 

“I was so blown away that every single person on this team cared about me and cared about what I was going to do and wanted to give me that energy,” she said. “They were so loud that the officials of the track meet had to put up a rope to keep them from getting too close.”

Wileman values much of the time spent with her team, including the field hockey team’s Teamsgiving celebration where they ate and sang together. She also describes a moment on the field that she will never forget — her team’s 1–0 victory over Transylvania University in the last game of her career. 

“I watch the video back so many times,” she said. “I jump up in the air when [second-year] Susan [Robinson-Cloete] scores and then I hug her and pick her up. I have a really sweet screenshot of that moment.”

Kim looks back fondly on his team making the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament after winning their last regular season game of 2019 as well as his two-goal performance against Wittenberg University last season. 

Although they may no longer be able to play competitively, Mokashi, Wileman, and Kim all intend to stay connected to their sport in the future. 

Mokashi, who is headed for the University of Washington’s School of Public Health to study ecotoxicology, is considering signing up for open track meets or finding a way to be involved in the university’s track meets in a non-athlete role. 

Wileman, who will work at the Bank of America in Charlotte, North Carolina after graduating, is looking forward to supporting college teams in the city and the rest of the state. She is excited to watch the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s powerhouse field hockey team with Review Contributing Sports Editor Zoë Martin del Campo, who will be attending graduate school there as well. 

As Kim looks forward to a career in software engineering, he intends to keep playing soccer in some capacity, and may explore coaching. As his time at Oberlin comes to an end, he has some words of encouragement for younger Oberlin athletes.

“Cherish your time as a student-athlete at Oberlin because it is a privilege to be a part of the community,” he said. “You will meet awesome people and make so many memories on and off the field. I would say to never give up on yourself and to push to become the best athlete you can be.”

Clare Tiedemann, fourth-year

Conference champ, women’s 100-meter hurdles

14.73s, Personal Record

“It was pretty stressful. I was having a lot of back pain and couldn’t do most of my events full out before competing, and the last time I did a hurdles race, I fell on a hurdle and basically rolled across the track. So winning was actually a huge surprise and probably the best feeling in the world.”

Iyanna Lewis, third-year

Conference champ, hammer throw

169-01.00 (51.54 meters), Personal Record

“Preparation for the outdoor season felt significantly faster, and there was a very quick turnaround between training for the indoor throwing events and the outdoor throwing events. Despite me being a third year, this was my first outdoor track season at Oberlin. This meant training was pretty intense, as I was doing four events, two of which I had never done before and two I hadn’t done since high school. Leading up to the conference meet was very exciting, and coming off of the women’s team win at indoor conference many of us were very amped up for the meet. Getting first in hammer was very special to me, especially because this is the first season I have competed in the hammer throw. But even with the condensed time frame of training, I felt very prepared and was happy I could do my best for the team.”

Malaïka Djungu-Sungu, fourth-year

Conference champ, long jump and triple jump

LJ: 18-03.75 (5.58 meters), Personal Record

TJ: 37-10 (11.53 meters) 

“It felt like another day in the office. I am very proud to say that I am a part of a team where winning is a typical thing, and the group-wide attitude reflects that. That being said, the weather was an unusual obstacle this year that we had to mentally prepare for. Regardless, we showed up and showed out! Because I have been at the top of the national list in the triple jump since the beginning of the outdoor season, I had to think more strategically than usual, which took away from the fun of this sport for me at times. Because of COVID and lots of other changes, this season has been a tumultuous one, to put it lightly, but hard work pays off. I have a fourth team conference championship and four records now to show that.”

Phoebe von Conta, fourth-year

Conference champ, 5,000-meter

17:54.80s, Personal Record

“A lot of the preparation was mental — just feeling confident and prepared to give it my all when I went to race. I had raced the 5,000 a few times before. At our season opener,, I missed breaking 18:00 by one second, so since that time I’ve been working towards breaking 18:00. I have to attribute a lot of my physical and mental training to my training partners Anna Scott and Chase Sortor, who have been by my side through every workout and run. Being able to do what we did at the conference, as a team and individually, has everything to do with the support and love that we give each other as teammates. I’m so lucky to have been on a team with people like them who push me and lovingly guide me to be my best!”

Zac Ntia, fourth-year 

NCAC Field Athlete of the Year 

Conference champ, hammer throw

168‑11 (51.49 meters)

“The preparation for the meet might be my favorite part. There’s no better feeling than walking into a competition confident in the work you’ve put in up to that point. I’m proud of the work I did throughout the year, and winning the hammer was just a byproduct of that. To be honest, I was angry when they announced I was field athlete of the year. I didn’t feel like I earned it and felt there were other people who were very deserving of the [award]. It took me about a day to work through that and come to a place of understanding that just because there were other people who could’ve won it doesn’t mean I wasn’t deserving of it as well. All that said, that was a huge goal of mine I got to check off, and I’m very thankful for the honor!”

Zack Lee, third-year

Conference champ, triple jump

43-05.75 (13.25 meters)

“It was exciting. I’ve been dealing with injuries all season, so it was good to come back and be able to win it. It was also sad because it was … a bunch of the captains’ — [including fourth-year] Kofi [Asare’s], who is in the same events as me — …  last meet. So it was sad to see him go, but it was a good ending to his career.”

Anna Scott, fourth-year

NCAC Distance Runner of the Year 

Conference champ, 1,500-meter and 800-meter

1,500 meters: 4 minutes, 48.97 seconds

800 meters: 2:21.34

“It felt like everything was finally falling into place when I won both the 1500 and 800. I was so dedicated to it all for so long and to finally get the satisfaction of ending up where the hard work pays off is incredibly rewarding. I’m so proud of myself and of my teammates, it feels great to end on this note.”

College second-year on the lacrosse and soccer teams Maya Blevins explained that team activities had to be adjusted in accordance with ObieSafe regulations. Specifically, the women’s lacrosse team had to forfeit this past week due to an abnormally low number of field players, as many players are in isolation for COVID-19 exposure and miscellaneous injuries. 

“We had to cancel a game this past Saturday against DePauw,” Blevins wrote in an email to the Review. “We also had to miss two days of practice and made lift optional. Usually, we do film all together in the gym classroom, but instead, we were sent times to watch individually. Of course it has been very disappointing to lose time to be together, especially so close to the end of our season, but fortunately, throughout the majority of our season, we were mostly unaffected by COVID-19.”

Fourth-year lacrosse player Kiernan Stone believes that his team hasn’t been extremely affected by the rise in COVID cases on campus, but have had a couple players on the roster test positive.

“COVID’s affected our season a little bit this semester, but we’ve been pretty lucky so far,” he said. “We’ve only had a couple cases recently, so we missed a couple guys here and there, but we’ve been fortunate enough to not have widespread numbers throughout our team.”

In December 2021, when cases were rising on campus due to the Omicron variant, the team was worried that they wouldn’t be able to start their pre-season practices. Fortunately for them, by the time the squad returned to campus in January the numbers had dissipated.

In response to the rise in cases, Oberlin Athletics will continue to uphold the ObieSafe regulations implemented on April 21, keeping athletic facilities open with social distancing. The mask requirement was put back in place, with student-athletes required to wear masks during indoor meetings and in the weight room. However, in continuation with previous regulations, student-athletes are exempt from wearing masks during practice and competition. 

Delta Lodge Director of Athletics and Physical Education Natalie Winkelfoos added that Oberlin Athletics will not be adding additional testing and will try to reschedule games that are canceled as a result of weather or COVID-19. 

“We will not be doing any additional testing, … staying the course with the guidelines that are in place today,” she wrote in an email to the Review. “Whether games are postponed/canceled due to weather or COVID-19, we always do our best to reschedule games.”

At this point, the women’s lacrosse team is used to being flexible regarding changes due to the pandemic. After experiencing a season cancellation and shortened season, the team is grateful for any day they get to play the game that they love. 

“Our team knows best the sharp adjustments that come with the pandemic,” Blevins wrote. “In 2020, the lacrosse season was cut short when Oberlin students got sent home. In 2021, we only got to play four games and wore masks while playing. I think this has made my team even more grateful for the times we do get to be together. Before every game, we remind ourselves that we never know what could happen tomorrow, so we have to give everything we have today.” 

Similarly, Stone knows what it’s like to have to navigate the pandemic with sports and emphasizes the importance of valuing your time with your teammates. In his, Stone was sent home in March of 2020 like the rest of campus, resulting in his season being cut short, and only got to play half of a regular season in 2021 when the College reinstated athletic competition. 

“We know things can change at any given moment, so we gotta play every moment as if it were our last,” he said. “All we can do is hope for the best, knowing that things could change right away. Cherishing the time that we have together is what keeps us going.”

Sarah Voit had a remarkable performance in the pole vault, topping her own program record of 3.9 meters with a 3.95-meter finish and a second-place finish. Despite her success, Voit says that the championship performance hasn’t hit her yet.

“Just focusing on doing the best that I could at the meet and then after the meet was over, it’s back to work and school and training and the rest of life,” she said.

Voit’s 3.95 meters put her in a tie for first with Ithaca College’s Meghan Matheny. They both failed to clear the 4-meter bar, leading to a tiebreaker that Voit unfortunately lost, due to having more faults. This kind of tight battle in the championships would get in a lot of athletes’ heads, but not Voit’s. 

“Honestly, I was not really thinking about that at the moment, you know, I get into competition mode and really control and repress all unnecessary emotions during the competition” Voit said. “Pole vault is hard enough to think about, and if I really started to think about how high the bars are that I’m jumping at or actually realize that I am battling for a national title with one other competitor, that kind of awareness and pressure in the moment is too much, and I’d probably end up crumbling under that sort of mindfulness.” 

However, this doesn’t signal the end for the fourth-year, as she’s planning on finishing on an even higher note in the spring season. 

“My goals are to get into a better mindset than I had indoors, so I can enjoy the season more and take more pride in my accomplishments; to stay physically healthy; and to improve some technique aspects of my jump,” she said. “If I do all these things, I’ll be able to jump well, be in a great spot to win outdoor nationals, and be proud of myself regardless of what I do at that specific meet.” 

Iyanna Lewis was the second top-five finish for the Yeowomen, finishing in fourth place after entering as the eighth seed with a personal best and program record of 18.49 meters, passing previous record holder Ana Richardson, OC ’18. Breaking Richardson’s record has been a goal of Lewis’ for a while, and was elated when she realized she finally passed it. 

“I memorized Ana Richardson’s mark in hopes that one day I might pass it.” Lewis said. “Seeing the mark, I knew instantly that I had accomplished the biggest goal I had set for myself, and that I could walk away, regardless of what place I got at the meet, knowing that I proved it to myself that I could do it, and knowing that I earned it.” 

Lewis earned this mark through everyday practice in a month-long grind leading up to this moment, and by not questioning any of her coaches’ tactics, or her own abilities. 

The change of coach, the time off due to the pandemic, and not having a season last year led to a jump in progression from her first to her third year. 

“This gave me a new appreciation for what I’m doing because I recognize now that these opportunities are not guaranteed,” Lewis said. “It allows me to come to a competition both with grit and desire to do well but peace in knowing that I’m happy to be there at all.” 

Lewis also made it clear that the new throws coach, Rocco Mitolo, gave her the boost she needed to get to nationals. 

“I think that he did a great job at figuring out exactly what I needed to achieve my goals,” Lewis said. “I have a lot of trust in what he, and and all the other coaches, tell us to do, simply because of how many conference champions, All-Americans, and national champions that have come through this program.” 

Continuing the momentum of the spectacular weekend, pentathlon athlete Clare Tiedemann posted a point total of 3,183, besting her own program record of 3,157 points and moving from the 21st seed to 13th place. Tiedemann was thoroughly impressed with her finish, especially after moving up eight seeds and having a tough start. 

“My opening race, hurdles, wasn’t what I was hoping for it to be and that’s where I usually derive most of my points from,” Tiedemann said. 

Tiedemann, Voit and Lewis, are all looking to build off of their performances in the spring, where they will compete outdoors and are more comfortable. 

“I think I am much better at the events I do outdoors,” Tiedmann said. “I’ve improved a lot in the 60-meter hurdles, but those are highly dependent on block starts and the ability to accelerate in a very short time. My strengths, however, are to continue to accelerate over each hurdle for the whole race. So now I have a lot more hurdles to get over and more time to pass competitors!”

The bond between these team members is stronger than ever, as Tiedemann made it clear to me how much her teammates’ success means to her. 

“Seeing my teammates succeed feels just as amazing as succeeding myself,” she said. “I know just how hard they work and how mentally tough they are. Both Iyanna and Sarah have been dealing with injuries and pain and have been doing everything in their power to both take care of themselves and still compete hard. And Malaika has been incredibly busy this semester and last balancing so many things on top of track and still steadily improving all season.”

This tight-knit group put together one of the most memorable performances in Oberlin athletic history, and all four will look to improve on their already jaw-dropping numbers in the outdoor season.

CORRECTION: an earlier version of this article inaccurately stated that Sarah Voit is a fourth-year at Oberlin College. Voit took a year off and is currently a third-year at Oberlin College.