Mount Holyoke Athletics celebrates NCAA Division III Week
By Lauren Leese ’23
Staff Writer
The Mount Holyoke College Student-Athlete Advisory Committee announced several events to celebrate the National Collegiate Athletics Association’s Division III Week, all of which are open to any Mount Holyoke community member. The NCAA is divided into three divisions with different standards and rules to suit different athlete experiences. Division III, of which Mount Holyoke College is a member, prioritizes academic achievement and well-rounded student life along with a competitive athlete experience.
NCAA Division III Week runs from April 10 through April 16. Amrit Khinda ’25, the SAAC Diversity, Equity and Inclusion subcommittee chair and member of the Lyons’ basketball team, explained the significance of Division III Week for student-athletes at Mount Holyoke.
“DIII week … presents a valuable occasion for all individuals affiliated with a DIII institution to observe and celebrate the profound impact athletics and student-athletes have on campus,” Khinda said. “It is a way to build a better understanding of the DIII student-athlete experience.”
SAAC Outreach and Community Involvement Chair Maddie Millyan spoke about what being a Division III athlete has meant to her. “Being on a team is an experience that I think has helped me in every aspect of my life because I am able to see not just myself grow but my fellow teammates and that is so rewarding,” she said. “The friends and connections I have made as a student-athlete at Mount Holyoke College will stay with me through my entire life, and for that, I am forever grateful.”
This year’s Division III Week also serves to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the landmark legislation that prevents sex-based discrimination in federally-funded schools. A poster to commemorate Title IX was set up at the Kendall Sports and Dance Complex entrance for viewing throughout the week. The display shows the text of Title IX along with statistics about gender equity before and after the passage of the legislation.
In the lead-up to Division III Week, the athletics department celebrated National Student-Athlete Day on Thursday, April 6. The day was commemorated with a make-your-own energy bar event at the Kendall Sports and Dance Complex.
Several events took place throughout Division III Week. On Monday, April 10, Head Swimming and Diving Coach David Allen hosted a mindfulness session. A Spirit Day event took place on Tuesday, April 11, where participants were challenged to dress as their favorite female athletes. Thursday, April 13 saw the Empowerment Movie Night event, where community members were invited to the Blanchard Great Room for a screening of the movie “Swimmers.”
Multiple athletic competitions occurred during Division III Week with extra activities for spectators. On Wednesday, April 12, Mount Holyoke Lacrosse competed against Smith College in a home game that featured events and giveaways at half-time. Spectators also had the option to bring or purchase stuffed animals for donation to a women’s and children’s shelter. The final score was 18-8 to Smith. Mount Holyoke Tennis scheduled a home game against Babson College for Friday, April 14, with games and food provided.
The Athletics Department will provide transportation for spectators who want to watch the two away-from-home athletic competitions scheduled for Saturday, April 15. In the morning, Mount Holyoke Rowing will compete at the Donahue Rowing Center in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. Their opponents include teams from Clark University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Washington College, Williams College, Connecticut College, Simmons University and Rochester Institute of Technology. Mount Holyoke Track and Field will be heading to the Jerry Gravel Invitational at Westfield State University in Worcester, Massachusetts.
SAAC Programming and Legislation subcommittee chair and Mount Holyoke Rowing athlete Zoe Wolfel ’23 spoke about her excitement for the Saturday competitions. “All of our races are off-campus, which means that people on campus don’t often get to come see us race,” Wolfel said. “I am really excited for everyone to see what we do.”
Several other events were scheduled going into the weekend. The 2023 SAAC Formal will take place on Friday, April 14 in the Great Room, with food, music and activities for attendees. Millyan, whose SAAC subcommittee planned this event, spoke of her excitement for the formal. “It is going to be a great time to meet new people, try new things and have fun,” she said.
On Saturday, April 15, the Mount Holyoke community will be able to compete in the MHC Community 5K. Division III Week will wrap up on Sunday, April 16 with a Field Day event on Skinner Green.
Squash sends three first-years to CSA Individual Championship
Mount Holyoke Squash newcomers Habiba Abouelatta ’26, Tina Mei ’26 and Ku Paw ’26 played in the College Squash Association Individual Championship last weekend. The competition took place from Friday, March 3, to Sunday, March 5, at the Arlen Specter U.S. Squash Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Tennis opens spring season, beats American International College
Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke Athletics.
Shweta Kiran Cavale ’23 defeated her American International College opponents in both her doubles matches and her singles matches on Feb. 25.
By Lauren Leese ’23
Staff Writer
Mount Holyoke Tennis launched its spring season with a match against American International College on Saturday, Feb. 25. The Lyons defeated the Yellow Jackets 6-3, obtaining three of their points by default. A second game against Eastern Nazarene College was originally scheduled for the same day but was postponed.
In the No. 1 doubles match, AIC bested Annika Chai ’25 and Jaskirat Kaur ’26 with a score of 8-3. The No. 2 doubles match saw Shweta Kiran Cavale ’23 and Cal Smith ’26 score an 8-3 victory over the Yellow Jackets. The No. 3 match defaulted to the Lyons.
Kiran Cavale and Smith both won their singles matches, with Kiran Cavale scoring 7-5 and 6-1, and Smith scoring 6-1 and 6-2. Chai’s and Kaur’s singles matches went to a third round, where their AIC opponents secured victory.
Smith spoke about the atmosphere of the competition, and how even the Lyons who couldn’t play due to a lack of opponents brought team spirit to the game.
“Tennis is often regarded as a quiet sport, but there is nothing like the feeling of your team cheering you on after a good point,” Smith said. “Kate Vavra [’26], whose match was unfortunately forfeited by AIC, really led the team in energy, bringing pom poms and her always impressive team spirit. The whole team brought an amazing energy that I was proud to be a part of.”
Kiran Cavale expressed optimism about the competitions ahead. “Initially, I was quite nervous to come back after the off-season to play a match but I think it went much better than I anticipated,” she said. “The team has been working very hard during the practice and I believe that everyone is very committed to helping us have an amazing season.”
Mount Holyoke Tennis will compete in their next match at Bates College on March 15.
Cara Murphy ’14 promoted from assistant to head rowing coach
By Lauren Leese ’23
Staff Writer
For the Mount Holyoke rowing team, the new semester brought a new head coach: Cara Murphy ’14, who had worked with the team as an assistant coach since 2018. Murphy succeeds former Head Coach Seth Hussey, who left the role after six seasons.
Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, Murphy played several different sports growing up, including baseball and soccer. In the ninth grade, she started rowing and discovered a new passion.
“[Rowing] kind of … took over my life,” she said.
During her time at Mount Holyoke, Murphy was a member of the rowing team for four years, and she still looks back on her student-athlete experience as one of her greatest achievements. “I’m really proud of my time that I was here and the stuff that I did,” she said. One of her best memories was of the 2014 Eastern College Athletic Conference National Invitational Collegiate Regatta, where the Lyons went head-to-head with a Smith College boat and won. “They talk about the ‘flow state’ in sports … performing beyond what you can normally do,” Murphy said. “It just happened to be a race where everything worked in the boat … they got off ahead, and we caught them by the end. They had no idea we were coming.”
Murphy initially planned to become a professor but discovered her passion for coaching when she got a summer job coaching a master’s rowing team. “It’s a great way to stay connected to your sport,” Murphy said. “When you become a student of your sport, you just learn to enjoy it so much more.”
After graduating from Mount Holyoke, Murphy earned a Master of Science in Sports and Exercise Studies at Smith College. Her first coaching job following completion of the master’s program was at Colgate University, where she worked for two years until she received a call from then-Rowing Head Coach Seth Hussey. “He was looking for an assistant, and somebody suggested to him that he call me,” Murphy said. “He was … sort of starting [the rowing program] over, and it just seemed like a really interesting project to come and join and be able to give back to my alma mater.”
Regarding the transition from assistant to head coach, Murphy said, “It’s kind of like … when you have a birthday and you’re a year older, but you really don’t feel any older.” However, she also mentioned the increased freedom she now has to make decisions as head coach. “When I sit and think about what I want to do, I actually get to do it instead of having to run it by somebody and say, ‘Hey, well, how would you think about this?’ I just run it by myself.”
Furthermore, Murphy spoke about the unique experience of coaching at her alma mater. “I think that the student-athletes at Mount Holyoke are some of the most interesting people,” she said. “It’s never a dull day because you get challenged intellectually … I have to dig into my fount of knowledge and explain [the] why, the what and [the] how. And that makes me better at what I do.”
Throughout her transition from student to assistant coach to head coach, representing Mount Holyoke has remained at the forefront of Murphy’s mind. “I want [the graduates of the rowing program] to be really good representatives of Mount Holyoke … and also be proud to have them as kind of teammates by association. So yeah, it’s a big responsibility. But it’s so cool,” Murphy said. “You’re once a rower, but you’re always a teammate.”
When asked about her coaching achievements, Murphy again turned it back to the athletes, giving them the credit for the team’s accomplishments. “I kind of show you the path and tell you how to do it, [but] I’m not the one rowing the race,” she said. “[I ask], ‘did I set them up for success?’ And I think for the most part, any boat that I put out there, I’m proud of what they were able to do.”
Looking to the future, Murphy expressed her excitement at being able to continue improving the team even after her collegiate athlete career ended. “It’s an opportunity that so few people have, to be able to come back and work for your alma mater,” Murphy said. “One of the things that I found in my head while I was a rower was this idea of leaving the team in a better spot than when you found it … And I think I did that, and now I just get to keep doing it, which is just so cool … I’m super humbled by the opportunity.”
Squash triumphs over three teams at Vassar College competition
Elba Barra Montgomery ‘23 beat the Wellesley opponents in just three matches at the Seven Sisters Squash Championship, hosted at Vassar College. Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke Athletics.
By Lauren Leese ’23
Staff Writer
Mount Holyoke Squash surged to victory against teams from Wellesley College, Smith College and Vassar College on Saturday, Feb. 11 in a tournament held at Vassar College. The weekend’s games brought the Lyons’ record for the season up to 7-12.
First, the Lyons faced off against Smith. In the No. 1 position, Habiba Abouelatta ’26 won the first two games 11-0 and finished off with an 11-1 win. The rest of the team also won all of their matches, with no opponent scoring more than six points before the end of the game. The final result was 9-0 to the Lyons.
Vassar proved to be a tougher opponent, but the Lyons still prevailed with a score of 8-0. Ku Paw ’26 in the No. 3 position and Tina Mei ’26 in No. 4 both lost their first games but came back to win the next three matches and secure their overall victories. In the No. 2 position, Xaria Durocher ’24 won in three matches despite a tough showing from the No. 2 Vassar player that resulted in two of the games going to 12 points instead of the usual 11.
Finally, the Lyons achieved victory over Wellesley with a final score of 8-1. In No. 3, Paw lost the first two games 9-11 and 4-11 but proceeded to come back and defeat the No. 3 Wellesley player in the subsequent three games with scores of 11-3, 11-2 and 11-7. Abouelatta, Dnyaneshwari Haware ’23, Elba Barra Montgomery ’23 and Paige Gershuny ’25 all defeated their Wellesley opponents in only three matches.
Haware drew attention to the historical precedent of this competition. “The Seven Sisters Championship … has been a historical meet for many squash alums,” she said. “MHC has won this 12 times in the past 23 years and after winning it this weekend, we got a lot of congratulations from alums all over the world.”
“This was probably the busiest season post-pandemic and we also played 9 colleges in 9 days in January,” Haware continued. “But squash is a sport that will encourage you to keep working on yourself and teach you that every small thing … can make a big difference. We also have Recreational Squash every Wednesday at 6 or 6:30 p.m. where anyone can come and learn squash or play squash with another person for fun.”
Janiqua Davis ’23 won all three of her matchups against the other colleges’ athletes. “My performance this weekend was phenomenal,” Davis said. “I’m proud of my effort on the court despite [the] injuries I have been managing. I have kept a positive attitude on-and-off court, mentally kept my head in the game and stayed focused.”
Looking towards the College Squash Association Team Championships taking place from Feb. 17-19, Davis emphasized the importance of team spirit, self-care and perseverance. “As a team, we have been working extremely hard on how to support each other and most importantly ourselves in so many ways, both mentally and physically,” she said. “I have recognized that I came a long way to get where I’m at today on and off court … It is not whether you get knocked down. It’s whether you get back up and can grow through every obstacle.”
Next, Mount Holyoke Squash will head to the College Squash Association Team Championships at the University of Pennsylvania from Feb. 17-19.
Club Corner: Ice Hockey competes against Westfield State
MHC Ice Hockey in a team huddle on senior night. Image courtesy of Jenny Yu.
By Lauren Leese ’23
Staff Writer
Mount Holyoke Ice Hockey competed against Westfield State University at the Amelia Park Arena in Westfield, Massachusetts, on Saturday, Jan. 28. The Lyons fell to the home team with a score of 0-10. Westfield State University currently ranks third out of six teams in the Western Adirondack Division of the Independent Women’s Club Hockey League, while Mount Holyoke ranks sixth.
Team captain Abby Mann ’24 spoke about the team’s highlights of the game. “Our goalies, Edith Townsend-Cardosi ’25 and Hannah Landau ’26, had an amazing game. They both made a lot of really good saves,” Mann said. “[It is] also definitely worth noting that Virginia Middleton ’26, our other goalie, stepped up and played a great game as a wing.”
Mann further elaborated on the fun the team has while playing. “We just get out there, play our best and have fun. There’s not much more organized strategy than that,” they said. “We have a total blast regardless of the score, and we celebrate our own progress and accomplishments. I love this team.”
Cami Robinson-Parisi ’26 echoed Mann’s sentiment about the team spirit and expressed their excitement to play in future hockey games. “I absolutely love the positive nature of the team — we really focus on self-improvement and having fun while learning how to play hockey,” she said. “I am super excited to play in future games.”
Looking to the future, Robinson-Parisi added, “We are always looking to improve our game, and being able to take constructive criticism and advice from our coach as well as more experienced teammates has been incredibly helpful. Personally, I am always striving to improve my skating and understanding of the game.”
Mount Holyoke Ice Hockey will continue its season with a match against their Western Adirondack Division rival Norwich University at the Kreitzberg Arena in Northfield, Vermont on Saturday, Feb. 4.
Audiences for women’s sports skyrocket as coverage expands
Squash beats Bard and Wellesley Colleges, falls to Georgetown University
Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke Athletics. Xaria Durocher '24, above, won matches against Bard College and Wellesley College.
By Lauren Leese ’23
Staff Writer
Mount Holyoke Squash competed against three teams on the weekend of Nov. 19 and 20. Saturday saw the team handily beat Bard College 9-0 and Wellesley College 8-1. Sunday’s competition resulted in a 9-0 loss to the Georgetown University team, which is ranked 22nd in the nation.
On Saturday, Xaria Durocher ’24 competed in Mount Holyoke’s No. 1 spot and beat Bard’s No. 1 player three games in a row with scores of 11-6, 11-5 and 11-2. Durocher also faced Wellesley’s No. 1 player in a tougher matchup that saw Durocher initially lose two games before rebounding to win 3-2 with scores of 7-11, 11-13, 11-4, 11-3 and 11-9.
“Being able to compete with my teammates after training hard during our preseason practices felt amazing,” Durocher said. “It really gave me something to look forward to continue fighting for. I can't wait to make new memories with my team and coaches.”
In the No. 2 position, Tina Mei ’26 stormed to victory over the Bard player 3-1 with scores of 9-11, 11-4, 11-5 and 11-1 and the Wellesley player 3-0 with scores of 11-5, 11-3 and 11-0. Ku Paw ’26, Paige Gershuny ’25 and captains Elba Barra Montgomery ’23 and Dnyaneshwari Haware ’23 all won their matches against their Bard and Wellesley opponents 3-0. Sally Philpott ’23 lost to the No. 7 Wellesley opponent and won against Bard by default, and Cydney Socias ’25 and Keying Lin ’23 won against Bard and Wellesley by default.
Though all Mount Holyoke players lost their matches against Georgetown on Sunday, Montgomery was the Lyons’ top scorer, taking a total of 11 points across three matches in the No. 4 position. The competitions leave Mount Holyoke at 3-1 overall for the season so far.
Durocher expressed disappointment at her Sunday result but said she remains motivated for the rest of the season. “During my match with my opponent from Georgetown, I felt like I disappointed myself,” she said. “For my next matches moving forward, I’m going to fight for my [No. 1] position like it’s my last moment being [No. 1]. I refuse to let other squash teams look down on us or think we’re an easy team to beat because we’re not.”
Head Squash Coach Erin Robson spoke about the value of the weekend’s matches. “With Bard and Wellesley, … we were able to attack and to control the pace,” she said. “Georgetown exposed some weaknesses. We know what we need to work on as a team and individually.”
Looking forward to rest of the season, Robson detailed some areas the team is planning to work on. “We know that we need to return serve better and continue to work on more consistent play from the backcourt,” Robson said. “We have time to focus on these areas before our next matches, and we will need to make steady improvement so that we can compete with confidence against teams like Wesleyan, Colby and Bowdoin in January.”
The Lyons’ next competitions will take place on Jan. 13 and 14 at Wesleyan University, where they will compete against Denison University, Haverford College, Wesleyan University and Brown University.
Club Corner: Introducing Mount Holyoke Dressage
Anne O’Byrne ’13 returns to Mount Holyoke as Lacrosse head coach
Rowing places 29th at Head of the Charles regatta, reflects on team spirit
Mount Holyoke tennis players react to Serena Williams’ last tennis match
Cross Country looks forward to season ahead at UMass Dartmouth Invitational
Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke Athletics.
Lauren Selkin ’23 won the Women’s Varsity 5K at the Sept. 17 UMass Dartmouth Invitational.
By Lauren Leese ’23
Staff Writer
Mount Holyoke Cross Country, led by Lauren Selkin ’23, rallied to 10th place overall out of 38 teams at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Cross Country Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 17.
Selkin, who qualified for the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III Cross Country National Championship in 2021, took first place in the Women’s Varsity 5K with a time of 17:49.3. Following an overall victory at the Wellesley College Invitational on Sept. 2, this race marked Selkin’s second-consecutive win of the year and the fourth first-place title of Selkin’s collegiate cross country career. On Sept. 19, Selkin was named the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Week.
“I managed to stick to my game plan and felt very confident and comfortable throughout the entire race,” Selkin said. “I love competing and always look forward to each of the races throughout the season.” Looking to the future, Selkin hopes to qualify for the NCAA National Championship again in 2022 and garner NCAA All-American athlete honors.
Tessa Lancaster ’25 was the second Mount Holyoke runner over the line, taking 35th place overall with a time of 18:54.1. Next for the Lyons, Bridget Hall ’24 ran a time of 19:33.6, placing 73rd. Greta Trapp ’25 took 102nd with a time of 19:59.9 and Kim Beaver ’25 earned a time of 20:37.5 and placed 149th.
This relatively large group of Mount Holyoke athletes competing in the varsity 5K was notable for the team. “Only [Selkin] and [Lancaster] had run the varsity race before,” Head Track and Field and Cross Country Coach Jennifer “Jay” Hartshorn said. “Given the fact that it was a new experience [for] so many athletes on the team, they stepped up.”
In the Women’s 5K Junior Varsity race, Amanda Kearney ’23 finished the course with a time of 22:42.2, taking 66th place. Emma Quirk ’26 came 82nd with a time of 23:39.0 and Eliza Butler ’23 ran a 24:20.50 to place 93rd.
“I felt pretty controlled during my race,” Butler said. Speaking of the season to come, she added, “I’m most looking forward to our future races. … I’d love the team to qualify for regionals again.”
Hartshorn also indicated that the team already has its sights on the NCAA Championship. “The season is really about building to the end of the year. Hopefully we can gain confidence through the season and feel ready going into the championships,” she said.
This meet followed a change of coach for the cross country team. “We have been just getting to know each other for the past month,” Hartshorn said. “Having a new coach can be hard for a team, so I appreciate their ability to adapt to my style. I feel really excited and blessed to be a part of this community. “
Next, the Lyons will head to Williamstown to compete in the Purple Valley Classic on Oct. 1, 2022.
Editor’s Note: Emma Quirk ’26 is a staff member of the Mount Holyoke News.
Athletics Kickoff opens new turf, highlights student-athlete organizations
Courtesy of Sophia Anderson ’22.
From left to right: Phoebe Aaronson ’23, Mollee Malboeuf ’23, Caroline Thompson ’24, Hannah Bisson ’25 and Lucy Sternberg ’23 perform the ribbon cutting ceremony, officially opening the new turf.
By Lauren Leese ’23
Staff Writer
Mount Holyoke Athletics hosted an Athletics Kickoff and Track & Turf Ribbon Cutting Ceremony event on Thursday, Sept. 8. The kickoff officially opened the new outdoor track and turf. The ceremony highlighted student-athlete organizations, with two student representatives speaking on behalf of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the Athlete Empowerment Coalition.
The event began with an address from Director of Athletics and Chair of Physical Education Jodi Canfield. Following a land acknowledgement, Canfield discussed Mount Holyoke Athletics’ successes. She highlighted the student-athletes’ overall cumulative GPA of 3.6 and the 89 students who were recognized by the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference for All-Academic Conference Team status last year. Carrying on the theme of student-athlete academic achievement, Canfield noted that both of the Mount Holyoke students who have been named Rhodes Scholars were also student-athletes, most recently Elena Frogameni ’22 of the squash team.
Canfield described the new turf as a “recruiting magnet and one that our student-athletes will look fondly upon in their remembrance of their playing days.” To her, the field is a concrete example of Mount Holyoke’s commitment to the Athletics Department. “Continued investment in our facilities signals … our alignment with the mission and the goals of the College,” Canfield said.
Following Canfield’s address, student speaker Anais Magner ’23, the chair of the SAAC, introduced the members of the SAAC Executive Board: Vice Chair Caroline Thompson ’24, Secretary Emily Mock ’24, Treasurer Piper LaPointe ’23 and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Representative Janiqua Davis ’23. Canfield then described a selection of the SAAC’s achievements from the past year and its ongoing plans to improve student-athlete experiences.
In Fall 2021, the SAAC worked with Mount Holyoke Dining Services to convert the Blanchard Hall Grab ’n Go station into a student-athlete Grab ’n Go stocked with a wide selection of food for away games. Currently, the SAAC is focused on creating a Mount Holyoke chapter of Athlete Ally, “an organization focused on creating an inclusive and supportive environment within athletics across the country, as well as advocating for the LGBTQ+ cause,” Magner said.
“We are thrilled for the opportunity to interact with such an active organization pushing for change in an area so important to us as Mount Holyoke students,” Magner continued.
“We are thrilled for the opportunity to interact with such an active organization pushing for change in an area so important to us as Mount Holyoke students.”
Finally, Magner detailed the Game of the Week initiative — a SAAC initiative that allows varsity teams to pick a home game to highlight each season. During GOTW, the selected team is paired with a buddy team which cheers them on alongside other Mount Holyoke students.
“I enjoy being part of SAAC because it allows me to be involved in the decision-making process. As a member of SAAC, my voice gets heard when I raise concerns about my team or my identity … as an international student-athlete,” Magner said. She closed by encouraging students interested in getting involved with SAAC to speak to her, their team SAAC reps or any of the SAAC E-Board members.
The second student speaker, Soccer Team Captain and President of the AEC Lo Jean-Jacques ’23, spoke about what the AEC offers students at Mount Holyoke.
“We’re here to create a safe space for … both club and varsity athletes on campus. We believe that certain groups of athletes on campus need safe spaces, [and] also need [their] voices to be heard,” Jean-Jacques said. Members of these groups — student-athletes of color and first-generation student-athletes — are “often the only student-athlete of color or first generation student-athlete on their team,” as noted on the AEC’s Embark page.
Students outside of these groups can also contribute to the AEC’s mission.
“We need allies,” Jean-Jacques said. Students looking to get involved are invited to contact Jean-Jacques, Head Squash Coach Erin Robson or Head Volleyball Coach Iris Carpio for more information.
The evening concluded with the ribbon cutting, performed by five student-athletes who will be using the turf: Phoebe Aaronson ’23 and Mollee Malboeuf ’23 of Field Hockey, Caroline Thompson ’24 of Field Hockey and Lacrosse, Hannah Bisson ’24 of Lacrosse and Lucy Sternberg ’23 of Track and Field. Each athlete used their own pair of scissors in unison to complete the ceremony, officially opening the new facility.