BY KARI FOSSUM ’20
Lacrosse posts small victories: Lacrosse competed against Salve Regina on Thursday, April 5, and against Eastern Connecticut on Saturday, April 7. The team first travelled to Rhode Island, where they took home a 10-8 victory, led by captain Leila Kouakou ’18. Kouakou tallied a game-best five goals and six draw controls, including two successful shots towards the end of play to give the Lyons a two-point lead.
B LEXI LOBDELL ’20
The Mount Holyoke athletics department, in conjunction with schools across the country, sponsored the National Division III (D3) Week from April 3-April 7, to recognize the hard work and experiences of student athletes. The week kicked off on Monday night at 7:30 p.m. in Kendall in the field house.
BY LEXI LOBDELL ’20
Recent sexual assault cases involving National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) teams and coaches have brought women’s rights to the forefront of collegiate sports discussion.
Mount Holyoke’s mission includes improving education and leadership, as well as creating opportunities for women and advancing women’s rights. Adhering to this mission, the athletics department has several policies in place to cultivate a safe environment for student-athletes.
BY KARI FOSSUM ’20
Students returning to the Mount Holyoke campus for the spring semester were welcomed with the opening of the long-awaited centralized Dining Commons. The comfort and cuisine of the previously scattered dining halls into SuperBlanch streamlines the day-to-day hustle of many Mount Holyoke students.
BY LEXI LOBDELL ’20
After 14 seasons, head coach Michelle Scecina, left her position with the Lyons’ basketball team. On Jan. 4, Scecina was named the assistant athletic director for Student-Athlete Enhancement at Springfield College. Springfield is Mount Holyoke basketball’s number one competitor, currently leading the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference. It is also Scecina’s alma mater.
BY KARI FOSSUM ’20
Spanning six sports, Mount Holyoke’s club athletics have a definite presence on campus. Club-level teams include the dressage and western riding teams, ice hockey, fencing, rugby and ultimate frisbee. Each team competes regionally, often against the same schools that Mount Holyoke varsity athletics competes against, but club sports differ from varsity and NCAA athletics in several ways.
BY KARI FOSSUM ’20
Both students and athletes have been curious about the foods that will be offered at the Blanchard Community Center following the completion of its construction. Richard Perna, director of Dining Services at Mount Holyoke, currently oversees the day-to-day operations of every dining hall on campus. Less visible is the task that is extremely important to Perna: feeding the athletes on Mount Holyoke’s 13 varsity sports teams. As he oversees the dining experience, Perna is looking to expand and improve the ways that Dining Services feeds the athletic department.
BY KARI FOSSUM ’20
The holiday season is fast approaching, and for the first time, the athletic department has put together a holiday store stocked with items from Mount Holyoke sponsor Adidas. The store includes cold weather options such as sweatshirts, hats and blankets, as well as polos and T-shirts for the warmer months. While the apparel options do seem small, Athletics is attempting to offer the community exclusive apparel typically only available to athletes. Jamesa Allen ’19, who plays for the Volleyball team, said that while the selection seems, “limited...it is all very cute!”
BY LEXI LOBDELL ’20
When Andy Whitcomb took over the Mount Holyoke field hockey team in 1998, the team was last-place in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC), having won only five games in five years. Fast forward to 2017, Whitcomb’s team has an impressive resume featuring multiple NEWMAC championships and NCAA tournament appearances.
BY LEXI LOBDELL ’20
The Mount Holyoke Lyons hosted the Babson College Beavers in their final game of the season. On Saturday, Oct. 28, the Lyons took on a tough competitor. The Lyons took an early lead in the first half of the game, and at the 13-minute mark, forward Minerva Veeser-Bobea ’20 drove past Babson defenders and fired the ball into the back of the net off a pass from Sara Sanaú Ruiz ’18. However, the Beavers rallied in the final six minutes of the game. Maggie McCabe executed a perfect corner kick pass to Julia Lindsay, who headed the ball into the Lyons’ goal. Babson seized the lead off another pass from McCabe to junior Jessica DeLuca for a scrappy goal, scoring two goals to take the 2-1 win.
BY LEXI LOBDELL ’20
Recent scandals involving the NCAA and Adidas brand have raised questions about Mount Holyoke’s partnership with Champion’s Choice, the number one exclusive Adidas team dealer in the U.S. According to the New York Times, Adidas has bribed high school students and families with sums as much as $100,000 to commit to the specific Adidas-sponsored schools. Both Leila Kouakou ’18 and Indra Rapinchuk-Souccar ’20 have concerns with the college’s partnership. While both athletes like Adidas as a brand, they agree that Mount Holyoke’s partnership with Champion’s Choice raises ethical concerns. Kouakou said, “I believe that [the federal investigation with Adidas and the NCAA] goes strongly against the NEWMAC [New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference] and Mount Holyoke’s treasured policies.”
