TRACK & FIELD
BY EMMA COOPER ’20
The Mount Holyoke Track & Field team traveled to Middlebury, Vermont on Saturday, Feb. 16 to participate in the Middlebury Team Challenge. The Lyons placed fifth overall, while the Middlebury Panthers took the gold.
In the 60-meter dash preliminaries, Isabelle Wohlin ’21 secured fifth place with a time of 8.38 seconds. Wohlin advanced to finals for the 60-meter dash, once again claiming fifth place, this time clocking in at 8.47 seconds. She also competed in the 200-meter dash, where she finished in sixth place out of a field of 16 competitors.
Michaela Phelan ’22 posted a time of 1:56.52 in the 600-meter run, a score that earned her fourth place. Simone Jacob ’21 and Emsie Cronin ’19 also finished in fourth place in their events, the 800-meter and 1000-meter runs, respectively.
In the one-mile run, Sydney Nash ’22 claimed eighth place out of 23 runners, with a time of 5:31.64. The host, Middlebury College, had a strong presence in the one-mile, claiming five of the top six finishes. Corrin Moss ’19 posted a time of 11:03.06 for a fifth- place finish in the 3000-meter run.
Securing a one-two-three finish for the Lyons, Hannah Rieders ’21, Madeline Rieders ’21 and Hannah Gershone ’19 came in first, second and third in the 5000-meter run, respectively. Hannah crossed the line in 18:39.62, while Madeline followed close behind with a time of 18:41.58. Gershone completed the trifecta with a time of 19:21.45.
Highlights of the Middlebury field events included Wohlin’s seventh-place finish in the triple jump and Julia Hecking ’19’s fifth-place finish in the the 20-lb. weight throw.
Track & Field will next compete at the New England Division-III Championship on Friday, Feb. 22 and Saturday, Feb. 23. The championship will be hosted by Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine.
BASKETBALL
BY EMMA COOPER ’20
Mount Holyoke Basketball concluded their season on Saturday, Feb. 16, hosting Emerson College at Kendall Sports and Dance Complex. At the game, the Lyons also honored graduating seniors Zahkeyah Allen ’19 and Leah Hodges ’19 and the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) hosted a half-time special in honor of National Girls and Women in Sports Day.
The first quarter started off slow for the Lyons; Graceanne Woods ’21 sunk two points for Mount Holyoke, but Emerson charged ahead with 18 points. The Lyons made some progress in the second quarter, with Captain Katlyn Grover ’20 and Raquel Fitzpatrick ’21 putting a combined six points on the board. At the same time, Mount Holyoke’s defense strengthened, blocking the visiting Lions from scoring as much as they had in the first quarter.
At half-time, SAAC provided pizza and drinks for the crowd in celebration of Girls and Women in Sports Day. In addition, Natalie Burkett ’20, a member of SAAC, gave a short speech that highlighted the history behind this day of observance. “National Girls and Women in Sports Day began in 1987 as a way to recognize and highlight the importance of girls and women in athletics,” said Burkett. “It acknowledges the accomplishments of female athletes, the positive influence of sports participation and the continuing struggle for equality for women in sports.” Burkett also spoke to Mount Holyoke’s advocacy for student athletes and positive change in sports. “We pride ourselves on the unique experiences and varied back- grounds that our student athletes come from,” she said. “We hope to continue to support them through their collegiate athletic careers so that they can become role models and advocates for this cause.”
Liz Hazen ’20, a member of the Mount Holyoke rowing team as well as SAAC, explained the committee’s reason for celebrating this day. “SAAC chose to recognize National Girls and Women in Sports Day [in order] to highlight the importance of girls’ and women’s participation in athletics and to reinforce our dedication as an organization to furthering girls and women in athletics,” said Hazen.
The Lyons then returned to play, building on the momentum of the previous quarter. The third quarter saw more action from both teams than any other part of the game; Emerson recorded 24 points, while Mount Holyoke posted 14 points. Moving into the final quarter of the game, the Lyons condensed the gap with Emerson. Allen, Grover, Julia Grey ’21 and Kelly Lynch ’22 came together to score 13 points in comparison to Emerson’s 17.
Despite the Lyons’ improvement throughout the game, Emerson prevailed with a score of 75-35. Mount Holyoke Basketball ended the season with a 1-24 record, including 0-16 in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC).