By Hannah Thukral ’23
Staff Writer
Tennis
Mount Holyoke’s tennis team traveled to Brunswick, Maine, where Bowdoin College hosted the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Northeast Regional Championships this past weekend. It was the team’s first tournament since the pandemic halted sports in March 2020.
According to Shweta Kiran Cavale ’23, “The vibes of competing were definitely different and it took me a while to get acclimatized to the environment.” But despite the need to readjust, Cavale was excited to compete with “excellent players” from other colleges.
Two singles, Cavale and Annika Chai ’25, as well as a doubles team, Annissa Aomaum ’22 and Vy Hoang ’24, qualified for the tournament, which featured Amherst College, Williams College, Middlebury College and Wesleyan University.
Aomaum and Hoang took on Wesleyan in doubles and were stunned 8-1. Chai fell to Middlebury College 6-1, 6-1 and Cavale dropped her match against Wesleyan University 6-1, 6-0.
“Tennis is a mental game,” Cavale commented. “I did have solid strokes, but I found myself giving up easily, so I need to work on that.”
Head Coach Aldo Santiago said the team “did an excellent job supporting each other throughout [their] competitive experiences.”
Mount Holyoke Tennis will be competing at NEWITT at Smith College on Oct. 8.
When asked about the tournament, Santiago said, “The team is ready and looking forward to the challenge.”
Riding
Mount Holyoke Riding tied for first place with University of Massachusetts Amherst for the High Point Title at last weekend’s Muddy Brook Farm Show, hosted by Smith College. The Lyons snagged 15 of the 20 classes and amassed 36 total points.
Captain Sara Hearn ’22 won the Open Flat and placed second in the Open Fences. Kristina Lester ’22 placed first in the first section of Intermediate Fences and came in second in the second section of the Limit Flat. Hearn later won the day’s title of Reserve Overall High Point Rider.
Madigan Stitcher ’24 won the first section of Limit Fences and placed third in the final section of the Limit Flat. Hannah Brown ’22 placed third in the fourth section of Limit Fences and won the first section of the Limit Flat. Stitcher and Brown squared off in a quiz bowl round which tested contestants’ knowledge of Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association rules, naming Stitcher as the day’s Reserve Limit High Point Rider.
Manager Sierra Dunn ’22 won the second section of Intermediate Fences, as well as the Intermediate Flat. Dunn secured the titles of the day’s Overall High Point Rider and Intermediate High Point Rider.
The riding team will be competing at the Bonnie Lea Farm for the Williams College Show on Oct. 16.