By Isaac Little
The Houghton Highlanders approached the winter season with great anticipation and promise. Having a young roster across the board meant that this would be a developing year for many players and would cause the veterans of each team to be placed in an important role. Although one could argue that the Highlanders are in a tough position entering their seasons given the inexperience they may have at the college level, each team is eager to accept the challenge faced in front of them, and they look to improve each day.
The Houghton Track and Field team has been diligently preparing for their main season in the spring by competing in a wide range of indoor track events. The Men’s and Women’s teams have proved a high level of competitiveness with their competition and look to make a push in the conference tournament this spring under the leadership of Seth Greene (‘23), Dillon Bell (‘21), and Amanda Burrichter (‘22), who have all solidified themselves as some of the top runners in the conference and look to use their experience to help their teams thrive. Standouts from the women’s side include Amerrah Horne-Vaden (‘25), Alexandria Wisniewski (‘23), Mary Shaker (‘23), Haley DeJager (‘22), and Amanda Burrichter (‘23), while Seth Greene (‘23), Malcom Smith (‘25), Dillon Bell (‘21), and Brennan Lewandowski (‘23) also show much promise for the season ahead on the men’s side.
The Houghton Women’s Basketball team holds a record of 7-11 (1-8 in Conference). After starting the season off on a high note, the Highlanders look to make a push back into the conference seedings. Their roster consists of 6 freshmen, 2 sophomores, and 2 juniors, showing their potential as they continue to develop and establish their identity. This is noted by freshman Abby Guiher (‘25), who says, “This season has had its tough moments, but I wouldn’t want it with any other team. We have seven girls most likely for the rest of the season, but I know if we put our all on the floor every single day, we could do big things in the future.”
The Houghton Men’s Basketball team holds a record of 1-16 (1-7 in conference). Although one could become discouraged with this result, the men have competed neck-in-neck with practically every opponent in which they have played, only losing by narrow margins. Considering that 14 of their 19 players fall within the freshman to sophomore range only proves the potential that this Houghton squad has under the direction of Coach Lance Westberg. Junior Reece Gustafson (‘23) believes, “This team has been through a lot of ups and downs, but there is no doubt in my mind that this is the closest team that I have been a part of.” When speaking further about the season, Gustafson states, “We might not be seeing the success we want right now, but I know we are building relationships with each other that go beyond basketball. These guys are my family, and I am excited to see how we finish out the season.”
The Highlanders may not have had the results that they had hoped for, but there is no doubt that these teams have tremendous potential. With a strong coaching staff, along with a year of development at the collegiate level, the Highlanders will no doubt have success in the future. As the Houghton Basketball teams approach the off-season, they look to continue to increase their skill and knowledge of the game, which will prove to be beneficial in the following years. Although the Houghton Track and Field team may be closing out their winter season, they look forward to their spring season in which they look to make a push for the Empire 8 Championship title. ★
