Category: Sports

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Campus Sports Stories In Focus

Social Division: Athletes and NARPs

Sports division graphic - Courtesy of Savannah Stitt
By Sophia Vernon ('26)

“[Athletes] are a clique because they all know each other,” stated Abigail Franz (’25), adding that “sometimes it feels like because I’m not on a sports team, I’m on a different level, and there is a divide.”

Franz exemplifies an overarching feeling of detachment and separation between non-athletes and the third of Houghton’s student body that plays a sport.

Franz, a biology major, explained that “the bio department is pretty overrun by sports people wanting to do exercise science.” She stated that her experiences with getting to know athletes individually have been positive; however, “it’s hard because of that initial divide.”

On the flip side, Arija Grant (’26), a Houghton Women’s Tennis player, explained that she has often felt excluded from on-campus events due to practice and game schedules, highlighting specifically an away tennis match she had on the same night as a homecoming dance.

Jana Newberry, the Director of Student Engagement, emphasized that “the distinction between athletes and non-athletes is natural” and that she does not “necessarily get mad at it.” Echoing student concerns, Newberry stated, “I have a problem with athletes feeling excluded from things,” pointing out that “there is too much distance.” She attributes this problem in part to both groups “not knowing what they don’t know about how to get plugged in” and a “lack of understanding and stereotypes.”

Newberry spoke on the natural divides arising from the lack of athletic representation and participation in the Campus Activities Board (CAB) events. She addressed that “sometimes the (CAB) events can be echo chambers,” with the same people attending events, lacking expansion to wider audiences. 

Enter Selah Kertz (’24), Tymber Wynn (’25) with Lander Nation. When asked about her experience with the social dynamics between athletes and non-athletes on campus, Kertz stated, “It feels really divided.” She related her experience during her semester on the track team of eating dinner with the team and sitting on the “sports side” of the dining hall, but that “looking from the other side (non-athlete perspective), it feels very separate.” She explained that this time on the track team assisted her in making athlete friends, stating, “I’m not sure I would have met a lot of the people I know without my previous connections to other athletes.”

Resulting from the lack of community and spirit between athletes and non-athletes, Kertz and Wynn started Lander Nation, a non-Houghton-affiliated group on campus that works through on-campus events, themes and representatives for each athletic team to foster school spirit and community. Kertz explained that she knows a lot of “NARPs” (non-athlete-regular-person), and Wynn, a Houghton Women’s Basketball player, knows a lot of athletes. The intention was to “bring NARPs in to participate in athletics,” as well as “bridging the gap and having actual school spirit.” 

Grant explained how easy it is for athletes to feel excluded from school events and isolated to teams, stating that “there is a divide because of how much intentional time you spend with your team” and that “it’s obvious you’re going to get closer with people you spend so much time with.” In troubleshooting the problem, Grant pointed out, “Houghton does a pretty good job emphasizing music and art, but there could be better advertising (for athletic events) on campus.” She concluded that “athletes could be encouraged to support other areas, and it could go both ways.” ★

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Campus News Sports

The Return of Sports

Houghton defends against Elmira's offense in March 2 matchup. Photo courtesy of Houghton College Athletics

By Erin Maggio (’21)

With the women’s basketball team taking the court against Elmira College on March 6, the 357 day streak of no Houghton Highlander teams competing will be snapped. With the spring 2020 season being halted due to COVID-19 and the fall 2020 seasons being pushed to this spring, no teams have competed since March 10, 2020, when the men’s lacrosse team came away with a 21-12 defeat over the Keystone Giants and the women’s lacrosse team bested the Hilbert Hawks 23-4. 

With fall teams having their seasons pushed to the spring, many of them have not hit the field in well over a year, including the men’s and women’s soccer teams and women’s field hockey team, who have not played a game  in well over 450 days, since their last competitions on November 2, 2019.  

However long the drought of competition riddled with uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Houghton’s athletic conference, the Empire 8, has unrolled plans for all 23 Empire 8 sponsored sports to hold competition per their Instagram post on March 1. This arrangement includes fall, winter, and spring sports all playing in the next few months. 

“The approach to the spring seasons for all our sports has been very unique to say the least!” Houghton’s Athletic Director Matthew Webb commented. 

Some of this uniqueness comes from the fact that fall and winter team sports will be having abbreviated schedules, most playing just fellow conference teams. While normal seasons in the fall typically span nine to 10 weeks, the seasons this spring will be about four to five weeks in length. 

Another aspect of the season which differs from the past is the “opt-out” process which the Empire 8 has created because of the unique impact that the pandemic has on many teams and institutions. Teams from across the conference have had to opt out due to roster size implications, whether because of dual-sport athletes, students not returning to campuses this spring, or actual COVID related issues like positive cases and quarantine.

In terms of Houghton specifically, two teams have opted out of competition this spring. The first of these is the men’s lacrosse team, who, according to Webb, “actually initiated this response as they came to the [athletic department] with their preference to just compete internally this spring.” Webb added that there were many factors which led to this. Though they won’t be playing a full Empire 8 schedule, it is possible that they may play a few games. 

The other Houghton team opting out is the women’s basketball team. This decision rests on the fact that the team has a small roster with many dual sport athletes which makes choices limited. Rather than a full conference schedule, they will be hitting the court for three competitions, the first of which will be the aforementioned contest against the Elmira Soaring Eagles. The other two will be on March 4 and 9, against Alfred University and a rematch with Elmira College, respectively. 

More than 230 student athletes will compete for Houghton this spring. But with this opportunity comes the responsibility of strict adherence to COVID protocols to keep themselves, their teams, opponents, faculty, staff, fellow students, and community members safe. These include wearing a mask at all required times, social distancing, attending all scheduled COVID-19 tests, and participating in any necessary contact tracing. 

Along with such protocol, the conference and Houghton’s Athletic Department have taken increased measures to protect all involved. On February 16 the conference announced their plans to proceed with spring competition, along with information concerning safety measures. “The Empire 8 has adopted more robust testing standards than the NCAA guidelines for intermediate and low risk sports in the interest of student-athlete health and safety,” the press release shared. 

Chuck Mitrano, the Empire 8’s Commissioner celebrated the resumption of conference competition on Instagram; “Nothing great is achieved without persistence and teamwork. The return to athletics competition has been challenging but we are thrilled to have preserved opportunity for many of our fall and winter student-athletes. Thanks to the energy and collaborative leadership of our presidents, directors of athletics, senior woman administrators, athletic trainers, sports information directors and coaches, the day has arrived! This is truly a statement about our commitment to the Empire 8 student-athletes!” he remarked.

While no in-person attendance is allowed at intercollegiate events as per New York State guidelines, fans can follow along with most home contests through Stretch Internet and be on the lookout for live streams from opponents in the case of away games. ★

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Campus News Sports

Houghton Lacrosse Faces Extinction

Cori Beck (‘20) cradles ball in game. Photo courtesy of Jason Mucher.

By Erin Maggio (’21)

On Thursday January 21, the Houghton Athletic Department announced that its men’s and women’s lacrosse programs would have just one last season of competition this spring before being discontinued. 

This past fall a task force, with representation from athletics and enrollment, was assembled for a formal review which led to the decision that was then finalized in January.  

The press release cites this change being made to allow for resources to be reallocated, especially to give more support to programs they feel have “the potential for greater strategic impact and growth for the department and college.” This includes a plan to put more support into various areas including wellness and recreation programming and the track and field program.

The task force found that there is a growing interest in the health and wellness of the community. In order to fill this, the department is planning to bolster its offerings of fitness opportunities, maximize the use of Houghton’s facilities, launch a club sports program, and  rejuvenate its intramural sports. 

In terms of reallocation in the track and field program, this decision means the addition of two graduate assistant coaches. Director of Athletics Matthew Webb says that “of all our sports, track and field has the greatest potential to grow its roster. We are increasing our expectations for recruitment in this area…[and] we anticipate this investment will have a positive impact on the enrollment of new students at the college.”

Current and former students, though, were not as impressed. Upon hearing of this decision, a group of eight current and former Houghton lacrosse players created an online petition directed to the College’s Board of Trustees. The group—consisting of Nathan Anderson (’21), Andrew Bub (’19), Cole Chapman (’19), Marissa Hews (’20), Quinn Hull (’20), Alyssa Johnson (Strom) (’18), Tom Woodward (’20), and Michael Wrobel (’21)—included a few who originally wrote individual letters to Matthew Webb. According to Hull, all of these were met with nearly identical responses. 

“After receiving those responses, I jumped on a FaceTime call with former teammates of mine Tom Woodward, Nate Anderson, Mike Wrobel, Andrew Bub, and Cole Chapman. We all decided that our next move would be to write to the chairman of the board of trustees for Houghton College in an attempt to have them review this decision. The six of us reached out to Marissa Hews and Alyssa Johnson of the women’s program to help us with their side of things and make sure both teams had a voice in this attempt at a review,” Hull recounted. This letter was included at the beginning of the petition.

Along with other aspects, the letter included qualms with the decision itself. Primarily, they felt the decision was contradictory. Webb stated that the decision was made to “find ways to invest our resources that align with [the Athletic Departments’] priorities for competitive excellence and that support areas where there is the most potential for growth.” However, the petitioners felt that the lacrosse programs supported such ideals of competitive excellence, pointing out the men’s improving winning percentage in the past three seasons as well as the women’s program’s statistical achievements. 

The group also took issue with the handling and timing of the decision. For instance, they say “there was no effort made to save the program through other means,” as they believe there could have been a call for fundraising from alumni or individual team fundraising. Instead, the teams were only notified of the decision once it was final. The decision announcement was also problematic to the group because it was announced after spring semester bills for students were due, which hampered student-athletes’ abilities to transfer. 

The letter continued by outlining ways that the group perceived the lacrosse programs to be behind all along due to the way they were handled, including, but not limited to the men’s program being rushed into participation prior to having a proper lacrosse coach or an initial recruiting class, and a high turnover rate in coaching on the women’s side. The group also included possible alternative solutions to simply cutting the programs “as they sit on the cusp of breakthrough.” 

The petition, which is now closed, amassed 2,074 signatures and 261 comments, including those “from students, faculty, staff, family members, complete strangers, and even from among the ranks of [the programs’] Empire 8 competition like Sage, Hartwick, St. John Fisher, and more,” according to Anderson. 

As of now, it does not look like the alternative solutions will be explored. According to Webb, the department has seen the petition: “our decision follows the essential practice of higher education to regularly assess and realign resources in areas that will realize the greatest impact for the entire student body. Although the petition demonstrates the passion for the lacrosse program and the impact it has had on both our alumni and current athletes, we are confident in the process and our final decision,” he said. 

Both current and former men’s and women’s lacrosse student-athletes attested to Houghton Lacrosse’s positive impact on their lives: 

“There is a very specific culture surrounding the sport of lacrosse. It is one that certainly contrasts with the values Houghton College stands for. In his time at Houghton, Coach Lundeen created a team and culture that consistently went against the grain and did things in a way that countered that culture. This, after all, is essentially what the Christian lifestyle is. The lacrosse program was just one way that Houghton College equipped its students ‘to lead and labor as scholar-servants in a changing world,’” which is what the college’s mission statement articulates, Hull expressed. 

Currently a senior on the men’s lacrosse team, Anderson also testified to the impacts of this culture—“the Houghton men’s lacrosse team, led by Coach Lundeen, has not only shaped my college experience, but the very foundation of who I am today. I have learned hard work, discipline, determination, respect, honor, courage, grace, patience, faith, and trust through my teammates and Coach Lundeen. They are my family.”

Reegan Mitchell (’22) emphasized how being a part of the Houghton Women’s Lacrosse team has been an integral part of her Houghton experience, saying, “I have played lacrosse for several years now, but playing for a team that loves God and wants to serve Him on and off the field is not something I experienced throughout high school. These girls have pushed me to look beyond myself and learn how to best encourage others in ways that are unique to them. This program has carried out the mission of Houghton Athletics [in] encouraging their players to become strong leaders and teaching them how to be Christ-like on and off the field.” 

It is evident that the Houghton Lacrosse programs’ have left a lasting impact on those who participated in them. It seemed to be a consensus that these current and former student-athletes were saddened by the news of the discontinuing of their teams. As the student-athletes simultaneously reflect on the impacts of the lacrosse program and look ahead to their final year of competitions, the athletic department thanked all of the current and former coaches and players of the two teams on February 4 in an update to their statement, while acknowledging the difficult personal and emotional nature of such a decision. 

While there was a wide range in reactions to the news, Mitchell also acknowledged how she felt going into her final season in a Highlanders lacrosse uniform: “one thing that the women’s lacrosse team has talked about is the blessing of having another day. We in no way deserve the gift of sport but we’ve been blessed through many years of this program to have it. We are not promised a tomorrow, we certainly are not promised four years of lacrosse, so I truly feel blessed to at least know I have this season to look forward to, even if it’s the last.”

What are your thoughts and feelings on the news about the Houghton Lacrosse programs? Comment below or get in touch with us via Instagram, Twitter, or email (star@houghton.edu)!

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Campus News Sports

Women Place In 4x400m Relay

Among the stories of success at the RIT Track and Field Meet was the women’s 4×400 relay team, who placed first in their event.

“This was such a fun race for all of us. The intensity was high in the KPAC and we all knew the importance of this race, knowing how close we were to breaking the school record,” related Emily Fox ‘20. “We had run the best we had all season, all thanks to our amazing coaching staff. It was a race to remember with an overall team improvement to 32 PRs (Personal Records).”

a photo of some of Houghton's female runnersAll of the runners interviewed mentioned how they valued competing together as a team.

“We all want to run our fastest, and there is some intra-team competition, but we also want each person to be at their highest level, as well, to make us the best team we could possibly be,” said sophomore Gwen Stokes.

Despite the sense of competition, Stokes explained that the relay prompted the team to act as a whole. “The 4x400m is always one of my favorite events because the whole team comes together to not only race, with the four of us who are running for each other, but also the entire team, who always cheers,” she explained.  “It is so nice to run for the team instead of yourself.”

She went on to speak specifically about how it felt to win a relay, opposed to as a solitary runner.  “To me succeeding in a relay event versus an individual event is much more meaningful, as it means that not only did I have a great day, but some of my best friends and teammates also had an awesome day,” she reflected.  “It shows everyone how hard we all are working as a collective team, and doesn’t just highlight me as an individual.“  “The 4x400m relay is always the last event of a track meet, so at this point, each of us had already competed in at least one individual event, and some of us had competed in two events, and it was probably close to 5 hours after the meet had started,” explained Stokes, “but we had to maintain our intensity, energy, and competitive spirit long past the start of the meet even while we may have been tired.”  Elisabeth Tate ‘21 credited her ability to maintain her enthusiasm and pass it on to the other members of the team, saying, “I usually don’t like racing, but working with these girls was energetic and exciting.”

When asked how she prepared for the relay’s success, Stokes answered, “At this meet, I was not originally supposed to run the relay, but I was asked to fill in shortly before we needed to begin warming up.”  Despite the surprise change of plans, Stokes was ready to compete thanks to her work in practicing for other events.  “In general, we have prepared as a team for the 4x400m relay by working hard in practice every day and pushing each other to our best,” she explained.

Coach Patrick Hager expressed confidence in the future success of the team, especially in the 4x400m.  “We have 5 of the top 8 fastest times in the conference thus far, and it’s late into the season,” he commented.  “So we have no shortage of options to run a team that can compete with the best in the conference. Make no mistake that our goal on 2/24 is to win that relay and qualify for the All Atlantic Regional Championships (4:07).”

Fox shared Hager’s optimism for the event, saying “Our next step forward is a goal to win the Empire 8 conference and to be E8 Champs in the 4x400m and to qualify for the All Atlantic Regional Championships!”

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Campus Sports Stories In Focus

Four Athletes Take the Lead

On January 26 and 27, representatives of Houghton’s athletic department attended the annual Empire 8 Summit at the Woodcliff Hotel and Spa in Fairport, NY. Each year, Houghton sends two male and two female members from the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) to the Empire 8 Summit. This year, Houghton’s four student-athlete representatives were Bjorn Webb ‘18, Tanya Hatton ‘19, Taylor Sile ‘19, and Darcy Mitchell ‘19. Deanna Hand also attended the event as the college’s SAAC advisor and assistant to the Empire 8 Associate Commissioner.

At the Empire 8 Summit, Houghton’s representatives joined student-athletes from other schools within the Empire 8 conference (which consists of Alfred University, Sage, Elmira, Hartwick, Nazareth, St. John Fisher, Stevens Institute of Technology, and Utica) to discuss multiple issues faced by athletic teams. This year’s discussions focused on diversity and inclusion as well as Title IX and sexual assault. The importance of core values and leadership were also addressed by the Summit’s speakers.

A photo of the athletes.
On January 26th-27th, Darcy Mitchell ‘19, Taylor Sile ‘19, Tanya Hatton ‘18, and Bjorn Webb ‘18 served as representatives for Houghton College at the annual Empire 8 Summit at the Woodcliff Hotel and Spa in Fairport, NY.

The Summit encouraged these student-athlete participants from Empire 8 schools to interact and connect with one another various learning opportunities and teamwork activities. Deanna Hand viewed this collaboration as an important part of the event. She explained, “It is great to see the relationships that are built because of these opportunities. To see an opponent other than on the court or field gives [student-athletes] an opportunity to see each other as more than just student-athletes. They get to know more about each other and hold each other at a different level of respect.”

The Summit’s goal is for the ideas discussed to be dispersed with the students as they return to their respective campuses. As Houghton’s SAAC president, Bjorn Webb expressed a hope “to see a further commitment to unified teams and unified athletic departments” as a result of the Empire 8 Summit. He also thinks that the topics of diversity, inclusion, Title IX, and sexual assault are relevant beyond the realm of Houghton athletics. Webb stated, “The larger student body can help address these issues by identifying them in their own circles.  Our athletes seek to address these issues within our teams and department and hope that all other students are addressing these issues within their academic departments, clubs, [and] organizations.”

Like Webb, Tanya Hatton hopes to “bring back what we learned and talked about and find ways to implement those things on our campus,” both within and beyond the athletic department. She suggested that continuing education on topics such as sexual harassment is one significant way in which her experience at the Summit can be translated to the Houghton campus. Hatton also offered practical advice following the Summit messages on ways in which athletes and the entire college community can create a more welcoming campus environment. She explained that the Summit speakers “talked about how inclusion is an action, and I think our campus could be transformed if athletes and everyone on campus took time to actually talk to and listen to people that they wouldn’t normally talk to. There’s a difference between inviting someone to an event and actually engaging with them during that event and then following up and showing that you care and want to hear their story.”

In the future, this transformation of campus life through increased inclusivity and sensitivity will hopefully be stimulated by the Empire 8 Summit and the Houghton student-athletes who attended the conference. As Deanna Hand expressed, “I see the Summit as a leadership opportunity for SAAC reps. They are able to bring back what they have learned to campus, the department and their teams.”

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International News Sports

South Korea Hosts Olympics

The 2018 Winter Olympics begin next week, and will last from February 9 to February 25. For the first time in 30 years, the Games will be held in South Korea. The last time that the embattled nation played host was during the Seoul Summer Olympics of 1988. The city of PyeongChang, which will host the Games this year, is located 80 miles east of Seoul and 60 miles south of the Demilitarized Zone that divides North Korea and South Korea.

World-class athletes in sports such as skiing, speed skating, figure skating, and bobsleigh will travel to PyeongChang to participate in a variety of “snow sports, ice sports, and sliding sports,” according to PyeongChang Olympics’ official site. The BBC reported four new disciplines within existing sports have been added this year: big air snowboarding, mixed doubles curling, mass start speed skating, and mixed team alpine skiing. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said they hope that these changes will have “youth appeal” and boost female participation. In addition, six nations are scheduled to make their Winter Olympics debut: Ecuador, Eritrea, Kosovo, Malaysia, Nigeria, and Singapore.

To prepare for the Games, new venues, stadiums, and rail lines have been built in PyeongChang. According to CNN, the estimated cost of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics is $10 billion, five times less than the 2014 Sochi Olympics, which were estimated to be the costliest ever. In spite of all the excitement, anxiety has hung over the preparations, too. When South Korea won the contest to host the 2018 Winter Olympics seven years ago, North Korea’s antagonism looked like little more than an inconvenience. At the time, there was even serious talk of South Korea co-hosting the event with North Korea as a sign of good will, according to the Chicago Tribune.  In light of recent nuclear tensions, several countries, including France, Germany, and—briefly—the United States, considered skipping the Olympics, citing concern for the safety of their athletes.

With a week to go, security concerns have been alleviated by North Korea’s agreement to participate in the Olympics. During the opening ceremony, North and South Korea plan to march together under a unified flag, according to NPR. In addition, the two nations have agreed to form their first joint Olympic team: a women’s ice hockey team. According to Robert E. Kelly, an expert on North Korean security issues at Pusan National University, a North Korean attack during the Olympics is unlikely. “I think the Olympics will be safe,” he said. Many see the fact that North Korea is sending athletes to the Games as insurance against violence during the event.

However, an article for NPR noted that this breakthrough in communications between North and South Korea does not necessarily indicate relations that will last beyond the Olympics. “The two Koreas are not talking about security issues—that is, this question of North Korea’s increasing nuclear and missile capabilities,” a reporter for NPR said.

In addition to potential security concerns, the IOC announced last December that the Russian Olympic Committee is barred from the 2018 Olympics due to the discovery of a state-run doping program. In the aftermath of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, evidence from the former director of Russia’s anti-doping laboratory indicated that many of the country’s greatest athletic stars were using banned performance-enhancing substances throughout the Games. According to an article for The New York Times, Russian anti-doping experts tampered with urine samples as part of one of the most elaborate doping efforts in sports history.

During the 2014 Sochi Olympics, Russia won the greatest number of gold medals—though many of these will be retroactively awarded to other athletes in a special ceremony at the PyeongChang Olympics. This year, official records will state that Russia won zero medals, regardless of the performance of athletes from Russia who choose to compete as neutral athletes. The IOC’s suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee allows the participation of athletes who can prove through rigorous testing that they are not using banned substances; these athletes must comply with stipulations not to wear their country’s colors or march under their own flag, according to The New York Times.

For all the controversy and uncertainty, the mayor of PyeongChang County, Sim Jae-kook, expressed confidence that things will fall together and the Olympics will be a success this year, saying “Koreans have a tendency to work at the last minute.”

 

Sarah is a senior double majoring in English and biology.

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Campus Sports Stories In Focus

Setting A High Bar: Gwen Stokes

Ever since she arrived at Houghton two short years ago, Gwen Stokes has been turning heads on the track. On January 19, at the annual Highlander Invitational, she blazed ahead to set a personal best in the high jump— her main event—while also setting a season best in the long jump. Along with her teammates Mikayla Gaffney, Madelyn Kruth, and Emma Fox, she also finished third in the 4x400m relay. In the high jump, she is now ranked #1 in the Empire 8 and #15 in the nation among NCAA Division III athletes.

Although Stokes has only been setting records at Houghton for the past few years, her love for the sport goes back to her toddler days. “This is my 5th indoor track season doing the high jump,” Stokes said, “but I’ve been doing track since 7th grade and have been around track since I was born.”

Photo of Gwen Stokes.
On January 19, at the annual Highlander Invitational, Gwen Stokes ‘20 set a personal best in the high jump and a season best in the long jump. In the high jump, she is now ranked #1 in the Empire 8, and #15 in the nation for NCAA Division III athletes.

Patrick Hager, Houghton’s track and eld coach, also highlighted Stokes’ lifelong familiarity with the sport as one of her most valuable assets. “Gwen was a very touted recruit for our program a couple of years ago,” he said. “Her high school accomplishments in cross country, and as a power athlete in track, were unique. What I really like about Gwen is that she comes from a track and eld family, and has deep knowledge of the sport. She’s what you would call a true ‘track junkie.’” Stokes’ passion for the technical aspects of the sport, such as progressive rankings and times, keeps the entire team on their toes.

“We knew she could help us take the next step as a program,” Hager said, but added that Stokes’ introduction to the Houghton track team had not always been an easy one. “[It] came with some growing pains,” he said. “A lot of it was just adjusting to new coaching and new training. Thus far this year, she’s jumping at as high a level as she ever has.” Stokes also spoke of the difficulties she had encountered since transitioning from high school to college track, describing a year filled with injuries and missteps. “I wasn’t performing to the level I was capable of or the level I wanted to be performing at,” she commented. “But my coaches and teammates were all very supportive. It has also been extremely challenging working through injuries while still balancing training, and trying to get my athletic workload just right to minimize injury and maximize performance.”

That consistent, enthusiastic support from teammates has been crucial not only to Stokes’ exceptional standout performances, but also to her fierce and consistent dedication to the sport. “One of the most special and encouraging experiences for me in track was at NCCAA Indoor Nationals last year in the high jump,” she recalled. “A bunch of my teammates came and sat and watched me jump the whole time, even though I wasn’t jumping particularly well. To me, that was more meaningful than the All-American award I received that day.”

“I’m really happy to have reached this level in jumping,” Stokes said of her recent accomplishments as a Highlander. “I am so thankful to have had such supportive coaches, who will do anything to help me succeed, and amazing teammates, both in high school and now here at Houghton. My entire family has also been very supportive and encouraging, trying to help me achieve the most I can, so I am just very happy to have been able to perform well for all those who have invested in me.”

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Campus News Sports

Sports Update

After another week of high-quality play, the Houghton College women’s basketball team found itself in a position to make a run at a berth in the Empire 8 conference tournament.

With an overall record of (10-7) and (6-2) in conference, the Highlanders were sitting at the third spot, trailing only Sage and St. John Fisher in the Empire 8 standings. If there was any doubt that the Highlanders deserved that third spot, it was quickly erased by their 60-52 statement win on the road at Sage College. Houghton came into the game full of confidence and essentially controlled the game from start to finish surrendering a two-point lead only once in the second quarter. It was a team effort from the Highlanders. The team had three players make their way into double digits scoring the ball, and the team passed the ball well totaling 16 total assists. “I’m honestly super excited to be where we are right now…the overall focus in our locker room is to take it one game at a time, one quarter at a time, one minute at a time, and one position at a time. and to just build on what we have already accomplished this year.” Said sophomore guard Cori Beck. The win goes a long way, letting the rest of the conference know that the highlanders are here to compete. The Highlanders will have a chance to defeat the only other team ahead of them in the conference on Tuesday night at the Neilsen Center at 8:00.

The men’s basketball team’s struggles have continued as the team fights to get back into the win column. The teams biggest bright spot continues to be their offensive production. In their contest with Utica College in which junior guard Dylan Lambert was sidelined, it was Carl Holmes that stepped into the spotlight. Holmes tallied 23 points and 4 assists while converting on three out of five attempts from beyond the arc. Unfortunately, the Highlanders were defeated by a score of 76-57. The team will look for their first conference win on Tuesday night against St. John Fisher College.

 

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News Sports

Sports Update

The Houghton College Women’s Basketball did not have a strong start to the 2017-18 season. After dropping their first three games out of conference, however, the team was able to shake off the rust and win their next four straight. By averaging about 60 points per game, and holding teams to about 57, the Highlanders have been able to keep pace with the rest of the conference and continually put themselves in a position to win late in games.

The team may have stumbled a bit out of the gate, but they have not been dissuaded. “Our season has gone really well. We played some tough competition in our non-conference schedule, which helped prepare us for conference play.  We lost a tough game to Stevens last week but came back with two great wins against Hartwick, Elmira, and Fisher…I’m really proud of how we bounced back. Starting the season 0-3 didn’t faze us. In order for us to finish the season as one of the top teams in our conference, we just need to keep playing our game. Our strength is playing team basketball. We’re really learning how to play with each other and it’s hard to stop chemistry.” said senior guard, Laurie Call ‘18.

It is a realistic expectation to see this team towards the top of the Empire 8 standings when the the season begins to wind down. The team already owns a (4-2) record in conference and has plenty of opportunities to improve on that down the stretch.

Houghton Men’s basketball started hot this year, earning back to back victories in their first two games and making their way to a (3-1) start. Since then however, the Highlanders have struggled to find their stride, losing in each of the following eleven games. “So far this year has tested the resiliency of our team. Early on we learned how to win some tough games and as of late we’ve been on the other side of some very competitive, close games.  Both Coach McMullen and Coach Zurich are doing a great job preparing us to bring our best every night.  Our attitude and effort in both practice and games may not reflect our record, but our team continues to give it their all.  The culture we are building is based on hard work and staying connected” Said junior guard Dylan Lambert ‘19, who surpassed 1,000 career points in their loss to St. John Fisher. “Scoring 1000 points in my junior year is a great honor and something I’ve worked very hard for, but I know I couldn’t have done it without the guys around me… Although I have many personal goals I have yet to achieve…my number one goal is to do my part in getting Houghton Basketball in the Empire 8 conversation,” said Lambert on his accomplishment.

On the offensive side of the floor, the team has been mostly efficient. The team averages about 67 points per game and only turns the ball over about 17 times per game. It is on the defensive end of the floor that the majority of the team’s struggles come from. The Highlanders have given up an average of 79 points per game and have only been able to force opposing teams into 10 turnovers per game. Despite the efficiency the team displays on offense, scoring 80 points a night is not easy. The team will be given many chances to get back on track as they square off with teams exclusively from the Empire 8 for the rest of the season.

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Campus News Sports

Houghton Hosts National Championships

On Saturday, Nov. 11, hundreds of runners from over fifty colleges will converge on the Field of Dreams to participate in the 2017 NCAA Division III Cross Country Atlantic Regional Championships.

Since only eight of these meets are held across the nation, the regional championships are the only way for teams and individual athletes to qualify for the NCAA Division III national championships. After submitting a bid advocating for its course, Houghton College was selected for the privilege of hosting this important cross country meet in the Field of Dreams.

Houghton College will not only host the Atlantic Regional Championships, but will also contribute fourteen of its own top runners to participate in the competition. The seven athletes from the men’s team will include Tyler Deuschle ‘20, Matt Gostomski ‘19, Dan Burdo ‘20, Joel Wheeler ‘21, Dillon Bell ‘21, Dominik Sullivan ‘21, and John Vernick ‘20.  Meanwhile Shelby Langlois ‘20, Rachel Hummel ‘18, Emily Blosdale ‘20, Anja Oberg ‘21, Shannon Pigott ‘19, Gwen Stokes ‘20, and Abbey Naylor ‘20 will represent the women’s team.

Participating in the regional championships is undoubtedly a daunting honor, but cross country head coach Patrick Hager believes this meet will be “business as usual” for his athletes. Not only are the Houghton runners familiar with racing on their home course, but the 2017 Highlander cross country teams have already shown that they can succeed under the pressure of stiff competition. This season, three Houghton runners earned all-conference recognition at the Empire Eights, with Tyler Deuschle placing ninth overall, Shelby Langlois finishing fifth, and Emily Blosdale coming in fifteenth. According to Coach Hager, the women’s team collectively “exceeded expectations to finish fourth” in the conference, and the men’s team ended with its fastest record in recent years. The cross country head coach also noted that for both teams “the intensity is at an all-time high. Not only are they a strong community, but they like to kick each other’s butt in practices.”

This team-wide intensity will hopefully serve the Houghton runners well as they look to fulfill some impressive goals in the regional championships. For Coach Hager, seeing his men’s and women’s teams finish in the “top twenty-five is the goal.” Cross country athlete Shelby Langlois echoed this aspiration but also added, “The goal for this meet is to represent the character of Houghton athletics through our actions on and off the course. We are obviously hoping for a lot of personal bests for both the men and women’s teams, but are really looking to have a strong team finish.”

For a sport such as cross country, which can seem highly individualistic, the Houghton teams are remarkably close-knit. Sophomore runner Blosdale described the team as being “like one big family” that is “super supportive of each other through both good and bad performances” and is “also really intentional about supporting each other in other areas of life as well.”

Langlois agreed, explaining, “My teammates and Coach are probably my biggest source of support.” She also emphasized the team’s intention to glorify God. She admired how her fellow runners “carry themselves humbly, value God in their lives, and raise each other up rather than calling each other out” and praised the way in which Coach Hager “takes it upon himself to create a Godly environment and teach us valuable life lessons.”

Bolstered by the support of their teammates and coach, along with their impressive intensity and proven success, the fourteen Highlanders who will compete in the Atlantic Regional Championships on Saturday have earned the pride and encouragement of the wider Houghton campus and community as they seek to represent their college and their God through running. Regardless of the results of this important meet, the Houghton cross country teams can feel accomplished in their achievements over the 2017 season and the community they have formed through their sport.

The athletes recognize the gift of participating in Houghton cross country. Langlois explained, “I have come to love those around me and the way we run for ourselves as individuals, for the team, for our coach, and most of all for the glory of God.” Affirming this view, Blosdale stated that “it has been such a blessing for me to be on this team.”