Tag: athletics

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Feature: Patrick Hager

Patrick Hager (left) with men's cross country team - Courtesy of Houghton Highlander Athletics
By Abigail Bates ('26)

Patrick Hager is in his 10th year of being the Head Cross Country and Track & Field Coach at Houghton University. Under his leadership, the program has won conference championships in cross country for women in 2019 and the men in 2023, as well as broken numerous records.

Coach Hager first came to Houghton when he was searching for full-time coaching jobs after finishing his two year tenure at Messiah University as a graduate assistant coach. He was offered the position and immediately accepted in the fall of 2014.

He explained that he has learned a lot since working at the university, especially from the student-athletes he works with.

“They energize me,” he stated, “and honestly push me to be a better man. I do think I hold my position in high regard in terms of my ability to influence and be a positive figure in the lives of 40-60 student-athletes a year. This ‘burden’, of sorts, really pushes me to adjust any bad attitude, or negativity that might try and peak to the surface.” 

Sophomore Noelle Linenfelser (‘26), a member of the women’s cross country team, has been positively impacted by Coach Hager in both her running and as a person, during her time at Houghton.

“I see Coach Hager impacting other students every day,” Linenfelser expressed. “He invests time and thought into every one of his athletes, developing personal training plans that will fit each individual to be able to help them reach their fullest potential.”

Linenfelser explained that runners in cross country and track & field programs will often peak performance-wise in their second and third year, before potentially declining. Comparatively, it is amazing that there are so many athletes in the program at Houghton who continue to progress throughout their four years.

“I have no doubt that this is thanks to Coach Hager’s hard and very intentional work, and I am so grateful to have him as a coach,” Linenfelser stated.

Matthew Webb, the Director of Athletics, is optimistic about the continued success under Coach Hager’s leadership. He described the culture Hagar has built in cross country and track & field as one of discipline and excellence.

“Honestly,” Coach Hager disclosed, “I think our program is in as good of a place from a culture and performance standpoint as it’s ever been.”

Coach Hager wants to maintain this quality in the program, while continuing to reach for breakthroughs. In the future, he would like to have someone qualify for the NCAA Championships, and pave the way for future student-athletes to do the same. Even so, Coach Hager remarked that it means more to him to see success in athletics when there are solid relationships with those he is working with.

“Every summer,” Webb commented, “it seems as if Coach Hager is attending multiple weddings of his former athletes.”

One of Coach Hager’s favorite things about being a coach at Houghton are the wedding invitations. At the weddings, there always tends to be a handful of past and present student-athletes (or as many as 33, in the case of Miller-Domaracki’s wedding).

“Being [a part] of this,” Coach Hager stated, “I think encapsulates my goal for the program. To get so connected with each other through the vehicle of athletics that we can celebrate important life events together, years later.” ★

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News

Despite Difficulties, Spring Sports Deemed Success

Houghton’s men’s soccer team celebrates on the field at a recent game. COURTESY OF JASON MUCHER

By Vanessa Bray (’21)

Houghton’s athletic department has had to make several adjustments for this unique sports season. From mandating masks for both games and practices, to routine COVID tests for all student athletes, coaches, and staff, Houghton athletics has had to adapt accordingly. Athletics Director, Matthew Webb, discussed some of the differences this season has brought. One of the main differences being that all sports, including those which would traditionally be in the fall or winter seasons, are being held in the spring. Webb explained, “Basically, we are doing all of our sports. Where we typically would do them in August through May, now we’re doing all of our teams in March, April, and May. So, that’s been a little challenging.” 

According to Webb, one of the biggest challenges has been the balancing act for dual athletes. “In a normal year…,” says Webb, “If you’re a fall sport athlete and a spring sport athlete that’s pretty manageable. This year because we’re doing all of our sports in the spring, for those athletes that play for two teams, that has become much harder to balance and manage. There are some cases where a small handful of our student athletes are playing a lot of games in a short period of time…that’s a burden that isn’t easy to manage.”

To help mitigate this challenge coaches have made efforts to work with and support athletes involved in dual sports. Allowances and accommodations have also been made for those who have needed to prioritize their academics and take brief hiatuses from athletes. “Trying to meet the needs of the students in terms of what they need relative to their academics is something our coaches have been really good about,” says Webb.

All dual student athletes were given the option at the beginning of the season to participate in both of their usual sports or opt out of one. Dual athlete, Nathanial Zedomi (’21), who has taken part in both men’s soccer and track since freshman year, had to make the difficult decision to opt out of soccer this season. “Especially since I’m graduating, I’m bummed that I couldn’t do soccer this year…,” says Zedomi, “but if I want to be really good at track right now having played a soccer game the day before I go to run our meet is probably not a good idea. So, I had to pick one…that was super hard.”  

Other challenges consistently faced by student athletes have been the anxiety of receiving a positive COVID test result, having to undergo quarantine (resulting in a week’s worth of missed practice), or accumulating enough COVID violations to result in being kicked off their respective teams. 

The anxiety surrounding each week of testing has stirred uncertainty in the athlete’s opportunities to compete. Zedomi explains, “…if someone tests positive then we have a handicap on our team…you are always kind of on edge because you just never know. Every week we’re not sure if we are going to be able to compete that weekend…we’re kind of training and hoping that we can…but there is lots of anxiety around COVID testing…”.

Equally challenging has been adjusting to shorter practice slots, fewer games, and the absence of fans. Senior field hockey player Hannah Daniels (’21) comments that, “One of the most difficult things to adjust to is the lack of games we have this season…we usually play around 18 games a season, but this season we’re only getting 5. It’s disappointing not to play as many games as usual, especially since this is my last season…”

Despite these disappointments both Zedomi and Daniels expressed their gratitude for being able to compete again. “It’s frustrating but we’re just happy that we can…” says Zedomi. “I am very grateful that I have a season,” says Daniels, “and for every chance I get to step onto the field.” Although both Zedomi and Daniels have had less opportunities to compete their teams have had good results.   

Given the unique circumstances Webb credits this season as a success. “We haven’t finished yet for everybody, but for the most part it’s been pretty successful. We’re still competing and we’re getting into playoffs for some of our teams…Some of our teams have done really well, some have struggled a little bit…Overall, it’s been a successful spring. As a department we sort of redefined success a little bit this year because of COVID, and one of our definitions of success was making it through the spring.”

Since most of the DIII conferences in New York state did not have conference seasons, Houghton’s ability to take part in a fuller conference season has been a morale booster. 

“Our athletes and coaches have been great,” says Webb, “Not that there aren’t moments that are frustrating, but our perspective has been all along that we need to do whatever we have to do to compete again. We want to compete. The athletes, coaches, they just wanted to compete. If it means we have to wear masks all the time, we’ll wear masks all the time. If it means we have to test, we’ll test…our perspective was it was important to get back to competing and having a little of that routine again in terms of what we are used to and for many of the athletes the thing they love the most. They’ve done great. They’ve responded really well…We’ve had some bumps and hurdles along the way. We’ve had to cancel a game here and there…but for the most part they’re doing great and our vast amount of negative test results I think is a testament to how well we’ve done.” 

Since New York state restrictions on spectating outdoor sports events has loosened, Webb encourages students to look out for the registration sign-up emails sent out each week and come support the teams as this unique season comes to an end! ★

Categories
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

Campus Changes Please, but Puzzle

Thanks to the pandemic restrictions that have been put in place, the Houghton campus has had to adapt physically in a number of ways. Yet, the campus isn’t the only thing that needed to adapt. Students also are being forced to confront the new changes on campus, and the response is slightly mixed.

The Dean of Students, Marc Smithers (‘08), headed the Emergency Management Team when the pandemic initially struck. Since then, the “Preparing a Residential Education Plan Team” (P.R.E.P. Team) has been made to handle the pandemic situation which Smithers is still a chair of. 

Speaking of chairs, in the words of Smithers there was a lot of thought put into the furniture around campus. As he says, “There was intentional social distancing of all furniture, we removed furniture from Java 101, [and for] the campus center we made sure that all the furniture would be conducive to social distancing.”

When asked about new classrooms Smithers explained that there are a lot of different spaces being used as classrooms which haven’t been utilized in the past, such as the Chapel and the south end of the Dinning Hall. But these classroom settings may change based on the needs of the students and professors.

The new patio seating area outside the CC. Credit: Evan Tsai

Interestingly, some of the largest changes, according to Smithers, are being done on the outside. “We specifically want to encourage people to be outside more. We created the outdoor patio space through a generous gift, and tried to put canopies up, but those quickly blew away. We’re doing all we can to encourage people to be outside.” During the planning phases of this semester Smithers explained that The P.R.E.P. Team considered adding “Ventilation” to The Big Three, but ultimately decided against it.

Some big changes also took place in regards to the fitness areas on campus. In an interview with Matthew Webb, the Director of Athletics, he said, “We have adjusted a lot, particularly relative to the use of our indoor facilities. Access to our indoor facilities is now more limited and we have a new “registration” system to allow access to our indoor facilities which is a brand new process for everyone.” Webb continued, “We were actually thinking at one point we might not be able to open at all [but] my staff did a LOT of work in putting together a plan so we can be open!”

Interestingly, one of the most controversial changes is in the way signs have been handled in the Campus Center. “We have a lot of signage around campus to point out to people what our expectations are,” Marc said, “and custodial helped us to identify where on campus those signs needed to go.”

Some student reactions have been less than enthusiastic though. “I think a lot of [the changes] are good, especially for safety of everyone,” Louis Schriver (‘22) explained, “but in the [Campus Center] doorways that come from the side from Roth Hill the first [door] is an entrance but the stairs there are UP ONLY. So if you’re actually following the traffic laws you need to walk into the building, walk to the other stairwell, and then go down, which is really annoying.” Demetri Court (‘24), a new London Honor’s student echoed these same concerns when he said, “I think most of the [measures] are making sense and are not too intrusive, but the signs on the doors – and on the stairs as well – I got big problems with.”

Overall, it seems like most changes have been met positively, as according to Smithers, “I have a lot of pride in our students and I think that that’s been affirmed most every day that I’ve seen students back on campus. I’m just very appreciative.” And, in the words of Regan DeWeese (‘23), “I’m proud of the policy they’ve put into place. I think they have a good sense of what they’re doing and I feel safe!” 

What are your thoughts on the changes around campus? Glad? Confused? Comment below or get in touch with us via Instagram, Twitter, or email (editor@houghtonstar.com)!

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Campus News

Houghton Highlanders Welcome Three New Coaches to Athletic Department

This school year, Houghton will welcome three new coaches to campus. Two of the three coaches are Houghton college alumni. Corky McMullen ’07, took over as the new head coach for the men’s basketball and Andrew Lundeen ’09 was appointed as the new head men’s lacrosse coach. The women’s softball coach, Katie Sinclair, is an alumni of St. Bonaventure. “All three coaches are enthusiastic, passionate, committed to Christ, understand the ‘student-athlete’ concept, and understand what we are doing in terms of sports ministry” said Head Athletic Director Skip Lord.  

McMullen, who graduated with a degree degree in physical education, played basketball under Coach Brad Zargess, who is now the athletic director at Quincy College in Massachusetts. McMullen said, “Houghton is a special place to me because of the impact it had on my life.” He was recruited out of high school to play basketball for Houghton,  but didn’t give it a chance. After a successful athletic and academic year at Lockhaven University in Pennsylvania, he felt something was missing in his life and visited Houghton, which he said changed his life. McMullen said, “The people were so warm and welcoming, unlike any other college visit I had ever been on.”

Upon graduating, he spent a number of years as a member of the coaching staff at various institutions, such as Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Hofstra University, and Rutgers University. He worked in various roles such as player development and scouting. McMullen, whose father coached high school for 35 years and currently coaches at the college level, said his father impacted his passion for coaching. “I always knew I wanted to coach. I saw the impact that he had on the players’ lives and saw a lot of his players come back 10, 15, 20 years down the road and thank him, which was really meaningful for me” said McMullen. His coaching philosophy, which is centered on people and relationships, is part of the reason Johnathon Stowe ‘17 thinks McMullen will do well in Houghton.  “I believe he is a great fit for Houghton, his strong spiritual leadership is needed here, and I like the way he cares for his players,” Stowe said.

Women’s softball coach, Sinclair, graduated from St. Bonaventure University with a bachelor’s degree in business management and a minor in sports management. While there, she played softball and started working with players through clinics and camps to refine their skills. “I fell in love with helping people get better and reach their goals athletically,” said Sinclair. Her first year, with the help of two of her teammates, she started Bonnies Athletes for Christ. Similar to Fellowship for Christian Athletes (FCA), it started with five student athletes having weekly bible studies. It eventually grew into about 25-30 athletes, and in her senior year became a chapter of FCA. Last summer, she coached on a travel team out of Binghamton, New York, where she the focus was on-field coaching and running through game situations. Taylor Sile ‘19, believes these skills will be an asset to the team. “I believe that Coach Katie will push each and every member of the team to new levels of play and I am very excited to see our growth” said Sile.

Lastly, the men’s head lacrosse coach, Lundeen has been living in southern Maryland teaching  middle school social studies teacher for seven years, while service as the assistant men’s lacrosse coach and offensive coordinator at the College of Southern Maryland (CSMD). Although he never played lacrosse at the collegiate level, he has coached at all levels. Lundeen also has experience with lacrosse as a new program, as he worked closely with  head coach for the CSMD started the lacrosse program for the school. While Lundeen is currently at CSMD, he will become a full time coach on campus for the first week of October. Lundeen is excited to join Houghton and stated, “As the coach, I am excited about leading the members of the men’s lacrosse team as they grow physically, mentally and spiritually during their four years at Houghton.” Paul Chapman ‘17, is also excited for Lundeen to start coaching,  “I truly believe he will be successful as the new head coach. We are all beyond excited to get this new era of Houghton lacrosse underway.”

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News

New KPFH and NPEC Operating Hours Inconvenient for Students, Faculty, and Staff

With the opening of the new Kerr-Pegula Field House (KPFH), complete with workout facilities accessible to students and faculty, it was anticipated traffic at the Nielsen Physical Education Center (NPEC) would be significantly reduced. However, many within the Houghton community are still unhappy.

ABurdoGym HoursCMYKThe new hours of operation of both the KPFH and the NPEC have become an inconvenience for students and faculty alike. The problem, for many, is caused by the later opening times of both fitness centers not opening its doors until 8 a.m. The result of the changed times are the students and faculty, who typically exercised in the early morning, having difficulty finding time to workout or are unable to workout altogether.

Melissa Bell, a sophomore and thrower for Houghton’s track and field team, has had difficulty juggling studies and preseason workouts with the KPFH hours. Bell said, in general, the KPFH weight room isn’t open long enough. “It is only open for four hours out of the day,” she said. “It gets really crowded in the afternoon, when I usually go to lift.”

“Athletes need to get into the facilities, and everyone has busy schedules. Early morning hours would be helpful.” She said, “ I don’t like getting up early, but if either building were open at 6 a.m., I would go do 6 a.m. lifts to have more time for other things during the day and avoid the rush.”

Faculty and staff members are also frustrated with this situation. Brian Webb, the college’s sustainability coordinator and intercultural student programs cordinator , expressed his frustrations about the new operating hours. Webb, a husband and father of young children, works 3 jobs and is currently enrolled in graduate school at Harvard Extension School. For him, this means that the only time he can exercise is in the early morning. He said this is true for many faculty and staff. Webb stated any other time would mean “missing out on time spent with my wife and children.” He also stated  “the free access to fitness facilities were a great benefit of working at Houghton College, but now this is of almost no value.”

Athletic director, Harold “Skip” Lord said there are obvious “safety, liability and financial issues involved” in the decision to cut the early morning hours in the Neilson and the KPFH. In response, Webb suggested Houghton consider having exercisers sign a waiver if they wish to work out in the morning, or perhaps the implementation of a “buddy-system.” He stated during the early morning hours there were “never proctors previously, and there were no major problems.”

There may soon be action taken to accommodate the concerns raised by members of the community. According to Lord, the athletic department has been taking input from the community, as requested in the initial all-campus e-mail. He stated, “There have been enough requests for morning hours that we have been looking for ways to fund coverage.” Lord also said  he planned to discuss possible solutions with the Vice President of Student Life, Rob Pool.

Categories
Sports

New Tennis Coach Selected

Next fall, yet another sport will be introduced to the athletic department at Houghton: tennis. Coach Charlie Ellis will lead both the men’s and women’s teams.

Courtesy of atheletics.houghton.edu
Courtesy of atheletics.houghton.edu

Ellis has over 30 years of experience within the tennis world. He began learning what he could at a young age until he joined the tennis program at the University of Georgia. Ellis was ranked eighth in college tennis and then went on to be first in the state of Georgia, earning a World ATP top-300 ranking. From there Ellis went on to coach and then settled into the field of club management, where he has stayed for over 20 years.

The nationwide search to find Houghton’s first tennis coach was extensive and competitive, in hopes of finding a near perfect fit to Houghton’s athletic program. Athletic Director, Harold Lord, said that Ellis was ideal for this position. Lord believes that Ellis will be a “quality member to the department, campus, and community”.

Up to this point Ellis has developed numerous tennis programs for all ages and skill levels ranging anywhere from toddlers to elite adult players. He also spent time as the general manager for Sportime Fitness in Schenectady, NY where he taught lessons to over 100 players. In addition, Ellis founded Fair Play Tennis, a company dedicated to helping young athletes create individual plans to enjoy and succeed at playing the game of tennis.

Ellis approaches this new opportunity with three principles in mind. He begins with the foundation of a faith based team with players who “show a godly respect for one another.” His next principle is that each athlete will have a particular group of people who will be devoted to promoting and maintaining his or her academics. Lastly, Ellis wants the team to “enjoy the journey of getting better at tennis.”

As Ellis looks forward to the upcoming season, he is eager to be working at a college level again. He said he wants to “get as many people involved and interested as possible in embracing the game of tennis.”

Lord said that the addition of tennis will hopefully create a different atmosphere on campus, spurring students to play recreationally. He said that, “tennis is an intercollegiate sport that will last a lifetime.”

As a result of the integration of NCAA tennis into the athletic program at Houghton, the first season will have an abbreviated schedule. The season is also split, with the women’s team beginning with their Empire 8 conference meets in the fall while the men’s team participates in non-conference events. The teams will then switch in the spring.

Each team will consist of approximately 12 to 15 individuals who will play both singles and doubles matches. The season will conclude in the spring with the NCAA National Championship.

Bethany Chesebro, freshman, began playing tennis sophomore year in high school. She chose Houghton knowing that there were plans to form a tennis team. Chesebro said she is excited “about being part of a team and being challenged at a more competitive level.”

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Sports

First Lacrosse Season Underway

As members of brand new programs at Houghton College, players on the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams are not only navigating a new conference, many of them are also learning a new sport.

Courtesy of Kathryn Hornibrook
Courtesy of Kathryn Hornibrook

The men’s team is 1-2 as of the game against Hiram this past weekend. Both Hiram and Baldwin-Wallace College have new lacrosse programs as well. The men’s next game is away against Cazenovia this Saturday.

“It’s not even teaching them the techniques; it is teaching them the rules and everything. They are learning so much in the game,” said men’s coach Josiah Snelgrove. “We are definitely going to be the most improved team.”

J. Snelgrove highlighted the play and leadership of seniors Tyler Kempney and Mike Ball. Kempney led the team with 15 goals, followed by Ball with five goals. Kempney was honored as player of the week ending March 10 by the Empire 8 Conference.

“We’ve got some great leadership from both the coaches and players,” said senior Matt Vogan. “We are hoping to set a good foundation for the lacrosse program that represents Houghton.”

The women are 0-1 so far this season. Although they scrimmaged at home this Saturday against Wells, the game was postponed due to the lack of referees to officiate.

Courtesy of Kathryn Hornibrook
Courtesy of Kathryn Hornibrook

“The team is working very hard and is constantly improving in all areas of the game! Our practices look ten times more positive and effective than what we were doing in fall ball,” said women’s coach Rachael Snelgrove. “Each individual member of the team is working hard to become the best player she can be to help better the team…and they are doing a great job at making this happen!”

R. Snelgrove emphasized the contributions made by juniors Amanda Zacchigna and Maesa Phongsamouth and sophomores Nicole Mason and Tyler Reese. These women have all played lacrosse before, bringing experience to such a new team. The team captains are Zacchigna, Phonsamouth and senior Rachel Stefanski.

“Rachel has never played before; however, she has very quickly picked up the fundamentals of the game and has really proven to be one of our top players on the field,” said R. Snelgrove.

“One of our goals that we made as a team is to make every single game an improvement from the last,” said Stefanski. “Not only an improvement in our skill, but also our attitudes and our display of Christ.”

Both teams have devotions and prayer partners to foster spiritual growth. They have participated in different service opportunities as well, such as visiting the Houghton Nursing Home.

Courtesy of Kathryn Hornibrook
Courtesy of Kathryn Hornibrook

“Every Friday we have a different guy share a thought for the day or a testimony,” said J. Snelgrove. “Especially since there are 22 guys who [didn’t] know each other before now, getting to know everyone and where they come from is important.”

Both coaches expressed their positive hopes and assessments of their respective teams. “I am so excited about this season with this group of young ladies; they are passionate and have an excellent work ethic,” said R. Snelgrove. “I have very high hopes for their success this season.”

“We are thankful for the support and obviously it is going to take a while for everyone to understand how it works,” said J. Snelgrove. “Hopefully we play an exciting brand of lacrosse for the school.”

 

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Sports

Athlete Profile: Mary Strand

Courtesy of athletics.houghton.edu
Courtesy of athletics.houghton.edu

Mary Strand was recently honored with the title of NCCAA Female Track and Field Athlete of the Week. Each week the NCCAA decides on one student athlete from a number of recognized schools to represent the accomplishments within that particular sport.  The recipient of the title exemplifies quality performances as well as Christian ideals.  

Strand set the new school record for the 200 meters, 4×200 meter relay, and qualified for NCCAA Nationals in the 400 meter during a competition at Brockport State Invitational.  At Nationals, held at Indiana Wesleyan University, Strand helped the relay team beat the school record again and placed individually with her best time of the season.   

Strand, a sophomore, has been participating in track and field since seventh grade.  Although she is mostly a sprinter, she has also trained in other areas and was even part of last year’s JV soccer team.  

While Strand is appreciative of this award, she said she will continue to stay focused.  Strand said that  while running, “you push yourself as far as you can go and then you push yourself further.”
Strand attributes her success to the support of her coach and team.  Her captain, Sarah Munkittrick, said there is a lot to learn from Strand, describing her as a hard worker and a perfectionist who still remains humble.  Munkittrick also said that Strand “not only pushes the team to work harder but also brings them together.”

Track and field coach, Matthew Dougherty, said those honored with the title of Athlete of the Week are great performers, tremendous athletes and talented individuals, with Mary Strand possessing all of these qualities.  Dougherty defined Strand as someone who has strong motivation paired with a ferocity most would not expect, allowing her to achieve anything she sets her mind to.  

Strand plans on practicing just as hard in order to continually get better and achieve more later on in meets both as an individual and as a team.  Dougherty said that Strand’s position on the team is “integral in terms of chemistry,” helping to inspire others through her talent and fun attitude.  

Strand is excited to begin the outdoor track and field season, having used these recent experiences as a preparation phase.  She expects to practice and compete with the same determination, progressively challenging herself.  Dougherty said that Strand’s disposition is one of a “driven and focused individual who is strong spiritually, academically, and athletically.”