Zoë Martin del Campo, Sports Editor

March 5, 2021

On any given day, rain or shine, you will see people running along the streets of Oberlin. I still remember my first Oberlin run freshman year, cursing at the humidity and swatting away gnats en route to a 20-minute mile average. I am no Usain Bolt. Nonetheless, I started running every other week, which has since turned into four to five times a week. My recreational running career started at Oberlin, but many other students have been running for years. College second-year Owen Pazderak started running in seventh grade, inspired — and, to a certain extent, forced — by his marathon-running...

Zoe Kuzbari, Staff Writer

March 5, 2021

Since the start of the pandemic, there has been a rise in discrimination against the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. NBA player Jeremy Lin spoke out about anti-Asian sentiment in a recent interview. He shared that he has been subject to racist behavior on the court, being called “coronavirus,” but refused to name the culprit. His story has started more conversations about the discrimination against Asians in American athletics.  College third-year and men’s soccer player Ryan Kim says he’s been called racial slurs by opponents during many games. “People also tend...

Khalid McCalla, Sports Editor

February 28, 2021

Every year, the Oberlin College Athletics department hosts “Play Like a Girl,” an event that brings together coaches and players from numerous teams to instruct girls ages 5–18 on different aspects of sports and competition. This year, due to the pandemic, Play Like a Girl was held virtually for the first time — with members of the women’s basketball, soccer, lacrosse, swimming and diving, track and field, cross country teams, in addition to the volleyball, softball, field hockey, and football teams participating. College fourth-year and softball player Gianna Volonte has volunteered...

Zoe Kuzbari, Senior Staff Writer

February 26, 2021

College first-year and dual-sport athlete River Schiff can often be found getting in an extra round of field hockey and wall ball for lacrosse between their actual practices. They have been playing field hockey for most of their life and came to Oberlin to pursue their academic and athletic passions. Schiff runs an Instagram fitness account in their free time and is working to make Oberlin athletics more inclusive for transgender athletes. They discuss a range of topics on social media — including field skills, their experience as a trans athlete, and navigating unique challenges relating to...

Zoe Kuzbari, Staff Writer

February 20, 2021

In a year that saw activism for racial justice across the national sports community, Oberlin’s Athletics department has been inspired by the impact of professional sports leagues in advocating for meaningful change. On Wednesday, February 17, 2021, to learn from the culture of activism in the WNBA, the Heisman Club of Oberlin College and the Presidential Initiative on Racial Equity and Diversity brought together esteemed guests for the panel “WNBA: A Full Court Press for Social Change.”  Facilitated by Kathleen M. Kunkler, senior vice president and global sports and entertainment director...

Zoë Martin del Campo, Sports Editor

February 19, 2021

“I’m the competitive one,” insisted College fourth-year and football player Luke Buck.  “That’s not true,” Maddie Paladino, a College fourth-year on the softball team, quickly cut in as they both dissolved into laughter.  Buck and Paladino have been dating since their sophomore year at Oberlin, with sparks first flying in CHEM 101 their freshman year. While it can be challenging to balance a relationship with classes, practice, and other extracurricular, these student-athletes are still making time for romance. Paladino believes that she and Buck bring out the best in each...

Arman Luczkow, Production Editor

October 2, 2020

While many of Oberlin’s varsity teams began new COVID-safe practices during the first week of classes, club sports have struggled to create new routines. Oberlin is now five weeks into classes, but many club sports have yet to begin practicing as a result of pandemic-related challenges. Club sports requiring person-to-person contact, as well as those that practice off-campus, have been cancelled. “There are some club sports whose activities were deemed to be too high risk to operate in our current campus predicament,” Assistant Men’s Soccer Coach David Wilson wrote in an email to the...