Club & Intramural Sports – The Oberlin Review

Over Four Decades of Oberlin’s Club Aikido

April 12, 2019

In the basement of Hales Gymnasium, just below the basketball court, Club Aikido members can be found rolling and falling on mats for a couple of hours every weekend. While most know only of its takedowns and classic all-white uniforms, Aikido — often translated as “the way of harmonious spirit” — is a Japanese martial art centered around conflict resolution. The club has fostered a tight-knit community at Oberlin for nearly 50 years. “It tends to be a very all-inclusive marti...

Gruffs Gear-Up For Fall Tournament

November 9, 2018

The North Fields are not a pleasant place to be on an early autumn afternoon. They’re hot, sticky, and full of bugs. Somehow, this is exactly where the Gruffs — Oberlin College’s men’s club rugby team — find themselves every Tuesday and Thursday. By mid-September, most club rugby teams will be working on rucks — situations where when a tackled player goes to ground, they must release the ball immediately and each team fights for possession of the ball — advanced line-out maneuvers...

From Varsity to Club: A Tale in Three Tees

September 21, 2018

Three years ago, two guys with a little too much free time and a passion for golf had an idea. In fall 2016, Jay Messina — College senior and varsity men’s lacrosse player — and John Sutherland, OC ’18, started Oberlin’s co-ed club golf team. Many of the founding members were teammates from the men’s lacrosse team, but as word spread throughout campus, others joined as well. What began with two students is now at over 20, with six new players coming in this year. While the te...

In the Locker Room with Tess Jewell and Emma Schechter, OCET, OCDT Captains

November 17, 2017

This week, the Review sat down with seniors Tess Jewell and Emma Schechter, captains of Oberlin’s Dressage and Equestrian teams, respectively. As they near the end of their four-year careers, they reflected on how the program has flourished in their time here, as well as the hectic schedule that comes with riding at Oberlin. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. How did you end up joining the Dressage and Equestrian teams? Tess Jewell: I’m the captain of the Dressage team, b...

Club Hockey Skates Again

November 17, 2017

The Plague, Oberlin’s club hockey team, will play its second and final game this semester against The Chiefs, a team of Hockey North America, a recreational no-checking hockey league, tomorrow. While school funding is low and games are few and far between, the 18 members of The Plague represent a rich culture of hockey at Oberlin that has existed for more than 50 years. Chemistry and Biochemistry Instructor and Lab Manager Cortland Hill, OC ’77, who joined the team after returning to Oberlin...

IM Softball Draws from All Corners of Campus

April 21, 2017

Passing by North Fields on a Wednesday afternoon, echoes of teammates calling for a pop-fly or the crack of a ball popping off a bat can be heard from over a hundred yards away. This isn’t a varsity team warming up for its next game; it’s intramural softball, where students from all corners of campus take the chance to exercise and compete. But with team names like Jose Queervo and Spicy Pork Bowl, it’s clear that intramural softball is largely about having fun. Rules are made or bent so t...

Club Bowling Revives Women’s Squad

March 3, 2017

For the first time in a decade, OC Thunder, Oberlin’s intercollegiate bowling team, fielded a women’s team. The group is brimming with enthusiasm and happy to be reviving an old Oberlin tradition. “It was incredible to compete for the first OC Thunder women's bowling team since 2007,” first-year Sophie Maffie said in an email to the Review. “Our team is full of enthusiasm, support, and generosity ... I am glad that we finally got out on the lanes and made our debut. I cannot wait to ...

In The Locker Room with Ultimate Frisbee

February 24, 2017

This week, the Review sat down with senior Maya Gillett, sophomore Faith Shaeffer and junior Caroline Beshers, members of the Preying Manti women’s ultimate Frisbee team, to discuss the camaraderie that is characteristic of the sport and the future of ultimate at Oberlin. This weekend, the team will travel to a US Association of Ultimate tournament in Martinsville, VA, to take on teams from Division I and Division III schools. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Q: Ho...

In The Locker Room with Mel Xu and Katie Rigdon

February 10, 2017

This week, the Review sat down with rock climbing wall supervisors, junior Mel Xu and sophomore Katie Rigdon, to learn more about the close-knit climbing community at Oberlin, their adventures climbing all over the U.S. and how climbing boosts their fitness. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Q: Did you climb before you got to Oberlin? Mel Xu: Only at my fourth-grade birthday party. Katie Rigdon: I started climbing a year before I got to Oberlin. I took a year off ...

In The Locker Room with Club Tennis

November 11, 2016

In The Locker Room with Club Tennis This week, the Review sat down with club tennis team president junior Elayne Zhou and captain Samir Husain to discuss the thrill of competition, how the club has grown over time and some of their favorite tennis memories. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Q: How did you become involved with club tennis? Elayne Zhou: I actually joined the year it was created and was [one] of the founding members. I started off literally as someone...

Ultimate Frisbee Teams Take Flight

October 7, 2016

The women’s ultimate Frisbee team kicked off its season in Niagara Falls, Canada last weekend, readying for its nationals campaign. The Preying Manti, one of Oberlin’s most popular club teams, have been training since the semester’s start and finally had the opportunity to put their skills to the test at the recent tournament. “We played really well together as a team and everyone improved so much over the course of the weekend,” said first-year Lucy Brown. The Manti will look to ...

Rugby Rolls Out at Ashland

Marissa Maxfield

September 16, 2016

Filed under Club & Intramural Sports, SPORTS

The men’s rugby team is ready to rumble in its first game of the 2016 season at Ashland University tomorrow. The team, nicknamed the Gruffs, is stacked with young athletes drawn to the camaraderie and competition of club rugby. Gruffs president and College junior Jimmy Fleming explains that a handful of the team’s core members are varsity athletes. Also, Fleming cited senior varsity cross-country runner Steve Meyer, sophomore varsity swimmer Jacques Forbes and junior former varsity football player Dylan Mehri as contributors to the team’s athleticism. Leading the Gruffs are two experienced senior captains, forwards captain Joey Velez and junior backs captain Matthew Sarro. Velez has played rugby for eight...