In the Locker Room – The Oberlin Review

In The Locker Room with Clare Tiedemann, Track and Field First-Year

April 5, 2019

Filed under In the Locker Room, SPORTS, Uncategorized

A native of New York City, College first-year Clare Tiedemann came to Oberlin with a plethora of interests. She sings, dances, plays piano and guitar, is interested in wildlife and environmental conservation, and competes in almost every event for the track and field team. She broke the school record in the indoor 60-meter hurdles at the North Coast Athletic Conference Championships this past winter and looks to be a key competitor in the hurdles and long jump for the squad this spring. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Your nickname on the track team is Sticky Spaghetti. Can you explain? That was from something my coach said at one point. He put a bunch of people ...

In The Locker Room with Olivia Canning, Senior Basketball Center

March 15, 2019

College senior Olivia Canning has her hands full. As a starter on the Oberlin women’s basketball team, a Psychology and Sociology major and Anthropology minor, and an active member of various Oberlin College and community organizations, Canning seems to be doing everything at once. While she has garnered accolades as a powerhouse center on the basketball court, including NCAC Defensive Player of the Year and All-NCAC First Team in the 2017–18 season, Canning has also shown academic pro...

In The Locker Room with Claudia Olaes, Sophomore Tennis Player and Former State Representative Candidate

March 8, 2019

College sophomore and Oberlin native Claudia Olaes is well known around campus. During her spring semester last year, she decided to take time off from Oberlin in order to run for state representative for District 56 in Ohio’s House of Representatives. Outspoken about her dissatisfaction with bureaucratic approaches in school districts, among other issues, Olaes’ campaign garnered a good deal of support from Oberlin students and community members. She came away with 22 percent of the vot...

In The Locker Room with Emily and Izzy Berner, Student-Athletes and Sisters

March 1, 2019

Sisters Emily Berner, College junior, and Izzy Berner, College first-year, grew up in an athletic family of seven in Reisterstown, MD. Although a majority of the Berner siblings played baseball and softball, Emily picked up lacrosse in fourth grade and has flourished in the sport ever since. She was an All-North Coast Athletic Conference Second Team selection for the Yeowomen in 2017 and a First Team selection in 2018. Izzy chose Oberlin for its reputation in academics, but was encouraged ...

In The Locker Room with Chris Broussard, Sports Analyst and Oberlin Varsity Basketball Alum

February 22, 2019

When Chris Broussard, OC ’90, began his journey as an Oberlin College student-athlete in 1987, he didn’t know what he wanted to study or do for a living. He was only sure of two things: He loved writing, and he loved the game of basketball. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in English, Broussard went on to write for several publications, including The Plain Dealer, the Akron Beacon Journal, The New York Times, ESPN The Magazine, and ESPN.com. He now covers the NBA as a sport...

In The Locker Room with Collin Taylor, T3 Performance Athletic Trainer and YeoFit Instructor

February 15, 2019

When former strength and conditioning coach Grant Butler accepted a position with Notre Dame College last spring, College junior and football player Justin Godfrey had an idea. He had trained at T3 Performance in Avon, Ohio, for years and wondered if the facility could bring some of its staff members to Oberlin. Collin Taylor, one of the T3 Performance trainers, has helped transform the strength and conditioning program at Oberlin through his work with student-athletes and lifting course wit...

In The Locker Room with Daniel Mukasa and Jahkeem Wheatley, Senior Pole Vaulters and Best Friends

February 8, 2019

College seniors and pole vaulters Daniel Mukasa and Jahkeem Wheatley were each other’s first friend at Oberlin. Now, in their final year of collegiate track and field, the two hope to see each other on the podium at the Indoor and Outdoor North Coast Athletic Conference Championships. Mukasa, a Physics major from Riverside, CA, has a pole vault personal record of 14’1.25” and hopes to either receive a Fulbright Fellowship in Uganda or work toward his Ph.D. in material science after graduati...

McLean Sammon, College Junior and YeoFit Yoga Instructor

December 7, 2018

College junior and volleyball player McLean Sammon has her hands full: She’s a Neuroscience and Psychology double-major with a minor in Dance, and she teaches yoga twice a week in the new Patricia ’63 & Merrill ’61 Shanks Health and Wellness Center. Her classes take place Thursdays and Sundays from 11–11:45 a.m. A committed student, Sammon maintains a high GPA and is looking to begin a research project connecting mindfulness, academics, and athletics. She currently conducts neurops...

In The Locker Room with Malaika Djungu-Sungu and Jada Kennerly, Women’s Track and Field First-Years

November 30, 2018

Malaika Djungu-Sungu and Jada Kennerly met for the first time as roommates during orientation week this fall. Both first-years, Djungu-Sungu is 17.5 hours away from her home in Arlington, TX, while Kennerly hails from Mt. Vernon, Ohio — a small town similar to Oberlin about an hour and a half away. This weekend, the two will be competing in their first college meet in the sprints and jumps for the women’s track and field team. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. ...

In The Locker Room with Sam Paul, Men’s Rugby Captain

November 16, 2018

Although the Oberlin Gruffs haven’t won a single game this season, team members resoundingly share that the current president of the team, College senior and History major Sam Paul, has made the team experience very fulfilling. Because rugby is a club sport at Oberlin, the president effectively acts as the team’s coach. Paul works hard and leads by example, which has left a lasting positive impact on the rest of the team. This interview has been edited for length and cla...

In The Locker Room with Nichole Geist, Women’s Basketball Player

November 9, 2018

When College junior women’s basketball player Nichole Geist isn’t with her team, she’s in the library making graphs, memorizing scientific terms, and studying her textbooks as a Neuroscience and Biology double-major. The Sterling Heights, MI, native also keeps herself busy by helping out with the Student Athletic Advisory Committee and playing with the cats in Ginko Gallery. This summer she organized a lung cancer fundraiser, helping raise $3,000. This interview has been edited for length and ...

In The Locker Room with Justin Godfrey, Defensive Lineman and Northeast Ohio Native

October 12, 2018

College junior Justin Godfrey, a Westlake, Ohio native, is a defensive lineman on the football team and studies History and Classics. During his time at Oberlin he has used his familiarity with Northeast Ohio and passion for Cleveland to attract prospective students and help out-of-state students become comfortable on campus. Godfrey worked for the College of Arts and Science’s Admissions team over the summer, is a co-captain of the football team, a member of Athlete Bible Study, and a for...