The hammer throw might be the most dangerous event in the sport of track and field. It injures, and occasionally kills, more athletes and spectators per year than any other track and field event. Because of its inherent danger, it has been banned from most high school programs across the country. Ironically enough, for many Oberlin field athletes who participate in the hammer throw along with shot put, javelin, and weight throw, the hammer remains their favorite event. “Yeah, there’s...

In the second semester of her senior year at Oberlin, Millie Cavicchio is getting a fresh start. After three rocky years of attempting to manage her softball career amidst injuries, surgeries, and other setbacks, Cavicchio has found an unexpected home for herself on the Oberlin track and field team as one of two javelin throwers on the women’s side. “I’ve been so happy this season,” Cavicchio said, “because I finally have a chance to compete — something I haven’t been able to do...

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. ...

It was four months ago that Lilah Drafts-Johnson, OC ’18, clutched her first-place trophy while being mobbed by teammates and coaches. She had just run the 10th fastest 400-meter hurdle time in the event’s history at the NCAA Division III Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships, and could finally call herself a national champion — a promise she made to herself three years earlier. Two days later, it was her Oberlin College diploma that she held with pride. After four year...