Volume 137 No. 16

Best of the West

With

(Photo Courtesy of misswesternmass/Instagram)

PAge

‘Positively the fastest sprinter’

Alumnus John Burr made an impact on the athletics programs at Howard University after studying physical education at Springfield College.

___ By Cait Kemp ___ @caitlinkemp09

high school years.

“Johnny Burr has been the main point-getter for the last four years on the Home city track team and last season broke out in basketball, making a wonderful showing,” said an article from a 1919 edition of the Republican. “Burr was positively the fastest sprinter in high school… The Young Men’s Christian Association College will receive one of the best all-around athletes turned out in the lo-

cal schools in Burr.” Burr was a standout on the track, but also had a significant role on the soccer team. He was a member of Springfield’s New England championship team of 1921.

“At the Young Men’s Christian Association training college, where nearly all sports are part of the curriculum, soccer had a high place. John H. Burr, once physical director for men at Howard University, was a member of

A line in the book, The History of Athletics and Physical Education at Howard University by Ted Chambers, reads:

“In the next 15 years, Burr would have a greater impact on Howard athletics than anyone else in the school’s history,”

To be said to have a greater impact than anyone else in

a school’s history is an impressive statement. But this is not surprising when it is understood the type of man that Burr was.

John Harold Burr was born in Springfield, Mass., in 1898. He attended the public schools in the city and graduated from Springfield Technical High School. From there, he didn’t go far.

Geographically, that is.

Burr attended Springfield College to study physical education while also playing soccer, basketball, baseball and running track. He was an outstanding athlete, most often recognized for his remarkable speed, which was frequently written about in the Springfield Republican during his

John Burr in the lead of a track meet at the International YMCA College. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Archives)

Burr handing out a trophy to a tennis athlete. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Archives)

the New England championship team of Springfield in 1921,” author Edwin Bancroft Hendeson said in his book, The Negro in Sports.

Following his schooling at Springfield College, Burr almost immediately was hired at Howard University as the Assistant Athletic Director and basketball coach in the fall of 1923.

As coach of Howard University’s basketball team, Burr reigned. The teams under his leadership won six CIAA titles and were runners-up in the champion-

pionships during the 1950s.”

ship five times. This dominance was important to show the talent that a historically Black university can have, as well as the legitimacy of their programs.

The gymnasium at Howard University was renamed the Burr Gymnasium in 1974 to honor Burr’s legacy. According to Howard University’s athletics website, “Burr rose to prominence as a pioneer in Black participation in the sport of soccer and contributed to Howard’s dominance in Historically Black College and Universities cham-

The impact of Burr’s coaching and leadership at Howard University was a reflection on the work he did prior at Springfield College and in the community. He wrote his thesis on physical education in Black colleges and universities, proving his passion for his career. He was dedicated to making a difference in the lives of young athletes, especially athletes of color, who were more likely to experience injustice within physical education programs.

Burr’s love for helping others shone through in his work in the community. He was a member of the Executive Committee of the 12th Street Branch of the Y.M.C.A., as well as being involved in the Red Cross, in which he won awards for his commitment to both of these organizations.

To add to his achievements and contributions toward helping others, he was also involved in the Alpha Kappa chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha. This chapter of the fra-

ternity has existed in Western Massachusetts since 1922, making it the oldest historically Black Greek organization at any college or university.

Burr was a part of the beginnings of Alpha Kappa, and helped to build the

organization on the bases of service and enhancing the experiences of people despite their backgrounds.

His dedication to physical education and helping to grow students and athletes was immeasurable.

A photo of Burr in a starting sprint stance. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Archives)

“Burr would have a greater impact on Howard athletics than anyone else in the school’s history.”

- Ted Chambers -

A portrait photograph of Burr in 1924. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Archives)

Generosity abounds

Plans are set for the annual Giving Day, a notable day on the campus calendar every year.

__ By Tucker PaqueTTe @tpaquette17

For students, parents, alumni and others who have an interest in supporting the Springfield College community, there is a prime opportunity to do so on the horizon.

On Thursday, March 23, Springfield will hold its eighth annual Giving Day. The tradition is a notable day on the campus calendar.

“Giving Day is a special day on campus where we ask the entire Springfield College community…..to come together to support our students by making a donation to the fund of their choice,” Springfield College Director of Development Laura Metallo said.

While raising money is undoubtedly a critical aspect of this day, there is far more that goes into it than just monetary donations.

“We try to make the day a lot of fun, too,” Metallo said.

There are activities on campus throughout the day, as well

as social media posts sent out to parents and alumni. What’s more, prizes are given throughout the day, as well.

Additionally, Giving Day is seen as the perfect chance for past and present members of the campus community to realize, or re-realize, their appreciation for Springfield College.

“It’s important to have a day to reflect on what Springfield College has provided in terms of educational

resources, [as well as] resources for alumni, our friends and people who have any relationship to the college,” Springfield College Associate Director of Development Liam Medina said.

Medina noted how it’s important to consider the impacts that continued support could have on future Springfield College students, in the sense that every donation plays a part in strengthening the

present and future of the College.

For those who are hesitant or unable to donate a significant amount, that should not be a concern, according to Metallo.

“It’s not the amount that someone can give, it’s just that they’re giving and participating,” Metallo said.

Metallo mentioned how students can donate as little as five dollars and still be making an impact.

“If every student

gave five dollars, think about the amount of money that could be raised in one day,” Metallo said. “While five dollars may not seem like a lot, collectively it adds up.”

There are a variety of ways people can donate for Giving Day. The simplest way to give, per Metallo, is to make an online donation via credit card, PayPal or Venmo.

However, gifts can also be made at tables across campus on Giving Day, where numerous people will be stationed at tables, ready to take donations. Locations with tables include the Union and Cheney.

Other ways to give include via a phone call and sending a check through the mail.

One thing is for sure: whatever amount someone can give and however they choose to donate, any and all contributions will not go unnoticed.

The annual Giving Day takes place on March 23. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College)

Crowning achievements

Two women with Springfield College ties will compete in the Miss Massachussetts Scholarship Pageant this year.

___ By Sean Savage ___ @SeanSav13

The 2023 Miss Massachusetts Scholarship Pageant will feature two women with Springfield College ties. On Jan. 29, Olivia Tocchio, a Psychology and Criminal Justice major, was crowned Miss Pioneer Valley, and SC alum Bailey Tatro ‘22 was named Miss Western Massachusetts. Both will compete for the honor of being named Miss Massachusetts in Worcester this July.

“It feels amazing,”

Bailey Tatro said. “Being a title holder in the Miss America Organization allows you to have a platform to connect with others about various social issues.”

For Tatro to get where she is, she had to prepare a social impact statement and resume.

Once that is passed, the competition opens with a strict nine-anda-half minute-long interview with a panel of five judges, ending with a 30-second closing statement.

Additionally, the show started with a social

impact pitch – a 20-second elevator pitch of her social impact statement. Tatro was then required to answer an impromptu onstage question, perform a 90-second talent – for Tatro, it was dancing – and finally walk in evening wear.

Tatro did not let the multiple stages of the competition impact her mentally.

“Most importantly, while completing all of these phases, the judges want to see that you are a genuine human,” she said. “People really tend to underestimate how much our body language impacts our confidence.”

Tatro is grateful for where she is today. A year ago, she was named Miss Pioneer Valley and was one of the top 11 finalists in the 2022 Miss Massachusetts competition.

However, she only started competing thanks to Jackie O’Keefe, Assistant Director of Housing and Residence Life at Springfield College, whom Tatro met during her time as an RA.

“If I had not been

motivated by trying to earn some brownie points, then I would have never known how amazing of an opportunity this is. So it did not start out as a dream, but it quickly became one once I realized all of the benefits that come along with this job,” Tatro said.

In the upcoming months, Tatro will be volunteering within the community at different local fundraisers, along with hosting her own. She will also speak to high and middle school students about her social impact.

If Tatro becomes Miss Massachusetts, she will have the opportunity to compete at the Miss America Pageant.

She is currently working on a presentation on her initiative, Intuitive Eating and documenting her journey via Instagram at @misswesternmass. It will aid in “finding peace within yourself, to take into schools in our area,” Tatro said. “It also allows you to have the most supportive network of some of the most intelligent and kind women you will ever meet.”

Tatro (middle) and Tocchio (second from right) each earned titles on Jan. 29. (misswesternmass/Instagram)

Tatro took home Miss Western Massachusetts honors. (misswesternmass/Instagram)

Going for gold

Gripping her newly won Emmy Award, Gabby Guerard simply couldn’t believe it. The former Editor-in-Chief of The Springfield Student had made it through the three exhausting weeks covering the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and had collected some valuable hardware in the process.

Growing up in a southern New Hampshire town called Derry, Guerard always loved sports but struggled to find a career path that would satisfy her passion for athletics. After taking numerous career polls in high school, Guerard discovered that she could become a sports journalist, and the choice became clear.

As writing had always been one of her strengths, the idea of basing her pieces around

sports was enticing. Guerard yearned to play field hockey in college, a very much northeastern sport, so her initial interest in attending a southern school was thrown out the window. Springfield College would become her home for the next four years.

“I thought the student-athlete experience would

give me a unique window into covering sports,” Guerard said.

Diving right in as a first-year student, Guerard joined The Springfield Student. She climbed the proverbial ladder throughout her four years, moving from staff writer to News Editor, and finally Editor-in-Chief for her senior year.

Martin Dobrow, then the advisor of The Student, noticed the talent and diligence that Guerard brought to the table. Especially her gift of “finding the bigger story.”

“Gabby had a real appetite for it, a willingness to go for the real,” Dobrow said. Her first story for the Pride Sports Journal, a long-form

magazine published by many of the students working for the paper, was an excellent example.

The story focused on the special bond between Naomi Graves, the longtime head coach of the Springfield women’s basketball team, and star bench player Ava Adamopoulos. Still nervous about asking questions while learning the art of reporting, Guerard was extremely grateful for the experience.

“I was fortunate that Ava opened up to me….and we really connected on a personal level,” Guerard said. “That was the first time where I knew the story I wrote had made someone cry, and it opened my eyes to the power of journalism.”

With that story serving as a launching point, Guerard

Guerard had a gift of “finding the bigger story,” according to professor Marty Dobrow.

(Photo Courtesy of Gabby Guerard)

Springfield College alum Gabby Guerard won an Emmy for her role in NBC’s coverage of the Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2021.

___ By Patrick Fergus ___ @Fergus5Fergus

continued chasing stories that would have an impact on her, and when she finally became the Editor-in-Chief, she worked closely with Dobrow to conceive great stories.

Meeting every week on Tuesday, these brainstorming sessions, or “Journo Summits,” would sometimes venture outside the office.

“They were great conversations...and it’s true, often when we would see each other on campus, in front of the Union, or even at the gym, we would talk more.

I love it when people have the fire for real journalism, and Gabby clearly did (and does),” Dobrow said.

Guerard started her journey in the internship world by dipping her toes in the water with a very small-town newspaper, the Nuttfield Publisher. Paying her dues, she sometimes covered unique and even comical stories.

Eventually, she took a turn away from print media and focused on the growing multi-media aspect of journalism. She began writing online arti-

cles, which became the main focus of her internships at WEEI and NESN.

She still used the fundamentals she learned in her journalism classes, like the importance of action vs reaction photos and search engine optimization principles.

“It’s all about taking the fundamental pieces and applying them to the content you’re creating, and building off of the concepts to make the work better,” Guerard said.

These opportunities served as building blocks to her current role at NBC, as the NFL Digital Linear Editor. Essentially, Guerard serves as a “middleman” between the digital teams and the writers, as well as overseeing the publication of videos on the NBC Sports website and app.

An important aspect of improving her craft is asking questions.

“If you’re not asking questions, you’re not learning, and if you’re not learning, well, then you’re not challenging yourself enough,” Guerard said.

At the NBC head-

quarters in Stamford, Conn., Guerard and her team worked around the clock during the Olympics in Tokyo - 21 days straight. 12 hours a day. No days off.

And they would often get down on the floor and do plank exercises just to stay awake.

“Every day you’d leave feeling like you just took an SAT,” Guerard said.

Still, Guerard and her team were rewarded for their tireless efforts, in the form of an Emmy

for Outstanding Event Coverage.

Her reaction was probably similar to most others that

unexpectedly receive such an honor.

“It was pretty insane,” Guerard said.

Guerard in front of the Olympic rings (top) and holding the Emmy Award (bottom). (Photos Courtesy of Gabby Guerard)

Jaélen Daubon

The winner of this edition’s Springfield Student Women’s Sports Athlete of the Week was Jaélen Daubon with 49.6 percent of the vote. The junior guard for the women’s basketball team combined for 36 points while shooting 13-for-25 from the field along with 10 rebounds in the Pride’s two games last week.

Mikaili Charlemagne earned second place with 24.8 percent in the poll. The senior swimmer won the 50 and 100 butterfly events with times of 26.78 and 1:01.48 in the Pride’s meet against Babson on Saturday.

Dominic Ramalho

Dominic Ramalho took this edition’s Springfield Student Men’s Athlete of the week after getting 38.8 percent of the vote. The senior gymnast earned a career-best score in the all-around at 77.200, and was the top scorer in the vault in Springfield’s meet against William & Mary.

Following him in the poll was Daryl Costa with 23.3 percent of the vote. The graduate guard combined for 40 points while shooting 16-for-26 in the Pride’s two games this week. This included a 30-point performance on 13-for-17 shooting in Springfield’s win over MIT on Wednesday.

James Chan was the third vote-get-

ter after receiving 22.4 percent in the poll. The senior swimmer won the 200 free with a time of 1:45.75 and won the 200 individual medley race with a time of 1:57.73 in the Pride’s meet against Babson on Saturday.

Rounding out the vote for this week was Jacob Deguire after a great weekend on the mat. The sophomore wrestler won both his matches on falls during Springfield’s trio of duals on Saturday.

Be sure to follow @TheSpfldStudent on Twitter to vote in the next poll!

The third vote-getter was Devon Rosier with 14 percent in the poll. The senior gymnast earned a career-best 9.825 score to win the floor event at Springfield’s meet against Ithaca on Sunday.

Lily Gould closed out the vote after a great performance in the field events. The senior thrower on the women’s track and field team set a personal best in the weighted throw with a distance of 15.02 meters at the Bomber Invitational this past weekend.

Dominic Ramalho. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

Jaélen Daubon. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

A timeline of women’s sports at Springfield College

gram.

1956: Paula Dubel Phillips becomes Springfield College’s first female Olympian, as a member of the U.S. Track & Field team that competes at the Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia.

1963: Springfield College’s women’s intercollegiate athletics program begins, with field hockey, tennis, softball, and basketball.

1964: The college’s first official women’s basketball team, coached by Jone Bush and Martha van Allen, goes 7-0.

1969: Springfield College hosts and wins the first national collegiate championship for women’s gymnastics under the Division of Girls and Women in Sport (DGWS).

1972: Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits sex-based discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal funding, is signed into law.

Athletics Disclosure Act (EADA) is passed, requiring federally-assisted, coeducational institutions of higher education to disclose information about the gender breakdown of their athletic programs.

2002: Title IX is renamed the “Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act,” in honor of her role as an author and leader in the House of Representatives to protect the law.

2013: The SafeZone program is started at Springfield College to educate the community on LGBTQ issues.

2020: Title IX Final Rule regulations for addressing sexual harassment are issued by the Department of Education.

2010: Erin Pac ’03 wins a bronze medal in the Two-Woman Bobsled event at the Vancouver Winter Olympics.

Not long after James Naismith invented basketball, women began playing his new sport. Here’s a brief timeline of how women’s athletics have progressed at Springfield College – and beyond –since then:

1892: James Naismith happens upon a group of girls from Buckingham Junior High School attempting to play Naismith’s game; the first game of women’s basketball commences.

1928: Springfield College summer school admits women for the first time.

1936: Dorothy Audette, the first woman to be a full-time student at Springfield College, earns a Bachelor of Science degree.

1939: Dorothea Poulin, the first full-time fouryear graduate and an accomplished swimmer, earns a degree in Physical Education.

1951: Springfield Col-

lege admits women as fulltime students. Dorothy Wright is hired as the first Dean of Women. Abbey Hall, the first women’s residence hall, opens.

1953: The college’s name is officially changed from International Young Men’s Christian Association College to Springfield College to recognize women students.

1954: Eunice A. Ganung is the first woman to graduate under the new full-time women’s pro-

1973: Sharon Miles is appointed as Director of Campus Security at Springfield College, becoming the first woman director of security on a college or university campus in the U.S.

1982: The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) offers the first championships for women’s athletics and becomes the official governing body of women’s sports.

1988: Amy Lim Chee Chan ’91 represents Hong Kong in the 1988 Summer Olympics badminton competition and wins a bronze medal in mixed doubles.

1994: The Equity in

2013: Dr. Mary-Beth Cooper is appointed as the College’s 13th President, the first woman to hold that position at the college.

2021: The Athletics Department at Springfield College begins to use gender pronouns on team rosters.

2021: Mikaili Charlemagne ‘23, competes in the 50-meter freestyle swim at the Tokyo Summer Olympics, representing her home country of Saint Lucia.

2022: Kelly Curtis ’12, the first Black athlete to represent Team USA in the sport of skeleton, makes her Olympic debut at the Winter Games in Beijing, China.

2022: Title IX turns 50 on June 23.

The college’s first official women’s basketball team was created during the 1963-1964 academic year. The team was coached by Jone Bush and Martha van Allen, and they went 7-0. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Archives)

From inaugural hoopsters to the first college gymnastics championships to Olympic medalists, the Birthplace has been home to many athletic pioneers.

Racing to greatness

Kristen Donato Estorge will be inducted into the Springfield College Athletic Hall of Fame after an excellent track and field career that earned her All-American honors in multiple events.

@rivermitchell27

Kristen Estorge became an All-American and one of the most decorated track and field athletes in Springfield College history. But her path to both Alden Street and the sport she competed in was far from a traditional one.

Estorge, formerly Donato, grew up outside of Niagara Falls in Sanborn, N.Y., and got involved with gymnastics as a 6-year-old. She competed all throughout her childhood and some of high school as well, until she suffered a major ankle injury at age 15 when landing on a vault. This resulted in all of the tendons and ligaments being torn. This would prompt Estorage to end her career as a gymnast.

“I had been doing it since I was six years old, and I just realized I didn’t want to do it in

college,” said Estorge. “I just needed to move onto something else.”

It was at this point that Estorge decided to give track and field

a try after leaving the sport she loved for so many years at the age of 16, as she came to realize there were a lot of similarities between

the two sports.

“The hurdles kind of reminded me of doing the leap in gymnastics,” said Estorge. “I got introduced to

the multi events, which was like gymnastics. We do the four events, and in the multi events you do 5-7 depending. So it was kind of like gymnastics, like if you bomb one, you can recover on another event.”

Even with her lifelong sport of gymnastics totally out the window, she quickly came to realize that track and field was a sport she absolutely loved. Not only that, but Estorge also realized she had a knack for it. She became so good that she eventually got inducted into the Hall of Fame at Niagara Wheatfield High School in 2018. This was despite her only competing in the sport for two years.

“I rolled right into it, and I absolutely loved it,” said Estorge. “I tried out and I did awesome. My first year just winging it, I made it to the state championships in New York,

Estorge was an All-American in the 55-meter hurdles in 1997. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Archives)

___ By RiveR Mitchell

which was kind of a big deal.”

Estorge was recruited pretty lightly out of high school, but the University of Buffalo, where she was offered a full-ride scholarship, showed a lot of interest. However, because Buffalo didn’t have a physical education program, she decided to commit to Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota, where she was also recruited. It didn’t end up being a very good fit.

“I hated it,” Estorge said. “I was stuck on top of a hill, with no car, and there were like 3,000 people in the town.”

But that wasn’t the only reason why Estorge hated it.

“The track coach there did not know what he was doing. He specialized in a different area,” Estorge said. “And then I was studying physical education, and the program was so weak. All I was doing was liberal arts classes, like studying hundreds of art pictures and who the artists were and I’m like, ‘What does this have to do with PE?’”

With Estorge seemingly not enjoying anything about the school, she decided to transfer after her first

year. It became clear to her that Springfield College would be a great fit.

“My friend that I went to high school with actually was running cross country and track at Springfield College, and had said how awesome it was,” said Estorge. “I knew they had a great PE program. So I looked into it, and I actually transferred there my sophomore year.”

This would end up being one of the best decisions Estorge made during her lifetime, as she immediately fell in love with the school.

“Everything was related to my major, I loved it, it was sports-oriented, everyone was cool,” Estorge said. “I loved being there, I fit in with everyone that didn’t go home all the time, I had a family doing track and field. People make an effort to hold the door, be polite, and they’re very conscious about being kind to one another.”

During Estorge’s time at Springfield College she won All-American honors for indoor and outdoor track. In indoor, she earned national recognition in 1997 for the 1600-meter relay, 55-meter hurdles and

400-meter dash. She also was an outdoor track All-American for the heptathlon in 1996 and 1997.

“It was obviously awesome,” Estorge said. “It was just a culmination of all my

hard work and all the time I had put in. To peak at that moment was pretty cool.”

But Estorge took away so much more than just the awards.

“It was a very defining time in my life that

was very positive, and has definitely contributed and enhanced who I am today,” Estorge said.

After finishing her undergrad, Estorge

See Estorge continued on Page 15

Estorge in a relay race. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Archives)

On the same stage

__ By Carley Crain __ @carley_crain12

The men’s and women’s gymnastics teams had a historic senior meet on Sunday afternoon in a jam-packed Blake Arena. The two squads competed sideby-side, in a dual meet that hasn’t taken place in five years.

The women earned their highest score of the 2023 season so far, racking up 187.525 points. The men’s team also earned its highest overall score in five years, with 390.800 points. Senior Dominic Ramalho also had a career-best day in the all-around competition, as he posted his best collegiate score ever of 77.200 points.

“The turnout for the meet was larger than any we have ever had before,” Ramalho said. “The overall vibe and competitiveness of the

meet on our side were the best I have seen in my four years at Springfield.”

Personal and season bests, as well as career highs, were widespread for both teams in a variety of events. On the floor exercise, senior Jakarie Williams and first-year Owen Carney earned either new career or season bests, as Williams came away with a new season high of 13.750 and Carney not far behind with a brand new collegiate best of 13.700.

Springfield swept the podium on the pommel horse, taking all three top spots. First-year Sam Kaplan earned a new collegiate best, as he posted a 12.900. On the still rings, arguably the team’s best event of the meet, Springfield took the top five spots,

led by junior David Handron, who also scored a career-best of 13.950.

The Pride once again swept the podium on the parallel bars, and Kaplan earned another career-best on the day with a score of 13.600. Carney and sophomore Noah Dhaliwal both swung to new career bests in the last event of the meet as well, which was the high bar. Carney scored a 13.600 and Dhaliwal took third place with a total of 13.200 points.

Three of the men’s gymnasts from Springfield were recognized by the Eastern College Athletic Conference for their impressive performances on Sunday afternoon. Ramalho was named the ECAC Gymnast of the Week, Handron was named ECAC co-specialist of the week, and Carney rounded out the three with ECAC Men’s Gymnastics Rookie of

the Week. Hadron also took home the College Gymnastic Association co-specialist of the week.

The women continued the pattern of new career bests. Senior Devon Rosier made her presence known from the start as she scored a new career-best of 9.825 on the floor exercise. Springfield dominated the vault, as junior Annie Kiley led the Pride with a new collegiate best of 9.700, followed by first-year Sage Kaplan, who also scored a career-high of 9.5750, and first-year Stacy Taylor rounding out the top three.

Senior Tori Sipes had a solid day across the board, as she placed second overall in the beam with a new season high of 9.675, right behind sophomore Maya Belog who won the event. Additionally, Sipes led Springfield on the uneven bars, as she posted a 9.500. Sipes also

earned Maroon Club Athlete of the Week.

The two squads showed up big time for its senior meet, which was both equally emotional and exciting for athletes whose last season wearing “The Jersey” is almost complete. The senior experience over the past four years has certainly been a roller coaster– from COVID outbreaks, not having a season, to competing virtually. However, being able to have a competition where both teams come together on such an important day felt like a full-circle moment.

“Being able to compete as a senior alongside the women’s team who we practice with every day is something I don’t think we have done before,” said Ramalho. “That is what made it so special. Everyone out there was competing for the seniors.”

For the first time in five years, the men’s and women’s gymnastics teams competed alongside each other in Blake Arena, and both teams earned victories.

Tori Sipes on the beam. (Photo by Carley Crain/The Student)

Photos by Carley Crain

‘The most cohesive group I’ve ever coached’

The Springfield men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams are carrying a lot of momentum into the NEWMAC Championships.

Kay Shen (50 freestyle and 100 freestyle).

After winter break, both teams heated up as the women posted a near-perfect 8-1 record in dual meets, while the men earned a 6-2 record.

One of the reasons for the success of both teams is the unique way that they train. Each team practices together – creating internal competition and forcing everyone to bring an added focus to practice.

Although the late season success has provided some momentum heading into the postseason, Taffe believes this year has proved to be much more than just wins and losses.

“This has been probably the most cohesive group I’ve ever coached,” Taffe said. “It’s been a very smooth year, just a group of people that were really determined, focused on the common goals.”

__ By Luke Whitehouse @Lwhitehouse12

The Springfield College swimming and diving teams have concluded their regular season and shifted their focus to the NEWMAC championships on Feb. 16-19 at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

On Feb. 4, the Pride split a meet on the road against Babson, as the men were narrowly defeated 146.5-141.5 while the women cruised to a 170-114 win.

On the men’s side, James Chan won both the 200 free and the 200 IM while his brother Jonathan, won the 100 fly, the 50 fly and tied for first in the 100 free.

Jordan McMillan (50 free), Owen Oldenburg (100 back) and Sean Andrews (three-meter board and one-meter board) all took home first place finishes as well.

For the women,

Mikaili Charlemagne, Nina Lamb, Erin Kelaher and Natalie Chamberlin finished first in the 200 medley relay in the day’s first event, with Lamb also earning first-place honors in the 50 and 100-yard breaststrokes.

Other first place finishes include Charlemagne (100 butterfly and 50 butterfly), Emma Savoie (200 freestyle and 500 freestyle) and

“I think being able to train together has been really helpful,” senior Elizabeth Fraser of the women’s team said. “Being able to work together has [enabled] us to do some really good things.”

The NEWMAC Conference Championships at WPI will provide a venue to show off all the hard work the group has done over the latter half of the season.

“We’ve really had a very good second semester,” head coach John Taffe said. “But that’s all preparation for this one big thing coming up.”

In the regular season, swimmers and divers focus on finishing in places. The postseason, however, is all about time.

That difference, combined with not knowing the qualifying time prior to the race, provides a whole new challenge.

“It changes every year, and quite frankly, gets harder every year,” Taffe said. “We have an awful lot of individuals on both teams that have a good chance…and we could have a large number move on or we could have zero. That’s how much of a fine line it is.”

There are 450

The women’s swimming and diving team is 8-1 since winter break. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

Estorge continued from Page 11

came back and graduated with a master’s degree in 2000 in Athletic Administration.

Since then, Estorge has worked at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, raised a family and has also lived in several states such as Delaware, North Carolina, Alabama, and more. She has returned to her first sport, coaching gymnastics, and owned her own gymnastics business. She now teaches high school gymnastics at

Baton Rouge High School in Baton Rouge, La.

In April, she will be inducted into the Springfield College Athletic Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2023.

“It’s an honor,” said Estorge. “I’m so proud to say that I’m an alumni of Springfield College.”

schools competing at the Division III level, and with talent increasing, there is an extremely limited number of spots at the national level – and it’s getting tougher each year.

Despite the differences, and more at stake, Taffe doesn’t feel that a different approach is needed.

“You don’t necessarily do anything different,” Taffe said. “From a training perspective, you do what’s been successful, and what’s worked. It all comes down to the mental side

when you get into the bigger arena and competition gets tougher.”

Even though many of next weekend’s races may come down to a hundredth of a second, and some may move on or barely miss out, Taffe’s feeling will be consistent.

“No matter how it shakes out, either way, I’m going to be very proud of them, because they’ve made our job easy and that’s what I always look forward to,” Taffe said.

The men’s swimming and diving team is 6-2 since winter break. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

Estorge in the hurdles. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Archives)

Sports

Winning Together

The Springfield men’s and women’s gymnastics teams competed at the same time for their senior meet, with both teams earning their best scores of the year.

[See page 12]

(Photos by of Carley Crain/The Student)