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Michael O'BrienJune 19, 20203min
Men’s basketball player Shackylle Dezonie ’22 was 11 years old when African American high school student Trayvon Martin was killed in a gated community while visiting family in Sanford, Fla. “It’s been a recurring cycle ever since,” Dezonie said. “Philando Castile, Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, Breonna Taylor, Sandra Bland, and unfortunately the list goes on. Now, with the murder of George Floyd, I can only hope that this time there will be a different outcome, and we can get justice for these families that have been affected by these unjust killings.” Seeing a need for action, Dezonie and three of…

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Editorial StaffJune 1, 20201min
Wesleyan Athletics is hosting its fourth annual “Be The Match” Marrow Donor Drive. This year the drive will be held virtually. What is Be The Match? For the thousands of people diagnosed every year with life-threatening blood cancers or diseases like leukemia and lymphoma, a cure exists. These patients can receive blood stem cells as a cure. Unfortunately, 70% of patients cannot find a match within their family and therefore look to the Be The Match registry for that life-saving match. Over the past 25 years, Be The Match has managed the largest and most diverse marrow donor registry in…

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Olivia DrakeMay 26, 20202min
On May 21, the Wesleyan University Athletic Department hosted a virtual event to honor and celebrate the accomplishments of scholar-athletes. The ceremony combined the annual Scholar-Athlete Banquet with the end-of-the-year Senior Awards presentations. It was hosted by Director of Athletics Mike Whalen '83 and featured remarks from President Michael Roth '78. Several coaches presented individual awards to the student-athletes. Hockey goalie Tim Sestak '20 and women's soccer defender Mackenzie Mitchell '20 were the recipients of the Roger Maynard Memorial Awards, which are presented annually to the Wesleyan male and female scholar-athlete who best exemplifies the spirit, accomplishments, and humility of Roger…

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Olivia DrakeApril 18, 20204min
Despite graduating from Wesleyan with degrees in fields such as economics or psychology, several Wes alumni went on to pursue jobs in sports and athletics. While some became professional athletes on nationally-recognized teams, others delved into coaching, refereeing, sports reporting, and team management. In this "Best of Wes" article, read about Wes alumni who turned their love of the game into a lifelong passion and career. We'll include another Alumni in Sports feature next week! (Interested in other Wesleyan-themed lists? Check out our previous “Best of Wes” pieces.) In March 2020, Rob King ’84 was named vice president and editor-at-large…

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Michael O'BrienApril 6, 20202min
Wesleyan's Athletic Department is celebrating student athletes' recent achievements and is honoring members of the Class of 2020. They include: Men’s Lacrosse Senior Day Women’s Lacrosse Senior Day Six Men’s Lacrosse Players Named Maverik DIII Media All-Americans Wrestling Earns Several All-NEWA Awards Walker Harris '20 Named Third Team All-American Walker Harris '20 Honored with Joe Concannon Award Field Hockey Places Nation-Leading 25 on NFHCA National Academic Team

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Editorial StaffMarch 23, 20202min
Wesleyan's winter athletic teams put a total of 80 student-athletes on the 2019–20 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Winter All-Academic Team, while eight earned a spot on the 2019–20 NESCAC All-Sportsmanship Team. In order to earn a spot on the All-Academic Team, a student-athlete must have reached sophomore academic standing and be a varsity letter winner with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.50 or equivalent on a 4.0 scale. Transfer students are eligible as long as they have completed at least one year of study at the institution. Wesleyan ranked seventh out of 11 schools with…

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Editorial StaffMarch 9, 20202min
On March 8, the men’s hockey team celebrated its first-ever NESCAC Championship with a 7-2 victory over Trinity College. Although the win secured the league’s automatic bid into the 2020 NCAA Tournament, NCAA President Mark Emmert and the Board of Governors decided to cancel all remaining winter championships as well as the spring sports season across all divisions (I, II, and III). Wesleyan had several winter sports scheduled to compete in their respective NCAA Championships, including men’s hockey, which are affected by this news. The Cardinals scored seven goals in just over 30 minutes of action, erasing an early deficit…

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Michael O'BrienFebruary 25, 20202min
On Feb. 14, the Wesleyan University wrestling team added its newest member to the team as 14-year old Amar Champlin of Team IMPACT signed his National Letter of Intent. "It is a great day to be a Cardinal," said head coach Drew Black. "And it is a great day to be Amar and have him and his family join our team. We are all very excited as we added a great Cardinal to the program." Amar is in the eighth grade and hails from Old Saybrook, Conn. He loves sports, especially wrestling. "To be a Cardinal, you need to be…

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Olivia DrakeJanuary 29, 20202min
On Jan. 25, Wesleyan Athletics held its fifth annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day Clinic. More than 130 local girls—from kindergarten to sixth grade—participated in this free event. Several coaches from women's teams and student-athletes taught the clinic and introduced the girls to softball, soccer, field hockey, rowing, track, tennis, and more. "Our female student-athletes did a fantastic job in being role models for our local youths," said Christine Kemp, head field hockey coach and assistant strength and conditioning coach. "The girls had a blast and had the opportunity to try out a number of sports all morning."…

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Olivia DrakeJanuary 29, 20201min
On Jan. 26, the Athletics Department welcomed 25 alumnae back to campus for its annual Women's Athletics Mentoring Workshop. The alumnae met with female student-athletes to network and offer career advice. The workshop was held in conjunction with the Annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day. This celebration inspires girls and women to play and be active, build confidence and character, and become strong leaders in sports and life. Photos of the Athletic Mentoring Workshop are below: (Photos courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics) (more…)

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Olivia DrakeJanuary 28, 20202min
Wesleyan's men's basketball team recently learned what it's like to dribble, pass, guard, and shoot baskets without ever setting foot on the court. On Jan. 21, the team traveled to New Britain, Conn., to meet members of the Connecticut Spokebenders Wheelchair Basketball Team. The Spokebenders are one of the longest-running competitive wheelchair basketball teams registered with the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA). After watching the team practice, the Spokebenders welcomed the Cardinals to participate in a few drills via wheelchair, and eventually challenged the Wesleyan athletes to a scrimmage. "Thankfully they took it easy on us," said Wesleyan Assistant Coach…

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Michael O'BrienJanuary 21, 20202min
Wesleyan wrestling head coach Drew Black was inducted into the New England Wrestling Association (NEWA) Hall of Fame Jan. 19 at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, R.I. The induction ceremony was held in conjunction with the NEWA Dual Meet Championships. Black is the only coach in the 2020 NEWA Hall of Fame Induction Class. He'll was joined by former wrestlers Joseph Adam of Trinity, Brian Glatz of WPI, and John Marsh of Bridgewater State, as well as contributor Dwayne Dawson of Western New England. "To be called a coach is an honor. Coaching at Wesleyan is an honor…