athletics – Page 2

The past year began in uncertainty due to the global pandemic and the ongoing strife happening in our country and throughout the world. However, the Wesleyan University community persevered and thrived. Faculty explored new and innovative ideas, and students grew in ways that they couldn’t have anticipated. Throughout the year the Wesleyan Connection was there to document the life of a place that is always creative, always pushing for a better and more just world. Here’s a small sampling of the stories that mattered this past year: January The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation funded the Carceral Connecticut Project, a multidisciplinary…

On a picturesque Homecoming out on Andrus Field, the Wesleyan football team put forth a dominating showing to defeat the reigning NESCAC Champion Williams, 35-21, on Saturday. Combined with the Cardinals' 13-7 overtime win at Amherst last week, Wesleyan (6-2) takes home the 2022 Little Three Championship, marking the second Little Three title in the past three seasons for Wesleyan. In a game the Cardinals never trailed, the yardage totals tell the story as Wesleyan piled up 496 yards of total offense compared to just 215 for the Ephs. Wesleyan held the ball for over 36 minutes, picking up 27…

A little after 6 p.m. last Tuesday, the din of pre-game practice shots and tinny hip-hop quieted inside Silloway Gymnasium, and Wesleyan’s women’s volleyball team assembled for the season opener against the Coast Guard Bears. Within moments of the first serve, the scoreboard registered the Cardinals’ lead: 5-0, a fitting start to a game that the No. 21 nationally ranked team ultimately won three sets to none. But it was also an accidental symbol: On the 50th anniversary of the passage of Title IX of the Education Amendments—the landmark civil rights law perhaps best known for expanding women’s opportunities to…

Herbert Francis Kenny, Jr., Adjunct Professor of Physical Education, Emeritus, and former men’s basketball coach, passed away on July 9 at the age of 89. Herb earned his BS from Saint Bonaventure University and his MS from the University of Connecticut. He arrived at Wesleyan in 1964 and spent the next 30 years here, serving 27 years as head coach of men’s basketball, 23 years as head coach of golf, and 15 years as an assistant football coach. Inducted into the Wesleyan Hall of Fame in 2018 and the Middletown Sports Hall of Fame in 2017, Herb was the winningest…

Terry Jackson, a fixture within the Wesleyan Athletics department for more than 30 years, died on June 14. Jackson spent 31 years (1968-98) as the Cardinals' men's soccer head coach while he also served as the men's lacrosse head coach for 23 seasons (1974-96). Inducted into the Wesleyan Hall of Fame in 2010, Jaackson is the winningest men's soccer coach in program history, sporting an all-time record of 210-164-36. He led Wesleyan to three ECAC New England Division III titles in 1973, 1980 and 1991. Jackson was recognized as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Division III Regional…

One good bounce and the Wesleyan men’s basketball team would still be playing in the NCAA Division III Tournament. After an exciting start to the weekend where Wesleyan trounced Husson 81-61 in a first-round matchup Friday night, the Cardinals fell just short against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 59-58 in Saturday’s second-round game. After a hard-fought last few minutes where the lead kept changing hands, Preston Maccoux’s ['23] fallaway jumper hit the front rim and bounced away as time expired. “There isn’t much to say in those circumstances except to give (the players) a hug, tell them you care about them and…

Men’s Basketball defeated Williams 78-75, in overtime, winning its second NESCAC Championship in program history. In a matchup that had all the makings of an instant classic heading in, the thousand-plus on-hand were gifted a game for the ages as these two storied rivals battled for 45 minutes in a back-and-forth contest that featured 20 lead changes and 16 ties, all of which culminated on center court with the Wesleyan men's basketball team celebrating as NESCAC Champions. The top-seeded Cardinals (24-3), playing in front of packed Silloway Gymnasium for the second straight day, locked horns with the Williams College Ephs…

Since Wesleyan Athletics relies on donations to account for more than 80 percent of its annual operational costs, fundraising is an important must-have to keep the Cardinals moving forward. During Wesleyan's seventh-annual Wesleyan Athletics Giving Day (WAGD) on Feb. 16, 2,153 donors made gifts to respective teams, which amounted to $411,944. The top three fundraising women's teams were golf, volleyball, and softball, and the top three men's teams were basketball, soccer, and wrestling. "While these teams have earned all-important bragging rights and supplemental budget for their most critical needs, our entire Wesleyan Athletics family are winners thanks to your support…

The men’s basketball team is in the midst of a prodigious season, having just matched the single-season wins record of 22. Currently, the team is just one win away from setting a single-season record, and for the first time ever, Wesleyan is the number 1 seed in the NESCAC Tournament. Silloway Gymnasium will be the host site of the upcoming NESCAC Championship weekend, with the Semifinals set for Saturday, Feb. 26 followed by the title game on Sunday, Feb. 27. “This season has been amazing so far—it exceeded my expectations personally and team-wise,” Nicky Johnson ’25 said. “I enjoy every…

Peter “Kosty” Kostacopoulos, adjunct professor of physical education, emeritus, and former head baseball coach and assistant football coach, passed away on March 25 at the age of 86. Kosty earned his BS from the University of Maine, where he lettered in football, basketball, and baseball, and made the All-Maine Conference in football and basketball. After coaching at Bowdoin for nine years, he arrived at Wesleyan in 1968. He served as head baseball coach for 28 years and assistant football coach for 19 years. He also served as a head squash coach during this time. Kosty led the Cardinals to 11…

Donald Russell, professor of physical education, emeritus, and former director of athletics and head football coach, passed away on Feb. 2 at the age of 93. Russell earned his BA from Bates College, where he played offensive and defensive tackle for the football team. Arriving at Wesleyan in 1960, he served as an assistant football coach under Norm Daniels, then became head football coach from 1964 through 1970, after which point he stepped down from that position, though he remained as the head of athletics until his retirement in 1991. Russell led the Cardinals to three Little Three championships…

This month, the Wesleyan Student-Athlete of Color Leadership Council (SACLC) released its "The Battle is Worth It" video with the Wesleyan community. The video, which was produced by Wesleyan's Video Services team, features athletes from SACLC who aim to bring awareness to their work and support other athletes of color. SACLC aims to build a safe, more diverse environment, which will enhance the athletic experiences of student-athletes of color throughout all Wesleyan sports teams. Programs and services are developed with the intention of implementing a system that establishes a social network amongst athletes of color, promotes solidarity, and encourages discourse…

Year in Review: 2022

LITTLE THREE CHAMPS! Football Leads Wire-to-Wire in 35-21 Triumph over Williams on Homecoming

Fifty Years After Title IX, Wesleyan’s Women Student-Athletes Push Forward

Wesleyan Mourns the Passing of Hall of Fame Coach Herb Kenny

Wesleyan Athletics Community Mourns the Loss of Longtime Soccer, LAX Coach Terry Jackson

Men’s Basketball Caps Off Record Season With NCAA Tournament Run

Men’s Basketball Wins NESCAC Championship in Overtime

Donors Reflect on Why They Support Wesleyan Athletics

Men’s Basketball Team Shoots For Record-Breaking Season

Kostacopoulos Remembered for Being Wesleyan’s Winningest Coach

Coach Russell Remembered for Shepherding the Advancement of Title IX for Women’s Athletics

Student-Athletes of Color Bring Awareness to Their Work Through New Video