student athletes

Graduation came early this year for women’s lacrosse players. With the team competing in the NCAA championship game on Commencement Sunday, graduating students missed the regular ceremony. The graduating seniors received their degrees at a special ceremony at the Office of Admission, attended by President Roth, Provost Joyce Jacobsen, family, friends, and faculty on Wednesday, May 22. The seniors include Caitlin Wood, Emilie Ogden-Fung, Caroline Sgaglione, Amy Breitfeller, Abigail Horst, and Breanna Cavanaugh. In addition, Nelson Albino, assistant women’s basketball coach, husband of Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach Kim Williams, received a Masters of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) degree during…

On May 2, the Wesleyan Athletics Department honored 169 student-athletes for their excellence in athletic competition, combined with their outstanding work in the classroom. The seventh Annual Scholar-Athlete Dinner took place inside Beckham Hall at Fayerweather. The ceremony began with comments from Director of Athletics, Mike Whalen ’83, as well as President Michael Roth, and an invocation by Father Bill Wallace preceded dinner. Wesleyan honored men’s soccer alum Andrew Lacy ’89 with the Cardinal Award, which is chosen by the Athletic Advisory Council and presented annually to an individual with extraordinary contributions and dedication to the success of Wesleyan Athletics.…

On April 28, Wesleyan hosted the second annual Cardinal Community Classic at the Freeman Athletic Center. Thirty-two teams from Wesleyan and the local community participated in the event, which raised more than $4,637 for Middlesex Health Comprehensive Breast Center in Middletown. "Our goal is to support individuals affected by breast cancer in our local community, but in the process, we also provide an exciting space where Middletown residents and Wesleyan students can come together and have a great time," said event organizer and men's basketball team member Jordan Bonner '19. "We wanted more community engagement from last year so it was…

Two Wesleyan students were inducted into the 2019 American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) Honor Society in March. They are among only 33 students from around the country who were eligible to join the society this year. The inductees, Mackenzie Mitchell '20 and Edelina (Lina) Marzouk '19 are both majoring in molecular biology and biochemistry and the Science in Society Program. They are both members of the ASBMB Student Chapters, have a GPA of over 3.4 on a 4.0 scale, and have demonstrated exceptional achievement in academics, undergraduate research, and science outreach. The students were recognized by the Molecular Biology &…

The Wesleyan University winter athletic teams put a total of 73 student-athletes on the 2019 NESCAC Winter All-Academic Team, while eight Cardinals earned All-Sportsmanship honors as announced by the conference. 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 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 coursework at the institution. (more…)

Wesleyan's Athletic Department hosted its fourth annual National Girls & Women in Sports Day celebration on Jan. 26 at the Freeman Athletic Center. Wesleyan coaches and student-athletes taught local girls in kindergarten through sixth grade about various sports, including track, soccer, softball, field hockey, volleyball, lacrosse, and more. In addition to the lessons, participants had the opportunity to watch a women's basketball game and a women's ice hockey game. The women's ice hockey team also hosted a "Skate with the Cardinals" where players welcomed fans and the girls to join them on the ice. Pizza was provided to all participants.…

The Wesleyan fall athletic teams put a total of 56 student-athletes on the 2018 NESCAC Fall All-Academic Team, while 8 Cardinals earned All-Sportsmanship honors. 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 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 coursework at the institution. The women's soccer team led the charge for the Cardinals, with 18 honorees, while the football program saw 11 players earn…

Julia Mitchell '19 paced the women's cross country team with a first-place finish at the Little Three Championship on Sept. 8 in Amherst, Mass. Although Williams College ultimately won the Little Three title, the Cardinals had four runners place in the top 10 as they finished in second place, ahead of Amherst College. Little Three Championships are declared when a varsity team from Wesleyan, Williams, and Amherst defeats the other two rivals. The fierce competition among the schools dates back to at least 1910. In 2017-18, women’s crew, volleyball, men’s basketball and men’s lacrosse won Little Three titles. Mitchell, of Bellevue, Wash.,…

On May 4, Wesleyan Baseball Coach Mark Woodworth ’94 inducted six new members into the Wesleyan Baseball Wall of Fame. Also inducted was a historical class of eight alums who graduated between 1866 and 1931 who were instrumental in the early years of the program. This year, a new brick backstop was built not only for the field, but to serve as an actual “Wall” for the Wall of Fame. (more…)

On May 26 Eudice Chong ’18, a member of the Wesleyan tennis team, did something that no other collegiate tennis player—in any division—had done before: She won her fourth consecutive National Collegiate Athletic Association Singles Championship. And to add a twist to that already thrilling game, Chong, ranked number one on Wesleyan's team, played the final match against her teammate, doubles partner, and friend, Victoria Yu ’19, ranked second on the team. Back on campus following the victory, Coach Mike Fried reflected on the program and the experience. As an undergrad at Brown he had played on their tennis team…

On May 27, 2018, Wesleyan lacrosse won its first National College Athletic Association Championship, defeating Salisbury University, 8–6 at Gillette Stadium for the Division III title. When Lacrosse Head Coach John Raba, a graduate of the University of New Haven, began at Wesleyan in 1997, he was 25 and an assistant coach with the football team. Lacrosse—now his sole focus as head coach—was something additional that first year. “If someone had told me back then that Wesleyan would win a national championship, I would've said, ‘Oh, great. What sport?’ Twenty-one years later, here we are. Congratulations, team!” In a Q&A,…

The 2018 spring season will go down as the greatest in Wesleyan University Athletics history. On May 26, Eudice Chong '18 of the No. 5-ranked Wesleyan University women's tennis team made history at the NCAA Division III Individual Championships in Claremont, Calif., as she became the first person to win four NCAA Singles Championships in any division of college tennis. She competed against her teammate, Victoria Yu ’19, in the finals while the duo also finished as runner-up in the doubles bracket. As a team, Wesleyan women’s tennis reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championships for the first-time ever. Read a…

Members of Women’s LAX Team Graduate Early Due to NCAA Play

Students Honored at 7th Annual Scholar-Athlete Dinner

Cardinal Community Classic Raises Almost $5K to Help Local Women with Breast Cancer

2 Students Inducted into the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Honor Society

73 Student-Athletes Receive NESCAC All-Academic Honors

Coaches, Student Athletes Teach Local Girls about Sports

56 Student-Athletes Named to NESCAC’s Fall All-Academic Team; 8 Earn All-Sportsmanship Honors

Cross Country’s Mitchell ’19 Takes 1st Place at Little Three Championship

Wesleyan Inducts 6 Alumni to 2018 Baseball Wall of Fame

Eudice Chong ’18, Coach Mike Fried: A Scholar-Athlete Program for Champions

Q&A with Lacrosse Coach John Raba: What Makes a Winning Team

2017–18 Athletic Season Concludes with 2 National Championships