As the academic year draws to a close, so do Vassar athletic seasons. Some sports have already wrapped up for the year, while others have just a few more months of training and competition. Senior athletes are playing—or perhaps already played—their last moments with their teams. Like all endings, this one is bittersweet for six Vassar athletes, who reflected on their final collegiate athletic seasons via written correspondence with The Miscellany News.
Augusta Stockman ’23 runs for the women’s cross country and track and field teams. She reflected on her fall cross country season, saying, “Getting sixth as a team at Regionals in St. Lawrence, tying the second-best program finish, was definitely a highlight. It spoke to our growth over the season, not just competitively but also off the course as teammates and friends. The energy after that race was so positive, even though we ultimately missed an at-large bid to go to Nationals together, because that growth felt so tangible.” As team captain and the only senior that season, she is optimistic about the program’s future: “We have an amazing class of first-years coming in next year, and I think that’s due in large part to the culture we cultivated this year.”
Stockman reflected on how meaningful her involvement with these teams has been, especially during COVID. “Being a part of the XCTF program has without a doubt been the most meaningful part of my Vassar experience. That community was my rock throughout the pandemic,” she described. “Getting sent home as a freshman, team Zoom calls kept me connected and helped build relationships; coming back sophomore year to a very different Vassar, masked and distanced practices and dark, frigid dinners outside with the team somehow kept me sane. That community has rekindled my love for running and competing and taught me how to lead in ways I didn’t think I could.”
Now that the cross country season has ended, Stockman is competing with the Vassar track team, which has begun its first winter indoor season. Notably, this is her first Vassar track and field season, as the pandemic derailed competition in the Spring of 2020 and 2021. She also studied abroad her junior year. “I am experiencing both for the first and last time,” she noted. “It’s fun to feel like I’m learning right alongside everyone else, and it’s reminding me to stay in the moment and not take anything for granted since I only get one shot.”
Captain of the men’s squash team Sameer Mustafa ’23 shared this sentiment of not taking any final moments for granted, remarking, “To any athletes, make sure to enjoy your seasons with the team. I’ve learned in my last season that these memories last forever, so it’s important to stay present and cherish the moment.”
The squash season wrapped up at the end of February, and Mustafa expressed that he will miss traveling with his teammates and laughing on long bus rides. “My team has meant a lot to me, and they are the people I see the most on campus. This year has been the most fun so far, and we get along so great,” he shared. “I’m gonna miss them a ton.”
Traveling with the team has also been a highlight for men’s swimming and diving team member Leroy Wang ’23. He expressed, “The highlight of my season was definitely the Florida Training Trip. Being able to train hard with your teammates while also relaxing on the beach was a wonderful bonding experience, and I’ll cherish it for a lifetime.”
Wang, who has been swimming at Vassar since he was a first-year, reflected on the team’s growth, as well as his own: “Having seen the team’s growth over the past four years has been tremendous, and it’s crazy how I went from a wide-eyed freshman to a senior in what seems like such a short time. From a mentee to a mentor, the team has allowed me to learn and grow so much, and I’m very grateful for that.”
Similarly, field hockey team captain Ella Pearl ’23 described how much growing up with her team has meant to her, saying: “The team has meant everything to me for the last four years. When I came in as first-year the team was there to support me in the transition which was especially meaningful.”
A season highlight for Pearl was preseason, as the team comes to campus two weeks before the academic year begins to start training. She described, “We use preseason to get to know the new members of our team and do various team bonding activities. I enjoy it because you’re working super hard on the field with all your best friends, and it feels really rewarding.”
Women’s volleyball player Carly Fajardo ’23 has also found her best friends through her sport. She expressed, “From my first day of preseason freshman year, my teammates have been my built-in best friends. They’ve been my favorite part of Vassar volleyball.” She continued, “I’ve had the best time with them, and I know I’ve made friends for life.”
Her teammates are what she’ll miss most after she leaves Vassar. “I’m so grateful for the time I’ve gotten with them,” she shared. “I’ve been especially lucky to have been able to live with some of them, and it’s been my favorite part of college.”
This team bond is also what has made Vassar men’s rugby so special for Rowan Roshong ’23. He said, “The rugby team has been a family to me. Freshman year, I made my first friends through the team. The rugby team has always felt unique at Vassar: The team was welcoming and full of some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met. Looking back, I’m happy for the friends I’ve made, and I hope VC rugby continues to be a family to more people.”
This was a standout season for the Vassar rugby program, as the men’s team grew significantly with the addition of new players. Roshong explained, “The men’s team was able to field a full A and B side for the first time since before the pandemic began. The seniors have done a lot of work to rebuild the team to what it used to be pre-COVID, and are very proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish. Seeing the rookies dive head first into our sport and culture was incredible.”
And, of course, the women’s rugby team won its second consecutive national championship—“[W]atching and cheering on their victory was definitely a highlight of the fall,” Roshong expressed.
Not only will athletes miss their teams and the bonds they’ve formed, but they’ll also miss the reason they began competing in the first place: their sports. Stockman voiced, “I’ve been running competitively for eleven years, half my life—I honestly have no idea what it will look or feel like without it.” Pearl felt similarly, remarking, “I am grateful that I had a competitive outlet at Vassar, and that’s something I’m really going to miss.” Roshong echoed this sentiment, “Leaving VC rugby will be very hard for me. I don’t know that I’m truly ready to be done playing.”
But, of course, there is also peace that comes with a chapter ending. Senior athletes have put in the long hours and hard work. They’ve experienced the highs and lows with their teammates. And now the journey is almost over. Wang concluded, “It’s been a great ride, but retirement awaits.”