Madeline Hubbard ‘19
Sports Editor
As the leaves outside die and the air gets colder, the approach of winter slows everything down – everything except the Smith Athletic Teams.
At 6:30 a.m. on an otherwise sleepy Tuesday morning, the energy from Swimming and Diving and the Basketball teams can be felt throughout the gym. These athletes show up before even the sun is up to put in the work to accomplish their goals for their upcoming seasons.
The cheers of the basketball team accented by the squeaks of basketball shoes on the court can be heard all the way down the stairwell of Ainsworth Gym. In the pool, the slaps of focused swim strokes are met with cheers of encouragement from teammates as they train.
Basketball, Indoor Track and Swimming and Diving teams have done the off-season training to prepare them to reach their goals and are ready to begin their competitive seasons.
In his first year as the head coach, Zack Kundel leads the Swimming and Diving team. He is also joined by Jack Ferriter who will coach the divers this season. The incoming class this year is made up of 11 first-years bringing a lot of new energy to the team.
“The team is meshing really well – I feel like there is a lot of positive team chemistry. I’m happy with how the team has reacted and is adjusting to the coaching change, as well as welcoming in one of our biggest first-year classes ever,” Kundel said.
This young team has goals to place top two at the Seven Sisters meet Jan. 20 and 21 and beat Mount Holyoke at their senior meet Feb. 10. The team is looking to set some new school records this season and swim their way into the top seven for NEWMACs.
Last year, the team sent a diver to nationals, and they could be looking to send more than one diver this year. The team is also hoping to give back this season with their Hour of Power practice Nov. 14 to raise money for Sarcoma research and on their training trip to Puerto Rico assisting in humanitarian efforts this J-term.
This past Saturday, Swimming and Diving had their first relay meet and feels confident heading to WPI Friday to square off against Babson, Brandeis and WPI. Look out for the Wild Bunch as they jump off the blocks eager to face the challenges this season holds.
Indoor Track began practices last week and is excited to use this season to train hard and improve their times and distances to prepare for the spring season. Many athletes will soon trickle in from their respective sports and then begin their training.
This season, Coach Carla Coffey hopes to develop a depth in all the events and see consistent improvement over the winter training sessions. Joining Coffey this season is Sean Cabaniss, first-year grad student, to coach the sprinters and hurdlers and specialize in coaching the jumpers.
Alongside those two is Adam Flyte, another first-year grad student, to coach the distance runners. This year holds an experienced team with a few first year recruits joining upon the completion of cross-country season.
Returning for the Pioneers is Co-Captain Zoe Rubinstein ’18, who had a tremendous season last year qualifying for NCAA’s during the indoor and outdoor seasons. She also earned All-American honors after placing fourth at the meet. Rubinstein is looking to add to her list of accomplishments and break some more records in this coming season.
Co-Captain Cassie Naranjo ‘19 set the record for Smith indoor high jump last season and looks to break her own record and the outdoor high jump record. Other returners including Iris Afantchao ‘20, Frances Duncan ’20 and Avi Kleine ’19 are looking to make improvements and return to the championships and improve on last year’s personal bests. Look for the team this winter blowing away the competition at their first meet the Smith College Winter Classic Invitational on December 2nd and again January 20th.
Basketball returned to the court two weeks ago and has not slowed down since. Led by Lynn Hersey in her tenth year coaching the Pioneers, alongside Assistant Coaches Jen MacAulay and Devon Quattrocchi, the team includes a solid group of returners and welcomes two first-years to the crew.
Last year, the team lost to Babson in the semi-finals but hopes to come closer this year in NEWMACs. The squad has a lot of experience playing together and hopes to use their closeness and ability to communicate well with each other to find success this season.
The team has been putting in the work at early morning practices and lifts to make sure they are ready when their first game comes around Nov. 15 at home against Pine Manor College and the Tyler Tipoff the weekend after. Their dedication to the game shines through as they show up morning after morning excited to work and it will be exciting to see them dominate the NEWMACs this season.
Good luck to all the athletes competing this winter season. Make sure to come out and support your Smith Pioneers as they strive towards their goals this season.
