Fund Supports Athletics Strength and Conditioning Program

Jonah Spates lifts weights before discussing his impressions of the strength and conditioning program
Student-athlete Jonah Spates ’25 plays football at Kalamazoo College and is benefiting from a new strength and conditioning program.
Emma Stickley lifts weights before discussing the strength and conditioning program at Kalamazoo College
Student-athlete Emma Stickley ’24 says she benefited from the new strength and conditioning program when she was on study abroad. By using an app, she completed the same workouts her volleyball teammates did at home.

How to Donate to K’s

Strength and Conditioning

Athletics Program

If you would like to support K student-athletes, please make a gift online to the Strength and Conditioning Fund or contact Lindsay O’Donohue at 269.337.7299 or lindsay.odonohue@kzoo.edu.

Generous contributions from several alumni and parent donors are enhancing the offerings of the Kalamazoo College Athletic Department’s strength and conditioning program, which is providing student-athletes with confidence and improved performance in the weight room and in competition.

Co-Interim Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Jamie Zorbo said the College in years past had one part-time coach covering strength and conditioning for all of its 18 sports. Now, however, a three-year pilot collaboration with the Richland-based company Athletic Mentors provides each team access to multiple certified coaches, along with nutrition advice, sports psychology services and enhanced technology to improve preparation and game-day experiences.

“We’ve gone from a Division III caliber strength and conditioning program to a Division I by most standards,” Zorbo said. “We’re providing a high level of strength conditioning, coaching, expertise and technology to our teams and athletes.”

That matters to prospective student-athletes, he said, because most of them are used to having a strength coach by the time they reach high school, and the additional guidance is imperative for long-term success.

“It’s a focal point when prospective student-athletes visit,” Zorbo said. “Recruits want us to describe the culture in the weight room and what an offseason program looks like. We’re able to answer that question very positively now.”

Recruits then can benefit firsthand as they matriculate at K. The strength experts work with coaches to establish a team’s custom-fit plan of action while also connecting with athletes through two apps—one to record workouts and communicate any issues, and the other to share educational content about nutrition, sleep recovery, the negative effects of drug-and-alcohol use and more.

“The strength and conditioning coach and a head coach talk about where a team might be deficient,” Zorbo said. “They will ask, ‘How do we need to plan things out,’ ‘What do we need to do to set the team up for success once we hit the season’ and ‘How should we approach strength and conditioning during the season?’ because that changes. They’re very organized and take a year-round approach. That used to be a big challenge for us. It’s not a hurdle anymore, because there are multiple trained coaches that we have access to who handle all the programming and planning for each team. Our athletes are probably in the weight room more than they ever have been before.”

While reflecting on such benefits, Zorbo also declared a big “thank you” to the donors while recognizing that the gifts will help K recruits, coaches and student-athletes for years to come.

“I’m a big believer that the development of our student-athletes is where we really need to be a cut above, and these very generous gifts are a game changer,” Zorbo said. “If you’re a stronger and better-conditioned athlete, that enhances your confidence, safety and your ability to do your job on the field. I believe these changes will lead to more success on the field, so this is transformational.”

From the Student-Athletes

and Coaches

“This past winter, I studied abroad in Costa Rica and I was still able to do all the workouts that all the girls were doing here in the gym because I could just pull up the app on my phone, look at the assigned workout and do it.”

Emma Stickley ’24, volleyball student-athlete

“I’m the heaviest I’ve ever been, I’m the strongest I’ve ever been, and I would like to say I’m the fastest I’ve ever been.”

— Jonah Spates ’25, football student-athlete

“From an injury-prevention standpoint, we need our student-athletes firing on all cylinders 100% of the time. The injury-prevention aspect of this program and maximizing our performance is huge for us.”

— Cross Country Head Coach Kyle Morrison

“I think one of the most important things we can invest in is a program like this; something that will benefit every single one of our teams.”

— Women’s Lacrosse Head Coach Jess Smith

“It helps me as a coaching professional by taking something off my plate so that I can focus fully on competition readiness. It helps me do all of the other parts of my job more successfully.”

— Men’s Lacrosse Head Coach Vince Redko

Compete for a Cause Helps K Students Support Local Charities

Two students in red Compete for a Cause t-shirts watching a volleyball game at Kalamazoo College
Ty Horky ’24 (left) and Savera Rajendra-Nicolucci ’24 are co-presidents of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council, which created Compete for a Cause to support local charities and foundations.
Two football players in pink t-shirts warming up on the field
Kalamazoo College’s football team joined the women’s soccer team in fall by raising breast cancer awareness and supporting the West Michigan Cancer Center with pink t-shirt sales.
Two students wearing red t-shirts that say Compete for a Cause 2023
Kalamazoo College volleyball spectators supported women’s health and the YWCA by purchasing red t-shirts at a match last fall.

Kalamazoo College’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) developed an idea last fall that is supporting local charities and foundations with the help of students, faculty, staff, parents and the community.

SAAC representatives, including co-presidents Savera Rajendra-Nicolucci ’24 and Ty Horky ’24, created Compete for a Cause, which allows K athletic teams that play in a specific season to select a beneficiary to back and a cause to amplify during a chosen Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) game on their schedule. Starting last term, student-athletes collaborated with local nonprofits, donning custom warm-up shirts on game day to raise community awareness. These custom shirts were available for sale, with all proceeds benefitting their partner organizations.

“Savera and I have been on the SAAC board since we were sophomores and we’ve moved up the committee together along the way,” Horky said. “Doing this was about how we can make something for the SAAC organization that lasts longer than us being here and how we can implement a plan to give back to the communities around us.”

SAAC’s first steps toward such efforts involved meeting with MIAA Commissioner Chris Brown and K athletics administrative representatives with the hope of getting the entire conference involved and initiate introductions with local charities. Their support proved to be inspiring.

“I think the support from administration, from the MIAA Commissioner all the way down, was nothing but positive,” Horky said. “Right off the bat, they just asked, ‘How can we help you? What can we do to get the ball rolling?’ Everybody being behind us has been a huge help.”

Then, despite weathering some in-game storms, the first season of Compete for a Cause was successful. Rajendra-Nicolucci’s women’s soccer squad, for example, chose breast cancer awareness as its cause, selected a game that coincided with a football contest, and conducted a united breast-cancer awareness day between the teams to benefit the West Michigan Cancer Center (WMCC).

Compete for a Cause Games

  • Kalamazoo College’s volleyball team raised women’s health awareness by supporting the YWCA of Kalamazoo with red t-shirt sales last fall.
  • In October, the football and women’s soccer teams raised breast cancer awareness by supporting the West Michigan Cancer Center with pink t-shirts.
  • The men’s soccer team raised food insecurity awareness by supporting Loaves and Fishes in Kalamazoo with orange t-shirt sales in October.
  • K’s men’s and women’s basketball squads are teaming up to support the houseless and the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission in their games on February 3.
  • K’s swimming and diving teams will raise mental health awareness and support Gryphon Place during their home meets on February 3.

    A special thank you to Capital National Bank, HAP, Miller Johnson Attorneys of Kalamazoo and Underground Printing of Kalamazoo for their support. 

Two women's soccer players warming up in pink Compete for a Cause t-shirts before a game
K’s fall athletics teams secured well more than $1,000 in t-shirt sales and online donations for the West Michigan Cancer Center, the YWCA of Kalamazoo and Loaves and Fishes through Compete for a Cause events.
Several football players with backpacks wearing pink t-shirts that say Compete for a Cause in the rain
The Student-Athlete Advisory Council met with MIAA Commissioner Chris Brown and K athletics administrative representatives to generate their support for Compete for a Cause.
Kalamazoo College football players wearing pink t-shirts gather as a team in the rain before their Compete for a Cause game
K’s football and women’s soccer teams endured a rain storm during their Compete for a Cause events, but still successfully raised funds for the West Michigan Cancer Center.

WMCC Director of Development Anne Witherspoon was invited to attend, raise awareness, share information and accept donations to support their mission.

“It was wonderful to see the student-athletes support the community through this initiative,” Witherspoon said. “Beyond just being incredible students, who I enjoyed spending time with, their impressive organization and professionalism fostered a meaningful connection with the K community, letting us share the WMCC mission with parents, fans and donors.”

Athletes were gratified by the support they received and the end result.

“It was definitely more work than we thought, especially with the business aspect of things, but we’ve learned that there’s so much in the Kalamazoo community to love,” Rajendra-Nicolucci said. “It was interesting to see how much we can do just by talking to people. Anne Witherspoon, who works at the West Michigan Cancer Center, said one of her best memories of the day was sitting with Ty and getting to know him and our school. Those connections go a long way and show there’s more to playing a college sport than the gear and winning.”

Student-athletes in dress clothes posing in front of a sculpture
Horky (second from left) and Savera Rajendra-Nicolucci (fourth from right) are co-presidents of SAAC.

In serving SAAC, Rajendra-Nicolucci and Horky have consistently organized campus events for students, including student-athletes. But the first Compete for a Cause events have been special as they’ve reached out to the at-large community. And now, it’s time for K’s winter athletics teams, including Horky’s men’s basketball team, to take the effort’s reins.

The men’s and women’s basketball teams are combining their efforts to support homelessness awareness and the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission during their home games on Saturday, February 3. The same day, the swimming and diving teams will spread mental health awareness and donate all of their proceeds to Gryphon Place.

Separately in their time at K, Rajendra-Nicolucci played women’s golf for two years and taught biology and English to children in Spain during her study abroad experience. After graduating, she hopes to develop a career in medical or pharmaceutical sales. Horky also wants to build a career in medical and pharmaceutical sales and might consider playing basketball as a graduate student to fulfill a final year of eligibility. But Compete for a Cause’s effectiveness will be what they and other SAAC participants point to as they define their legacies at K.

“Students are busy all year, whether it is with school responsibilities, work responsibilities, athletic responsibilities or extracurriculars,” Rajendra-Nicolucci said. “Something as simple as this initiative can remind us that there is always more to be done. Giving back is something you will never regret. Whether it is the connections that you make along the way or the touching moments, these feelings are just as good or even better than the feeling of winning a double overtime game. Everyone is welcome to these games, and we hope to see you and the rest of the Kalamazoo community continue to give back to something greater than just a game.”

Kicker’s Catch Makes College Football History

The last points of the 2023 Kalamazoo College football season might be among the most significant in team history even if they didn’t get tallied as planned.

Madison Barch ’24, No. 48 in orange and black, thought she was about to attempt her last kick in college on November 11 at Trine, when—in the final minute—the snap on an extra point was bobbled, forcing her to improvise. She scrambled and unexpectedly ran wide open at the left side of the end zone with a pass from holder Josh Nichols ’24 on its way.

“I could just see the ball coming in, and I remember thinking to myself, ‘Madison, of all the times to catch a ball, you have to catch this ball right now,’” Barch said.

She had already been the first woman to score for the K football team two years prior by booting an extra point on September 4, 2021, in a game at Oberlin. But now, as Barch wrapped her fingers around the ball, she tallied a two-point conversion, recording what are believed to be the first non-kicking points by a woman at any level in the history of NCAA football.

“It was completely unplanned,” Barch said. “Coach joked around afterward asking me how much I had to pay Josh to get him to do that. I said, ‘Nothing, I swear!’ We always practiced it as a team just in case of emergencies, but it felt like an out-of-body experience. I don’t remember feeling anything when it happened. I just remember catching the ball. I then was so excited. There were so many emotions. It took all the self-control I had in me not to spike the ball like Rob Gronkowski. I didn’t think coach would be happy if we got a penalty from that.”

The Hornets lost 42-29 that day, but the team celebrated as though it had won a conference championship. Barch finished the game 3-for-3 on extra point attempts. Plus, all the young girls who showed up at K football games year after year to see Barch play had another reason to look up to her.

“I remember some of the guys running on the field and hitting my helmet, yelling, ‘Oh, my gosh!’” Barch said. “I was so excited that I almost forgot to give the ball back to the referee. I ran back, gave the ball to the referee and there was just a huddle of teammates.”

Barch’s football pursuits began in seventh grade while growing up in Utica, Michigan. Her sisters always had tried a variety of sports, and her male peers, after seeing her play soccer, encouraged her to try kicking for the football team. Her dad, Peter, was excited to let her try it, but Barch’s mom, Michele, needed to be convinced.

“I don’t know how I convinced her, but I did somehow,” Barch said. “I’m sure she was frightened, but now, she’s my number one fan by far.”

In being that top fan, Mom convinced Barch to pursue football through high school—where ESPN once showed her practicing field goals of more than 50 yards—and even into college. That led Barch to attend a prestigious prospect camp in Tennessee where she was its first-ever female invitee, and make spreadsheets that listed prospective schools along with the names and email addresses of their head coaches and special teams coaches.

“I’m so glad she pushed me through that,” Barch said. “She knows me better than I know myself.”

After hearing from a few Division II and III schools, Barch visited K and fell in love. A subsequent visit to another school didn’t go well.

“I remember sitting in the car with my dad on the way home from that visit, and I told him that I wanted to go to Kalamazoo,” Barch said. “I didn’t see myself going anywhere else. I’ve had so many good experiences over the past few years at K and it’s been life changing. I made so many good friends, so many good connections and I just don’t know where I would be if I never went to K.”

Barch still had some challenges on the road to her biggest accomplishments. Her K experience began with distance learning as a result of COVID-19 in fall 2020. The football team then attempted to move its fall 2020 season to spring 2021, but injuries forced them to cancel after two games. Barch also had a hip injury and a couple of personal illnesses along the way.

Regardless, Barch went on to elect a biochemistry major and stuck with football. She’s been on the MIAA Academic Honor Roll the past three years. She also became a President’s Student Ambassador—representing the College at formal events for community leaders, alumni and donors as an extension of the president’s office—and an Admission employee who leads prospective students on campus tours.

While she may have just wrapped up her collegiate football career, she’s looking forward to starting the next phase of her life. After graduating next spring, she would like to follow her dad’s lead into law enforcement and work in forensics, possibly starting with an internship with the Michigan State Police.

“I was in a 400-level chemistry class with Dr. Jennifer Furchak this fall called instrumental analysis, and we got to meet with an alumna from K who works in forensics in Tennessee,” Barch said. “Hearing from her and having that class was interesting. I think I would like working in ballistics and firearms analysis. Thinking about how I can trace one little shell casing back to wherever it came from seems cool to me. And yet I’m not too stressed about what I’m going to do. Whatever God has planned for me is going to work itself out.”

Kicker Madison Barch celebrates catching a two-point conversion that made college football history
Kicker Madison Barch ’24 caught a two-point conversion against Trine on November 11, representing what are believed to be the first non-kicking points tallied by a woman at any level in college football history. Photo by Laura Moat.
Madison-Barch-with-family-at-athletics-complex-1
Barch recognizes the support she receives from family when she discusses her football achievements. They include (from left) brother-in-law, Josh Abate; second-oldest sister, Mackenzie Abate; dad, Peter Barch next to Madison; her mom, Michele Barch; oldest sister, Meaghan Barch; younger sister, Marissa Barch; and cousin, Amanda Krieger.
Madison Barch kicking
Barch completes a kick in a Kalamazoo College football game. Her recent two-point conversion against Trine made college football history. Photo by Kimberley Moss.
Madison Barch with family at 50-yard line
Barch stands with some of her family members on Senior Day. Photo by Kimberley Moss.

Math Meets Poetry to Form Distinctive Senior Project

A liberal arts education from Kalamazoo College gives students a chance to expand their academic interests with great opportunities to turn hobbies into academic involvement. A great instance of that practice is Lizzy Rottenberk ’24, who is double majoring in mathematics and English with a focus on poetry.

In high school, Rottenberk was sure that mathematics was her main academic focus, while she considered poetry to be her hobby. That changed after she took classes through the English department at the end of her first year at K.

“Personally, writing poems has always represented a good way to self-reflect,” Rottenberk said. “It’s a passion that allows me to see how I am feeling and learn more about myself.”

In fact, for her Senior Integrated Project (SIP), she is merging her two passions of math and poetry. Together, they form “Academic Tangents,” where Rottenberk integrates calculus theorems with poetry structures and contexts. The project consists of reflective poems related to academic struggles with five different math concepts represented: functions, limits, derivatives, sequences and series, and anti-derivatives.

All those collections of poems start with a definition of the theorems, followed by a free-verse poem that redefines the theorem in a poetic way. Finally, Rottenberk incorporates poems representing the theorem in the structure and context. The following is an excerpt from a poem titled Connected and Continuous in her SIP:

Editor’s note: This story was written by Blagoja Naskovski ’24. He serves as a social media ambassador for the College Marketing and Communications team. 

Lizzy Rottenberk Abroad
Lizzy Rottenberk ’24 is merging her two passions of math and poetry.

“Connected and Continuous” by Elizabeth Rottenberk

6:00 am
eyes widen
brain begins animation
embarking towards the serene kitchen
breakfast smells of sweet warmth and motivation
pecan almond syrup comforting slightly chewy waffles
leading to a freshly organized backpack filled with unlearned trig
to be explored when the sun peaks above tree lines through a wired window
the window that holds foreheads until listening and comprehension become equal
wielding a pencil like the sword of King Arthur as he is who you traveled to learn about
through the roughest of puddles, more ferocious of red lights but nevertheless, you arrived
to hear the educators chant the literary devices and warn us about math’s greatest complexities
and experience numerous “ah ha’s” that fuel flights into deeper TOK and AOK conversations
until exit from the essential castle known as the education system has been granted
headed home your mind becomes lured into a rooted nap as it shifts to autopilot
the time for learning discontinues as the sun hides behind the tree line
walking under the threshold to the kitchen where delicious
satisfying-smelling food needs your dining
fuel in the vessel that travels distances
to calculate and conquer problems
and write essays in MLA
eyes closed
6:00 am


Rottenberk is active not only in academics, but also in many on-campus and off-campus initiatives. She currently works as a consultant at the Math and Physics Center, where she provides academic peer support to K students for advanced math classes. Moreover, she is the captain for the softball team and president of the Hacky Sack student organization. She is also a First-Year Experience mentor, which allows her to guide students while they adapt to new academic environments.

Off-campus, Rottenberk is part of Sustainable Living Guide, an organization that provides educational support and resources for healthy and sustainable living. Her commitment to this organization includes organizing virtual classes for sustainability, writing for social media and a website, and conducting research on climate action, zero-waste lifestyle and other topics.

“Being proactive makes me feel better and more productive,” Rottenberk said. “While participating in many on-campus initiatives, I feel that that I am not only contributing to my personal and professional growth, but also to my community.”

Rottenberk said K’s liberal arts education has empowered her to push her boundaries while allowing her to apply creative thinking in her academics. Two of her most influential classes at K have been ENG210: Intermediate Poetry Workshop, where she expanded her knowledge of how to write poems, and MATH320: Real Analysis.

“I would encourage students to be independent with established critical thought,” she said. “More importantly, I strongly suggest students utilize every opportunity that K classes offer when it comes to critical thinking.”

Math and poetry expert Elizabeth Rottenberk in a Kalamazoo College softball uniform
Lizzy Rottenberk ’24 is a captain for K’s softball team.

College Raptor Rates K a Hidden Gem

A web-based organization dedicated to helping students and families find their best-fit institution of higher education, has chosen Kalamazoo College for two honors that identify the school as an excellent destination for well-rounded experiences.

College Raptor says K is one of 15 small schools to qualify as a Hidden Gem in the Great Lakes region of Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana. In addition, K is among 25 schools nationwide named a Division III Hidden Gem in athletics.

To qualify overall as a Hidden Gem, an institution must receive fewer than 5,000 applications per year, have fewer than 7,000 undergraduate students, offer at least five unique majors and maintain an acceptance rate of at least 10%. The selection recognizes K as one of the best colleges in the country based on a combination of factors including retention rates, graduation rates, student-to-faculty ratio, endowment per student, selectivity and other key metrics as reported through the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), according to the College Raptor website.

Kalamazoo College sign
College Raptor says Kalamazoo College is one of 15 small schools to qualify as a Hidden Gem in the Great Lakes. Plus, K is among 25 nationwide named a Division III athletics Hidden Gem.

As a Division III Hidden Gem, College Raptor also says K offers great opportunities for student-athletes who want a combined athletic and academic college experience, making the College a standout among the 442 schools College Raptor examined.

“For students seeking the enriching experience of a smaller college with exceptional programs, institutions like K emerge as prime options, and we are honored to spotlight them with the recognition they genuinely deserve,” College Raptor CEO William Staib said.

“A liberal arts model at a small college provides the most thorough education because it teaches students a variety of skillsets that employers desire through personal attention from faculty and staff along with a flexible curriculum and enriching co-curricular activities,” Dean of Admission Suzanne Lepley said. “We love it when other organizations confirm what a gem we are.”

Student-Athlete Takes Flag Football to Kenya

With another year of Kalamazoo College football camp beginning, student-athlete Adam Stapleton ’25 is proudly reflecting on a summer that included some international volunteerism through his sport.

Stapleton, a business major in his academic life and a linebacker for the Hornets in athletics, introduced children in Kenya to flag football by visiting a rural, ministry-based school in the town of Nyahururu through the Pan African Christian Exchange (PACE).

The idea was to help the children experience some diversity in their physical education classes in coordination with a two-week service trip he shared with his family, including his dad—who works as a pastor—his mom and his brother.

“Usually, the students would only be playing soccer, and the school wanted them to have a more enriching experience in general,” Stapleton said. “I feel like football as a game teaches a lot of life skills outside of just athleticism. There’s teamwork because you have to be on the same page, and there’s strategy, which helped them learn to think while contributing to their growing experiences in school as a whole.”

The children, he said, were somewhat familiar with rugby, which provided some parallels along with some challenges because of slightly different rules. They had to learn, for example, that football has four downs and varied guidance as to how teams can sub players in and out of a game.

Regardless, the classes embraced the experience, making Stapleton’s job feel less like a Hail Mary and more like an inevitable run to pay dirt.

“I could just see their joy, especially when I told them we would leave all the materials there so they could play on their own,” Stapleton said. “They don’t have a lot of what we do, but they were so much happier than we usually are. The whole experience helped me see that attitude is what makes you happy.”

Stapleton added that he and his brother also taught chess to the students. In fact, some of the children picked it up so quickly that they nearly beat the duo by the time they left. The whole experience leaves Stapleton with no doubt that he would like to return to Kenya one day, in addition to studying abroad in Madrid or Costa Rica before he leaves K.

“This wasn’t so much about my K-Plan, but it definitely fit with the K experience,” Stapleton said. “It was about putting myself out there to try new things. It also fit for me as a business major. I sat in on one of their business classes and tried to contribute some things about my classes. I want to go back again, and in my professional life, I think this experience will help me interact more with diverse people and reach others different from me. I’m glad I went because I didn’t expect it to be anything like it was. Going there and seeing the joy on the kids’ faces while teaching them something new and experiencing a new place was an awesome opportunity.”

Adam Stapleton Teaching Flag Football in Kenya
Student-athlete Adam Stapleton introduced children in Kenya to flag football this summer, diversifying their physical education classes.

Holy Cow! That Baseball Broadcaster is a K Student

When significant sports moments are celebrated, fans turn to broadcasters for the words that will help make those moments historic. Zach Metz ’25 doesn’t yet have something like “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!” to call his own, but he’s been preparing to be a broadcaster for years.

“I would always be the kid who turned the volume down on a TV sports broadcast to commentate on the game,” he said. “It’s just a passion I’ve had since I was little.”

You might know Metz as a business major; the voice of the Hornets for Kalamazoo College’s baseball, softball, soccer, basketball, volleyball and lacrosse teams; or a quarterback for K’s football team. But this summer, he’s interning as the play-by-play livestream broadcaster with the Grand Lake Mariners in Celina, Ohio, one of 14 cities with a Great Lakes Summer Collegiate Baseball League team.

“I knew about the Great Lakes league through some of our players at K who had played in it, so I went on the league’s website, and I filled out an interest form,” Metz said. “I said, ‘I would like to broadcast,’ and Dave Maurer, our assistant general manager reached out. I sent him my materials and interviewed, and they offered me the job. I was excited to take it.”

His internship began quickly after K’s baseball team earned a 10-5 victory against Adrian in May, a triumph that gave the Hornets their first outright Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association regular season title since 1927.

“Calling the final out of that game was a lot of fun for me, especially with it being a game we had to win to get the outright title,” Metz said. “Whenever there’s a crucial RBI at the end of the game and you can really put some excitement into it, it’s fun. But I loved knowing that what I was doing at that moment was a small part of what the players and their families got out of it.”

After that, Metz was off to Ohio, where the Mariners are the second-oldest team in their league and are named for being on the shores of Grand Lake St. Mary’s. He stays with the team’s assistant general manager and applauds the franchise for welcoming interns as well as it does.

Grand Lake Mariners Broadcaster Zach Metz
Zach Metz ’25 is the livestream broadcaster for the Grand Lake Mariners, a Great Lakes Summer Baseball League team in Celina, Ohio.

“Fortunately, this role in this league is pretty similar to what I do in college, so there hasn’t been a lot new to me aside from the players using wooden bats,” Metz said. “I talked a lot to the players on our team. I learned what their pitchers throw. Other than that, it’s not much different from any other game I’ve ever done. It’s finding the stats, putting them into a format that I like and rolling with it.”

Preparing for a game in the summer league involves putting together a packet for each Mariners opponent with their schedule, record, players’ stats, team stats and potential storylines.

“With baseball being slower, there’s more time to tell a story,” Metz said. “It usually takes about an hour for each side per packet in a format that’s easy to read.”

Taking to the road means additional challenges.

“On road trips, we don’t have video for our broadcasts—only the home team does—so it turns into more of a radio broadcast,” Metz said. “In that case, it requires me to prepare more because I need to talk more. I can’t stop and let things play out for a minute because the person listening doesn’t know what’s going on if I don’t talk. It can get a little tiring if the game isn’t going well for the Mariners, but really, I just need to get more preparation done.”

Yet no matter where he roams or where he broadcasts from, K—along with its community—will always be special to him.

Football Coach Jamie Zorbo “has helped me in learning how to approach academics and time management,” Metz said. “Steve Wideen, our sports information director, was the one who got me into broadcasting at K. I talked to him once and he said, ‘Alright, we’ll get you going.’ I did one game and he said, ‘we’re going to keep you.’ And Tanner White, too, another member of the football team who graduated last year was the broadcaster at K before I came here. We were in the middle of football camp once and I happened to get into the same ice bath with him after practice. He immediately said, ‘Let’s talk broadcasting.’ He told me everywhere to go, everything I need to get there, and we worked together for a year.”

Portrait of Zach Metz
Metz is a business major, the voice of the Hornets for Kalamazoo College’s baseball, softball, soccer, basketball, volleyball and lacrosse teams, and a quarterback for K’s football team.

He expects such connections, along with his internship, to be integral to his future.

“When I was deciding between colleges, I didn’t think I wanted to go to K because they didn’t have a set broadcasting or communications program,” Metz said. “But since I’ve been here, the people who helped me get these opportunities to broadcast and propel me forward have been so important. If I had to pick schools again, I’d pick K without a doubt. Aside from the actual education for me as a broadcaster, the connections you make and the people you meet are super important. That’s ultimately why I chose K and I’m thrilled I’m here.”

$500K Gift Establishes Getman Endowment for Equity in Women’s Athletics at K

Dana Getman, Katie Getman and Teresa Getman for Equity Endowment
Dana Getman ’68 (center) with his wife, Teresa (left) and his daughter Kate Getman. A previous supporter of the Fitness and Wellness Center as well as the Athletic Field Complex, Dana Getman is establishing the Getman Endowment for Equity in Women’s Athletics with a $500,000 gift.

Kalamazoo College has announced a $500,000 gift in support of women’s athletics from Dana Getman ’68.

The gift establishes the Getman Endowment for Equity in Women’s Athletics, which supports the College’s strategic plan, Advancing Kalamazoo College: A Strategic Vision for 2023.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the federal law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex, which required many colleges and universities to offer a women’s athletics program equivalent to any offered for men. Historically, however, many women’s teams have struggled to achieve the same level of funding as men’s teams at K, as at other colleges, said Becky Hall, director of athletics at K.

“Achieving more equity between our women’s and men’s sports programs has been a need and a goal at K as long as I’ve been here, and a gift like this goes a long way toward making that a reality,” Hall said.

Getman hopes creating this fund will inspire others to recognize and address inequities women face in athletics and beyond.

Dana Getman and Becky Hall discuss the Getman Endowment for Equity
Kalamazoo College Director of Athletics Becky Hall thanks Dana Getman ’68 for his $500,000 gift establishing the Getman Endowment for Equity in Women’s Athletics during a fund announcement event with Kalamazoo College women’s coaches.

It’s an issue with personal meaning for Getman, who has three daughters, as well as four granddaughters who have been active in high school athletic programs. While one granddaughter went on to play tennis at Smith College, a women’s college, the other three have not participated in college athletics.

Recently, one of his granddaughters received several offers to play softball at smaller colleges, yet at every college and university she visited, the women’s programs fell short of the men’s. She saw discrepancies between locker rooms, field maintenance, seating and more. Ultimately, she decided not to play softball when she heads off to college in the fall.

“Watching her apply to various schools and evaluate their athletic programs and women’s softball, and then, for various reasons, giving that up, taking a pass on playing in college, is the backdrop to this gift,” Getman said. “The College may have the best intentions of equity, but it may take a long time to get there. If alumni come along and help, maybe that’s what it takes.”

Getman said that in watching his granddaughter play in the high school softball district finals recently, he was struck by how the players are athletes above all. Equity in athletics, he feels, can help promote equality in all areas.

Women's athletics coaches with Director of Athletics Becky Hall and Dana Getman '68
A fund announcement event for the establishment of the Getman Endowment for Equity in Women’s Athletics included (front row, left to right) Director of Athletics Becky Hall, Dana Getman ’68, Women’s Lacrosse Coach Jess Smith, Women’s Basketball Coach Katie Miller, (back row, left to right) Women’s Tennis Coach Mark Murphy, Softball Coach Kelli Duimstra, Women’s Soccer Coach Bryan Goyings, Swimming and Diving Assistant Coach Beth Mitchell, Women’s Volleyball Coach Hunter Bishop, Cross Country Coach Kyle Morrison and Golf Coach Josh Burt.

Getman said he trusts the athletic department at K to be good stewards of the endowment. He knows the needs are great and hopes other supporters will come forward to contribute.

One of the first plans for the endowment is to add Hornets vinyl wall wraps to the women’s locker rooms to make them more personalized and welcoming, Hall said, and more on par with the men’s locker rooms.

“We plan in the future to use this fund to support and enhance equity in our women’s athletic programs’ operating budgets,” Hall said. “We also hope to fund additional staffing in the future to benefit our women’s teams.”

Getman has been a previous supporter of the Athletic Field Complex and the Fitness and Wellness Center.  In his time at K, he studied English and worked for The Index selling advertising.

“In my first two or three weeks, I came to the uncomfortable conclusion that everybody on campus knew more than I did,” Getman said. “Living in that milieu, or society, was very exciting, meeting with people, discussing ideas and discovering new concepts. It was always stimulating and a fun place to be.”

At that time, Getman joked, the best English students wrote for The Index, the next-best took photographs, and he fell into the third category, those who ended up selling advertising.

“I wore a steady path down to the walking mall and got to know all the secretaries on each floor in the Gilmore building,” Getman said. “There was a jewelry store where I said, ‘Well look, the College is where guys propose—of course you want your name out there.’ And they placed an ad.”

Following his time at Kalamazoo College, Getman returned to his family’s business, guiding its evolution from building equipment that transported concrete that aided in the construction of the Mackinac Bridge to becoming a leading, worldwide supplier of safe and efficient mining equipment. He has led the Getman Corporation in multiple capacities for four decades, including his current role of chairman of the board.

“We are grateful to Dana Getman and to all our donors for their generosity and support,” Hall said. “Our goal is to continue to raise the bar, to make them proud, and to work hard every day to impact the student-athletes in our women’s programs in a positive way. Our coaches know the responsibility and power they hold, and they hold it with a lot of pride, a lot of passion, emotion and enthusiasm.”

If you would like to contribute to the Getman Endowment for Equity in Women’s Athletics fund and support women’s athletics, please make a gift online.

K Ready to Make a Splash with New Natatorium

Pool Deck of Kalamazoo College's New Natatorium
Kalamazoo College will dedicate its new natatorium at 4:30 p.m. Friday, October 15.

Kalamazoo College is ready to make a splash with student-athletes and the community thanks to the completion of an $18 million project years in the making. The College will dedicate its new natatorium, at 1010 Academy Street, during Homecoming weekend at 4:30 p.m. Friday, October 15.

The completed project will begin hosting competitions at 1 p.m. Saturday, October 16, as the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams host a triangular meet against Saginaw Valley State University and Alma College.

In addition to the College’s athletics events, the natatorium will host local clubs and high school teams; open swimming for students, faculty and staff; and Swim for Success, an innovative partnership between Kalamazoo College’s Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Center for Civic Engagement and the City of Kalamazoo Parks and Recreation Department. Swim for Success provides affordable swimming lessons, particularly for children from low-income families who otherwise would not have access to this life-saving skill.

Exterior of Kalamazoo College natatorium
Kalamazoo College will dedicate its new natatorium at 4:30 p.m. Friday, October 15.

“We’re excited because the new natatorium will be a tremendous asset for our campus and for the Kalamazoo community,” Kalamazoo College President Jorge G. Gonzalez said. “We are deeply grateful to the donors—many of whom are alumni of the swimming and diving program—who have made an investment that will benefit K students for decades to come. We’re also proud that a profound, impactful program like Swim for Success will again have a home here.”

The 29,600-square-foot, two-story facility will feature eight competition lanes, a separate diving area with 1-meter and 3-meter boards, on-deck seating for athletes, a dryland training room, an office suite for coaches and meet management, a high-quality timing system and large scoreboard, varsity team locker rooms for swimmers and divers, a display space of awards in the lobby and LEED sustainable features and design elements.

The previous natatorium had been home for the College’s swimming and diving teams for five decades. The student-athletes on those teams included eight national champions, three National Divers of the Year, and 32 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association conference championship teams. Swimming and Diving Coach Jay Daniels expects the new natatorium to help the Hornets continue that tradition of excellence.

“The former building was more than a pool to us,” Daniels said. “It was a space where student-athletes pursued their passion, formed long-lasting relationships and developed their fitness, drive and discipline. We know this natatorium will be that and more for us. It will help us recruit student-athletes to K, build on our competitiveness and ensure our future success.”

Athletics Return as Hornets Accept Pandemic’s Challenges

Leah Tardiff in Lacrosse Promo as Athletics Returns
Leah Tardiff ’21 is one of seven seniors on the Kalamazoo College women’s lacrosse team this spring. The Hornets are happy athletics have returned.

Roommates Leah Tardiff ’21 and Rachel Madar ’21 felt they lost something important when their Kalamazoo College women’s lacrosse season was cut short last spring by COVID-19.

“We identify with being an athlete at K, so having that abruptly taken away was really hard,” Tardiff said. “And then not knowing when it would ever come back was really challenging.”

All 18 teams across K’s athletics programs have been affected by the pandemic in the past year. Team-building opportunities, practices, games and seasons were lost.

Tardiff is also a member of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC). As a board member, she was a liaison between the student-athletes and the Athletic Department as athletes grew increasingly frustrated.

“Our Athletic Department’s aim is to have students compete, but they did not feel comfortable allowing that to happen given the risk of infection that students would be exposed to,” Tardiff said. “It was very hard to be the bridge between athletes and the Athletic Department during that time.”

SAAC kept student-athletes engaged with cooking shows featuring coaches and members of the Athletic Department, a website featuring athlete workout videos for Kalamazoo Public Schools students, and sharing letters with senior citizens through their residential facilities.

Athletics Returns for Rachel Madar
Rachel Madar is among the Kalamazoo College women’s lacrosse team members happy that athletics have returned to K. The Hornets have started their season 3-2.

Yet a talented roster of student-athletes in 2020 represented what might’ve been the best women’s lacrosse team K’s program had ever fielded. That loss, coupled with losing 2021 season preparations last fall, made being on the sidelines even more difficult.

“It’s usually around 16 days of practices in fall ball, so it wasn’t the end of the world,” Madar said. “Yet it was also hard because fall is when we form relationships with the incoming students, so we were losing more than just practice time. We were losing those relationships and the team chemistry that would carry over.”

Regardless, athletics have returned just in time for the Hornets to feature seven seniors, including Tardiff and Madar, and a full slate of games. They believe they are not only competitive, but capable of winning the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) championship for the first time.

“The preseason coaches rankings don’t mean anything, but Adrian was ranked ahead of us, and we just beat them 14-3,” Tardiff said. “We’ve always been up there in the standings, but we’ve never been able to beat Calvin or Hope, a couple of those top-tier teams. This year, when we look at our roster, we think we really have a great chance of winning.”

Since the interview, the women’s lacrosse team beat Calvin 14-13 in double overtime with Madar scoring the game-winning goal, and defeated Albion 13-9, before losing at St. Mary’s, 14-13 in overtime and Trine 15-13, to start the season 3-2. Madar tied her own school record with nine goals in the loss to St. Mary’s.

The journey to get athletics restarted was tough for Madar, but unquestionably worth it.

“We’ve had so many letdowns between lacrosse being shut down in the middle of our season last year, and then having our in-person classes with our favorite professors getting shut down, I was personally a little hesitant because it’s hard to fully commit to something when it could be shut down,” she said. “There are teams and other leagues that aren’t playing again this year. But just getting back on the field, you realize how much you’ve missed it and how much you love it. It’s all worked out well.”

Their story is similar to many of those you will hear in the Kalamazoo College Athletics Department this year. Athletes are competing while wearing masks. There are limited spectators in the stands, if any, and athletes need to undergo COVID-19 testing at least three times a week, four times if they’re chosen for random testing within the general student population. Yet from the student-athletes all the way to Athletic Director Becky Hall, K Hornets agree: their challenges are happily accepted regardless of the restrictions.

“I have tremendous respect for Becky Hall for carefully laying out plans to protect student-athletes and still make us feel hopeful that our seasons would return for the spring,” Tardiff said. “Becky, the athletic trainers, the coaches and the entire Athletic Department have created a safe way for us to compete, despite the immense challenges they faced. I’m very grateful that they’ve worked so hard to give us this season.”

‘A New Level of Gratitude’

Athletics Director Becky Hall
Kalamazoo College Athletics Director Becky Hall: “I believe we all have a newfound respect and appreciation for athletics because it took us such a long time to get here.”

Athletic Director Becky Hall was always confident K was doing the right thing by shutting down athletics in spring and continuing the layover in fall.

“As long as we continue to put the health, safety and well-being of our student-athletes, our coaches and our staff at the forefront of all decision making, then I’m comfortable with the decisions we’re making at the end of the day,” she said.

Still, Hall was as frustrated as anyone when intercollegiate sports competitions and even practices weren’t available, especially considering that about 24 percent of K’s students participate in athletics.

“Eight of our sister schools were all doing something, whether they were competing or just getting together in practices with their teams and getting in the gym,” Hall said. “We weren’t able to do any of that. We couldn’t get on the courts, courses and fields at all in the fall term, even when we had such a large percentage of our student-athletes living in the area, so there were a lot of hard feelings.”

However, she said the hiatus has created a new level of gratitude for and dedication to athletics competition at K.

“I believe we all have a newfound respect and appreciation for athletics because it took us such a long time to get here,” Hall said. “And once we knew we were a go for January, February and beyond, we developed a newfound level of joy. Nobody likes getting their nose swabbed, and we’ve got seven teams doing that right now in order to be on the court and their fields—that says something about their level of dedication.”

Allowing fall sports to compete in spring will provide additional logistical challenges for Hall and her staff, although she’s not concerned about students complying with restrictions or finite facilities.

“As we watched the COVID case numbers grow across the country in 2020, my coaches and I had enough conversations I think we all knew it was possible that we wouldn’t have fall sports,” Hall said. “When the email announcement came out saying that we were going all virtual, there was disappointment, but we also understood we could possibly push fall sports to the spring. It was something we knew we could look forward to if we were going to take that route and we decided to do so fairly quickly.”

Hall knows Michigan could never guarantee that COVID-19 infections won’t spike again, prompting another delay in athletics. Regardless, she has faith that state and College leaders do what’s required to keep her athletes safe while maintaining proper protections.

“I think we all hold our breath when the governor says something that might affect what we’re doing,” Hall said. “But I appreciate not only the leadership of our governor, but also of our college president and provost who’ve helped us reach some of the decisions we have. Now is not the time to take our foot off the accelerator. We’ve got to stay the course to get the numbers down to get us closer to normal.”

‘An Opportunity to Grow’

Athletics Returns for Football Coach Jamie Zorbo
With the return of Kalamazoo College athletics, Football Coach Jamie Zorbo will guide his Hornets through a season in spring. Zorbo is pictured during the 2019 season.

Football Coach Jamie Zorbo’s team is one of the squads getting used to the idea of shifting from fall competitions to spring. Others include cross country, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, and volleyball.

MIAA football teams, for example, rarely have to deal with sub-freezing temperatures considering they typically begin practice in summer and compete in the early fall. However, the change meant the Hornets started practicing during the coldest days of Kalamazoo’s winter.

“We just have to remind ourselves that when things are tough, we’re doing this for the kids and particularly our seniors,” Zorbo said. “They deserve a chance to play and finish out their careers here. That’s immediately where my mind went when I heard we would play this spring. I was just excited for them, and they were just excited to be out there playing the game again.”

It was difficult for Zorbo, his coaching staff and his athletes to know in summer that there would be no football in fall.

“Coaches are creatures of habit and we can get into a routine every fall that we’re used to,” Zorbo said. “You get really busy and it’s always an exciting time of year. It took me a while to kind of get used to not having football and going through the schedule I’m used to that time of year.”

The good news is he stayed busy in other ways with regard to recruiting, advising, and being more present with his family.

“I was able to experience some of the things with my family that I don’t typically get to do during the fall, which was a blessing,” he said. “Initially, it was really tough without football, but I found other ways to stay active and engaged.”

K football-related Twitter accounts such as @KzooFootball; @CoachZorboKZOO; and @WhoisCoachJones, belonging to Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Backs Coach Eugene Jones IV, reveal how coaches have been dedicated to college football in general, recruiting and the K community. Regular posts have shown admission application deadlines, birthday wishes for current players, stories highlighting K’s academic excellence and virtual recruiting trips to about 15 states since last spring.

“We’re continuing to try to find new ways of giving our prospective students an opportunity to learn every aspect of our program and the college while they get a chance to interact with our current players,” Zorbo said. “We’re trying to re-create virtually elements of the things that have been and continue to be important in our recruiting process. We all viewed it as an opportunity to grow and change the way we do some things for years to come, even when COVID isn’t a threat anymore.”

‘Grateful to be Together’

Softball Coach Kelli Duimstra
An athletics shutdown caused by COVID-19 forced the Kalamazoo College softball team to miss out on all but two games of its 2020 season. Duimstra is pictured during an early-season practice last year.

Compare Zorbo’s coaching realities with those of Softball Coach Kelli Duimstra, whose team lost nearly their entire season just two games into last spring without an opportunity to simply reschedule later in the academic year.

“It was actually pretty devastating for the players, especially our two seniors,” Duimstra said. “I think both were going to have their best seasons at K and I think our team was poised to be very strong. It was heartbreaking for us for sure.”

Duimstra didn’t want to let her team just leave K without a last chance to connect and talk.

“We had a sit-down meeting to let the team express their emotions,” she said. “We talked about how this was certainly nothing that they had ever been through. Having your entire season canceled? That just doesn’t happen. But then we talked about our place in this pandemic. I stressed that this was obviously something that we don’t want to happen because we want to play. At the same time, we have to do our part to mitigate the spread. And if our part means that we don’t get to play games, then we know we’re going to do what’s best for the greater good.”

Even then, Duimstra wanted her team to connect in ways that could help them while going nearly a full year without in-person interaction as a team.

“In a season, we’re allowed a certain number of weeks when we can practice and play games, so we had a bunch of weeks leftover,” Duimstra said. “We met virtually as a team and I ran through some ideas about what we could do to keep our team together. We watched the two games that we were able to play. We read a book together as a team. We did weekly meetings so our players could get to know their teammates better. These were opportunities to share some intel about what we like to do and why. We couldn’t be together to work on our skills on the field, but we could work to grow as a team. I hope that will help us on the field down the line.”

Duimstra also conducted virtual recruiting visits through Zoom with on-campus tours suspended. Now, however, the wait for another season is about over as practices have restarted. After a gradual phase-in period that began with players only using their own equipment and not playing catch, the Hornets are poised for an all-MIAA season scheduled to begin March 23 with a doubleheader at Hope College.

“We’re relieved and grateful that we get to be together,” Duimstra said. “We’re trying to put last season in in the rearview mirror. At the same time, we know this can get taken away from us at any moment so we need to appreciate every day we have. We have a very strong conference in softball and there won’t be any off days. That will definitely be a challenge, but I know this team is up to it. They want to be the ones that turn this program in the right direction, so they’re committed and I’m excited.”

‘We Love to See Them Compete’

Athletic Trainer Kathleen White
Athletic Trainer Kathleen White

K Head Athletic Trainer Kathleen White, as a medical professional, started to get nervous about COVID-19 earlier than most people did.

“We started having conversations very early because we were abreast of the situation going on outside the U.S.,” she said. “When it started creeping over here, we took precautions as much as we could before we knew that a shutdown was going to be necessary.”

That led to careful planning, meticulous research and thoughtful collaboration, not only between colleagues at K, but between Michigan institutions and around the country.

“We had months of figuring out what was going on with the MIAA,” White said. “We would also meet as an institution, as a department and as a league, and the NCAA had meetings trying to figure out was safe. Things were constantly changing and evolving. We then had to wait to see what the numbers were going to be to see what our policies needed to be.”

White now tests up to 350 students a week for COVID-19. That alone would pack her schedule, but there’s so much more to ensuring that sports can continue.

“Those tests are just so we can get practices going,” White said. “We’ll get teams starting on the fields at 4 p.m. and some of our teams don’t stop until probably about 1 a.m., so the only time the training room isn’t open is from about 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. We also contact trace our athletes’ situations, handle our COVID isolation and quarantine situations, and perform the daily testing for them, while doing all our normal athletic training duties on top of all the COVID duties.”

Still, White didn’t describe her recent efforts as hectic or stressful. Her mind is focused more on the athletes and the opportunities they’ll have.

“It’s definitely exciting because it’s worth it,” White said. “We live for being able to give our student-athletes their experiences. We love to see them compete and we want to see them grow, not only as athletes but individuals and students. It’s not only for them physically, but for their mental health as well. Sports have really been something that some students need to get through this difficult time.

“When we had the first basketball game the medical staff just kind of looked at each other and was like, ‘Wow, that’s awesome. We did it,’” she added. “Getting to the first practices was a big accomplishment. Getting through the first couple of weeks of practices was huge. And then making it to the first games, it’s exciting and it’s rewarding for all the work we’ve put in.”