Some sport clubs take a while to get up to speed, but not this one. Sam Carl, the new captain for the year, developed some very big plans and thought why wait.
The group scheduled two events for the Labor Day weekend, the first a cable ride at Trophy Lakes over on John’s Island. Unfortunately the park’s cables were down for the day, but that didn’t dampen this group’s enthusiasm. They made the best of their ride over to the island by hopping on the aquapark slides and obstacles. What looked like just a kiddie park quickly turned into some huge fun.
The big event, held on Sunday, was a float down the Edisto River in inner tubes. This was an event the club held before but was interrupted the past two years by the pandemic. For the 50 or so students who attended, “great to be back on the water again” was a common refrain.
Willie Nelson had it right. From one of his better-known songs, he sings:
“On the road again
Just can’t wait to get on the road again
The life I love is makin’ music with my friends
And I can’t wait to get on the road again”
Let’s not forget that it wasn’t but a few months ago that a void existed on our highways. The usual crowd of college students bolting down the road to challenge their peers at other institutions was held at bay by a very unwelcome stranger. Well, they are back and the swell of enthusiasm for loading up the car and hitting the road again remains strong. This season equated to more of an abbreviated schedule considering that time was needed for the clubs to regain their form prior to COVID. This fall will be an exciting one to be sure.
With 51 approved travel requests, the clubs blanketed the Southeast. Two of them, ice hockey and men’s rugby, scored opportunities to participate in their respective national championship tournaments, one in Philly and the other in Houston. While other athletes fly, ours travel by roadway. Calculating the total distance driven by all of the vehicles necessary to transport these athletes came in just shy of 100,000 miles. The actual count was 92,779 miles.
These sport club athletes deserve an appreciable amount of praise for handling the logistics of their travel, driving long distances “for the love of the game”, paying for the additional expenses needed to make the trips happen, and of course, continuing to make music with their friends. They are a remarkable bunch!
Nelson, Willie (1980). “On the Road Again”. Honeysuckle Rose [Album]. Columbia Records.
Spring brings on the chance to go explore and what better way to do that in Charleston than by walking. Here is an app that let’s you know how far you can cover in a set time. Tired of walking the same old paths? Try this for your neighborhood.
Google has a blog named Map Mania. Find the full story and how to get the app. Beware that the Map Mania blog has a whole set of other interesting maps to follow meaning you may be there a while.
The Campus Rec sport clubs wasted no time once the off-campus travel restrictions eased thereby permitting some opportunities to compete and compete they did. Last month we highlighted one of our students who cashed in for gold at the national championships for cycling.
Let’s shift back to the AVP Grass Nationals held in Greenville, SC on October 1-3. Our women’s volleyball club entered several teams in the doubles volleyball tournament. Julia Houghton and Mia Wooden claimed 2nd place in the women’s B division. Not far behind in 3rd place was another CofC team, Sidney Hillhouse and Jazmin Brown.
Julia Houghton and Mia Wooden captured 2nd place in the AVP Grass Nationals Women’s B division.
It is not uncommon for players in these tournaments to play between 10 and 13 games per day. Keep in mind that the great majority of training that our team does is for the 6v6 indoor season. Transitioning back and forth in these two play formats is difficult.
Also worth noting is the Madeleine Ellegard and Dallas Bryson duo. They scored a 9th place finish in the more challenging BB women’s division. This was Dallas’s first time on grass. Twenty-seven teams rounded out that bracket.
Adversity is one of those buzz words used in sports. The ice hockey club enjoys putting on a golf tournament each year to help fund some of its ambitious goals. This year all 72 spots were sold and included a couple of sponsorships to boot. As luck would have it, a weather front clamped down on the entire Eastern seaboard and washed out any chance of playing. While their enthusiasm may have been splashed, they quickly regrouped with the plan to play in early spring, something Charleston is famous for.
The crew club too faced a bit of adversity in its quest to attend the Head of the South, one of the large regattas hosted each year in Augusta. Did we say large? Well yes, 681 entries among the 63 clubs in attendance is quite large, but to row you have to first get there. The 60′ boat trailer wasn’t going far on two bald tires. Fortunately, the dad of one of the club members was doing the driving and got it there and then coaxed the pros from Firestone to work a little magic late on a Friday afternoon. The rest was easy. The club racked up several medals and had a great time being able to escape the campus in well over a year.
Those wins were:
Gold and silver in the varsity men’s lightweight single.
Silver in the varsity women’s championship double.
Silver in varsity men’s quad.
Gold in the varsity women’s quad.
Sporting some new hardware won at the Head of the South regatta.
The women’s soccer club drove up to Columbia on November 14 to take on a strong USC team. Well this time USC got the better of it, but one of our players, Eden Kirn had a marvelous outing scoring twice. Her two teammates, Sarah Khantzian, in goal, and Jenny Sella both showed strong defense and helped to keep the score close. In truth all the players had good games, and that is said with considerable assurance since soccer is undeniably the sport where all 11 must play well together.
The men’s soccer club posted a 2-1 victory over the Citadel in a match held over at Patriot’s Point. Details were rather spotty given the post game celebration.
There are other reports to be made but let’s save something for next time including details of the men’s rugby club playoff game this past weekend.
One of the more extensive events Campus Recreation Services organized as part of the College’s Weeks of Welcome program was the “Play in the Park Day” held at the James Island County Park on Saturday, September 25.
CofC students try their hand at archery during Play in the Park day at the James Island County Park.
Eighty-seven students participated during the day by climbing at the 50′ climbing wall and bouldering cave, trying to cross the Catwalk and the Leap of Faith on the high ropes course, testing their marksmanship on the archery course, and getting out on the lake to stand-up paddleboard. In between were chances to play outdoor games such as sand volleyball, 2 v 2 soccer, spikeball, horseshoes, Connect 4, and several others.
As an added convenience, the James Island County Park staff ran a shuttle service that 50 of the students took advantage. The first activities began at 1 p.m. and by 6 p.m. most were satisfied to call it a day.
The most common question heard throughout the day was, “When are you going to do this again?”
College of Charleston student, Dyllon Gunsolus, realized a young boy’s dream when he too stood on the medal stand much like his cycling heroes only this time in Indianapolis at the USA Cycling Collegiate Track National Championships.
Many of you recently moved to Charleston and are seeking fun things to do in your new town. If you haven’t had the chance to visit one of the Charleston County Park facilities, don’t let that opportunity slip by. There are parks on James Island, Mt. Pleasant, North Charleston, West Ashley, and Johns Island, but there is so much more. Numerous recreational and instructional programs are also offered.
Spend a few minutes on the Charleston County Parks website to get a better idea of what appeals to you. Whether it is taking your dog to one of the best dog parks in the area, learning a paddling sport or how to climb, participating in the triathlon sprint series, or joining in on a bird walk, this program is sure to offer something of interest that helps you appreciate this really is your new home.
The announcement of the ACRA All-American awards for rowing is eagerly anticipated at this time of year and the College of Charleston’s club team scored two on these coveted teams.
The American Collegiate Rowing Association is a national association of member schools that stretches from coast to coast and includes many of the bigger schools.
Liza Romanova, the current captain of the club, placed on the first team of the Academic All-American Team. A GPA of 3.85 or higher is required for consideration. Only 60 rowers achieved this distinction.
Ally Lesher, a senior and former captain of the squad, earned a spot on the All-American Team based on rowing performances, career results, and coach recommendations. Only 17 rowers made this year’s women’s team.
Both rowers deserve a rousing round of applause for this latest recognition and their long-standing efforts on behalf of our club team.
The Trust for Public Land continues to do some amazing work and is nearing its 50th year in existence (1972).
Of the many interesting details they are involved with, this one caught our eye. Over half of Charleston residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park. How fortunate we are.
The link provided will allow you to follow your own initiative in finding things of importance to you. One recommendation is to look at the map provided, and of course, you can look at other cities as well.
Give it a good look. Better yet, why not walk to one of those nearby parks and recreate?
Many of you recently moved to Charleston and are seeking fun things to do in your new town. If you haven’t had the chance to visit one of the Charleston County Park facilities, don’t let that opportunity slip by. There are parks on James Island, Mt. Pleasant, North Charleston, West Ashley, and Johns Island, but there is so much more. Numerous recreational and instructional programs are also offered.
The announcement of the ACRA All-American awards for rowing is eagerly anticipated at this time of year and the College of Charleston’s club team scored two on these coveted teams.
