It’s Wednesday and OMG so much has happened in Bates Athletics! This is going to be a beefy article. I feel like “beefy” is maybe a bad word to use, but I don’t have a ton of great options. Is hefty better? Let’s get into it.

WHAT YOU MISSED:

Football Program Names New Head Coach: Matt Coyne, the former defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Wesleyan University, was announced as the 22nd head football coach in the program’s history on Tuesday. Coyne graduated from Wesleyan in 2012. The Student will cover this story in more detail in next week’s newsletter.

Meghan Graff Hits 1,000: The junior women’s basketball captain hit a three-pointer on Saturday and became the 21st player in Bates women’s basketball history to score 1,000 points in their time at the college. Amazing. Spectacular. Incredible!

Men’s Basketball Coach Wins a lot of Games: Head Coach Jon Furbush ‘05 just became the winningest coach in the program’s history. The team beat University of Maine Farmington on Monday night, which was Furbush’s 159th win in his 13 year career. 

Men’s Squash at NESCACs: The team, which is No. 22 nationally ranked, finished third at the NESCACs this weekend. They beat Middlebury in Sunday’s third place match 5-4, clinched by Jonathan Walker ‘23, who came back from 2-0 at the No. 5 position over his opponent. This year’s showing at the NESCAC Championships was the best since the program finished runner-up in the 2017-18 season. Earlier in the competition, the team upset the fourth seed Amherst College Mammoths, as well.

Men’s Track and Field Is No. 1: For the third year in a row, the men’s indoor track team finished first-place in the Maine State Meet on Saturday. The team won by over 60 points, while five different men won individual state titles: Truman Williams ‘25 in the 400 meters, John Mieszczanski ‘22 in the 1,000 meters, Ryan Smith ‘23 in the 5,000 meters, Jacob Goff ‘24 in the Al Nicholson Shot Put and John Everett ‘22 in the Peter Doran Weight Throw. 

Women’s Track and Field Finishes Second: Unfortunately snapping their seven-year winning streak, the women came in second in the Maine State Meet this Saturday (we lost to Colby by less than four points). Four Bobcats won state titles: Jillian Richardson ‘23 in the 3,000 meters, Lily D-Addario ‘23 in the 60-meter dash, Chrissy Aman ‘24 in the 600 meters and Elise Lambert ‘22 in both the 800 meters and the mile run.

Men’s Basketball: On Friday night the team played against Connecticut College and came back for their second NESCAC win (74-68). I was there — it was pretty electric. Sophomore Simon McCormick was basically hitting every three-pointer possible. He became a different person on that court, very much a Simon Curry type of vibe, if you catch my drift. It works because he also has a first name that starts with “S,” okay?? Unfortunately the team couldn’t keep the momentum alive, coming up short the next day against Trinity, 66-70. On Monday night the team traveled to Farmington where they beat University of Maine Farmington 87-8, with junior Stephon Baxter scoring a game high 31 points. 

Women’s Basketball: Unfortunately the women struggled this weekend, dropping their two away games. They lost to Connecticut College 50-63 and then against Trinity 59-64 (though Meg Graff deserves another shoutout for scoring her thousandth point in that game). Yesterday, the team had a home game against Colby, winning 75-62. 

UPCOMING GAMES: 

Women’s Basketball: The team is facing off against Bowdoin TONIGHT (Wednesday, Feb. 9) in Alumni Gym at 7:00 p.m., so be there or be square! Next, the women will head to Williamstown, Massachusetts, to play the Ephs/Purple Cows/I still don’t get which one is their mascot. Then they will travel to Vermont to play the Middlebury Panthers.

Swimming and Diving: After enjoying an off week, the team is back and better than ever! Send them lots of good vibes because the women are heading to Waterville, Maine, to compete in the NESCAC Women’s Championships from Thursday through Sunday.

Women’s Squash: After the men’s success, the women will head to Clinton, New York, to compete in the NESCAC Championships on Friday.

Women’s Track: The team will compete in the David Hemery Valentine Classic in Boston on Friday at 1:00 p.m.

Men’s Basketball: The men have a home game on Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. against Middlebury! Pack Alumni Gymnasium! In case you missed the previous one, The team will have another home game on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. in Alumni.