After countless hours spent dedicating themselves to Washington University athletics, seven senior student-athletes - Jabari Chiphe (basketball), Caraline Oakley (golf), Emma Kelley (track), Jared Phillips (tennis), Emily Talkow (softball), and Johnathan Smith (football) - sat down with Student Life to reflect on their four years as a part of the WashU Bears athletic program.
The Bears not only earned a spot in the tournament field, but obtained hosting privileges in the first and second rounds, one of just 16 teams to do so.
After making the flight from Atlanta to upstate New York, the Bears showed up ready to play on Sunday, Feb. 11. From the opening tipoff to the final whistle, the Bears put on a clinic, riding a 15-0 start, a rebounding performance for the history books, and lockdown defense to a 75-61 victory.
Sunday’s win against a UAA-leading Case Western squad, along with a win Friday night against the gritty Carnegie Mellon University Tartans, capped off a season-defining weekend for the Bears.
“I think we're really trying to push an idea that, like, we’re 19 teams, but one family and we’re part of one whole large community,” SAAC Co-President and senior golfer Caraline Oakley said.