March Madness is an exciting time of year for basketball fans across the country. For the past few weeks, the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Division I Basketball Tournaments have taken center stage, captivating audiences with thrilling games and unforgettable moments. While both tournaments share the same format and the goal of winning a national championship, there are significant differences between the two, particularly in terms of media coverage, facilities, game locations, and financial responsibilities. In this article, I will examine these differences in depth, shedding light on some of the gender disparities that exist in college basketball.
Media Coverage:
The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament receives widespread media coverage from major networks such as CBS, TBS, TNT, and TruTV, who pay a hefty sum for the broadcast rights. In contrast, the Women’s Basketball Tournament receives significantly less coverage, with games often relegated to secondary networks (such as ESPNU or ESPN 3) or online streaming platforms. This discrepancy in media coverage has a profound impact on the visibility and popularity of the women’s game, as it limits exposure and makes it harder for fans to follow the tournament. The media coverage also has financial implications, as it affects the amount of revenue generated by the tournaments. The NCAA’s most recent financial report shows that the 2019 Men’s Basketball Tournament generated $867.5 million in revenue, while the Women’s Basketball Tournament generated only $20.9 million. This disparity highlights the need for greater investment in women’s basketball to level the playing field and provide female athletes with the same opportunities as their male counterparts.
Facilities:
Another area where gender disparity is evident is in the facilities provided for the tournaments. The Men’s Basketball Tournament games are typically played in large arenas with ample seating capacity, while the Women’s Basketball Tournament games are often played in smaller venues with limited seating. In addition, the weight rooms provided for the teams during the COVID-19 bubble were vastly different. The men’s weight room was a massive space with numerous machines, while the women’s weight room consisted of a single rack of weights. The discrepancy in facilities is not just a matter of comfort or convenience; it can also impact the performance of the athletes. Playing in front of a large, enthusiastic crowd can provide a boost to players, while cramped or subpar facilities can be an obstruction. The NCAA must work to ensure that both tournaments receive equal treatment when it comes to facilities, providing female athletes with the same resources and opportunities as male athletes.
Game Locations:
Another significant difference between the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments is the location of the games. With the Men’s Tournament, all games are played on neutral floors, ensuring a fair and balanced playing field for all teams. In contrast, the first two rounds of the Women’s Tournament are played on the home court of the higher-seeded team, meaning that lower-seeded teams must travel to their opponent’s gym to play. This system of hosting games can create an uneven playing field, as the home team enjoys the advantage of familiar surroundings and a friendly crowd. This disadvantage can be particularly significant for lower-seeded teams, who already face an uphill battle in the tournament. The NCAA must address this disparity and ensure that all teams, regardless of gender or seeding, have access to neutral playing fields.
Financial Responsibilities:
The significant difference in financial responsibility between Men’s and Women’s Tournament teams is an issue that is widely unknown by many sports fans. While the NCAA covers the travel expenses for all Men’s Tournament teams, the Women’s Tournament teams are responsible for covering their own travel costs until they reach the Sweet Sixteen. This disparity places an undue burden on some college institutions, as they must find ways to cover travel expenses, which can add up quickly. This also creates an uneven playing field, as teams with more resources may have an advantage over those with fewer resources. This financial disparity highlights the need for the NCAA to provide equal financial support to both men’s and women’s basketball programs.
Conclusion:
The NCAA Men’s and Women’s Division I Basketball Tournaments are among the most exciting and highly anticipated sporting events of the year. However, as we have seen, there are significant differences between the two tournaments that highlight the gender disparities that exist in college basketball. From media coverage to facilities, game locations, and financial responsibilities, the differences between the Men’s and Women’s Tournaments are clear and concerning. The NCAA must take steps to address these disparities and provide female athletes with the same opportunities, resources, and support as their male counterparts. By doing so, the NCAA can help to level the playing field and ensure that all athletes, regardless of gender, have the chance to compete at the highest level.
While progress has been made in recent years, there is still much work to be done to achieve gender equality in college sports. By raising awareness of the disparities that exist and advocating for change, we can help to ensure that the next generation of female athletes has the same opportunities and resources as male athletes. As fans and supporters of college basketball, we must continue to push for progress and demand equal treatment for all athletes. Only then can we truly celebrate the magic of March Madness and the amazing achievements of all the athletes who compete in these tournaments.
I would like to introduce you to Angela Sosebee. She is the Director of Marketing and Public Relations. She has been at Defiance College for two years in April. Her favorite part about working at Defiance College is “being able to work with students, faculty, and staff from all over the country, helping them tell the story of how Defiance College has impacted them.” Angela has worked in higher education and nonprofit leadership for over ten years. She used to live in North Carolina, and when she moved to the area, she knew she wanted to work at Defiance College.
Angela was born in Snellville, Georgia, but she spent most of her childhood not far from Defiance in Napoleon, Ohio. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration and her MBA from Tiffin University.
Angela was then asked some more personal questions. Between breakfast, lunch, and dinner, her favorite is a late lunch, around 2 or 3 in the afternoon. She uses Messages the most on her phone because she thinks she texts a lot. When asked the question on who made the most impact on her growing up, she responded, “My parents had the biggest impact on me growing up. They were always supportive and taught me to follow my own interests in life. When I lost my dad to cancer during my senior year of college, it was the memory of his passion for education and my mom’s continual support and encouragement that helped me finish my degree and go on to grad school.” The last question that she was asked was about life advice she would give to the younger generation. She answered, “Find out who you are, not who people want or expect you to be. It’s a long journey, but doing the latter will make the self-discovery process even longer.”
According to Fun Kids Top 10 Facts About Ramadan states, “During Ramandan Muslims fast which means that Muslims don’t eat or drink anything during the hours of daylight.”. This year Ramadan is celebrated from Wednesday March 22,2023 through Thursday April 20, 2023. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. During this time, Muslims will renew their focus on spiritual life and its practical application of daily life. During this month, Muslims also believe that the Quran began to be revelaed to the Prophet Muhammad. In conclusion, Ramadan is a time for Muslims to get together and reflect and pray.
There are a variety of different rules that Muslims will follow during the month of Ramadan. One of the rules is that Muslims cannot eat or drink anything during the hours of daylight; even water should not be drunk during this time. During Ramadan, Muslims are also expected to put more effort into following the teachings of Islam by refraining from things like: violence, anger, envy, greed, and trying to get along with everyone harder. Muslims will fast during this time to encourage an affinity with those who have little to no food around the world. To wrap it up, there are a variety of different rules that the Muslims will follow during the period of Ramadan.
Just like any other celebration there are several different traditions that Myslims will follow during Ramadan. One tradition is that after the sunset prayer, Muslims will gather in their homes or mosques to break their fast with a meal called “iftar”. This meal is often shared with friends and extended family. The end of the Ramadan fast is celebrated as “Eid al-Fitr” the “Feast of Fast-Breaking” which is one of the two major religious holdiays of the Muslim calendar. In some communities Eid-al-Fitr is a serious celebration where children wear new clothes, women dress in white, special pastries are baked, gifts are exchanged, the graves of relatives are visited, and people gather for family meals and to pray in mosques. In conclusion, there are a plethora of different rules,and traditions that Muslims will follow during the celebration of Ramadan.
March 21st – Softball (4-11) Defiance College 7 vs (5-8) Heidelberg University 4
The Defiance College Softball team traveled to Frann’s Field at Heidelberg University for a two game series on Tuesday night. The Yellow Jackets started off the scoring in the Top of the 3rd inning when senior Josilyn Guzman tripled driving in sophomore Kelly Limbaugh for an RBI (1-0). Lily Linke followed this up with a centerfield double to score Guzman (2-0). Heidelberg battled back, taking the lead scoring 3 runs in the bottom of the third and fourth innings. First Murissa Drown tripled driving in Emma Dean in the third, this was then followed by a Jade Torres single that drove in both Hanna Blasinsky and Halie Monhollen (2-3). In the top of the fifth inning Defiance’s junior, Laney Grimwood homered over the left field fence not only scoring herself, but also junior Riley Alcorn and freshman Anna Emswiler for the go ahead runs (5-3). Heidelberg was not going to go down without a fight, however, in the bottom of the sixth Ellie Tressler hit a double, scoring Meghan Bame to make the score 5-4 in favor of Defiance. The top of the seventh inning had the Yellow Jackets extending their lead, Grimwood singled, scoring sophomore Anika Craft as well as sophomore Jessie Leggett (7-4). This game ended with a 7-4 score in favor of the Yellow Jackets. Defiance had several players recording hits including Ali Mowen, Marissa Roberts, Josilyn Guzman, Anna Emsweiler, and Anika Craft each recorded one. Laney Grimwood and Brooke Silcox each had two, while Lily Linke recorded three hits for the Yellow Jackets. Kelly Limbaugh recorded the lone steal for Defiance. Defensively, Junior Savannah McCoy threw 3.2 innings for Defiance, while Riley Alcorn added in another 3.1 innings. McCoy faced 19 batters and threw 78 pitches, 35 of those falling in the zone while Alcorn faced 13 batters and threw 37 pitches, 25 of those being strikes. The Yellow Jackets only recorded one error in this game.
Final
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Runs
Hits
Errors
Defiance
0
0
2
0
3
0
2
7
12
1
Heidelberg
0
0
1
2
0
1
0
4
5
3
M
March 21st – Softball (5-11) Defiance College 5 vs (5-9) Heidelberg University 3
In the second game on Frann’s Field the Yellow Jackets started off hot, scoring in the top of the first inning. Junior Brooke Silcox singled, scoring sophomore Anika Craft for the first score of the game (1-0). Senior Josilyn Guzman advanced to second on a bad throw, while Silcox moved to third and drew an obstruction call to score (2-0). Defiance struck again in the top of the third inning when senior Marissa Roberts doubled driving in Craft for another run (3-0). A fielding error by Heidelberg resulted in freshman Ali Mowen reaching first, as well as Guzman advancing to third and sophomore Kelly Limbaugh scoring (4-0). Heidelberg rallied in the bottom of the third inning when Meghan Bame singled, driving in Jade Torres and Isabella Fuentes (4-2). Heidelberg struck again in the bottom of the fourth when Jade Torres was walked with bases loaded forcing Gabbie Stallbaum to score (4-3). The Yellow Jackets closed out the scoring in the top of the fifth when Mowen hit an RBI single resulting in Silcox scoring (5-3). In the eight hits for the Yellow Jackets this game Marissa Roberts, Anika Craft, Ali Mowen, and Savannah Bergman all recorded one. The Yellow Jackets offense was led by Brooke Silcox and Josilyn Guzman who recorded two hits a piece. There were four stolen bases in this game Craft, Guzman, Mowen, and Limbaugh all threw one in. On the flip side Anika Craft pitched 6.1 innings for the Yellow Jackets and Riley Alcorn finished out the game adding 0.2 innings. Craft faced 35 batters throwing 134 pitches with 80 of those being strikes, while Alcorn faced 3 batters throwing 16 pitches with 10 of those being strikes. Defiance left this game error free.
Final
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Runs
Hits
Errors
Defiance
2
0
2
0
1
0
0
5
8
0
Heidelberg
0
0
2
1
0
0
0
3
12
2
M
March 21st – Baseball (7-6) Heidelberg University 16 vs (3-8) Defiance College 5
The Defiance College Baseball team journeyed to Heidelberg University on Tuesday night. Heidelberg scored first in the game off of a single by Camden Farley driving in Andrew Pokley (0-1). Defiance answered in the top of the second inning after senior Dylan King stole second, drawing a throwing error which scored sophomore Jacob Hild (1-1). This was followed by a sophomore Tyler Dehan double to score King (2-1). Heidelberg made a comeback in the bottom of the inning after an Andrew Cook homer followed by a wild pitch which allowed Cort Kramer to score (2-3). The Student Princes then scored again in the bottom of the fourth inning. Cook doubled scoring Adam McVicker which was followed by a Kyle Krummen double to score Cook, then Reece McNeely homered resulting in Alex McRandal and Krummen scoring (2-8). The Yellow Jackets scored again in the top of the sixth when sophomore Gunner Greg smashed a solo homerun over the fence (3-8). Heidelberg remained hot going into the bottom of the sixth inning when McNeely sent a solo-shot over the fence, which was followed by a three-run home run by Farley (3-12). Cook rounded out the scoring in the bottom of the sixth for the Student Princes with an RBI single scoring, McVicker (3-13). Defiance’s scoring ended in the eighth inning after senior Hunter Bostater sent a two run homer over the left field fence scoring Gregg (5-12). Heidelberg, however, added a few more runs in the bottom of the eighth. Kyle Mottice reached on a fielder’s choice in which Max McCann scored. Then Zane Mirgon doubled, scoring Mottice. Finally, McNeely walked with bases loaded, scoring Cook (5-16). Defiance recorded 7 hits, led by Hunter Bostater and Jacob Hild each with two. Mitchell Roever, Gunner Gregg, and Tyler Dehan each chipped in one. The Yellow Jackets had a number of guys on the bump for this game. Starting pitcher junior Johnny Hammerstein faced 17 batters in his 3.1 innings pitched, throwing 72 pitches with 41 of those being strikes. Defiance then entered sophomore Tyler Sickmiller into the game who faced 6 batters in his 1.1 innings, throwing 21 pitches, 13 of those being in the zone. Next freshman Ethan Jenkins came in to throw 1.1 innings, facing 10 batters and tossing 24 pitches in which 12 were strikes. Freshman Erik Hecklinger came in next, pitching for 1.2 innings, facing 11 batters and throwing 44 pitches where 23 of those were strikes. Finally, the last pitcher that saw action was freshman Greg Kita who threw 0.1 innings, facing 2 batters and throwing 2 pitches where 1 was a strike. Defiance recorded one error in the loss.
Final
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Runs
Hits
Errors
Defiance
0
2
0
0
0
1
0
2
0
5
7
1
Heidelberg
1
2
0
5
0
5
0
3
X
16
16
2
M
March 22nd – Baseball (1-11) Albion College 4 vs (3-9) Defiance College 1
The Defiance College Baseball team traveled up north to Albion College for a matchup. The first three innings of this game remained scoreless. Albion struck in the bottom of the fourth inning starting off with a Braeden Emery double to score Matt McGann (0-1). This was followed up by an Austyn Stephans single that allowed Emery and Evan Shouster to score (0-3). Defiance scored their lone run in the top of the fifth inning as junior Mitchell Roever reached base on an error allowing sophomore Tyler Dehan to score (1-3). Albion rounded out the scoring with a single by Stephans to score McGann (1-4). Defiance combined for 8 total hits in which Mitchel Roever, Josh Vischer, Hunter Bostater, Alex Morr, Tim Bobek, and Tylen Dehan each had one, while Gunner Greg recorded two. The Yellow Jackets starting pitcher, sophomore Sam Thombs had a four-inning outing in which he faced 19 batters, threw 65 pitches, and recorded 46 strikes. Defiance then had sophomore Jeffrey Varga spend some time on the mound pitching 1 inning in which he threw 25 pitches, landing 13 in the zone and faced 7 batters. Rounding out the pitching for the Yellow Jackets was senior Cohen Nies, throwing the final 3 innings facing 9 batters while tossing 47 pitches, 30 of those being strikes. The Yellow Jackets committed one error.
Final
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Runs
Hits
Errors
Defiance
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
8
1
Albion (Mich.)
0
0
0
3
1
0
0
0
X
4
7
4
March 25th Yellow Jacket Collegiate Open
Defiance College’s Men’s Track and Field team traveled to Cedarville University for the Yellow Jacket Collegiate Open. The Men’s team placed 13th out of 22 teams, while having one individual and one relay team place in the top ten. Marlon Brown snagged a second place finish in the 400 meter dash with a time of 50.65 seconds. The 4×100 meter relay team finished with a time of 51.28 second to place sixth in the meet. The 4×100 meter relay team is made up of Gavin Maratea, Marlon Brown, Isaac Miller, and Ja’Qway Janiver.
March 25th – Women’s Track Yellow Jacket Collegiate Open
Defiance College’s Women’s Track and Field team also traveled to Cedarville University for the Yellow Jacket Collegiate Open. The Women’s team placed 16th out of 21 teams. The Women’s 4×100 meter relay team placed 3rd with a time of 51.28 seconds. The 4×100 meter relay team is made up of Lisa-Maria Markau, Shyla Pemberton, Shanti Elkins, and Hailei Haynes. Lisa-Maria Makau and Shyla Pemberton each ran the 400 meter dash recording a 23rd and 31st place finish respectively.
March 25th – Softball Rescheduled (3-9) Defiance College vs (7-6) Albion College
Defiance College Softball will now take on Albion College on Tuesday, March 28th at 3pm and 5pm due to inclement weather.
March 26th – Baseball (8-6) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology 10 vs (3-11) Defiance College 2
Defiance College Baseball traveled to Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology for a two game series on Sunday after a slight battle with the weather. After a silent first two innings Rose-Hulman put two runs onto the scoreboard after a homerun by Andy Krajecki. The second run came when Connor O’Connell singled, driving in Ben Christansen (2-0). The Fightin’ Engineers struck again in the 6th inning when C. Couillard-Rodak reached on a fielder’s choice which scored Blake Deckard, after a throwing error Ian Kline scored as well (4-0). Then in the same inning Peter Rogers scored an unearned run after teammate Andy Krajecki hit a ball that Defiance turned for a double play (5-0). The 7th inning Rose-Hulman added to their lead with an RBI single by Peter Rogers that scored Jonathan Oliger (6-0). The Fightn’ Engineers just kept runs rolling in as well, an Andy Krajecki single to score Ian Kline was followed by a wild pitch that scored Peter Rogers (8-0). In the bottom of the 7th inning Defiance scored their first run. Senior Austin Horning reached first on a fielder’s choice and Sophomore Jacob Hild scored on an error (8-1). Rose-Hulman answered this run by adding two more to the scoreboard in the 8th inning. A single by Peter Rogers scored Jonathan Oliger which was followed by a balk that scored Blake Deckard (10-1). The Yellow Jackets scored the last run of the game in the 9th inning, this was off of a double by Senior Dylan King which scored Sophomore Tyler Dehan (10-2). Defiance recorded 7 hits, two of those being doubles. Hunter Bostater, Jacob Hild, Austin Horning, and Dylan King each had one hit, while Mitchell Roever led the team with three. King and Roever each had a double. Tyler Dehan and Roever also recorded a stolen base as well. Defiance College had 4 pitchers see action in this matchup. The first being starting pitcher senior Cohen Nies, he threw 5 innings, facing 26 batters, he tossed 113 pitches with 68 of them being strikes. Sophomore Tyler Sickmiller entered the game next facing 13 batters in his 1.1 innings pitched, he threw 43 pitches with 23 of those being strikes. Next up for the Yellow Jackets was freshman Ethan Jenkins who pitched 1.2 innings, facing 9 batters, he threw 46 pitches with 27 of those being strikes. Rounding out the pitching for the Yellow Jackets was junior Jeremy Russo who pitched 1 inning, tossing 16 pitches, 8 of those being strikes, he faced 3 batters. The Yellow Jackets recorded 4 errors.
Final
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Runs
Hits
Errors
Rose-Hulman (Ind.)
0
0
2
0
0
3
3
2
0
10
15
2
Defiance
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
2
7
4
M
March 26th – Baseball (9-6) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology 5 vs (3-12) Defiance College 3
The second game of the two game series with Rose-Hulman the Yellow Jackets put up a valiant fight. Rose-Hulman started off the game strong with a three run homerun in the first inning, when Ben Christainsen sent a ball over the fence to score Andy Krajecki and C Couillard-Rodak (3-0). Defiance drove in a run off senior Josh Vischer’s single and an error to score sophomore Tyler Dehan in the 2nd inning (3-1). In the 3rd inning the Fightin’ Engineers struck again when Jonathan Oliger singled, driving Dalton Busboom in to score (4-1). Jonathan Oliger stole second and drew an error which allowed him to advance to third as Mason Rasmussen scored (5-1). In the 4th inning sophomore Gunner Gregg hit a home run (5-2). The Yellow Jackets scored one last time in the 9th inning when Josh Vischer hit a single to score senior Dylan King. Defiance College had seven hits in this matchup, Trent Murdock, Gunner Greg, Tyler Dehan, Dylan King, and Alex Morr each recorded one hit each, while Josh Vischer added two. Dehan and King each had a double and Mitchell Roever added a stolen base. The Yellow Jackets had two pitchers spend time on the mound in this game. Starting pitcher sophomore Sam Thombs went 6 innings, facing 30 batters while throwing 109 pitches with 70 of those being strikes. Next up on the bump for Defiance was junior Johnny Hammerstein who threw 3 innings, facing 12 batters, while throwing 54 pitches with 34 of those being strikes. Defiance committed 2 errors.
Final
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Runs
Hits
Errors
Rose-Hulman (Ind.)
3
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
5
9
2
Defiance
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
3
7
2
This Week (Mar. 27- Apr. 2)
*Home Events are indicated in purple*
(Tuesday, March 28th) Softball vs Albion College
Location: Sal Hench Field
Time: 3pm and 5pm
(Tuesday, March 28th) Baseball vs Terra State Community College
Location: Rutter Field
Time: 4pm
(Saturday, April 1st) Baseball vs Bluffton University
Location: Rutter Field
Time: 12pm and 3pm
(Saturday, April 1st) Softball vs Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Location: RHIT Softball Field
Time: 1pm and 3pm
(Saturday, April 1st) Men’s Track & Field at the Grizzly Invite
Location: Franklin College
Time: TBA
(Saturday, April 1st) Women’s Track & Field at the Grizzly Invite
Location: Franklin College
Time: TBA
(Sunday, April 2nd) Baseball vs Bluffton University
The introduction of instant replay in college sports was intended to make the game equitable by correcting missed or incorrect calls made by referees. While instant replay has been a significant advancement in technology for college sports, it has also generated controversy among fans and players. Some argue that instant replay has made the game more accurate, while others believe it has taken away from the human element of sports. I’d like to take this opportunity to explore both sides of the debate in order to determine whether instant replay is truly helping or hurting college sports.
The Case for Instant Replay:
One of the primary arguments for the instant replay is that it has made officiating more accurate. Referees are human and can make mistakes, which can have a significant impact on the outcome of a game. Instant replay provides a way for officials to review close calls and ensure that the correct call is made. This not only makes the game fairer but also increases the confidence fans have in officiating. Another benefit of instant replay is that it can be used to review plays that are not visible to the naked eye. For example, in football, instant replay can be used to review whether a player’s foot was in or out of bounds or whether a ball crossed the goal line. These types of calls can be difficult to make in real-time, but instant replay provides a way for officials to review them and make the correct call.
The Case Against Instant Replay:
Despite its benefits, some argue that instant replay has taken away from the human element of sports. Part of the excitement of sports is the unpredictability of the game, and instant replay can disrupt that. The game can be stopped for minutes at a time while officials review plays, which can disrupt the flow of the game and take away from the excitement for fans. Another argument against instant replay is that it is not always accurate. While instant replay is designed to correct missed or incorrect calls, it can also be used incorrectly. For example, if a camera angle does not provide a clear view of a play, it can be difficult for officials to make the correct call. Additionally, instant replay does not account for the subjective nature of some calls, such as holding or pass interference in football. These types of calls require the judgment of officials, and instant replay cannot always provide a definitive answer.
Final Remarks:
In conclusion, instant replay has both advantages and disadvantages in college sports. It can increase the accuracy of officiating and provide a way to review plays that are not visible to the naked eye. However, it can also disrupt the flow of the game and take away from the excitement of sports. Ultimately, the decision of whether to use instant replay should be made based on a careful evaluation of its benefits and drawbacks and its impact on the overall enjoyment of the game for fans and players alike. Whether you like or dislike the current structure of instant replay, you must remember to always keep the equality of the sport in mind.
I would like to introduce you to Lisa Marsalek. She is the Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students. She has been at Defiance College for 16 years. She decided to come to Defiance College because she grew up in Holegate. She moved back to Northwest Ohio from Cleveland. She attended The Ohio State University for her bachelor of science in psychology. She also attended The Ohio State University for her Master of Arts in Education and Masters of Labor and Human Resources. Her favorite part about working at Defiance College is working with the students and getting to know the students.
On a more personal note, Lisa Marsalek’s favorite place to travel in Costa Rica. Her favorite summer activity is boating because her family owns a boat. One thing that Lisa is afraid of is alligators. Her first job was as an office assistant for their family business at Wagner Farms and Sawmill. Lisa was asked to give her own definition of success. She stated that her definition of success is “Making steady progress towards your goals.”
Defiance College has partnered with the City of Defiance to create a research program that focuses on water quality issues in the Upper Maumee Watershed through a federal Department of Education grant for $500,000 made possible by Senator Sherrod Brown. The Maumee River begins in Fort Wayne, IN, and follows through 137 miles of agricultural, residential, and industrial areas before depositing into the western basin of Lake Erie. Developing a better understanding of the nutrient and water quality data of the Upper Maumee helps close knowledge gaps surrounding the harmful algal blooms present in Lake Erie and the Maumee River and improves overall water quality for the whole watershed.
The goals of the Defiance Research Alliance are to examine excess nutrients in the Upper Maumee Watershed, improve education opportunities for secondary and college students, and to research real-world solutions to local water quality issues. The program will benefit the Defiance County community through outreach objectives surrounding the common goal of learning about our water.
Students at both Defiance College and Defiance Area Schools have the opportunity to learn more about local water quality through the educational aspects of this program. Project Director Dr. Sabrina Brown is offering two college-level courses during the Spring 2023 semester: Fundamentals of Water Quality (BIO 495), open to Defiance College students of any major, and Inquiry in Science (NSCI 220), open to both Defiance College students and high school College Credit Plus, students. Students can also become involved with the Defiance Research Alliance through paid research opportunities for both Defiance College undergraduate and secondary students.
The partnership between Defiance College and the City of Defiance will benefit both parties involved. The City of Defiance, Water Treatment Plant, operates an inline nutrient monitoring system on the Maumee River that sends real-time water quality data to Water Treatment Plant staff and others—which the Defiance Research Alliance is using for its research projects. The grant will also cover renovations for Dr. Brown’s lab in Carma J. Rowe Science Hall to create the Maumee River Watershed Research Center for students to conduct original hands-on research and regularly collect, analyze, and interpret samples from the watershed. Data from the Water Treatment Plant and student research will be used to inform management decisions in the Upper Maumee Watershed.
Senior #21 Marissa Roberts makes an impressive catch vs Hope
The Defiance College softball team hosted the Hope Flying Dutchman on Monday evening at Defiance High School as a part of a non-conference doubleheader. In the bottom of the first inning, senior Cayley Ebeling singled up the middle for the Flying Dutchman, which allowed junior Emily Martin to score from third base (1-0). One inning later (bottom of the 2nd), Hope would add to their lead by scoring a trio of runs (4-0), as junior Emily Martin singled up the middle once again, which allowed junior Peyton Benjamin and senior Lexi Potapczak to score from third and second respectively. The very next batter, junior Grace Henry, singled up the middle, and this allowed junior Emily Martin to score to stretch the Flying Dutchman lead to four. At the bottom of the fourth inning, senior Haley Bennett doubled to right field, which cleared the entire infield, as junior Grace Henry scored from third base, junior Emily Martin scored from second base, and junior Peyton Benjamin scored from first base (7-0). A few batters later, senior Lexi Potapczak doubled down the left field line, which allowed sophomore Lexie DeHoop and senior Haley Bennett to score from second and third base (9-0). Following Potapczak’s double, she was able to reach home plate her own self, as freshman Kate DeMann hit a double to center field (10-0). Defiance would fail to score in the top of the fifth inning, which caused the game to end in a mercy rule (10-0). The one hit for the Yellow Jackets in this contest came from senior Marissa Roberts. Junior Savannah McCoy started the game as a pitcher, and she remained on the mound for the majority of the game, as she pitched 3.2 innings. McCoy threw 53 strikes on 80 pitches. Junior Riley Alcorn also saw action on the mound for Defiance as she threw 12 pitches, including six strikes.
3/6: Hope College 6 (3-2), Defiance 5 (0-6)
Final
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Runs
Hits
Errors
Hope
0
1
2
2
1
0
0
6
5
1
Defiance
0
0
1
4
0
0
0
5
8
2
Sophomore #1 Destiny Coil steps up to bat vs Hope
In the second game of the doubleheader at Defiance High School between the Yellow Jackets and the Flying Dutchman, Hope took home the victory 6-5. At the top of the second inning (with bases loaded), junior Peyton Benjamin was walked, which allowed senior Haley Bennett to score from third base (1-0). One inning later (top of the 3rd), senior Lexi Potapczak doubled to left center, and this allowed senior Haley Bennett and junior Grace Henry to score, which extended the Hope advantage to three (3-0). The Yellow Jackets would reach the scoreboard at the bottom of the third inning, as senior Marissa Roberts grounded out to the second base, which allowed freshman Ali Mowen to reach home plate (3-1). At the top of the fourth inning, however, the Flying Dutchman would stretch their lead back to three (4-1), as freshman Kate DeMann tripled to right field, which allowed junior Kyra Acker to score from first base. A few batters later, junior Peyton Benjamin would fly one out to right field for a sacrifice fly and this allowed freshman Kate DeMann to score (5-1). At the bottom of the inning (fourth), freshman Ali Mowen singled to left field and then advanced to second base on the throw, while freshman Savanah Bergman and senior Josilyn Guzman were able to score (5-3). A few batters later, Defiance was able to tie the game (5-5), as sophomore Anika Craft singled to center field and then advanced to second base on the throw. Off Craft’s double, both junior Laney Grimwood and freshman Ali Mowen were able to reach home plate. At the top of the fifth inning, Hope was able to score the game-winning run (6-5) as freshman Kate DeMann was walked, which allowed senior Haley Bennett to score from third. In the 8 hits for the Yellow Jackets, both junior Brooke Silcox and sophomore Anika Craft each recorded two hits, while senior Josilyn Guzman, junior Laney Grimwood, freshman Anna Emswiler, and freshman Ali Mowen each had one. Sophomore pitcher Anika Craft pitched all seven innings in this contest, as she threw 63 strikes on 131 pitches.
When junior Laney Grimwood was asked by The Defender about her thoughts following the doubleheader against Hope, she expressed, “They were tough games. Hope was a really good hitting team and it took too long for us to wake up our bats. There was definitely improvement from game one to game two and we’re going to keep that rolling into next week as we head down to Florida for some games. We appreciate everyone coming out and sitting in that nasty weather, we felt the love! Now we have to get back in the gym and work harder to prepare for the games ahead.”
Women’s Golf: Fri. Mar. 10 and Sat. Mar. 11 (The Woods Invite)
The Defiance College women’s golf team traveled to Terre Haute, Indiana, Friday morning for the two-day Woods Invite at Idle Creek Golf Course. Six schools competed in The Woods Invite, including St. Mary of the Woods College, Hanover College, Oakland City University, Danville Area Community College, and Indiana University Kokomo. The Yellow Jackets shot 741 in their second tournament of the spring campaign to finish in 5th place overall as a team. The 741 team score is the fourth-lowest in program history and the fourth sub-750 tournament between the fall and spring seasons. Freshman Cassady Van Dyke was the lowest Defiance finisher with a 9th-place effort, as she finished with a combined score of 175. Van Dyke’s top-10 finish was built by rounds of 88 and 87 on the weekend, as she matched her personal best 36-hole score. Cassady’s 175 is also tied for the eighth-lowest 36-hole score in program history. The only Defiance golfer to top Van Dyke on any nine-hole section was sophomore Isabelle Vance with a 45 during Saturday’s back-nine. Vance shot 182 for the tournament on 18-hole scores of 95 and 87, which tied Van Dyke for the lowest score for the Yellow Jackets on the weekend. Vance nearly shot a sub-40 on the front nine of Saturday’s run, but a triple-bogey on the fourth hole spoiled her chances at a par-birdie-par rally just before taking the turn to the tenth. Vance’s score of 87 on Saturday set a new personal best. Sophomore Winter Boroff also found success in the front nine, as she recorded 43s on both days. Winter birdied the par-5 fourth hole on Friday and beat par again on Saturday on the sixth. Boroff’s 91 and 94 scorecards added up to 185 for the weekend, good for a 17th-place finish. The fourth and final golfer to participate for Defiance was senior Mari Najar. Najar recorded a total score of 199, which was good for a 24th-place finish.
*****No Yellow Jackets Sports Weekly Recap Next Week!*****
Away
Monday, Mar. 13
Baseball vs St. Elizabeth University (Fort Myers, Florida)
(9:00 am)
Softball vs Wisconsin Stout University (The Spring Games at Auburndale, Florida)
(11:30 am)
Baseball vs St. Elizabeth University (Fort Myers, Florida)
(12:00 pm)
Softball vs Lakeland University (The Spring Games at Auburndale, Florida)
(2:00 pm)
Tuesday, Mar. 14
Baseball vs Wisconsin Stout University (Fort Myers, Florida)
(9:00 am)
Baseball vs Wisconsin Stout University (Fort Myers, Florida)
(12:00 pm)
Thursday, Mar. 16
Baseball vs Skidmore College (Fort Myers, Florida)
(9:00 am)
Softball vs Chicago University (The Spring Games at Auburndale, Florida)
(9:00 am)
Softball vs Wooster College (The Spring Games at Auburndale, Florida)
(11:30 am)
Baseball vs Wisconsin Lutheran College (Fort Myers, Florida)
(12:00 pm)
Friday, Mar. 17
Baseball vs West Connecticut State University (Fort Myers, Florida)
(9:00 am)
Baseball vs St. Elizabeth University (Fort Myers, Florida)
(12:00 pm)
Saturday, Mar. 18
Men’s Golf at Country Club of Terre Haute (Great Lakes Intercollegiate)
(TBD)
Softball vs George Fox University (Pioneer Classic at Elizabethtown, Kentucky)
(10:00 am)
Softball vs DePauw University (Pioneer Classic at Elizabethtown, Kentucky)
(12:30 pm)
Sunday, Mar. 19
Men’s Golf at Country Club of Terre Haute (Great Lakes Intercollegiate)
(TBD)
Softball vs Asbury University (Pioneer Classic at Elizabethtown, Kentucky)
(10:00 am)
Softball vs Wittenberg University (Pioneer Classic at Elizabethtown, Kentucky)
(12:30 pm)
Home
Saturday, Mar. 25
Baseball vs Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Location: Craig A. Rutter Field
(12:00 pm)
Softball vs Albion College
Location: Sal Hench Field
(1:00 pm)
Baseball vs Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Location: Craig A. Rutter Field
(3:00 pm)
Softball vs Albion College
Location: Sal Hench Field
(3:00 pm)
Away
Tuesday, Mar. 21
Softball at Heidelberg University
(3:30 pm)
Baseball at Heidelberg University
(4:00 pm)
Softball at Heidelberg University
(5:30 pm)
Saturday, Mar. 25
Women’s Track & Field at Cedarville University (Yellow Jacket Collegiate Open)
(10:00 am)
Men’s Track & Field at Cedarville University (Yellow Jacket Collegiate Open)
If I Stay, by New York Best Selling Author, Gayle Forman shows the reader that everything can change in a matter of seconds. Starting after a tragic car accident and following the main character Mia throughout her mental state and what she sees during her coma. This story is gripping and gives readers a perspective on just how fast life can change.
Mia had her whole life in front of her and it was shaping up to be perfect. That is until one night her and her family are in a tragic car accident. Most of the story takes place with Mia watching what is going on outside of her body. She watches as they remove her body from the car and take her to the hospital. She watches and puts the pieces together of what was lost in the car accident. Then she has to make the biggest decision of her life.
This story is touching in so many ways, it left me in tears. Life is not guaranteed and this book does a really good job of showing this to readers. There were so many things to be learned from this book, however, it did get a little slow-moving. Mia’s character does endure a lot and it truly made me feel for her.
Overall, I give this book a 4/5. It was a good read and leaves readers with some very good lessons.
I would like to introduce to you Lisa Crumit-Hancock. She is the Assistant Dean of Student Success. She grew up in Ayersville, Ohio. She has been at Defiance for 12 years. She is a graduate of Defiance College. During her time at Defiance College, she was the editor of the Defender and wrote many articles to contribute to the Defender. She had also taught part-time for seven years at Defiance College. Her favorite part about working at Defiance College is the students. Lisa went to Defiance College for her undergraduate degree in English and History. After undergrad, she attended Bowling Green State University for American Cultural Studies.
More personal questions were asked of Lisa during the interview. Her favorite color is green. Her favorite snack is skinny pop popcorn. Her favorite sport is basketball. When asked if she was a coffee drinker, she responded, “yes!”. Her favorite kind of coffee is Cafe Mocha. The last question asked Lisa was, “What career advice would you give other people?” Her response was, “Have plans, but always be open to opportunities that come your way even if they are not part of that plan.”
Lisa Crumit-Hancock can be located in Pilgrim Library 216.
