Fast Break: Gloomy weather, gloomier spring sports

A duck in a Willamette jersey about to score a goal on the soccer field while the crowd cheers behind them. Art by Wes Mowry-Silverman.

Hello, Bearcats! It was a tough weekend for our sports, the gloomy weather contributing to much of the tone for the outcome on our weekend games. Onto the news!

Women's lacrosse once again fell short in their game on Sunday against rivals George Fox, losing 7-8 in overtime. Claire Kisielnicki (’26) was able to score two goals, one in the first quarter and one in the last. 

Women's softball battled against Pacific Lutheran in a doubleheader this weekend but ultimately lost both games 1-10 and 3-11. 

Men's baseball is on a four-game losing streak, first falling to Warner Pacific in a 4-6 loss last Wednesday. They then faced Whitman three times over the weekend, first on Saturday in a 9-10 and then a 4-7 loss, and in a narrow 10-11 loss on Sunday. Despite the losses, the Basecats came away with many solid performances, including Matthew Rienhardt, (’28) who totaled nine hits, two runs, and two stolen bases, as well as from Olen Nofziger (’29), who recorded five runs and one home run. 

Men's tennis lost 0-7 against Whitman on Saturday and 0-7 against Whitworth on Sunday. 

Women's tennis also faced a tough loss against Whitworth and Whitman with the same score of 0-7 in both matches, but they were able to show off their resolve and ability to stay determined, as they continued to fight in the remaining games. 

Women's track and field attended Western Oregon University's John Knight Memorial in honor of a previous coach on Friday and Saturday. The events on Friday started with 400-meter hurdles, where Juniper Ammirati (’28) came in No. 11, marking her personal best (PB) of 1:07.56, and Amanda McArthur (’28) secured No. 3 in triple jump. On Saturday, Whitley Stepp (’28) cleared 1.55 meters to secure No. 4 in high jump. In the 100-meter hurdles, Mashani Coleman Toliver (’26) earned third place, while Ammirati secured another PB with a run of 16.25 seconds.

Men's track and field opened with 400-meter hurdles on Friday, where Brison SpeakThunder (’28) placed highest for the Bearcats at No. 12, and Kayden Gonzales (’26) achieved a new PB of 58.49 seconds, securing No. 16. In the 200-meter, Owen Philips (’29) and Matthew Nivala (’27) earned No. 20 and 21 overall, making them the top two runners for the ’Cats. In hammer throw, Roan Bashioum (’27) took No. 4. In high jump, Davandre Campbell (’29) took No. 5 on Saturday and Sunday, and in discus, Austin Snodgrass (’28) took No. 5. On Saturday, the 1500-meter continued with Thomas Bernadicou (’29) securing No. 2 with a time of 3:58.97, and Jaw Chew (’26) was the second-fastest Bearcat at 4:03.89, a PB. 

In the wider world of sport: The 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball final took place on April 6, with Michigan claiming the title. The Blazers faced the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday in the Western Conference play-in game for an opportunity to clinch a playoff berth, and the WNBA draft was underway Monday night.

In the coming weeks: Lacrosse has a home game against Whitman on Saturday, April 18 at 1 p.m. Softball competes against Lewis & Clark at home on April 18 at noon. Some of the Bearcats on track and field will compete at the NWC Multi Championships from April 13-14 in Newberg, Oregon, while the rest will compete in the NWC Championships in Spokane, Washington on April 25-26.