With Hilbert Athletics getting back into full swing after having a major gap in their collegiate careers, athletes are looking to have some changes made for their teams.

Many teams, including women’s volleyball, are pushing for new, redesigned black jerseys with the Hilbert logo.

The coaches and players are pressing the need for something more professional and sleek-looking. Right now, teams have been utilizing the blue and white colors for their Home and Away games. But a majority seek a change.

Stephan Houghton on the men’s volleyball team said he is hoping the department goes forward with the change to black jerseys.

“It looks so much more intense and intimidating with the black background and our logo,” Houghton said.

Some students, including Houghton, think it’s time for new equipment, especially in the weight room. He said the equipment needs to be updated and more space would make for a better experience.

Kenny Dango, an athlete from the men’s Lacrosse team, noted the inconvenience that could arise with the new sports, including football with its large roster, in the upcoming Fall semester.

“It’s hard for us to do the workout if we’re crammed in a tight space and don’t have any room,” Dango said. “Personally, I think it needs remodeling because you want to be pumped up to go to the weight room and never leave.”

Dango said that possible issues could arise with sharing the weight room with the new sports programs that were recently announced at Hilbert, particularly adding a whole football team.

“With that many people going to the weight room, it wouldn’t really work out, especially if we’re still social distancing,” the sophomore said. “They would have to divide into groups.”

Athletes also point out the condition of Athletic facilities on the campus. The women’s locker rooms have also been mentioned among the women’s volleyball team, pushing for a more updated and larger feel. Dango also mentions the urgency to have some of these upgrades made before we add three new sports. With Division III Program expansion for Fall 2022, it is unknown how teams will adapt and operate due to the welcoming of our student athletes.

The Hilbert petition argues that since black is an accent color of the college branding, then it should be allowed as an option amongst teams for their jersey color. The petition has been signed by 100 people and has been approved by Dr. Brophy, President of Hilbert College. There is some great potential with the upcoming seasons for our student athletes. Athletes look forward to seeing the possible change in uniform, since it is now up to each individual sport. With the preceding news that we will be gaining these teams, fellow athletes look forward to sharing the program with some of the most popular sports.

 Krista Stephany, a sophomore looks forward to the student life that could be brought back with the addition of Football.

“I look forward to watching the football games the most,” Stephany said. “In high school, it was always fun meeting up with my friends and rooting for our team.”

Stephany said that the football team could help revive the Hilbert Stars Cheerleading team.

“The team has been dormant for some time and I think having a football team will really bring that atmosphere back to a college like Hilbert.”

Since the Covid-19 Pandemic hit in the Spring of 2020 the way our world works has changed drastically. More specifically, College Athletes’ worlds have changed even more drastically. Between not playing games, having to go on pause and limited practices everything a college athlete does has to be one step at a time. The coming season should offer a more normal experience

Brendan Walsh, a right handed pitcher for the Hilbert Baseball team, said he has yet to experience a normal College Baseball season. Last season, the Hawks baseball team was lucky enough to have a season but it was only half the slate as a normal one. With many protocols and precautions added into the mix it was tough to get that full student-athlete experience.

“I’m mainly most excited to get back to the field and play, and see what the guys got in them.” he said. “After a covid season too, I’m excited to actually experience a full season, including our trip to Myrtle.”

Last season, the Hawks finished with an 8-26 overall and 4-14 record in conference play. Although they anticipated a better overall season, it wasn’t for lack of competition. In the end the Hawks found themselves in a one game play-in game vs their rival Medaille to reach the AMCC Playoffs but unfortunately they fell short in extra innings.

However, on Walsh’s end it was anything but disappointing. The then Freshman pitcher had the opposing Mavs held scoreless through five innings. Walsh finished the day going six innings while striking out 7 batters. His day finished with 3 earned runs to his credit.

Walsh said the prospect of a more normal season has he and his teemates more motivated than ever to compete.

“The extra drive everyone has this season that wasn’t particularly there last season,” he said. “No one wants to go out the way we did, and I think the guys really took it to heart, so this coming season I think our whole mindset is really gonna change.”

The Hawks certainly have a lot to look forward to with this coming season as they’ve gotten a multitude of transfers and incoming freshmen to come in and compete this season. Walsh was hurt this summer and had to rehab the tendonitis in his throwing shoulder. However, he said he remained focused on his goal.

“This off season was mainly just lifting and getting mentally and physically prepared for what’s to come,” he said.

 Looking forward the underclassmen seems primed and ready to build off some of his successes on the mound last season with a full schedule to look forward to, as do the Hawks as there is quite a bit of buzz for what they might look like when they take the field this spring. The Hawks will get their next opportunity to compete this fall as their month long practice/scrimmage period is currently in the thick of things.

The Men’s Baseball team has kicked off their fall-ball season and have high hopes for their Spring season.

Senior first baseman Brandon Job said having a home field to play on has made practices more enjoyable and beneficial to all of their players.

“Having a home field this year has made fall-ball practices more beneficial, more enjoyable, as it’s been more convenient to walk from the classroom or your dorm room to get to the field, rather than driving off campus to practice.”

The team has been holding practices three days a week, where they focus on batting, fielding, pitching, base running, and bat speed work. 

Freshman pitcher Colin Windle said the team is definitely looking good during their practices and scrimmages.

“All of the hard work we have been putting in for the last three weeks during our practices has been paying off and I think we could have some serious potential this year.”

Saturday October 2^nd, the men faced Hilbert’s Baseball alumni in a scrimmage on their new field.

“­­­­­­­­­­­­­It was great showing the new field that we got to the alumni and playing against teammates and past players we haven’t seen in a while. We missed our alumni game last year, so it’s a great kick- off to the fall and we have really high expectations going forward as we move through the season,” said Job.

When they’re not practicing, the baseball team has been working the concession stands at the Buffalo Bills games to help fundraise for their Myrtle Beach Tournament, which takes place during Spring Break.

 Freshman pitcher Brendan Walsh says he’s looking forward to the spring break trip and thinks the team will do really well. “I’m really excited for the spring break trip since we didn’t get to go last year, and my junior year of high school, I went down there and it was a lot of fun. In terms of how our team will do, I think we’ll do super well because of all the improvements we’ve made and the hard work we’ve put in at practice.”

The men are scheduled to face Erie Community College on Monday October 11 at 2pm at the ECC North Campus Baseball Field.

The women’s softball team is set to kick off their fall-ball season.

The team has been practicing every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday and are will hold their first scrimmage this Saturday October 2.

Freshman pitcher Rebecca Marmorato said the hard work they’ve been putting in during practice is preparing the team for their upcoming season.

“The team has been working a couple days a week to strengthen our pitching, infield, and outfield, while also trying to improve our communication on the field,” Marmorato said.

The women hope to have a better season this spring than they had the previous year and are looking forward to playing on their new field.

As of right now, the team is looking strong and there are many players looking strong ahead of the upcoming season, Lily Zimmerman, a freshman third baseman said.

“The team is looking pretty solid so far and we have a lot of new players to contribute to our upcoming season.”

When the team is not practicing, they are continuing to work the Buffalo Bills games in hopes to fundraise for their annual Myrtle Beach Spring Break trip where they will participate in a tournament with several other Division 3 softball teams.

“Hopefully all of these hours we’ve been fundraising will pay off and we will be able to experience the Myrtle Beach trip that was canceled because of Covid-19 last season,” freshman outfielder Gabrielle Jansen said.

As the softball fall-ball season comes to an end, the Men’s Baseball team is preparing for theirs to begin.

“We’re ending our fall-ball season on October 2^nd with a scrimmage against Niagara County Community College. It will be exciting to see how it all unfolds,” Marmorato said.

The Hilbert Hawks Women’s Basketball team won’t be playing a complete schedule of games this season due to the safety concerns around COVID-19.

Despite these challenges, the team is ready to get back out onto the court for their four scheduled scrimmages this year. The Hawks haven’t played in a competitive game in over a year, but will soon return.

When asked about the feelings about playing in a competitive game again, head coach Amy Senefelder said she had mixed emotions.

“I’m excited and nervous at the same time for our first game,” Senefelder said. “Usually we are done with our season at this time, but we are just starting our games in March. So I’m very excited at the opportunity to get some games in, but anxious because it has been over a year since we’ve played.”

The 2021 Hawks will go into this season as a very young team, having no seniors, four sophomores and four freshmen. This opportunity has created excitement for some of the team’s sophomores.

“I guess I’m just excited that we get the opportunity to play with each other, even if it won’t really be the same,” sophomore Ashley Schroeder said. “Especially considering our team is so young. Having a scrimmage season might actually be a good thing.”

The entire team is required to get rapid COVID testing three times a week in order to continue practicing and playing in the scrimmages. Senefelder said that the team continues to abide by the COVID-19 safety guidelines on and off the court. If any player contracts the virus the entire program is forced to shut down for ten days. This has made the players extra cautious in an effort to continue to participate for the shortened season.

Macy Kisner, a sophomore player, said the butterflies are already setting in ahead of the upcoming scrimmage against the Medaille Mavericks. “Every night before a game I always get nervous,” Kisner said. “I watch game tapes of the team we are playing and how I play against them and the things I can improve on, the best ways to guard players and the best ways to score. Considering I haven’t played a game in a long time because of COVID, I am nervous to play because I have no idea how the team is going to work together. Even though we only have a four game season I am ecstatic to be able to play a sport I love even if it’s for a short period of time.”

Hilbert’s men’s’ baseball team dropped both games in a double header against Wells College last month.

The team made their way to Wells College early Sunday morning, with the players eager to play after winning one of two of their last games against D’Youville College. Matt Kellner led off the game. Misael Guzman started off pitching for the Hawks.

In the top of the second inning, Guzman hit a 2-run homerun out to right field, putting the Hilbert Hawks at 0-2. Wells fought back in the bottom of the second inning scoring five runs, taking a 5-2 lead. Frank McCabe started off the third inning with a single, and later, a steal to second. “I was sitting on the fastball and he threw me one, so I jumped on it,” McCabe said. Kellner followed with an RBI double, making the score 5-4.

In the bottom of the third inning, Wells came back scoring three more runs, resulting in an 8-4 game. The Hawks then brought in their bullpen pitchers, Zachary Crane, Zackory Panfil, and Michael Contini. The trio was able to throw three shutout innings as well as three strikeouts. “As a bullpen, we threw strikes and executed pitches accordingly,” Contini said.  

Wells’ pitcher threw a complete game, securing an 8-4 for Wells.

The Hawks unfortunately took the loss on game 2 but are planning to bounce back Saturday March 27^th at their double header against SUNY Fredonia. The first pitch is set for 12pm.

Players on the Hilbert Hawks men’s basketball team are disappointed about another shortened season, but are keeping their heads high while playing a few games this year.

The team had their season shortened with Covid-19 restrictions in place, only allowing them to get seven scrimmage games for the whole season.

Not only was their season cancelled, but Covid restrictions were also an obstacle. Just like every team, masks have to be worn in practices for precaution. “Athletes were no longer allowed to get extra gym time whenever they pleased, unless there was a scheduled practice,” said Wendell Abellard, a sophomore guard.

However, this short season allowed for them to improve on team bonding, Abellard said.

“Our team has improved on team chemistry… this year we found ways to get guys together and do activities outside of basketball,” Abellard added.

With just these few scrimmages, head coach Rob DeGrandpre is using these games as an evaluation for next season. The team has improved in just these few games, sophomore Jessie Price said.

“Coach is trying to give everybody an opportunity so he can understand their strengths, weaknesses, and capabilities for next season,” said Price.

DeGranpere, Price and the rest of the team hope to use this year as a learning opportunity that it will make them a stronger unity next year.

 “We are making sure we truly understand the system we’re playing in such as: learning offensive sets, and different kinds of defensive plays,” Price said. “The goal is to have all played with each other and understand everybody’s strengths and weaknesses.”

Preparing for a lacrosse game is no easy feat. Coaches spend hours designing practices, going over film, and creating the perfect roster. The players are constantly working out, watching what they eat, and still balancing schoolwork and a social life. But, with COVID-19, sports needed to take a backseat to health. In the spring of 2020, the season was cancelled four games in.

Fast forward to the spring of 2021, nobody knows if they will be able to finish the season, but the players and coaches are adjusting and trying to follow the new COVID-19 procedures set upon them by the school and the NCAA.

In multiple interviews the three captains on the Hilbert Men’s Lacrosse team, Brandon Bitka, Tony Cappola, and Liam Doyle, they helped shed some light on what the team is going through this season.

When asked about how COVID-19 has affected the team and himself in terms of camaraderie, Brandon Bitka, a junior Attackmen, said that because of the restrictions set in place by the school, it has been difficult to bond with teammates outside of lacrosse.

“COVID-19 has affected me personally by being able to be around teammates outside of practice,” Bitka said. “A big part of being on a team, being a leader on a team is also being able to connect with teammates outside of lacrosse. Due to COVID rules and restrictions this has limited our overall team bonding.”

It is safe to assume that for most who have ever played a sport, can admit that the best teams they have played on, are the teams where each member feels like a brother. As a freshman coming in college can be daunting and it is up to the upperclassmen to welcome them in and help them get adjusted from the transition from high school to college.

Tony Cappola, a fifth year senior Midfielder, stated that because of COVID-19, practices have changed drastically over the past couple months. In the beginning of the season, the team was allowed to hold practices with groups of ten players or less. Then with the introduction of three tests a week, practices have gone to what they normally were. Tony also states that when practices were held in groups of ten or less, it was difficult, and the team had to get creative with their drills and practice plans.

“In the beginning of the season and in our fall season we were only allowed to practice in groups of 10 or less,” Cappola said. “Starting two weeks ago we started getting three rapid tests a week and are able to practice like we normally would.  When we were in our groups of 10 it was a very different type of practice and the coaches had to get creative with our drills and practice plans.”

Liam Doyle, a junior Attackmen, was asked about the team’s overall skill this season. He said that last year’s team was “sick” and has some big shoes to fill. This current team’s roster is not the biggest, so everyone is going to have to step up, including the young guys.

“Our team last year was sick but for us to get to that same point this year, were going to need guys to fill some big shoes,” Doyle said. “Our roster size isn’t the biggest, so we are going to need everyone on the team to play a role. Young guys have to step up and ball out as best they can to help us out.”

The 2020 Hilbert Men’s Lacrosse team graduated or lost five starters on the team. Three being offensive attackmen. Gauging the three captains during the interviews, I would say this team has a lot to work on however, if anyone is capable of doing the work it is those guys. Hopefully, the team can stay healthy, and the 2021 college lacrosse season does not get cancelled.

This school semester has been hard on many students with remote classes and sports. The Hilbert Starz are no exception.

The cheerleading team, like nearly every other part of campus life, has been affected by covid. They can’t compete. They are not at Hilbert sports events as they normally would be. And they can’t hold their typical spirit-promoting events.

But that hasn’t stopped them from spreading school spirit. This year they are working with Hilbert Spirit Squad to support athletic programs and provide encouragement.

Colleen Kumiega, the club’s faculty advisor, said that the team has put competition on hold with cheering at games or no competition in the area. But since the club is both a Student Government Association member and works with athletics they still have club obligations to service and fundraising.

“We did host a few Zooms to think of some fundraising ideas over the two semesters,” Kumeiga said.

Kat Pappas joined the Starz when she was a freshman. Because of Covid, she couldn’t do anything with the group her sophomore year.

“We might start some warm ups next year,” Pappas said.

Kumeiga said that the goal for startup is to have the girls do several pre made workout videos on their own for conditioning due to the gym and weight room not being offered to cheerleaders from lack of time availability. 

“We will use zoom as an extra practice for those who may need to catch up on sidelines and the dance routine,” Kumeiga said.

Kumeiga said that masking will also present a challenge. However, she believes the team will be able to figure out a way to adapt, perhaps take more breaks than they usually would.

“Honestly most of the girls have been to their own gym working out and are used to the mask,” she said. “But it’s not the easiest.”

Kat says that her favorite part of the Starz is how they can easily work together and try and improve our different stunting and if someone is struggling, we try and boost them up and say they can do it and we just keep trying.     

Kumeiga said the group has not had new members join since the beginning of the pandemic because theydid not hold tryouts in fall of 2020. But the team is hoping more members will join as things get closer to normal.

“We will still follow a team plan to practice and be ready for when events take place such as games or competition,” Kumeiga said. 

“We Bleed Hilbert Blue,” she said. “This is a team of true spirit and hard work but lots of team building and friendship making in the process.”