The Envoy

All-region accolades for the first time in a half-decade headlined a monumental effort from the Hawks as they chase their first Commissioner’s Cup victory in four years.

As three of our seasons ended and four began, the school’s claim to the Commissioner’s Cup — an award given to the best athletic school in the CUNYAC league — was still up in the air. March was a month of massive individual success for the Hawks, as national placements were achieved in multiple sports; however, the challenge for the Hawks to translate their individual dominance into team glory remains.

WRESTLING

Wrestling was the first sport to wrap up in March. At the NCAA Division Three regionals, Jayden Medina and Botensky Bauzile both placed seventh in the 133th and 149th weight classes, respectively. Bauzile worked through the consolation bracket after losing in the opening round and won a 12-5 match against St. John Fisher’s Derek Bernadino. Medina also went through the consolation rounds after an early loss and won 12-2 against Penn College’s TJ Martin. They are Hunter’s first all-region honorees and regional place finishers since 2020.

FENCING

Our fencing team finished their season with NCAA appearances and a 10th-place finish at the National Intercollegiate Women’s Fencing Association (NIFWA).

The women’s team led the charge, with Katherine Hanin and Brean Tobin having standout performances. Tobin rallied to finish 7th in foil, winning a medal and being the first Hunter fencer to place in the top eight at the NIFWA championships since 2015. Hanin finished 16th in foil. The women’s team then finished their season with an NCAA regional appearance.

INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD

The indoor season for track and field wrapped up on the first of the month, as our Hawks faced off against other CUNY schools at the CUNYAC Indoor Championships. Hunter, led by coach Marvin Hawkins, looked to dethrone Medgar Evers, who aimed to win back-to-back indoor titles. Despite over-performing in many events, including an immense personal record from Solomon Kumi in the 60-meter hurdles in a race decided by .01 seconds, the men’s 184 points were not enough. As Medgar’s 193, was an insurmountable deficit. The women also put up 174 points to Medgar’s 202 points.

After his performance in the 60 hurdles, along with a gold, silver, and bronze medal in the triple, high and long jumps, Solomon Kumi was awarded the men’s indoor track and field MVP and Jamie Risso capped off her season with the women’s MVP award. Risso won the long jump, triple jump and 60-meter hurdles. Her 9.81 time in the hurdles would have placed her fourth in the men’s division, and her triple jump mark of 11.45 meters was among the best nationwide.

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

The Hawks continued to breeze through conference play this month, with their first wins picked up at the John Jay Trimatch meet on March 1. The Hawks swept Brooklyn and John Jay, with stand-out performances from Kyle Foley and Ahmed Mohamed. The Hawks picked up another away win against York before taking a home win against Lehman. Their first loss of the month came against Baruch on March 11, with the Hawks losing 3 sets to one.

Hunter began to build momentum again during another away trip to Medgar Evers. The team took back-to-back wins against the Cougars, who remain winless in CUNYAC play.  The Hawks hosted a tri-match that weekend, where they demolished CCNY and University of Mount Saint Vincent. Wins against York, Lehman, John Jay and another loss to Baruch rounded off a successful month for Hunter before their anticipated playoff run. 

SOFTBALL

Softball began its season with two losses against Stevens Institute of Technology, 7-4 in game one and 9-8 in game two. Despite the loss, players like catcher Adriana Ramirez, utility Jessica Fowler and catcher Olivia Palumbo helped surge the team forward with some offensive output. The Hawks then went to New Jersey to face Saint Elizabeth University. The game ended in a draw after Hunter took the second set 5-4. A similar story happened against Purchase, with the Hawks taking the first set 21-13 and losing the second to earn another draw. Next came a loss against Montclair University, a win against Yeshiva University and another draw with University of Mount Saint Vincent. The Hawks ended March with two losses to New Jersey University and Ramapo College of New Jersey. 

MEN’S TENNIS

The men’s team had a fast month due to match postponements. The Hawks won against St. Joseph’s University and their performance garnered a Rookie of the Week accolade for Savio Francis. Francis stood out in the doubles and singles against St. Joseph’s. The next match was a tight loss to Sarah Lawerence, 3-4. The Hawks showed tenacity and strength, taking the first three doubles matches but losing the final four singles matches.

OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD

The Hawks switched from indoor to outdoor towards the end of March and didn’t miss a step. Their stride continued at the Stockton University Invitational and the St. John’s University’s, “The Big Hurt.”

At the Stockton Invitational, Brian Arias placed first in CUNYAC in the 800 meters with a time of 2:08.37 and placed second in CUNYAC in the 1500-meter race. On the women’s side, Evelyn Pacheco debuted in the javelin with a 101’7 meter throw, finishing eighth overall and first in CUNYAC.

At The Big Hurt, the women’s team led the charge. Jamie Risso stood out once again, placing second in the triple jump with a mark of 11.86 meters. This led to her placing 6th overall in the nation in triple jump for Division Three track and field, adding another accolade to her growing resume. Tahlea Murray placed fourth overall in throws and fifth in 100H with a personal best time of 22.13. Mikalle Cesar placed seventh overall in the 800-meter race with a time of 2:31.21.

LOOKING AHEAD

Men’s volleyball senior night is April 1, then the playoffs begin. Softball will continue their season into May before their playoff charge. Men’s tennis will also have their playoffs in May, along with the outdoor track and field team. It is all starting to come down to the wire for our Commissioner’s Cup campaign.