Trinity Tennis Comes Up Short Against Sweet Briar but Focuses on Positives: Game Recap & Season Preview

WASHINGTON D.C.— Trinity Washington University’s tennis team officially swung into their spring 2020 slate today at Sweet Briar College. The Tigers loss the match 0-9, but are looking at the glass half-full with this being the beginning of the season with three new players who are both freshman and new to the sport. “This match was a good experience for our tennis team; we are learning,” said Coach Thompson as he reflected over the match’s score sheet.

Sophomore, Katheryn Najarro, acted as the lone Tiger in winning at least one game over her opponent in the singles sets, 1-6. “Katheryn was barreling hard. She was the last one standing. [She was] the Tiger of the day,” said Coach Thompson.

This is only the beginning for the Trinity tennis team as they look ahead to nine more matches to round out their spring season. Following spring break, the Tigers will host Lancaster Bible College on March 16 at 3:30 PM. This will be Lancaster’s first game of the spring season coming off of only one game in the fall against Albright (W, 6-1.)

The home contest is one of the four consecutive home matches that Trinity’s tennis team will have.

With the majority of Coach Thompson’s players being either unfamiliar to college athletics or the sport of tennis, he says that his goal is to “encourage each player to work harder and improve overall performance on and off the tennis courts.” Every coach would hone in on solely winning games as their definition of success, but Coach Thompson has proven to not be “every coach.” He states that his key points for success as a team this season is first keeping “them motivated to compete and hav[ing] fun also.”

The Tigers will follow their four home-game streak up with a match at McDaniel College on March 28th at 12 PM.

On April 3 at 3 PM, they will travel to a close-by Stevenson University.

The following week, April 11, the Tigers will travel to Hollins University, which will be their second match up of the season as they will, first, host Hollins on March 20th.

The Tigers will travel to PSU Abingdon on April 13th, and conclude their season with a trip, just down the road, to Notre Dame of Maryland on April 22nd: their second and final match up of the spring season.

For all information on your Trinity Tigers visit the Trinity Athletics web page and follow us on our socials: Instagram/ Twitter (@TrinityDCTigers)

Weekly Preview: 2 Days Left Until the Start of Spring Sports at Trinity!

WASHINGTON D.C.— On Tuesday, March 3, Trinity Washington University’s tennis and softball teams will take part in media day located in the Trinity Gymnasium. The women will take team and individual photos, and engage in brief interviews about their upcoming seasons. Visit the Trinity’s athletic socials at TrinityDCTigers on Instagram and Twitter for a full recap.

Trinity Washington University’s tennis and softball teams will mark their 2020 debuts this week.

On Wednesday, March 4, tennis will take on host, Sweet Briar College at 2 PM. The Trinity tennis slate is headlined by four consecutive home matches following their debut, and then four consecutive away games. Find out more in a game and season preview featuring head coach, Enoch Thompson and tennis captain, Sofia Ocampo-Morales.

On Friday, March 6, Trinity’s softball team will battle against local foe, Gallaudet University at 4 PM. Their first home game is a double-header against Lincoln University at Keene Field. Read more in a full season preview featuring head coach, Elizabeth Ratke and softball captain and starting pitcher, Kelly Lee.

 

 

Tigers Conclude Season Against Christendom College

FRONT ROYAL, VA—  Fresh off the heels of a home matchup against Christendom, Trinity Washington University’s basketball team traveled to Front Royal, Va for a rematch to conclude the season. Trinity loss, 21-50.

Both teams shot below 30% from the field with Trinity shooting 18% and Christendom, 28%. The Crusaders outscored the Tigers in every quarter, but the third where the Tigers shot 20% and the Crusaders, 11%.

Mazia Donald led the Tigers with 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 block. Davia Cain chipped in 9 points and 14 rebounds and 4 blocks. Heaven Thomas added 2 points and Kiera Thomas recorded 6 rebounds, a career high.

The Tigers rallied with the Crusaders in the first four minutes of the game with Caroline Howerton scoring first for Christendom and Mazia Donald closely behind with a layup. A score of 4-6 at 6:58 was the closest lead the Crusaders had on the Tigers before stretching the run to 15-6 at the end of the first quarter. The Tigers went into the second half down 18 points, 10-28.

Cain and Donald teamed up in the second half to score 11 points to end the game, 21-50.

 

 

 

Davia Cain Records Fifth Double-Double; Tigers hold Crusaders under 50 in Loss.

WASHINGTON DC— On February 18, 2020 Trinity Washington University’s basketball team loss, 24-45 to Christendom College.  With almost every player recording at least one defensive rebound, the Tigers were able to hold the Crusaders to 45 points; which marks only the second time they’ve been able to do so this season.

Davia Cain recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 16 points and 12 rebounds. She recorded 9 defensive boards for the Tigers and 3 offensive. Mazia Donald chipped in with 8 points and 7 rebounds. Heaven Thomas added 4 rebounds. Kylie Kemp, Kiera Thomas, and Esther Nyarko recorded 2 rebounds each.

Both teams recorded low field goal percentages with Trinity shooting only 18% from the field and Christendom with 32%. Not to mention, both teams were shorthanded, with Trinity missing key contributor Andrea Golii out on injury reserve, and Christendom missing a slew of players to illness.

The duo of Annie McGraw, 21 points, and Annie Heisler, 22 rebounds, ultimately led the Crusaders to their victory.

Trinity will take on the Crusaders at their house in Front Royal, VA at 7: 00 PM on February 20.

The last match up there went into OT w/ the Tigers falling 53-57. The Tigers are looking for redemption.

A Week of Trinity Spring Sports, NGWD, and More in Review

WASHINGTON DC—61 degrees and a sun that was surprisingly not deceiving in the dead of DC’s winter was granted to our spring-student athletes who were perhaps wishing upon a star the night before, because Monday, February 3rd marked the official kickoff of spring sports at Trinity Washington University. The Tigers are ready.

While both softball and tennis have now been practicing for a week, new players continue to roll in. An official roster for the spring 19-20 season is said to be finalized by the end of the month.

Softball will throw the first pitch on March 6, 2020 at Gallaudet University. The first home contest will be against Lincoln University on March 20th. A home field for the Tigers is currently to be determined, and all scheduled games are to be double-headers.

Tennis swings away at the first match on March 4th at Sweet Briar College at 2 PM. The first home match will take place on March 16th at 3:30 PM against Lancaster Bible.

Visit https://discover.trinitydc.edu/athletics/ for more on these two teams.

On February 2nd, Trinity student-athletes gathered at health and nutrition seminar featuring guest speaker, Chris Hays. For a full recap:Click Here.

Trinity basketball took on Washington Adventist at home on February 5th while Trinity athletics collaborated with the student admissions department to host an athletic experience event during the game. Several prospective high school students were given the opportunity to experience Tiger basketball as well as meet some of Trinity’s student athletes. For a recap of the game: Click Here.

The Tigers took Thursday, February 6th to shine a light on all women and girls for their annual Women and Girls in Sports Appreciation Luncheon. The event took place in the Trinity Gymnasium, where a plethora of prospective high school student athletes as well their coaches attended. They were able to congregate, enjoy lunch, and become inspired by the powerful words of keynote speaker and play-by-play Washington Mystics announcer, Meghan McPeak. A panel including Trinity student-athletes followed; our Tigers shared their experiences as student-athletes to the many “future” Tigers in attendance.

The busy week in athletics concluded with another luncheon, on a much larger stage: The Capitol One Arena. Trinity’s head athletic trainer, Seanta Cleveland, sat on a panel of five professional powerhouses in sports at the District of Columbia Interscholastic Athletics Association (DCIAA) National Girls & Women Sports Day. Among Cleveland, sat Meghan McPeak, Fox Sports radio broadcaster, Kelsey Nelson, NCCU athletic director, Dr. Ingrid McCree, and Bowie State head basketball coach, Shadae Swann. Cleveland shared life experiences as well as encouraging words to everyone in attendance. For video recap and photos: Click Here.

This week, Trinity Athletics will host two home contest where basketball will take on Regent University on Monday, February 10 at 4:30 PM and Central Penn on Thursday, February 13 at 6:00 PM.

 

 

Davia Cain’s Career High of 18 Points Not Enough to Overtake Washington Adventist

WASHINGTON, DC— Trinity Washington University’s basketball was not able to secure the victory against Washington Adventist University, a NAIA DII, at home on Wednesday night. The Tigers allowed the Shock to shoot 43% from the floor, ten percent higher than their average of 35% from the field.

Freshman, Davia Cain

Davia Cain recorded a career high performance of 18 points. Mazia Donald added 5 points, and Heaven Thomas chipped in 2 points. Cain also led the Tigers in rebounds (8), Blocked shots (1), and steals (2).

Cain is currently leading the DIII Independent Schools conference in offensive rebounds per game,averaging 4, and she’s ranked at #30 nationally among 200 DIII colleges and universities.

Despite a hard-fought battle spear-headed by Cain, the Tigers were only able to shoot 24% from the field. The Tigers shot %100 from the free throw. Washington Adventist got double digits from three of their game leaders: Sarah Shamdeen with 14 points, Leona Rexhepi with 12, and Nyelle Allen with 10 points and 5 rebounds.

The Shock was off to a quick start in the first quarter scoring with a jumper at the 08:48 mark, but Trinity wasn’t far behind tying the game for the only time at 08:32. The Shock responded with a 13 point jump over the Tigers to end the quarter.

The shock stretched their lead to 16 over the Tigers in the second half, 16-33.

With no substitutions for the Tigers, the pace began to regress as they only scored 4 points in the third quarter while the Shock continued to open to a 30 point lead, 20-51.

In the final quarter the Tigers were only able to get a three pointer off by Mazia Donald and a jumper by Davia Cain to close the game with a score of 25-69.

UP NEXT: Trinity will travel to Roanoke, Virginia for a battle against Hollins University on Saturday, February 8 at 2:00 PM EST

Nutrition and Health Seminar Keeps Trinity’s Student Athletes Informed

WASHINGTON DC— “Here’s a quote that may be cliche, but it’s important: By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail: By Benjamin Franklin,” said Chris Hays as he concluded his “Nutrition& Fitness 101” presentation to the women of Trinity Washington University.

On February 4th, Trinity Athletics presented the student body with a nutrition and fitness seminar featuring Chris Hays, head sports performance coach for men’s and women’s DI basketball program at Coppin State University located in Baltimore, Maryland. The performance coach also wears the hat of healthcare practitioner and qualified nutrition-consultant.

The seminar began with Hays sharing general but pertinent information about nutrition; going in depth about what foods to minimize and maximize in one’s daily diet. Student-Athletes in attendance included members of Trinity’s tennis, volleyball, and softball team. Hays was able to relate to the ladies by shedding light on his experience as a basketball athlete at Slippery Rock University and having to balance academics, athletics, and nutrition. He provided the students with several “health hacks” and ways to combine a nutritional diet with frugality as a college student-athlete.

At several different moments, you would’ve seen many of the ladies with their smartphones out as they captured pictures of the slides Hays presented.

Hays also delved into the fitness side of things by first engaging in Q&A about fat loss, muscle gain, and health maintenance. He was able to answer many of the student’s athletes inquiries geared towards off season training, and he provided athletes with general exercise ideas and workouts that can be done in Trinity’s gym located in the Trinity Center. He concluded his presentation with encouraging words for the student’s as they continue through and prepare for their academic and athletic seasons.

This Week in Trinity Athletics: Trinity Basketball Pays Tribute to Crash Victims and More….

WASHINGTON DC—  During halftime of Trinity Washington University’s home basketball contest against Medgar Evers last week, the world suffered a loss that has left many still in disbelief: The news broke that nine people were found dead in a helicopter crash in Los Angeles County, California. Among the victims was retired Los Angeles Lakers player, Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna Bryant.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/26/sports/basketball/kobe-bryant-dead.html

Freshman, Kiera Thomas

Friday, January 31, head coach, Isaiah Johnson and his team took 24 seconds, signifying Bryant’s retired jersey number, of silence to reflect on the lives of the victims:  Kobe and Gianna Bryant; John, Keri, and Alyssa Altobelli; Christina Mauser; Ara Zobayan; Sarah and Payton Chester. Trinity Athletic’s thoughts and prayers are with the families of those affected by this tragedy.

Sunday, February 2, the Tigers traveled to Brooklyn, New York to take on Medgar Evers, where they suffered a tough loss despite career best performances by sophomore, Heaven Thomas, and freshman Kiera Thomas. The Tigers were led by freshman, Mazia Donald with 9 points and 7 rebounds. Heaven scored a career high of 5 points paired with 3 rebounds. Kiera also had a career high performance of 5 rebounds against the Cougars.  The Tigers are looking ahead to face Washington Adventist for the second time this season on Wednesday, but with a home court advantage. Tip-off is at 6:00 PM EST on February 5th.

Spring sports are officially underway for the Trinity Tigers. Both softball and tennis will start their first day of practice today at 4:30 PM. Softball will be under the direction of head coach, Elizabeth Ratke, for a second consecutive season. She will be assisted by coach Myesha Green. Enoch Thompson plans to lead the tennis program to a victorious season as he begins his tenth season as the tennis head coach.

Nutrition Speaker, Chris Hays

Tuesday, February 4th, Trinity athletics is presenting a nutrition seminar to Trinity students in the Payden Academic Center. The seminar will feature NCAA DI sports performance and nutrition coach, Chris Hays. Athletes and health enthusiasts will learn what a day of healthy eating and exercise looks like with the resources accessible here on Trinity’s campus.

Wednesday, February 5th, Trinity’s athletic department is to host an Athletic Experience event where prospective high school students will enjoy a day in the life of a Trinity student-athlete. Students from several schools will be in attendance including Archbishop Carroll, Charles H. Flowers, Highland View Academy, etc…

 

 

 

Donald’s 21 points Earns a Spot on Tigers Record Board in Fall to PSU Mont Alto

WASHINGTON DC—  Mazia Donald  scored a career high of 21 points against the Nittany Lions, ranking her number seven for most points scored in a single game in Tiger history! The Tigers were still not able to come out with the victory, 36-75.

“I ran in the paint more. I shot more,” said the focused freshman, Donald, when asked what changes she made to improve her performance this week.

Need to Know

Inside the numbers…

  • Mazia Donald led the Tigers with 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals.
  • Andrea Golli, Davia Cain, and Heaven Thomas chipped in with 8, 5, and 2 points, respectively.
  • The Tigers were 100% from the free-throw line in the first half, making 5-5 of their shots; a first for the Tigers this season.
  • Overall, the Tigers were 31% in field goals, 25% from the three-point range, and 78% in made free-throws.

Play by Play details…

  • The Nittany Lions scored the first seven points before Davia Cain made her first free-throw shot of the game at the 6:11 mark.
  • PSU went on a ten-point run while Trinity managed to close the gap by capitalizing on four free-throws and three good jumpers; closing the first quarter at 11-17.
  • Donald led the Tigers in the second quarter with a drive to the basket for two points and a good three pointer. However, PSU dominated the second quarter outscoring the Tigers by 15 points and stretching their lead to 39-16 at the end of the half.
  • The Tigers put up a pair of shots by Mazia Donald and Davia Cain at the 6:41 and 3:01 marks of the third quarter, respectively, ending the third quarter with a score of 21-60.
  • Donald dominated the final quarter scoring eleven of the fifteen points scored by the Tigers, ending the game with a final score of 36-75.

Donald is just scratching the surface as she “plan(s) on breaking 21 points and being more confident in my ball handling.”

Mazia Donald and the Tigers will take on the Bryn Mawr Owls on Wednesday, Jan. 15th at 7:00 PM. Tune into the live stats and video:

https://portal.stretchinternet.com/brynmawr/portal.htm?eventId=572239&streamType=video

 

SAAC Gives Back to the Homeless

(L to R) Freshman, Mercy Ogotu; Freshman, Ericka Morales; Sophomore, Victoria Bell; Junior, Carrington Garvin.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Trinity Washington University’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee, SAAC, donated over two boxes of fall clothing to the DC Coalition for the Homeless on December 6th, 2019. SAAC’s initiative for the month of November was “giving.” With over 6,500 people counted as homeless in the District, the student-athlete representatives homed in on their mission by sponsoring a fall clothing drive for the entire month.

At the start of November, SAAC representatives , led by president, Naysha Carasquillo, created and posted flyers around Trinity’s campus advertising for their initiative. Each team representative was responsible for decorating their boxes that they placed in residential dorms on campus as well as Main Hall.

After researching a plethora of nonprofit organizations, SAAC, decided to donate the clothes to the DC Coalition for the Homeless Headquarters located in the ZEN Apollo apartment building. The organization is a nonprofit that focuses on helping homeless individuals and families to self-sufficiency. DC Coalition for the Homeless offers programs that specialize in family services, transitional housing, permanent housing, and employment services. Please visit their website to find out more about DC Coalition for the Homeless and their events. http://www.dccfh.org/ SAAC would like to thank all of Trinity for participating in their clothing drive, and they look to collaborate with DC Coalition for the Homeless on many more drives in the future.

SAAC members with DC Coalition for the Homeless representative.