Meet Five Spring Athletes
If you’re curious about Chatham’s spring athletic offerings, we’ve got quite an exciting line-up for you. While our basketball, swimming, ice hockey, and indoor track and field teams will all compete through the end of February, our spring teams will be kicking off their seasons as well. We caught up with athletes from four out of five spring teams—men’s lacrosse, baseball, softball, and outdoor track & field—to learn more about their sport of choice and what it’s like to be a student athlete at Chatham. If you’re curious about how you can watch them compete this season, be sure to follow @ChathamCougar on Twitter and Instagram for daily updates.
alexia page-boyd
Sport & Position: Track & Field—Throwing
Major: Masters of Sustainability
Catch our track & field team at the Schenley Oval Sportsplex.
What are you most looking forward to about your Spring 2022 season?
Chatham Track & Field, 2021
APB: The chance to compete with the full team in a full season. Competing outside of the conference is always a challenge but one I gladly accept.
Can you walk us through a day in the life of a student athlete while your season is in full swing?
APB: When the season is in full swing a typical day for me starts around 5:45 am. I lift at 6 am, come back home for breakfast, head to Eden Hall for work in the Aquaculture lab or class, return to Shadyside for practice in the evening, and end with homework or reading to calm my mind for the next day. I am working on integrating mindfulness into my workouts (before or after) to help me be in a solid mental state to practice at 100%.
Follow along on Instagram Reels as Alexia gives us a play-by-play of her day!
What, so far, has been your favorite part of being a Chatham athlete?
APB: My favorite part of being a Chatham athlete is my team and coaches. No matter what is going on someone on the Track and Field team will be there to help. I am one that really likes to build strong connections with people and with such a small team, we all have a very strong bond. We don’t just compete for ourselves but for each other. We push each other to work harder but also help keep ourselves in line so we don’t get hurt by limiting burnout or injury.
What’s one thing you wish more people knew about your sport?
APB: One thing I wish more people knew about my sport is that we are more than the track. We are often called the track team which leaves out the field events. Throwers and jumpers are vital to track and field teams. I may not run, but throwing heavy stuff is just as difficult.
Anything else?
APB: Being a graduate student athlete is difficult but rewarding. Chatham has provided me with something I thought I had lost in the Spring of 2020. Practices are my designated time to stop working or stressing out about class and focus on my team and my technique. I’ve been competing in college athletics for 6 years and I want to make this season my best season yet.
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ANDREW MATTINGLY
Sport & Position: Lacrosse—Attackman
Major: Business Interdisciplinary—Business Management & Marketing
Catch our lacrosse teams at UPMC Graham Field.
What are you most looking forward to about your Spring 2022 season?
Chatham Men’s Lacrosse, 2021
AM: This season, we have a great group of guys that I believe have what it takes to bring a PAC championship to Chatham. As a senior, it has been awesome to watch this program grow over the years and achieve some of our goals thus far. The bar has been raised this year and myself, along with the rest of the team and coaches, are pumped to show what Chatham Lacrosse is becoming.
Can you walk us through a day in the life of a student athlete while your season is in full swing?
AM: A day in the life can be a bit different for some of the people on the team but this is how a typical in-season day for me goes:
4:15 am – Wake up
4:20 am – Coffee + eggs
4:45 am – Roll out my legs and stretch
5:10 am – Leave to pick up freshmen who need a ride
5:25 am – Arrive at Graham Field
5:30 am – Get taped and warm up
6:00-8:00 am – Practice
8:30 am – Big breakfast with the guys
9:30-11:30 am – Classes/homework
12:00-1:00 pm – Positional skill-work
1:30 pm – Snack time
2:00-3:00 pm – Lifting
3:30 pm – Late lunch/early dinner
4:00-6:00 pm (depending on the day) – Classes/homework
6:00 pm – Relax for a bit
7:30-8:30 pm – film
8:30 pm – Relax and watch a movie, read, or listen to a podcast
10:15 pm – Bedtime
What, so far, has been your favorite part of being a Chatham athlete?
AM: My favorite part of being a Chatham athlete is the relationships I have built with my teammates, coaches and even other athletes at the school. I have truly made some friends for life. There is nothing stronger than the bond between a man and his brothers.
What’s one thing you wish more people knew about your sport?
AM: I can’t just name one thing people should know about the game. I wish that people knew how old the game truly is. I wish more people knew the names of legends like Gary Gait, the Powell brothers, Kyle Harrison, John Grant Jr., Jim Brown, The Thompsons, and many more. I wish people knew who Paul Rabil is and everything he has done to progress the game in his career. I wish people knew about The Man in the Red Bandana and his story. I wish more people knew about lacrosse.
Anything else?
AM: I have this quote written on a white board in my apartment living room:
“I finally learned that it was never about the outcome. It was always about the game. The game is meant to be played, not won. There is no winning as there is no end. So, I’ll continue to compete, win, lose, sprint, fall, and get back up again. I hope you can do that with me.” —Paul Rabil, Retirement speech
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Caleb Lehman
Sport & Position: Baseball—Catcher
Major: Graduated in December with an Exercise Science degree. Starting DPT program in August.
Catch our baseball team at West Field.
What are you most looking forward to about your Spring 2022 season?
Chatham Baseball, 2021
CL: This is my senior season so I am looking forward to my final year competing. As a team, we are coming off our best season in program history and we are looking to build off that success. We have a new coaching staff that is constantly working and making us better. This recruiting class has a lot of talent, and I am excited to see the impact they will make.
Can you walk us through a day in the life of a student athlete while your season is in full swing?
CL: A typical midweek home game would start in the morning with breakfast and then class from 10:00-11:15 am. I’d grab a good lunch and then head back home and relax until we show up to the field around 3:30 pm. We set up the field for pregame and then warm up with batting practice and throw with pitchers. A game starts at 6:00 pm and we’d probably finish up around 8:30 pm, hopefully to be home at around 9:30 pm.
What, so far, has been your favorite part of being a Chatham athlete?
CL: I’ve made great relationships through being an athlete at Chatham. I think the baseball team has really grown throughout my time here. These past couple years we have been able to really build a culture for our athletics program, which is pretty cool to be a part of.
What’s one thing you wish more people knew about your sport?
CL: Chatham baseball has taken some big steps in the right direction, and I think we have a lot of success ahead of us. I’m really setting my sights on our first PAC playoff appearance in program history. Our home field, West Field, has some awesome history behind it, and it is a great place to watch a game.
Anything else?
CL: Roll Cougs
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Jack matics
Sport & Position: Track and Field—Mid-Distance/Distance
Major: Psychology
Catch our track & field team at the Schenley Oval Sportsplex.
What are you most looking forward to about your Spring 2022 season?
Chatham Track & Field, 2021
JM: I’m looking forward to another season of spring track since my senior year of high school’s season was shortened due to Covid. The most exciting thing about any spring track season is seeing how far my teammates and myself progressed throughout the season.
Can you walk us through a day in the life of a student athlete while your season is in full swing?
JM: I wake up for an early practice (usually 6 am), get breakfast with the team, do some homework before classes, go through my classes for the day with a break to grab lunch with some teammates, do the rest of my homework for the day, and finally I get together with some teammates every night to unwind together.
What, so far, has been your favorite part of being a Chatham athlete?
JM: I really love the tight-knit group our team has become. Having a smaller team has allowed us to bond with each other in a way that larger teams don’t get the chance to do. Also, I like free merch and the color purple.
What’s one thing you wish more people knew about your sport?
JM: I wish more people knew about the history of the sport. Track and field is one of the oldest and most respected sports in history. There have been numerous phenomenal athletes who ran, threw, or jumped and don’t get nearly the recognition they deserve.
Anything else?
JM: My girlfriend won’t stop talking about her banner in the AFC.
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mackenzie dunn
Sport & Position: Softball—Catcher and Pitcher
Major: Exercise Science
Catch our softball team at West Field.
What are you most looking forward to about your Spring 2022 season?
MD: I am looking forward to going to Florida for spring training the most. I did not get to go last year due to COVID-19. I feel it will be an overall great experience.
Can you walk us through a day in the life of a student athlete while your season is in full swing?
MD: When my season is in full swing life can get a little chaotic. I normally have class from morning to afternoon. I try to find time to get to the gym, and then eat. I try to do homework between classes or in my free time. Our practices are typically from 6-8, so afterwards I might finish up homework or meal prep.
What, so far, has been your favorite part of being a Chatham athlete?
MD: I love how we have our own community. We all kind of share that and are able to support each other.
What’s one thing you wish more people knew about your sport?
MD: Even though it is called softball the ball is not soft.
Chatham Softball, 2021
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Special thanks to our all-star athletes for sharing some insight into their seasons. To learn more about Chatham Athletics, click here.