What we missed over the break
Photo by Larry Newman
The spring semester has begun at Chapman University. While the majority of students are just waking up from their winter’s long nap, many teams have been grinding away during the break and interterm. The Panther has all the key storylines that we missed since taking a break in early December.
The first meet back for Chapman was against the University of La Verne at home on Jan. 4, which they won for both the low tops, the swimmers whose uniforms cover the upper half of their body, and high tops squads, whose uniforms only cover the lower half of their body. They grabbed first place in 25 of the 26 events, showcasing their dominant capabilities. The Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) matchup was the first of three meets in four weeks for Chapman’s swimmers during the interterm period.
Head coach Juliet Suess said that this past month allowed their team to gain focus and clarity, and that the squad handled it “like the champions they are.”
“January is a long month, but it is one of the most rewarding months of the year,” Suess added.
After hosting La Verne, the Panthers welcomed Occidental College on Jan. 11 in a meet that was moved to Orange due to the Los Angeles wildfires. Chapman held a donation drive during the meet to support those affected by the destruction.
In the water, the home team was dominant once again winning for both high and low tops. They also won all four dive events.
In their last meet of the month, Chapman traveled to Claremont on Jan. 25 to face off against both Pomona-Pitzer Colleges and the California Institute of Technology. The low tops lost against both teams, while the high tops finished second behind Pomona-Pitzer.
The swimming and diving squads have a meet at home against California Lutheran University this weekend, before heading to the SCIAC championship meet in less than two weeks.
“I honestly think our team is ready,” Suess said. “They are hungry and getting hungrier. We will continue to work on the mental aspects of our sports and honing in on the particulars, but they know who they are, what they want, and what they need to do to get there. It’s within them, and I can’t wait to watch them unleash it.”
Chapman also garnered plenty of honors during January. Sophomore swimmer Sammy Fuji was named to Team USA for the Deaflympics in Tokyo which will take place in November of this year. Suess, who is nonbinary, was honored by the NCAA and given the Division III LGBTQ Coach of the Year award. Lastly, senior swimmer Kiana Tanizaki-Hudson was named the SCIAC Swimmer of the Week after her performance on the Jan. 25 meet, where she won both the 100 and 200 yard butterfly events. More coverage for these stories can be found on the Chapman Athletics website.
Chapman essentially got a one-week break for Christmas, as women’s basketball had a game on Dec. 18 and then their next game was on Dec. 28. After defeating Brooklyn College 94-60 in their final game of 2024, the women’s basketball team started their January run of eight games. All were against SCIAC opponents.
Head coach Carol Jue said that the team kept themselves accountable during the intense schedule; however, the month started off rough for the Panthers. Four consecutive losses left them stranded and outside of the playoff picture with 10 games left to play. To make matters worse, they also lost starting point guard Makena Nitao to an ACL tear and center Emerson Ludwick to an MCL sprain.
With their depth depleted and losses piling up, Chapman somehow flipped the script. It started with an away game against Claremont Mudd-Scripps colleges. The Panthers won 63-59, and it kickstarted what is now a six-game win streak.
Three of those games were won by under 10 points, with the closest being the Feb. 1 win in Orange against Pomona-Pitzer. Junior forward Kali Cajala, a computer science major, made a bucket with 45 seconds to go and it was enough to secure victory. After this great run of form, Chapman is placed second in the SCIAC standings with four games left to play.
“Each player has stepped up their game when adversity hits our team,” Jue said.
With shifting lineups, a grueling schedule and a losing streak after returning from break it would’ve been easy for the team to crack under pressure. They haven’t, and they look poised to be a force during the SCIAC tournament.
Head coach Dan Krikorian's first season in charge has been one filled with ups and downs. After taking over for the legendary Mike Bokosky, he has led Chapman to a 13-8 overall record but a 6-6 record in the SCIAC. Krikorian couldn’t be reached for comment.
Things started well with two early December wins against La Verne and Caltech, and two wins and one loss in the remainder of their non-conference schedule. After the shortened break, they beat Cal Lutheran by a score of 79-71 and improved to 3-0 in the conference. It stands as Cal Lutheran's only SCIAC loss of the season. Since then, Chapman has gone on a cold streak with six losses in their last nine matchups. They are currently tied for the fifth and final playoff spot with four games remaining.
The Panthers next game is away at Caltech, a team who sits below them in the standings. However, their final three games are against the three teams directly above them. This is make or break time.
Chapman will have to lean on its defense, which is ranked number one in points allowed per game in the SCIAC. They also hold teams to the lowest three point percentage per game. While they aren’t a force on the glass, ranking around the middle in most rebound stats, they consistently force opponents into tough shots. Redlands University and CMS are the top ranked scoring teams in the conference, so to beat them and make the playoffs Chapman will have to conjure up two of its best defensive performances all season.
Track and field, women’s water polo
Track and field opened their season at the Orange Coast College meet, a tune up before the bigger events of their season. The Panthers took home most of the events, and are now preparing for the Whitworth University Invitational in Spokane, Washington on Feb. 14 and 15.
Women’s water polo’s season also just got underway right before the spring semester, with the Panthers beating Carthage College 16-7. The Panther’s Riley Wood had more on that game and previewed the team’s season here.
The spring semester will also feature the following team’s seasons: men’s baseball, women’s softball, golf, tennis, women’s lacrosse and the men’s lacrosse club team.
