athletics Archives - News and Events

Track and Field Program Receives $100,000 Gift

Posted on August 21, 2024August 21, 2024

Kalamazoo College Athletics has received a $100,000 gift from Gene ’76 and Joann Bissell to support the relaunching of men’s and women’s track and field at the College.

The couple are making the gift in memory of Joann Bissell’s father, George Stewart, an avid cross country and track and field fan.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Bissells for helping us turn our dream to restart track and field into a reality,” said Director of Athletics Jamie Zorbo ’00. “This program will enhance our ability to recruit student-athletes to K while providing exciting new opportunities for our current student-athletes.”

Gene Bissell was a political science major at K who went on to earn his MBA from the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania. He retired as president and CEO of AmeriGas Propane, Inc. and has served in many capacities on public company and nonprofit boards. Bissell has been a lifelong supporter of Kalamazoo College, both philanthropically and as a Trustee of the College, having served as a member of the Board from 2003–19. He currently serves as a member of the leadership committee for the Brighter Light Campaign, which will conclude this fall.

Graphic of hurdles on a track reads, "Coming to K, 2025-26: Track and Field" — Gene ’76 and Joann Bissell are supporting the relaunching of men’s and women’s track and field at Kalamazoo College through a $100,000 gift.

“We are thrilled that K is bringing back track and field,” said Bissell. “We also appreciate the opportunity to honor Joann’s father with a contribution to a sport he loved.”

Bissell’s father-in-law, George Stewart, developed his love for track and field as a quarter-miler in high school and as a devotee of the heroes of this sport as they competed in New York, Penn Relays and elsewhere. He passed this love along to many of his children and grandchildren, who have competed and coached at the scholastic, collegiate and open level, and who are grateful for this opportunity to continue his legacy of support to Kalamazoo College students.

Track and field will begin in the 2025–26 academic year and will be led by current cross country coach Kyle Morrison. The program will bring K’s total number of varsity athletics teams to 22.

Track and Field Returns to Kalamazoo College

Posted on July 26, 2024July 26, 2024

For the first time since the early 1980s, Kalamazoo College will offer a track and field program for student-athletes beginning in the 2025–26 academic year.

Both men and women will compete in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association indoor (winter) and outdoor (spring) seasons. Cross country coach Kyle Morrison will also serve as the head coach of track and field.

“Reinstating the track and field program after almost 45 years of absence feels like a huge accomplishment in itself, but this is just the start of a very exciting time for Kalamazoo College cross country and track and field, as well as the athletics department as a whole,” Morrison said.

Director of Athletics Jamie Zorbo ’00 said K will hire an additional athletic trainer and an assistant coach, but there are no plans to build a track or other facilities to support the sport. K will rent Western Michigan University facilities for practices, and meets will take place at other schools. If the College would ever host an event, it would rent facilities from WMU or possibly a high school such as Kalamazoo Christian.

Morrison and Zorbo expect the new sport to attract new students to K.

“There are several instances each year where students have been interested in coming to Kalamazoo College and participating in one particular sport and track and field,” Zorbo said. “They typically have gone elsewhere because we haven’t offered track and field for many years. We feel there’s an opportunity to bring in those students and students who want to compete solely in track and field as well.”

Morrison said some recruiting work has already started.

“The buzz of the program’s reinstatement is growing among high school coaches in the Midwest,” he said. “We would typically bring juniors to campus in the late spring after watching them at indoor and outdoor competitions, and then build interaction throughout their senior years with additional visits and the application process at the beginning of their senior year. We have five C’s that we want to see in our prospective student-athletes: character, communication, commitment, consistency and common-sense decision making. We’ve grown the roster for cross country from nine to 45 the last four years and I think we will have great success with a full track and field coaching staff and strong momentum.”

Men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field will bring K’s total number of varsity athletics teams to 22 along with men’s and women’s basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming and diving, and tennis, in addition to baseball and football for men, and volleyball and softball for women.

“I’m excited for Coach Morrison because this is something he’s been very passionate about bringing back to Kalamazoo College,” Zorbo said. “He’s built a strong cross country program that continues to get better. I’m excited to see him spearhead the revival of the track and field program at Kalamazoo College. I believe it will enhance our athletic department while elevating the recruitment of student-athletes for all programs.”

Morrison thanks the task force that vetted the proposal for track and field over the past year and a half including Sports Information Director Steve Wideen, then-Director of Admission and current Director of Alumni Engagement Suzanne Lepley, Dow Distinguished Professor in the Natural Sciences in the Department of Physics Jan Tobochnik, Associate Vice President for Development Andy Miller ’99 and Director of Gender Equity Tanya Jachimiak, along with Zorbo, Provost Danette Johnson and President Jorge G. Gonzalez for their support and belief in the vision.

“Getting to this point took some considerable time and effort,” Morrison said. “When I came to K five years ago, I talked about this being a big opportunity for K athletics and the College as a whole. I believe that this will bring several more students to campus each year. It is not uncommon for Division III schools to attract multiple-sport student-athletes and track and field is another great reason my colleagues and I can provide students to come to K. I want to bring student-athletes who excel in the classroom and compete at the highest level in their events.”

Kalamazoo College Names Jamie Zorbo ’00 Athletic Director

Posted on June 4, 2024June 4, 2024

Jamie Zorbo ’00 has been named the next director of athletics at Kalamazoo College, effective June 15, following a national search. Zorbo is currently serving as co-interim athletic director and has been the head football coach at K since 2007.

“As a long-time member of the coaching staff and athletic administration, Jamie has demonstrated his capable leadership, consistently going above and beyond both on and off the field,” said Provost Danette Ifert Johnson. “He prioritizes the holistic development of each student-athlete, fostering an environment where academic excellence, personal growth, and athletic achievement are equally celebrated. I am confident Jamie is ready to assume this role and build upon the strong tradition of K athletics.”

As athletic director, Zorbo will oversee all aspects of the College’s athletic program and its 18 varsity teams; about 35% of K students participate in intercollegiate athletics. Additionally, Zorbo will oversee the physical education program, athletic training and the college’s fitness and wellness programs. He will also continue his duties as head football coach.

While serving as the athletic director, Jamie Zorbo ’00 will oversee all aspects of the College’s athletic program and its 18 varsity teams.

Zorbo earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Kalamazoo College and was a four-year letter winner for the Hornets as a defensive end, earning All-MIAA (Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association) second team honors in 1999.

Following graduation, Zorbo remained at Kalamazoo College as an assistant coach for six seasons while working on a master’s in business administration degree at Western Michigan University, which he completed in 2004. Zorbo coached the defensive line from 2000-03 and was promoted to defensive coordinator, recruiting coordinator and defensive backs coach in 2004 and 2005.

Zorbo became an assistant coach at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, in 2006. He coached the linebackers for two seasons, and served as the assistant defensive coordinator, special teams coordinator, and the strength and conditioning coach.

Since returning to K in 2007 as head football coach, Zorbo has grown the football program from a roster of 35 to more than 100 student-athletes in 2024, the largest roster in program history. He has coached and mentored 67 All-MIAA selections, four All-Region selections and 18 post-season senior bowl game participants. With a strong emphasis on academics, Zorbo’s teams have averaged over a 3.1 team GPA for the past 16 seasons and the 2021 team became the first football team in MIAA history to receive a Team GPA Award with a 3.45 team GPA.

In addition to serving as head football coach, Zorbo served as K’s interim athletic director during the 2017-18 academic year and as co-interim director in 2023-24. He has served as an Assistant Athletic Director since 2012, overseeing external operations and working closely with the division of advancement to support athletic fundraising efforts.

“As a proud alumnus of Kalamazoo College, I am deeply honored to expand my role within this special community by serving as both the athletic director and head football coach,” said Zorbo. “This institution has a rich tradition of excellence academically and athletically, and it is a privilege to be a part of its ongoing legacy. I look forward to working with our exceptional coaches, dedicated student athletes, and supportive community to foster an environment of growth, achievement, and fellowship. Together, we will strive to elevate our athletic programs to new heights while ensuring our student athletes excel in the classroom, in competition, and in life.”

Alumna Swings for the Fences, Scores Baseball Job

Posted on March 25, 2024March 28, 2024

After years of supporting her home state Atlanta Braves, Samantha Moss ’23 is aligning herself this Opening Day with a different team that often wears navy blue.

“I’m Team Umpire, 100%,” Moss said.

It might seem unusual for a fan to say that, but the Kalamazoo College alumna has a new job working for Major League Baseball: Moss, a timing operations administrator, is at MLB headquarters in New York, where she’s ready to assist on-the-field officials who need help interpreting the league’s new rules, especially those related to pitch clocks.

Starting last year, pitchers had 15 seconds to throw a pitch with the bases empty and 20 seconds with a runner on base. If a pitcher hadn’t started his delivery toward home plate before the pitch clock expired, he was charged with a ball. Plus, hitters needed to be in the batter’s box with eight seconds left on a pitch clock. If a batter delayed entering the box, he was charged with a strike.

Those rules were among several that helped drastically reduce the time it took to play a game from slightly more than three hours in 2022 to less than two and a half hours in 2023. This year, MLB has tweaked those rules in an effort to further speed up games. For example, a pitcher will have 18 seconds instead of 20 with runners on base to deliver his pitch this year. The league also is:

Decreasing the number of pitching mound visits a team is allowed each game to four in the first through eighth innings with an additional visit permitted in the ninth inning.
Adjusting when a pitch clock will reset after a dead ball situation such as a foul ball. Instead of waiting for a pitcher to retake the mound, the clock will restart as soon as the pitcher receives the ball.
Requiring any pitcher who warms up on the field to face at least one hitter. In the past, a manager commonly would remove his pitcher before a pitch was thrown if their opponent brought in a pinch hitter to gain an advantage in a lefty-versus-righty match-up.

The changes require trained people such as Moss, a former K softball player and economics and Spanish double major who knows baseball well, to provide administrative support when questions related to specific situations arise.

“Similar to the people in Replay, we’re watching all the games at once and waiting for pitch clock violations,” Moss said. “When they do happen, we’re acting on it, sending what we need to send to the right people to ensure the rules are followed precisely. We need to make sure we know the rules in and out and relay those rules to the umpires and the people who control the pitch clock during the games. It’s a well-oiled system for it only being in its first year. We’re there for when a problem arises during the game or if the umpires need to clarify a rule. If we’re noticing things happening on the field, we’re a different perspective to help out.”

Samantha Moss in New York City, where she has earned a baseball job — Samantha Moss ’23 is serving Major League Baseball as a timing operations administrator this season in New York.

Samantha Moss celebrates a victory with her softball teammates — Moss, a former K softball player, will provide administrative support at MLB headquarters in New York when questions related to new rules arise on the field.

Moss first connected with MLB when she asked K baseball coach Mike Ott whether he knew anyone who works in the league. As luck would have it, Ott knows Jack Clark ’17, a K trustee and former Hornets baseball team captain, who started working with MLB in Replay Operations and now is its manager of draft operations. Thanks in part to Clark and a lot of continued networking, Moss attended baseball’s Winter Meetings last year and one of its events, Take the Field, a women-led conference.

“I always had an idea that I wanted to work in baseball when I started applying for jobs last year, but I wanted to be realistic, too,” Moss said. “I thought getting a corporate job is what I was supposed to do after I graduated from college. That conference was a game-changer for me. I got advice from women who are succeeding in the industry, and it opened my eyes to some possibilities I hadn’t considered before. I mark that as a pivot point in my career goals.”

Over the past year, Moss has coached and played softball in Sweden, worked in Grand Rapids and lived in Atlanta for a time while applying to about 90 baseball jobs. MLB, though, came along just in time for the season, and just two weeks after the call, Moss moved to New York.

“This just had to be what I did,” Moss said. “It’s one of those things where you say ‘yes’ and figure out the details for making it happen later.”

The full-time job is seasonal, although Moss is thrilled to be working in the sport and can’t wait to find out where her position might lead.

“I’m excited to be in the building with a lot of important baseball executives,” Moss said. “I feel like it’s a great place to network and see what opportunities there are around the league with MLB and with the individual teams. Baseball is a very fluid environment in terms of people’s positions and people are constantly moving in and out, up and down and all over. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the next year. I just know that I want to work in baseball. At the conference, somebody said, ‘Any job in baseball is a good job in baseball.’ And that’s so right. I’ll just trust my ability to make decisions this year and follow my gut in my career.”

Fund Supports Athletics Strength and Conditioning Program

Posted on January 24, 2024January 24, 2024

Jonah Spates lifts weights before discussing his impressions of the strength and conditioning program — Student-athlete Jonah Spates ’25 plays football at Kalamazoo College and is benefiting from a new strength and conditioning program.

How to Donate to K’s

Strength and Conditioning

Athletics Program

If you would like to support K student-athletes, please make a gift online to the Strength and Conditioning Fund or contact Lindsay O’Donohue at 269.337.7299 or lindsay.odonohue@kzoo.edu.

Generous contributions from several alumni and parent donors are enhancing the offerings of the Kalamazoo College Athletic Department’s strength and conditioning program, which is providing student-athletes with confidence and improved performance in the weight room and in competition.

Co-Interim Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Jamie Zorbo said the College in years past had one part-time coach covering strength and conditioning for all of its 18 sports. Now, however, a three-year pilot collaboration with the Richland-based company Athletic Mentors provides each team access to multiple certified coaches, along with nutrition advice, sports psychology services and enhanced technology to improve preparation and game-day experiences.

“We’ve gone from a Division III caliber strength and conditioning program to a Division I by most standards,” Zorbo said. “We’re providing a high level of strength conditioning, coaching, expertise and technology to our teams and athletes.”

That matters to prospective student-athletes, he said, because most of them are used to having a strength coach by the time they reach high school, and the additional guidance is imperative for long-term success.

“It’s a focal point when prospective student-athletes visit,” Zorbo said. “Recruits want us to describe the culture in the weight room and what an offseason program looks like. We’re able to answer that question very positively now.”

Recruits then can benefit firsthand as they matriculate at K. The strength experts work with coaches to establish a team’s custom-fit plan of action while also connecting with athletes through two apps—one to record workouts and communicate any issues, and the other to share educational content about nutrition, sleep recovery, the negative effects of drug-and-alcohol use and more.

“The strength and conditioning coach and a head coach talk about where a team might be deficient,” Zorbo said. “They will ask, ‘How do we need to plan things out,’ ‘What do we need to do to set the team up for success once we hit the season’ and ‘How should we approach strength and conditioning during the season?’ because that changes. They’re very organized and take a year-round approach. That used to be a big challenge for us. It’s not a hurdle anymore, because there are multiple trained coaches that we have access to who handle all the programming and planning for each team. Our athletes are probably in the weight room more than they ever have been before.”

While reflecting on such benefits, Zorbo also declared a big “thank you” to the donors while recognizing that the gifts will help K recruits, coaches and student-athletes for years to come.

“I’m a big believer that the development of our student-athletes is where we really need to be a cut above, and these very generous gifts are a game changer,” Zorbo said. “If you’re a stronger and better-conditioned athlete, that enhances your confidence, safety and your ability to do your job on the field. I believe these changes will lead to more success on the field, so this is transformational.”

From the Student-Athletes

and Coaches

“This past winter, I studied abroad in Costa Rica and I was still able to do all the workouts that all the girls were doing here in the gym because I could just pull up the app on my phone, look at the assigned workout and do it.”

— Emma Stickley ’24, volleyball student-athlete

“I’m the heaviest I’ve ever been, I’m the strongest I’ve ever been, and I would like to say I’m the fastest I’ve ever been.”

— Jonah Spates ’25, football student-athlete

“From an injury-prevention standpoint, we need our student-athletes firing on all cylinders 100% of the time. The injury-prevention aspect of this program and maximizing our performance is huge for us.”

— Cross Country Head Coach Kyle Morrison

“I think one of the most important things we can invest in is a program like this; something that will benefit every single one of our teams.”

— Women’s Lacrosse Head Coach Jess Smith

“It helps me as a coaching professional by taking something off my plate so that I can focus fully on competition readiness. It helps me do all of the other parts of my job more successfully.”

— Men’s Lacrosse Head Coach Vince Redko

Compete for a Cause Helps K Students Support Local Charities

Posted on January 23, 2024January 24, 2024

Two students in red Compete for a Cause t-shirts watching a volleyball game at Kalamazoo College — Ty Horky ’24 (left) and Savera Rajendra-Nicolucci ’24 are co-presidents of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council, which created Compete for a Cause to support local charities and foundations.

Two football players in pink t-shirts warming up on the field — Kalamazoo College’s football team joined the women’s soccer team in fall by raising breast cancer awareness and supporting the West Michigan Cancer Center with pink t-shirt sales.

Two students wearing red t-shirts that say Compete for a Cause 2023 — Kalamazoo College volleyball spectators supported women’s health and the YWCA by purchasing red t-shirts at a match last fall.

Kalamazoo College’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) developed an idea last fall that is supporting local charities and foundations with the help of students, faculty, staff, parents and the community.

SAAC representatives, including co-presidents Savera Rajendra-Nicolucci ’24 and Ty Horky ’24, created Compete for a Cause, which allows K athletic teams that play in a specific season to select a beneficiary to back and a cause to amplify during a chosen Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) game on their schedule. Starting last term, student-athletes collaborated with local nonprofits, donning custom warm-up shirts on game day to raise community awareness. These custom shirts were available for sale, with all proceeds benefitting their partner organizations.

“Savera and I have been on the SAAC board since we were sophomores and we’ve moved up the committee together along the way,” Horky said. “Doing this was about how we can make something for the SAAC organization that lasts longer than us being here and how we can implement a plan to give back to the communities around us.”

SAAC’s first steps toward such efforts involved meeting with MIAA Commissioner Chris Brown and K athletics administrative representatives with the hope of getting the entire conference involved and initiate introductions with local charities. Their support proved to be inspiring.

“I think the support from administration, from the MIAA Commissioner all the way down, was nothing but positive,” Horky said. “Right off the bat, they just asked, ‘How can we help you? What can we do to get the ball rolling?’ Everybody being behind us has been a huge help.”

Then, despite weathering some in-game storms, the first season of Compete for a Cause was successful. Rajendra-Nicolucci’s women’s soccer squad, for example, chose breast cancer awareness as its cause, selected a game that coincided with a football contest, and conducted a united breast-cancer awareness day between the teams to benefit the West Michigan Cancer Center (WMCC).

Compete for a Cause Games

Kalamazoo College’s volleyball team raised women’s health awareness by supporting the YWCA of Kalamazoo with red t-shirt sales last fall.
In October, the football and women’s soccer teams raised breast cancer awareness by supporting the West Michigan Cancer Center with pink t-shirts.
The men’s soccer team raised food insecurity awareness by supporting Loaves and Fishes in Kalamazoo with orange t-shirt sales in October.
K’s men’s and women’s basketball squads are teaming up to support the houseless and the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission in their games on February 3.
K’s swimming and diving teams will raise mental health awareness and support Gryphon Place during their home meets on February 3.

A special thank you to Capital National Bank, HAP, Miller Johnson Attorneys of Kalamazoo and Underground Printing of Kalamazoo for their support.

Two women's soccer players warming up in pink Compete for a Cause t-shirts before a game — K’s fall athletics teams secured well more than $1,000 in t-shirt sales and online donations for the West Michigan Cancer Center, the YWCA of Kalamazoo and Loaves and Fishes through Compete for a Cause events.

Several football players with backpacks wearing pink t-shirts that say Compete for a Cause in the rain — The Student-Athlete Advisory Council met with MIAA Commissioner Chris Brown and K athletics administrative representatives to generate their support for Compete for a Cause.

Kalamazoo College football players wearing pink t-shirts gather as a team in the rain before their Compete for a Cause game — K’s football and women’s soccer teams endured a rain storm during their Compete for a Cause events, but still successfully raised funds for the West Michigan Cancer Center.

WMCC Director of Development Anne Witherspoon was invited to attend, raise awareness, share information and accept donations to support their mission.

“It was wonderful to see the student-athletes support the community through this initiative,” Witherspoon said. “Beyond just being incredible students, who I enjoyed spending time with, their impressive organization and professionalism fostered a meaningful connection with the K community, letting us share the WMCC mission with parents, fans and donors.”

Athletes were gratified by the support they received and the end result.

“It was definitely more work than we thought, especially with the business aspect of things, but we’ve learned that there’s so much in the Kalamazoo community to love,” Rajendra-Nicolucci said. “It was interesting to see how much we can do just by talking to people. Anne Witherspoon, who works at the West Michigan Cancer Center, said one of her best memories of the day was sitting with Ty and getting to know him and our school. Those connections go a long way and show there’s more to playing a college sport than the gear and winning.”

Student-athletes in dress clothes posing in front of a sculpture — Horky (second from left) and Savera Rajendra-Nicolucci (fourth from right) are co-presidents of SAAC.

In serving SAAC, Rajendra-Nicolucci and Horky have consistently organized campus events for students, including student-athletes. But the first Compete for a Cause events have been special as they’ve reached out to the at-large community. And now, it’s time for K’s winter athletics teams, including Horky’s men’s basketball team, to take the effort’s reins.

The men’s and women’s basketball teams are combining their efforts to support homelessness awareness and the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission during their home games on Saturday, February 3. The same day, the swimming and diving teams will spread mental health awareness and donate all of their proceeds to Gryphon Place.

Separately in their time at K, Rajendra-Nicolucci played women’s golf for two years and taught biology and English to children in Spain during her study abroad experience. After graduating, she hopes to develop a career in medical or pharmaceutical sales. Horky also wants to build a career in medical and pharmaceutical sales and might consider playing basketball as a graduate student to fulfill a final year of eligibility. But Compete for a Cause’s effectiveness will be what they and other SAAC participants point to as they define their legacies at K.

“Students are busy all year, whether it is with school responsibilities, work responsibilities, athletic responsibilities or extracurriculars,” Rajendra-Nicolucci said. “Something as simple as this initiative can remind us that there is always more to be done. Giving back is something you will never regret. Whether it is the connections that you make along the way or the touching moments, these feelings are just as good or even better than the feeling of winning a double overtime game. Everyone is welcome to these games, and we hope to see you and the rest of the Kalamazoo community continue to give back to something greater than just a game.”

Kicker’s Catch Makes College Football History

Posted on December 12, 2023September 17, 2024

The last points of the 2023 Kalamazoo College football season might be among the most significant in team history even if they didn’t get tallied as planned.

Madison Barch ’24, No. 48 in orange and black, thought she was about to attempt her last kick in college on November 11 at Trine, when—in the final minute—the snap on an extra point was bobbled, forcing her to improvise. She scrambled and unexpectedly ran wide open at the left side of the end zone with a pass from holder Josh Nichols ’24 on its way.

“I could just see the ball coming in, and I remember thinking to myself, ‘Madison, of all the times to catch a ball, you have to catch this ball right now,’” Barch said.

She had already been the first woman to score for the K football team two years prior by booting an extra point on September 4, 2021, in a game at Oberlin. But now, as Barch wrapped her fingers around the ball, she tallied a two-point conversion, recording what are believed to be the first non-kicking points by a woman at any level in the history of NCAA football.

“It was completely unplanned,” Barch said. “Coach joked around afterward asking me how much I had to pay Josh to get him to do that. I said, ‘Nothing, I swear!’ We always practiced it as a team just in case of emergencies, but it felt like an out-of-body experience. I don’t remember feeling anything when it happened. I just remember catching the ball. I then was so excited. There were so many emotions. It took all the self-control I had in me not to spike the ball like Rob Gronkowski. I didn’t think coach would be happy if we got a penalty from that.”

The Hornets lost 42-29 that day, but the team celebrated as though it had won a conference championship. Barch finished the game 3-for-3 on extra point attempts. Plus, all the young girls who showed up at K football games year after year to see Barch play had another reason to look up to her.

“I remember some of the guys running on the field and hitting my helmet, yelling, ‘Oh, my gosh!’” Barch said. “I was so excited that I almost forgot to give the ball back to the referee. I ran back, gave the ball to the referee and there was just a huddle of teammates.”

Barch’s football pursuits began in seventh grade while growing up in Utica, Michigan. Her sisters always had tried a variety of sports, and her male peers, after seeing her play soccer, encouraged her to try kicking for the football team. Her dad, Peter, was excited to let her try it, but Barch’s mom, Michele, needed to be convinced.

“I don’t know how I convinced her, but I did somehow,” Barch said. “I’m sure she was frightened, but now, she’s my number one fan by far.”

In being that top fan, Mom convinced Barch to pursue football through high school—where ESPN once showed her practicing field goals of more than 50 yards—and even into college. That led Barch to attend a prestigious prospect camp in Tennessee where she was its first-ever female invitee, and make spreadsheets that listed prospective schools along with the names and email addresses of their head coaches and special teams coaches.

“I’m so glad she pushed me through that,” Barch said. “She knows me better than I know myself.”

After hearing from a few Division II and III schools, Barch visited K and fell in love. A subsequent visit to another school didn’t go well.

“I remember sitting in the car with my dad on the way home from that visit, and I told him that I wanted to go to Kalamazoo,” Barch said. “I didn’t see myself going anywhere else. I’ve had so many good experiences over the past few years at K and it’s been life changing. I made so many good friends, so many good connections and I just don’t know where I would be if I never went to K.”

Barch still had some challenges on the road to her biggest accomplishments. Her K experience began with distance learning as a result of COVID-19 in fall 2020. The football team then attempted to move its fall 2020 season to spring 2021, but injuries forced them to cancel after two games. Barch also had a hip injury and a couple of personal illnesses along the way.

Regardless, Barch went on to elect a biochemistry major and stuck with football. She’s been on the MIAA Academic Honor Roll the past three years. She also became a President’s Student Ambassador—representing the College at formal events for community leaders, alumni and donors as an extension of the president’s office—and an Admission employee who leads prospective students on campus tours.

While she may have just wrapped up her collegiate football career, she’s looking forward to starting the next phase of her life. After graduating next spring, she would like to follow her dad’s lead into law enforcement and work in forensics, possibly starting with an internship with the Michigan State Police.

“I was in a 400-level chemistry class with Dr. Jennifer Furchak this fall called instrumental analysis, and we got to meet with an alumna from K who works in forensics in Tennessee,” Barch said. “Hearing from her and having that class was interesting. I think I would like working in ballistics and firearms analysis. Thinking about how I can trace one little shell casing back to wherever it came from seems cool to me. And yet I’m not too stressed about what I’m going to do. Whatever God has planned for me is going to work itself out.”

Kicker Madison Barch celebrates catching a two-point conversion that made college football history — Kicker Madison Barch ’24 caught a two-point conversion against Trine on November 11, representing what are believed to be the first non-kicking points tallied by a woman at any level in college football history. Photo by Laura Moat.

Madison-Barch-with-family-at-athletics-complex-1 — Barch recognizes the support she receives from family when she discusses her football achievements. They include (from left) brother-in-law, Josh Abate; second-oldest sister, Mackenzie Abate; dad, Peter Barch next to Madison; her mom, Michele Barch; oldest sister, Meaghan Barch; younger sister, Marissa Barch; and cousin, Amanda Krieger.

Madison Barch kicking — Barch completes a kick in a Kalamazoo College football game. Her recent two-point conversion against Trine made college football history. Photo by Kimberley Moss.

Madison Barch with family at 50-yard line — Barch stands with some of her family members on Senior Day. Photo by Kimberley Moss.

Math Meets Poetry to Form Distinctive Senior Project

Posted on October 23, 2023October 23, 2023

A liberal arts education from Kalamazoo College gives students a chance to expand their academic interests with great opportunities to turn hobbies into academic involvement. A great instance of that practice is Lizzy Rottenberk ’24, who is double majoring in mathematics and English with a focus on poetry.

In high school, Rottenberk was sure that mathematics was her main academic focus, while she considered poetry to be her hobby. That changed after she took classes through the English department at the end of her first year at K.

“Personally, writing poems has always represented a good way to self-reflect,” Rottenberk said. “It’s a passion that allows me to see how I am feeling and learn more about myself.”

In fact, for her Senior Integrated Project (SIP), she is merging her two passions of math and poetry. Together, they form “Academic Tangents,” where Rottenberk integrates calculus theorems with poetry structures and contexts. The project consists of reflective poems related to academic struggles with five different math concepts represented: functions, limits, derivatives, sequences and series, and anti-derivatives.

All those collections of poems start with a definition of the theorems, followed by a free-verse poem that redefines the theorem in a poetic way. Finally, Rottenberk incorporates poems representing the theorem in the structure and context. The following is an excerpt from a poem titled Connected and Continuous in her SIP:

Editor’s note: This story was written by Blagoja Naskovski ’24. He serves as a social media ambassador for the College Marketing and Communications team.

Lizzy Rottenberk Abroad — Lizzy Rottenberk ’24 is merging her two passions of math and poetry.

“Connected and Continuous” by Elizabeth Rottenberk

6:00 am
eyes widen
brain begins animation
embarking towards the serene kitchen
breakfast smells of sweet warmth and motivation
pecan almond syrup comforting slightly chewy waffles
leading to a freshly organized backpack filled with unlearned trig
to be explored when the sun peaks above tree lines through a wired window
the window that holds foreheads until listening and comprehension become equal
wielding a pencil like the sword of King Arthur as he is who you traveled to learn about
through the roughest of puddles, more ferocious of red lights but nevertheless, you arrived
to hear the educators chant the literary devices and warn us about math’s greatest complexities
and experience numerous “ah ha’s” that fuel flights into deeper TOK and AOK conversations
until exit from the essential castle known as the education system has been granted
headed home your mind becomes lured into a rooted nap as it shifts to autopilot
the time for learning discontinues as the sun hides behind the tree line
walking under the threshold to the kitchen where delicious
satisfying-smelling food needs your dining
fuel in the vessel that travels distances
to calculate and conquer problems
and write essays in MLA
eyes closed
6:00 am

Rottenberk is active not only in academics, but also in many on-campus and off-campus initiatives. She currently works as a consultant at the Math and Physics Center, where she provides academic peer support to K students for advanced math classes. Moreover, she is the captain for the softball team and president of the Hacky Sack student organization. She is also a First-Year Experience mentor, which allows her to guide students while they adapt to new academic environments.

Off-campus, Rottenberk is part of Sustainable Living Guide, an organization that provides educational support and resources for healthy and sustainable living. Her commitment to this organization includes organizing virtual classes for sustainability, writing for social media and a website, and conducting research on climate action, zero-waste lifestyle and other topics.

“Being proactive makes me feel better and more productive,” Rottenberk said. “While participating in many on-campus initiatives, I feel that that I am not only contributing to my personal and professional growth, but also to my community.”

Rottenberk said K’s liberal arts education has empowered her to push her boundaries while allowing her to apply creative thinking in her academics. Two of her most influential classes at K have been ENG210: Intermediate Poetry Workshop, where she expanded her knowledge of how to write poems, and MATH320: Real Analysis.

“I would encourage students to be independent with established critical thought,” she said. “More importantly, I strongly suggest students utilize every opportunity that K classes offer when it comes to critical thinking.”

Math and poetry expert Elizabeth Rottenberk in a Kalamazoo College softball uniform — Lizzy Rottenberk ’24 is a captain for K’s softball team.

College Raptor Rates K a Hidden Gem

Posted on August 29, 2023December 21, 2023

A web-based organization dedicated to helping students and families find their best-fit institution of higher education, has chosen Kalamazoo College for two honors that identify the school as an excellent destination for well-rounded experiences.

College Raptor says K is one of 15 small schools to qualify as a Hidden Gem in the Great Lakes region of Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana. In addition, K is among 25 schools nationwide named a Division III Hidden Gem in athletics.

To qualify overall as a Hidden Gem, an institution must receive fewer than 5,000 applications per year, have fewer than 7,000 undergraduate students, offer at least five unique majors and maintain an acceptance rate of at least 10%. The selection recognizes K as one of the best colleges in the country based on a combination of factors including retention rates, graduation rates, student-to-faculty ratio, endowment per student, selectivity and other key metrics as reported through the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), according to the College Raptor website.

Kalamazoo College sign — College Raptor says Kalamazoo College is one of 15 small schools to qualify as a Hidden Gem in the Great Lakes. Plus, K is among 25 nationwide named a Division III athletics Hidden Gem.

As a Division III Hidden Gem, College Raptor also says K offers great opportunities for student-athletes who want a combined athletic and academic college experience, making the College a standout among the 442 schools College Raptor examined.

“For students seeking the enriching experience of a smaller college with exceptional programs, institutions like K emerge as prime options, and we are honored to spotlight them with the recognition they genuinely deserve,” College Raptor CEO William Staib said.

“A liberal arts model at a small college provides the most thorough education because it teaches students a variety of skillsets that employers desire through personal attention from faculty and staff along with a flexible curriculum and enriching co-curricular activities,” Dean of Admission Suzanne Lepley said. “We love it when other organizations confirm what a gem we are.”

Student-Athlete Takes Flag Football to Kenya

Posted on August 10, 2023September 17, 2024

With another year of Kalamazoo College football camp beginning, student-athlete Adam Stapleton ’25 is proudly reflecting on a summer that included some international volunteerism through his sport.

Stapleton, a business major in his academic life and a linebacker for the Hornets in athletics, introduced children in Kenya to flag football by visiting a rural, ministry-based school in the town of Nyahururu through the Pan African Christian Exchange (PACE).

The idea was to help the children experience some diversity in their physical education classes in coordination with a two-week service trip he shared with his family, including his dad—who works as a pastor—his mom and his brother.

“Usually, the students would only be playing soccer, and the school wanted them to have a more enriching experience in general,” Stapleton said. “I feel like football as a game teaches a lot of life skills outside of just athleticism. There’s teamwork because you have to be on the same page, and there’s strategy, which helped them learn to think while contributing to their growing experiences in school as a whole.”

The children, he said, were somewhat familiar with rugby, which provided some parallels along with some challenges because of slightly different rules. They had to learn, for example, that football has four downs and varied guidance as to how teams can sub players in and out of a game.

Regardless, the classes embraced the experience, making Stapleton’s job feel less like a Hail Mary and more like an inevitable run to pay dirt.

“I could just see their joy, especially when I told them we would leave all the materials there so they could play on their own,” Stapleton said. “They don’t have a lot of what we do, but they were so much happier than we usually are. The whole experience helped me see that attitude is what makes you happy.”

Stapleton added that he and his brother also taught chess to the students. In fact, some of the children picked it up so quickly that they nearly beat the duo by the time they left. The whole experience leaves Stapleton with no doubt that he would like to return to Kenya one day, in addition to studying abroad in Madrid or Costa Rica before he leaves K.

“This wasn’t so much about my K-Plan, but it definitely fit with the K experience,” Stapleton said. “It was about putting myself out there to try new things. It also fit for me as a business major. I sat in on one of their business classes and tried to contribute some things about my classes. I want to go back again, and in my professional life, I think this experience will help me interact more with diverse people and reach others different from me. I’m glad I went because I didn’t expect it to be anything like it was. Going there and seeing the joy on the kids’ faces while teaching them something new and experiencing a new place was an awesome opportunity.”