CMS in the New Millennium
In 2001, CMS mourned the passing of David Wells '72 following a long battle with cancer. Part of CMS Athletics for 33 years, Wells’ left a legacy that remains to this day. Wells arrived in Claremont as a student in 1968 and experienced great success as a student athlete. As a baseball player, he helped the Stags to SCIAC titles in 1970 and 1971, as well as a NAIA District Tournament win over La Verne as a junior in 1971, before earning second-team All-America honors in 1972. As a basketball player, Wells was part of two SCIAC Championship teams, capturing the 1970 title as a sophomore and again in 1972 as a senior. He was named All-SCIAC three times and NAIA All-District twice. In 1974, Wells became the basketball program's head coach, just two years after graduating, taking over for the late Ted Ducey. Over his 24-year coaching career, Wells led the Stags basketball team to 324 wins and six SCIAC Championships, and would also serve as CMS athletic director from 1995 to 2000. In 2002, the West Coast Classic, an annual Thanksgiving basketball tournament featuring men's and women's games co-hosted by CMS and Pomona-Pitzer, was renamed The David Wells Classic in his honor. (Read full story here)
By the end of the 2000s, CMS Athletics had established itself as a Division III powerhouse in sports, but there was some thought that the athletics infrastructure needed an upgrade to reflect the success of its teams. CMS made progress over the years with new athletics facilities such as Pritzlaff Field for soccer in 1984 and the Axelrood Aquatics Center in 1993. The following decade, a grand design for a new tennis center emerged as a key part of an enhanced facilities plan, led by CMC alumnus and trustee Gary Biszantz '56. While serving on the Board of Trustees, Biszantz was at the forefront of pushing for the athletics facilities to be upgraded in order to get CMS Athletics to the next level, and he made it his goal to get "shovels in the ground" to start making that progress. The Biszantz Family Tennis Center opened in January 2009 and served as the host facility for the NCAA Division III Men's Tennis Championships that spring. Since its opening, the Biszantz Family Tennis Center has been considered one of the finest facilities in collegiate tennis, winning the 2009 Outdoor Tennis Facility of the Year Award presented by the American Sports Builders Association and chosen as one of the seven winners of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) 29th annual USTA Facility Awards Program, recognizing excellence in construction and/or renovation of tennis facilities throughout the country. (Read full story here)
The second decade of the new millennium saw additional advancements in CMS sports facilities, this time in the form of a new athletic and recreational center. By 2014, CMS Athletics had swelled to 21 varsity programs and was a nationally prominent athletic department. There was a dire need for more space for locker rooms, coaching offices, and meeting rooms. The end of the beloved Ducey Gymnasium, which had been the hub for athletics on CMC's campus for 57 years, came in 2014. Ducey was torn down to make room for the state-of-the-art Roberts Pavilion, now one of the top Division III facilities anywhere in the country. Following a two-year gap without indoot athletics facilities, Roberts Pavilion opened its doors for the academic year 2016-17 and was named in honor of CMC trustee and alumnus George R. Roberts '66 P'93, who donated $50 million to the College in 2012. Designed by John Friedman/Alice Kimm Architects, Roberts Pavilion encompasses more than 144,000 square feet on three levels dedicated to CMS athletics and community fitness. The legacies of Ted Ducey and Ducey Gymnasium continue to live on in Roberts Pavilion, as the Pavilion is home to the Ted Ducey CMS Hall of Fame, while donor acknowledgement walls are made from wood panels that were once the bleachers in Ducey Gym.
(Read full stories on Ducey Gymnasium and Roberts Pavilion here and here)
Roberts Pavilion's dedication ceremony recap video.
The Year of the Athena
When the 2017-18 academic year began, the Athenas were hoping to capture their first team national title. By the time that the year ended, the Athenas had won three: volleyball, golf, and tennis. The women's track and field team, meanwhile, had won three individual national titles in its history, but after the 2018 NCAA Championships, that number doubled to six, and the program had its highest-finish ever (fourth). It truly was The Year of the Athena, and it helped CMS to a third-place finish in the standings for the Learfield Cup, the highest finish in department history (Read full story here). Below are some highlights from the historic year.
Club Sports
In addition to varsity sports, The Claremont Colleges offer a variety of club sports that are open to students across all campuses. Club sports provide a recreational outlet for students in a competitive setting and are a valuable part of the education experience at The Claremont Colleges. Club sports include men’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s rugby, men’s and women’s ultimate (Frisbee), men’s volleyball, women’s roller derby, badminton, cycling, equestrian, fencing, field hockey, roller/ice hockey, and surfing. Below, some highlights of club sports at The Claremont Colleges.
As we reach the modern era, CMS Athletics has established itself as regional power with the men’s program, having won 212 SCIAC titles and the women’s program having won 131 SCIAC titles (as of 2021)—both the most among SCIAC programs. Today, almost one-third of the student body compete on official varsity or club sports teams, with the rest of the student body involved in intramural sports, recreational activities, and individual fitness pursuits. While passing a swim test is no longer required for graduation (since 1989), The Claremont Colleges require all students to complete three semesters of physical education if not a member of a CMS intercollegiate athletic team. The CMS Department of Physical Education offers a robust selection of over 40 P.E. classes each year including archery, badminton, hiking, sailing, scuba diving, and yoga. Overall, the future remains bright for CMS Athletics as its student athletes continue to strive excellence both on and off the playing fields.
Ted Ducey CMS Hall of Fame Inductees
Class of 2000: Indira Odamtten (SC); Kristine Zoch
Class of 2001: Felicia Davis; Jason Reed; Regina Schafnitz
Class of 2002: Sarah DeGraw (SC); Katie Ray (HMC)
Class of 2003: Lea Crusey; Ryan Gibson (HMC); Ryan Gocong
Class of 2004: John Michael Cham-A-Koon; Kristina Orosz (HMC)
Class of 2006: Matthew Roberson
Class of 2007: Lisal Smith Moran
Class of 2011: Chris Blees; Sarah Dick; Annie Perizzolo
In celebration of its “Great Moments from 75 Years of Athletics” during the 2021-2022 academic year, CMS Athletics has announced the induction of 13 new members to Ted Ducey CMS Hall of Fame as part of its Class of 2022. To read more about the Class of 2022 inductees or to register for the Hall of Fame Ceremony on March 26, 2022, visit CMS Athletics’ Ted Ducey CMS Hall of Fame page.
Please join us again in February 2022, as we continue our archival exhibitions celebrating Claremont McKenna College’s history. Our next exhibit will continue CMC’s story with a focus on College buildings, architecture, and public art.