With the return of NCAA basketball season, Saint Louis University basketball fans are seeing new faces enter the arena and make their debut as Billikens. Throughout the off-season between this year and last year, both the men’s and women’s teams saw the departures as well as the arrivals of players, meaning that this year’s roster looks very different from last year’s. The following is a quick rundown of the six new players for the women’s team, followed by the 13 additions to the men’s team. 

Women:

Mya Glanton (00, F)- Glanton is a graduate student out of East St. Louis, Illinois, majoring in cybersecurity. She previously played at Indiana State University, where she made an appearance in every game during the 2023-24 season and was the leading scorer and rebounder for the Sycamores. 

Hannah Wallace (1, G)- Wallace is a freshman from St. Louis, Missouri, majoring in computer science. During her high school career, she led her team to a Class 4 District 5 runner-up finish in the 2022-23 season after claiming the championship title during the 2021-22 season. 

Shun’teria Anumele (2, G)- Anumele is a freshman out of Houston, Texas, majoring in nursing. In her final high school season, she was named Most Valuable Player for District 20-6A, averaging 25 points, six assists, and three steals each game. 

Marilena Triantafylli (15, C)- Triantafylli is a sophomore from Athens, Greece, majoring in neuroscience. She was a pre-selection for the Greece Women’s National Team at the U14, U16, and U18 levels and soon after, played her first collegiate season at Syracuse University, appearing in six games.

Mia Bergstrom (33, G)- Bergstrom is a freshman out of Mount Prospect, Illinois, who scored over 1000 points throughout her high school career. In the first games of the regular season in her first year at SLU, she has seen the court in all three games and has thus far recorded six points for the Billikens. 

Rita Nazário (44, G)- Nazário is a freshman from Figueira da Foz, Portugal, majoring in mechanical engineering. In her career before becoming a Billiken, she led her club team to finishing second in the 2022-23 U18 National Championships after winning the U16 National Championship in the 2021-22 season. 

Men:

Isaiah Swope (1, G)- Swope is a senior out of Newburgh, Indiana, majoring in African American Studies. He played two seasons at Southern Indiana and two seasons at Indiana State University, where he led his team to the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title and the championship game in the National Invitation Tournament. 

Amari McCottry (4, G)- McCottry is a freshman from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who led his high school team to their 29-1 record and Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Division Three state title during the 2023-24 season. Throughout this season, he averaged 22.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.1 steals per game. 

Jaden Schertz (5, G)- Schertz is a sophomore out of Harrogate, Tennessee, majoring in finance. After being named an All-State player in high school, he spent the past two seasons at Indiana State University, appearing in six games in the 2023-24 season.

Kalu Anya (6, F)- Anya is a junior from Worcester, Massachusetts, majoring in economics. He played his first two seasons at Brown University, where he averaged 7.4 rebounds and 9.6 points per game in the 2023-24 season and was named the Ivy League’s Player of the Week in February 2024.

Kobe Johnson (8, G)- Johnson is a senior out of Canton, Ohio, who played the previous three seasons at West Virginia University. He made an appearance in 92 games throughout his time at West Virginia and recorded 34 starts, averaging 3.2 points per game. 

Isaac Holmes (12, G)- Holmes is a sophomore from Apex, North Carolina, majoring in marketing. Holmes made his first appearance as a Billiken this season in their win against Avila University, where he recorded two points off two free throws, as well as one rebound and one block. 

Josiah Dotzler (13, G)- Dotzler is a sophomore out of Omaha, Nebraska, where he appeared in 19 games while playing for Creighton University and helped his team advance to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. In his senior year of high school, he earned the title of Nebraska’s Gatorade Player of the Year and led his team to a 29-0 record as well as to a state championship title.

Kilian Brockhoff (14, F)- Brockhoff is a sophomore from Cuxhaven, Germany, majoring in international business. He played for Germany’s U19 national team, placing second at the 2022 and 2023 European Championships, before playing his first collegiate season at the University of California, Santa Barbara. 

Robbie Avila (21, C)- Avila is a junior out of Oak Forest, Illinois, majoring in communication. He played his first two collegiate seasons at Indiana State University, where he averaged 17.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game, and hit 61 3-pointers throughout the 2023-24 season. 

Nick Patton (22, G)- Patton is a freshman from Westerville, Ohio, majoring in exercise science and athletic training. He was a top 150 prospect while in the recruiting process out of Illinois after leading his team to a 27-7 record during his senior year and received an offer to play at Northern Illinois University before committing to SLU.

Aj Casey (23, F)- Casey is a junior out of Chicago, Illinois, who played his first two collegiate seasons for the University of Miami, appearing in 53 total games during his time as a Hurricane. He also made appearances in three games during the NCAA Tournament, helping his team to the Final Four in the 2022-23 season. 

Dylan Warlick (33, F)- Warlick is a freshman from Edmond, Oklahoma, majoring in entrepreneurship. He earned the title of Oklahoma 6A-1 District Player of the Year during his senior season after averaging 20 points and 11 rebounds per game and ended his high school career with four state semifinal appearances and two state championship titles.  

Max Pikaar (35, F)- Pikaar is a freshman from Leiden, Netherlands, who spent his high school senior season in Bel Aire, Kansas. He made his debut as a Billiken in their game against Avila University, where he recorded two points, six rebounds, one assist, and one block.

In recent years, it has become increasingly harder for sports fans to watch and support their favorite teams from the comfort of their own home. With the emergence of multiple streaming platforms, each boasting unique viewing opportunities, it now appears virtually impossible or customers to meet all their spectating needs with just one subscription.

Since cable TV’s decline in the early 2010s, the success of the streaming service industry skyrocketed. Now, many households have gotten rid of cable TV, now watching movies, news, shows and sports on streaming platforms. Initially, people made this switch because they thought it was cheaper; however, with the emergence of more streaming platforms, some think these services and their diverse offerings leave the consumer spending more money in the end. If you’re a sports fan or have tried to watch a game recently, you most likely started by searching online for where to watch the game, followed by some brief research on how much it might cost you to utilize whatever streaming platform the event was offered on. Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, Apple TV+ and ESPN+ all offer sports streaming options.

The popular sports streaming service, ESPN+, broadcasts sports that are otherwise not usually available on cable channels. However, despite ESPN+ having a wide array of available broadcasts, it does not cover all the events fans may want to see. For example, viewers aren’t guaranteed access to watch all MLB, NBA or NFL games. Although ESPN+ will occasionally cover games in these leagues, other subscriptions are required for consistent access to these events.

Often, if a game is being streamed on a cable TV network, it is also streaming on their corresponding streaming platform, such as ABC and Hulu + Live TV, CBS and Paramount+, and NBC and Peacock. When games are not streamed on these networks, league-specific streaming services may be necessary to watch certain games.

To watch MLB games, MLB.TV offers fans out-of-market games, but still has periodic location-based blackout restrictions. A blackout restriction makes certain sporting events occasionally unavailable in specific areas.

For NFL games, the most comprehensive option is NFL Sunday Ticket, available through YouTube and YouTube TV. Out-of-market NBA games are broadcasted through NBA League Pass, but these games are also subject to blackout restrictions. As reported by NBC News, by the start of the next NBA season, fans will need subscriptions to Amazon Prime Video and Peacock if they want to view all games.

Additionally, games not broadcasted on these platforms will be on ABC and NBC, as well as through ESPN on cable TV, meaning that fans will still need access to traditional TV on top of the two streaming subscriptions to have access to all NBA games throughout the season. Although you can watch some professional baseball, football and basketball games on ESPN+, Major League Soccer is not included. Apple TV owns the rights to broadcast MLS games, meaning that if you’re a soccer fan, be prepared to add one more subscription payment to your ongoing list.

Cost is an important consideration for fans deciding how they will watch their favorite teams each season. For example, ESPN+ has a subscription rate of $12 per month, or $120 dollars per year. An additional fee applies when ESPN partners with UFC to bring pay-per-view events to ESPN+. A significant note is that there is currently no ad-free version of ESPN+, unlike other platforms, who often offer a slightly higher price for ad-free relief.

A large demographic of the sports-viewing population includes college students. Many students move away from their hometowns for college but still want to watch their teams from campus. Since these students are most likely looking to view out-of-network games, one can assume that higher-tier subscriptions are needed. Add into this equation the fact that students probably want to watch and support their university’s athletic programs too, making their monthly bill not so convenient or affordable.

The more streaming platforms that emerge, the more complicated and expensive watching live sports seems to be for fans. With companies offering different bundles with each other, changing which games are broadcast weekly and having exceptions or blackout restrictions for certain games, it looks as though there is no way to avoid paying for more than one service. Navigating these subscriptions has already caused frustrations for fans and will only worsen as companies expand and new platforms arise. 

Over the summer, the world of sports news was buzzing about the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, with outstanding athletes, unexpected results and countless records being broken. One of these athletes was one of our own professors here at Saint Louis University (SLU), Dr. Sarah Adam. 

Dr. Adam is an assistant professor and academic fieldwork coordinator for the Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy department at SLU. Aside from her professional career, Dr. Adam is also a member of the Team USA Wheelchair Rugby team and has recently competed in the Paris Paralympics, where she acted as a key player in the team’s path to ultimately claiming the silver medal. Dr. Adam was a starting player in every game played by Team USA and was consistently one of the top three scorers during each of their five matches throughout the Games. Dr. Adam also made history by becoming the first woman to represent Team USA Wheelchair Rugby in a Paralympic Games. 

Team USA started off their Paralympic gameplay with three preliminary matches covering three days. The US first defeated Canada, then suffered a loss to Japan, but came back to win against Germany. They then moved on to the semi-finals, where they topped Great Britain with a final score of 50-43. 

The final game set to be played by Team USA was the gold medal game, where they would face Japan for a second time. The game remained close throughout, with the US leading at the end of the first period, but Japan taking it back by the end of the second and third periods. Although the gold medal remained within reach for Team USA through the whole game, Japan ended in the lead with a final score of 49-41. Japan claimed gold, Team USA earned silver and Australia ended with bronze at the conclusion of the wheelchair rugby events in Paris. 

While Dr. Adam was busy making history and winning a medal in Paris, her colleagues, students and members of the SLU community were gathering to support her along the way. The department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy hosted a watch party for the wheelchair rugby gold medal game, open to students, graduates and staff. Viewers held homemade signs and dressed in red, white and blue to support their professor and her team. 

Dr. Adam has been an impactful role model for both her colleagues and students, showing them that it is possible for dreams and a professional career to work alongside one another. Dr. Angela Cecil, the undergraduate program director and an associate professor in the occupational science and occupational therapy department, spoke highly of Dr. Adam’s leadership qualities when conversing with the University News. 

“As a champion, Sarah has wowed me with her fearlessness and devotion to not only her wheelchair rugby team on the court, but also to women in sports, to individuals with disabilities, to the students she teaches, and to the profession of occupational therapy.” 

Dr. Adam has proved her commitment to both our university and to her own endeavors within her sport and professional career. As an overall leader in all that she does, Dr. Adam continues to pave the way for students, athletes and women and the SLU community is proud to call her one of our own. 

A historical milestone in the world of women’s gymnastics was achieved on the evening of Saturday, May 18, when three Olympic all-around champions were slated to compete in the same meet for the first time ever.

At the Core Hydration Classic in Hartford, Connecticut, Gabby Douglas, Simone Biles and Suni Lee all made a comeback to gymnastics in an effort to be selected to once again compete for the United States, this time at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. 

For those who are not followers of the sport, a gymnast’s career is typically shorter than that of other athletes because of the toll the years of training and competing takes on their body. Most Olympic gymnasts compete in only one Olympic Games and very few make an appearance in a second. The Core Hydration Classic was a significant competition in the gymnastics world as three Olympic champions from three different Olympics Games were seen competing in the same arena.

Douglas claimed her Olympic all-around gold medal at the London 2012 Olympics when she was just 16 years old. She also won gold in the team competition at the Rio 2016 Olympics and the 2012 Games. Now, at 28-years- old, Douglas has returned to compete for what would be her third Olympic Games. 

Unfortunately, at the Core Hydration Classic, Douglas fell twice while competing on uneven bars, her first event of the four. This led her to withdraw from the remainder of the competition, most likely due to safety concerns. Although this was not the performance she had hoped for, Douglas was looking forward to having a chance at redemption later this month in the US Championships. However, Douglas recently announced her withdrawal from the US Championships, citing an ankle injury sustained in training as her reason. This ends Douglas’ Olympic hopes for Paris 2024, but she has yet to announce her official retirement from the sport. 

Biles has been a dominant force in the sport for over 10 years now, winning her Olympic all-around title at the Rio 2016 Games. She was also a member of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic team and has brought home a total of seven medals between the two Games. 

Often referred to as the “greatest of all time” in women’s gymnastics, Biles is now vying for a spot on what would be her third Olympic team. At the recent Core Hydration Classic, Biles claimed the all-around and floor titles, proving that she remains the best in competition and is ready to represent the United States at the Olympics once again. 

At 21-years-old, Lee is the youngest of these three champions that have made a post-Olympic comeback in gymnastics. Lee earned her all-around Olympic title at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where she also took home a silver medal in the team competition and a bronze medal on the uneven bars. Lee then competed for Auburn over two seasons, before returning to elite gymnastics and turning her focus to the Paris 2024 Olympics. 

At the Core Hydration Classic, Lee competed in three of the four events: vault, balance beam and floor exercise. She earned first place on the balance beam and  qualified for the upcoming U.S. Championships, where she will continue to prove that she deserves a spot on the next Olympic team.

The Olympic Trials are set to take place at the end of June. The U.S. has many strong contenders that the selection committee will have to choose between. Among these contenders are two additional Olympians: Jade Carey and Jordan Chiles. They were  part of the Tokyo 2020 team and are both now in the running to be selected for their second Olympic Team. 

The U.S. has presented medal-winning teams in women’s gymnastics for many years, and whichever five girls are selected for Paris 2024 will undoubtedly aim to continue building on this success.

If you are familiar with Saint Louis University athletics, you know that not all sports compete or practice on campus. It is difficult to find on-campus space for sports facilities due to the size and location of the campus itself. Sports that are hosted on campus include baseball, basketball, soccer, swimming/diving, track and field, softball, and volleyball, whereas sports that host their home events off campus include cross country, tennis, and field hockey. However, this is about to change for the women of the SLU field hockey team.

Currently, the field hockey team both practices and hosts their home games at SportPort International, an outdoor field complex located in Maryland Heights, Missouri. This facility is roughly 30 minutes from SLU, meaning that a standard practice or game entails about an extra hour of commuting time for each of the girls. Seeing as this is not ideal for the team, a recent decision was made regarding a new field hockey pitch to be used for both practice and games. President Fred Pestello and Athletic Director Chris May agreed on the installation of an on-campus field hockey pitch, expected to be ready for play before the start of the 2024 season. Since field hockey is specifically played on wetted astroturf, the construction of an entirely new field is necessary to ensure the required criteria for play is met. This field is set to be installed on South Campus.

The University News first obtained this breaking news from the Midtown Madness Podcast, a podcast hosted by Zac Miller and Peter Hale about all Billiken athletic news. An interview was then conducted with SLU Athletic Director, Chris May, in which this information was confirmed.

The Midtown Madness Podcast is currently in its fourth season and released the news about the installation of a field hockey pitch at SLU during episode 18 of this season, released on December 11th, 2023. During the conversation, Hale gives his perspective on the time-saving benefit that the field will provide for the girls.

“The quality of life difference when all you have to do is get over to the med campus as opposed to getting all the way out to Earth City… they’re getting days of their lives back in terms of the amount of time that they spent commuting back and forth,” Hale said in his podcast. 

Rather than the entire team having to accommodate the 30-minute drive to every practice and game, the commute will now be much shorter, as the only drive necessary is down Grand Boulevard.

Aside from the team and coaching staff, the change of location will also provide an easier commute for fans, especially SLU students. At the current game location in Maryland Heights, it is rare that the team has a student section cheering them on during games because many students do not have cars on campus and there is no transportation provided by the university to take students to and from the field hockey games. Having the field on the South campus will likely increase student attendance at home games since only the campus shuttle is required to get there. Athletic Director Chris May commented on the impacts that the field will have.

“This will be focused on the SLU community, and it’ll really lend itself to students coming in and watching and supporting each other,” May said. 

May explained how the installation of the field plays into the three objectives of the SLU Athletic Department, which include education, competition, and building community. With the addition of the on-campus field hockey pitch, the SLU community will be further brought together through support of Billiken sports.

The installation of an on-campus field hockey pitch has been long awaited by both the team and fans and is sure to provide a decrease in travel time as well as an atmosphere of Billiken pride for the women’s field hockey team. Next season is sure to hold excitement for the field hockey team, as they will be the first group to play on this new field and will have the opportunity to set the tone for what is to come in the future of the program.

The Saint Louis University field hockey team closed out their home season on October 20 with an impressive 5-1 win against the Lock Haven Bald Eagles. The team effort led the Billikens to their first conference win of the season and set the school record for the most goals scored in a conference game. Before the start of the game, the six graduating players were honored in a ceremony for Senior Day. These seniors include Grace Golembiewski, Brooke Mason, Lauren Pendergast, Demi Sahuleka, Cameron Taylor, and Kendyl Underwood.

The Billikens struggled throughout the first half of the game, entering halftime down 1-0, but came back scoring five goals in the second half. Less than a minute into the third quarter, Mason scored on the Bald Eagles, assisted by sophomore Abby Vidas. Three minutes later, junior Josefina Perez put up another point for the Billikens off a pass from Julia Rooijakkers. Three more goals were scored in the fourth quarter: a goal by sophomore Shaya Dry assisted by Mason, one from Vidas assisted by Dry, and another by Sahuleka assisted by Golembiewski. Underwood made four saves in the net, leading the defensive force for the team, and limiting Lock Haven to a singular goal during the game.

The win was especially important to the team seeing as they earned the win for their seniors on Senior Day and the last home game.

 “It was really exciting to get a win, especially by such a good margin,” Pendergast said. 

The team feels that they have not lived up to their potential this season, and this win displayed the level of play that they aimed to showcase.

 “This game showed what we are capable of. It showed the ability this team has and it’s been there all season long, it just hasn’t come out,” Sahuleka said.  

The game outcome made it clear to both the players and fans that this team has potential in future seasons, even if it seemed hidden this year.

Although finishing the final home game is undoubtedly a bittersweet feeling for those graduating, they leave a lasting impression on the current and future players with the continued improvements of the program. 

“I feel like every year we have gained more of a culture and understanding of how we want to play and how we want to work as a team,” Mason said. The teamwork aspect was apparent on this day, as the energy during and after this game showed the magnitude of this win for the team, as well as the pride they held in the notion of earning it in honor of the graduating players.

SLU field hockey closed out their season 3-13 overall and 1-6 in conference play. Although this was not the season outcome the Billikens were working for, this final game at home proved that the synergy and relationships between players can carry the team in upcoming seasons. With six players graduating, the team looks to rising leaders to maintain the passion and drive within the program that has been thus far established with the seniors.