Mount Hood

Division I changes and what’s going to change

Written by: Jaylin Hardin | Sports Editor

Fans of college athletics are no stranger to the conference realignments announced back in October 2023 — changing the way the Division I matchups would look this coming fall. Western itself is no stranger to conference changes: the 2022 football season was the first year of play in the Lone Star Conference. 

These conference changes come in the wake of the networks and conferences paying their student-athletes for using their names, images and likenesses in various settings, such as advertising. This isn’t saying that student-athletes could be paid for their performance; however, it does mean that student-athletes could now sign partnerships with companies such as Reebok and Vuori, an athletic clothing brand. These two brands have both signed Louisiana State University athletes Angel Reese and Olivia Dunne as ambassadors.

This new ability to be paid for name, image and likeness, rather than performance, allows student-athletes to pursue business interests outside of their university and their respective athletic programs. However, even within this, there are issues.

The NIL — name, image and likeness — deal takes away the amateurism aspect of college athletics, pushing it closer toward the professional side of athletics. In their long-standing history, college athletes had not been able to accept payment surrounding their sport, to remain amateurs in their field — amateurism defined as only playing the sport in which they were recruited and not receiving payment. That being said, a college football player could also play pro baseball and be paid for baseball.

When the new conference changes are discussed, they are usually only looked at in how college football will be affected, meeting mixed reactions. Many fans have stated that the PAC-12 conference, consisting of the majority of West Coast Division I universities, had only been kept relevant due to the football programs at the University of Oregon and the University of Washington. On Jan. 8, X user @tpuffer18 posted to the social media platform: “So the Pac12 never won a national championship?”

This mindset of the conferences being only recognized for their football program is a large issue. Within the last seven years, the PAC-12 has won 38 national championships, in sports varying from indoor track and field, and beach volleyball to soccer. Many PAC-12 athletes also go pro; the most famous of these athletes is Adley Rutchsmann, one of two starting catchers for the Baltimore Orioles. 

The PAC-12 is not the only conference that has member schools leaving; the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas are both joining the SEC, the Southeastern Conference, in lieu of the Big 12 Conference. The SEC boasts member schools such as Auburn University, the University of Georgia and the University of Mississippi, commonly known as Ole Miss. 

So why is this such a big deal? With these new conference realignments, student-athletes now have further to travel for competitions and new weather environments they would not initially encounter in their home states. An example of this is the PAC-12 schools transferring to the Big 10 conference. Members of the Big 10 often play in heavy rain and snow during the playoff and Bowl season, something PAC-12 athletes are not accustomed to. 

In the College Football National Championship, this was not a problem as it was played in Houston, Texas at the NRG Stadium — home of the Houston Texans. During this game, Michigan, a Big 10 school, faced the University of Washington, and won 34-13, falling as number one and two nationally. 

However, these gridiron conferences, while boasting strong football programs and truly proving the saying “any given Sunday,” do not bode well for other sports and programs within these conferences. 

An example of this lives in college softball. For three years in a row, the University of Oklahoma has won the National Championship for Softball, with big competitors coming from Texas, Alabama and Georgia. Originally, Texas and Oklahoma were both parts of the Big 12 Conference, with Alabama and Georgia in the SEC. 

However, these four schools now being in the same conference makes for a less competitive Softball World Series; these programs may end up being knocked out of the bracket in early play, due to each team knowing how they play. This could very much be the reality for many of the sports programs.

There is, however, a perk to these conference realignments. The lesser-known Division I schools, ones that never initially had a dog in the race, now have a higher chance of participating in the National Championships. Fans of college softball can never forget the time James Madison University nearly beat the University of Oklahoma during the 2021 Women’s College World Series.

There are pros and cons to the NIL deal and its change for the college athletics landscape. Athletic programs that were once strong can now meet their downfall in its first season; similar to how Western’s football team has not had a winning season since they joined the Lone Star Conference. 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Off the deep end

Written by: Claire Phillips | Entertainment Editor

Wanting to find an opportunity to get back in the water? Look no further than the Health and Wellness Center for an enthusiastic, tight-knit community that spends two days a week in the pool together. The Western Swim Club offers new experiences to swimmers of all levels. It doesn’t matter if one has been on a competitive swim team or has never dipped their toes in a pool before — the members of the Swim Club are here to help along the way.

Swimming stands out from many other sports and offers unique opportunities for members. Because the exercise takes place in water, there are so many therapeutic benefits to swimming. Just submerging oneself in the water increases blood flow to the brain, improving memory, concentration and mood. Swimming may be a healthy outlet for college students during stressful weeks. 

Learning how to swim may be an intimidating experience. Not everyone is going to be able to swim a 100-meter freestyle with flip turns in a minute the first time they enter the pool. Swim Club is a fantastic place to practice the basics, with new friends to cheer you on along the way.

If swimming laps aren’t preferable, there are many other fun aspects to Western’s Swim Club. There are days in the schedule dedicated to team building with activities such as relay races, water polo and playing fun water games, such as sharks and minnows. The annual Swim-A-Thon is also an opportunity to engage in exciting games and get to know team members.

Maximus Sing, the president of Western’s Swim Club, spoke about his philosophy in regard to creating a great team and environment. “I have three things that go with any sport — learn to play the game the right way, make yourself better every day and have fun,” Sing said. The Swim Club officers are all eager to start competing with other schools, such as University of Oregon and Oregon State University. Before the club is competition ready, the swimmers have to focus on bettering themselves and each other.

No matter one’s level of swimming, there are many people eager to help. “Winter term is a clean slate… it’s not too late to start to learn how to swim because we can teach you,” Sing said. 

The Health and Wellness Center pool is waiting for new members to dive in.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Basketball on tap

Written by: Jaylin Hardin | Sports Editor

Men’s basketball battled hard against Linfield University this last Tuesday, ultimately pulling out the win and bringing the team to a 3-3 record. 

Western scored a two-pointer in the first 10 seconds of the game, but Linfield responded with their own. The teams battled back and forth in the first half, Western attempting to pull ahead and having the most possessions. For every point Linfield scored, Western quickly answered back. The first half ended in a close score of 34-33, in favor of Western. 

The second half started out just as strong for the team — putting in substitutions to help their winded starters — and Western scored a three pointer within the first minute. However, two free throws brought Linfield closer to a tie soon after. 

In the last 12 minutes, missed shots, turnovers and steals in favor of Linfield narrowed the already small lead Western had managed to keep all game. A three-pointer by Linfield player, Joshua Ryan, tied the teams up at 53 and was quickly answered with a layup from Western Junior, Qiant Myers. Linfield pulled ahead with a three-pointer not even 30 seconds later. 

More missed shots from Western helped Linfield pull ahead, where they managed to either keep the lead or stay close with Western on the scoreboard. 

It was two free throws from Myers that managed to bring the team back into the lead, after being fouled by Linfield player, Garret Callsen. Western continued to keep this lead through the rest of the game. 

The game finished in favor of Western, 80-71, with the team’s largest lead being 10. 

Qiant Myers was the point leader for Western, scoring 19 on the night. The GNAC defensive player of the week also had 10 assists and five steals. 

The previous week, Myers had the first triple-double of NCAA DII play this season; with 14 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds. A triple-double occurs when all three of a player’s stats are all double-digit numbers. 

Western’s other point leaders included senior Cameron Benzel and junior Kris Cook, who had 18 and 15 points respectively. Benzel and Cook also performed both of Western’s dunks for the night, both of which occurred in the second half. 

Western shot 57.1 percent in the field, only making five of 20 three-pointers, and totaled 27 rebounds. 

Men’s basketball plays again on Nov. 30 against Central Washington University at 5:15 p.m. in New PE. The game will be streamed live on WOUTV. 



Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

What’s to come in the New Year?

Written by: Jaylin Hardin | Sports Editor

Thursday, Nov. 16

6 p.m. — Volleyball @ Montana State University Billings

Friday, Nov. 17

5 p.m. — Men’s Basketball v. Stanislaus State, Ron Logsdon Challenge, Rohnert Park, CA

5 p.m. — Women’s Basketball v. Chico State, SMU Tournament, Lacey, WA

Saturday, Nov. 18

All Day — Cross Country @ NCAA National Championships, Joplin, MO

1 p.m. — Women’s Basketball v. Sonoma State University, SMU Tournament, Lacey, WA

1 p.m. — Volleyball @ Seattle Pacific University

2 p.m. — Men’s Club Soccer, HOME v. Oregon State University

7 p.m. — Men’s Basketball v. Sonoma State University, Ron Logsdon Challenge, Rohnert Park, CA

All Day — Men’s Rugby @ Regional Championships

Sunday, Nov. 19

All Day — Men’s Rugby @ Regional Championships

Tuesday, Nov. 21

7 p.m. — Men’s Basketball, HOME v. Linfield University

Friday, Nov. 24

2 p.m. — Women’s Basketball v. Biola University, Azusa Pacific Thanksgiving Classic, Azusa, CA

Thursday, Nov. 30

5:15 p.m. — Men’s Basketball, HOME v. Central Washington University

7:30 p.m. — Women’s Basketball, HOME v. Central Washington University

Saturday, Dec. 2

2 p.m. — Men’s Basketball, HOME v. Northwest Nazarene University

4:15 p.m. — Women’s Basketball, HOME v. Northwest Nazarene University

All Day — Women’s+ Rugby @ UPS

Saturday, Dec. 9

TBD — Men’s Basketball @ Boise State University

2 p.m. — Women’s Basketball, HOME v. Oregon Tech

Monday, Dec. 11

5 p.m. — Women’s Basketball, HOME v. Linfield University

Saturday, Dec. 30

2 p.m. — Women’s Basketball @ Willamette University

Sunday, Dec. 31

3 p.m. — Women’s Basketball, HOME v. Lewis and Clark College

Thursday, Jan. 4

7 p.m. — Men’s Basketball @ Western Washington University

Saturday, Jan. 6

2 p.m. — Women’s Basketball, HOME v. Saint Martin’s University

7 p.m. — Men’s Basketball @ Simon Fraser University, British Columbia



Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Men’s soccer finishes action-packed season on Saturday evening

Written by: Liberty Miller | Lifestyle Editor

Western’s men’s soccer team has made waves in the Great Northwest Athletic  Conference in only their second established season, as talented head coach Michael Behonick, and a star-studded roster, battled their way to recognition. 

In their debut season in 2022, the team faced a tough conference record of one win, ten losses and one tie. At this time, another coach was heading the team. Now, in their second season ever, this team boasts a conference record of eight wins, one loss and three ties — just barely coming up short of a GNAC conference title, trailing Simon Fraser by 0.02%. 

The Howl had the privilege of holding a press conference for the coach and players of the men’s soccer team, where we discussed this drastic change in team culture and philosophy. 

The critical turning point for the team was the hiring of Michael Behonick, a 14-year National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 1 veteran, having coached for Penn State, University of Pittsburgh and University of Virginia, as well as USA national and paralympic soccer teams. 

Prior to coaching, Coach Behonick played in Major League Soccer and had a successful career at University of Southern California. 

Prompting Coach Behonick with a question about a nail-biter game against Western Washington, and asking what the key is to the team’s perseverance and grit, he stated, “It’s what I preach every day, it’s how you do things every day, how you play, how you practice, right? It’s a never give up attitude for our guys, really fighting to the final whistle, we train the way we play.”

Evidently, the team seems to be benefiting from this mindset as they showed up this past Saturday and won the final conference battle against Seattle Pacific. 

When asked about how he will continue to run a successful and productive program in the future, Coach Behonick answered, “It’s just building a culture and doing the right things each and every day, whether it’s on the field or off the field, my expectations for these guys is I want to run a championship program, right? I want to run a championship program that makes sure that we continue to evolve on the soccer field (as) they continue to evolve as people off the soccer field. Because the ball really leaves us before we want it to, and there’s so much more in life that we’re trying to teach each and every one of these guys along with making sure we’re successful on the field.” 

The players, similarly, talk about the culture of the team and how it has changed since the previous year. 

When senior Juan Suarez was asked about team, coach and player dynamics, he stated, “It’s been great, I wouldn’t change it for the world, to be honest.” 

Alex Grignon provided some valuable insight into the specifics of Coach Behonick’s coaching style, saying, “Going into games, it’s kind of drawn out for you. Michael’s really detailed, and he provides us with a really really detailed scout, so it’s kind of hard not to know what to do, and I think that provides us with a lot of success.” 

Abraham Villalobos chimed in, saying that, “Michael and his staff give us a very good scouting report on every game, and every practice we have, you know, everyone’s giving one hundred percent.” He continues to say that regardless of going up against pre-established powerhouse teams, “…in the game, just going into action, I mean, we all love the pressure, we all love touching the ball around, — we’re all together as a team.”

Concerning last year, both Villalobos and Gringnon were present for the spring season prior to Coach Behonick’s arrival. Grignon described Behonick’s arrival as “a breath of fresh air,” and that, “He’s completely transformed the program and allowed us to be optimistic about, you know, playing games and competing for titles, and that’s something that, if you told me that a year ago, I would have told you that you were crazy… Every coach picked us to finish last this year, and now we’re competing for the title, so I think that kind of just proves it, in itself. The motivation, it’s inside of you at all times.” 

Perhaps a testament to the coach’s strict lifestyle policy leading to their success would be dubbed the infamous “Burger King Incident” by player Gabriel Silva. In a reminiscent, sad recollection of the event, Gabriel Silva describes how the players bought Burger King post-game, and that their burgers were swiftly confiscated and disposed of by none other than Coach Behonick himself. 

While that story was the chink in the armor of my otherwise professional demeanor, it was very clear the players thought back fondly on the situation. Baseline respect between coaches and players could very well have been a foundational key to success. 

All in all, the coach and players attribute their success this year to adherence to lifestyle changes, bonding with each other over a mutual want to succeed and win games, and respect for their coach, as well as Coach Behonick’s detailed scouting reports, minute-detail game plans for each of the players and in-depth understanding of the game. I’m looking forward to seeing what next year holds for the program. 

The full 24-minute press conference with the men’s soccer team can be streamed on WOUtv, as well as on the WOUWolves YouTube page. 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

Verstappen holds off Hamilton to win Austin Grand Prix

Written by: Jaylin Hardin | Sports Editor

Look who’s done it again: Red Bull Formula 1 driver, Max Verstappen. The three time world champion clamped down on 50 career wins following the race on Sunday, Oct. 22 in Austin, Texas. Verstappen recovered from sixth place to steal the lead from McLaren driver, Lando Norris, and held Mercedes driver, Lewis Hamilton, to second place. Norris had managed to get ahead of Charles LeClerc — who drives for Ferrari — on a rundown in Turn One from the beginning and held a two-second lead going into Lap Two. 

Going into Turn Twelve, Verstappen had caught up to the leaders, racing in the fourth place position behind Norris, LeClerc and LeClerc’s teammate, Carlos Sainz. This is where Verstappen made his move to pass Sainz and take the third-place position.

It wasn’t until Lap Eleven that Verstappen was able to overtake LeClerc, once again coming into Turn 12 — this turn being considered the most advantageous turn on the Austin course. By Lap 26, Verstappen was only a second and a half behind Norris. 

In Lap 29, Verstappen took advantage of Norris locking up to drop into Turn 12 and secured the lead for himself — Norris was unable to return to first position for the duration of the race.

Hamilton and Norris were both in close pursuit of Verstappen in Lap 33, and by this point, Verstappen’s teammate, Sergio Perez, was closing in on Sainz to take P4. 

Tire changes for Perez, Sainz and Hamilton in Lap 38 meant the tide could turn for any one of these drivers, some switched their medium tires for hard tires or put on a new set of medium tires — this signifies the amount of grip the tire has and its durability on the track.

Throughout the race, many drivers were issued black and white flags for exceeding track limits, which occurs when drivers go outside the track boundaries or are issued as a stop-and-go penalty in the pits. American driver, Logan Sargeant, was one to receive one of these flags. 

In Lap 46, Hamilton was two and a half seconds behind second-place Norris, but if he wanted to catch up to Verstappen, he would need to up his pace. Aston Martin driver, Fernando Alonso, was forced to retire his vehicle in Lap 50 due to rear suspension failure — he had been in seventh place.

Once he got into second place, it was looking less than likely that Hamilton would be able to overtake Verstappen; there was a five-second gap between the two drivers. The Ferrari drivers battled against each other for position, and Sainz pulled ahead of his teammate at the discretion of the Ferrari team, a decision LeClerc was clearly not happy with. 

Two laps to go and Hamilton had closed the gap between him and Verstappen to two seconds, with Verstappen complaining about braking issues on his vehicle. Hamilton was unable to close this gap, and Verstappen took his third consecutive win at Circuit of the Americas or COTA. Norris followed in third, with Sainz taking fourth and Perez overtaking LeClerc for fifth place.

However, Hamilton and LeClerc were unable to celebrate their positions in the Grand Prix, as both were shortly disqualified for technical breaches. An inspection of the plank wear was carried out on their vehicles after the race and irregularities were spotted — the skids on their tires were not in compliance with Technical Regulations — and they were referred to the stewards.

Both Hamilton and LeClerc sent a representative to see the steward, where they attributed the evident wear on the skid pads to the combination of a bumpy track and the short time between the Sprint race and Grand Prix, making for a unique situation.

The stewards’ job is to ensure that a team’s vehicle is in compliance with regulations at all times during an event. In this case, the rear skid in the Technical Delegate’s report was well outside of the thresholds outlined in the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations, which includes allowances for such wear. 

Hamilton and LeClerc were subsequently disqualified from the Grand Prix, which moved Norris up to second and Sainz to third podium. Sargeant, who drives for Williams Racing, moved to P10 and won his first point on the season. 

Sargeant had initially placed twelfth, which was groundbreaking for the driver, considering he started last. He is also the first American driver to score points in 30 years. Those points were scored by Michael Andretti, son of Mario Andretti, who debuted in Formula One during the 1993 season and had dropped out with three races left

This is Sargeant’s Rookie year, having competed in the Formula 2 circuits for the 2022 season, and initially debuting in Formula 4 for the Winter 2016 season. 

The next Formula 1 races are set for Sao Paulo, Brazil on Nov, 5 at 9 a.m. and Las Vegas, Nevada on Nov. 18 at 10 p.m. Both races will be streaming on ESPN+ and the F1 Network. 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Verstappen holds off Hamilton to win Austin Grand Prix

Written by: Jaylin Hardin | Sports Editor

Look who’s done it again: Red Bull Formula 1 driver, Max Verstappen. The three time world champion clamped down on 50 career wins following the race on Sunday, Oct. 22 in Austin, Texas. Verstappen recovered from sixth place to steal the lead from McLaren driver, Lando Norris, and held Mercedes driver, Lewis Hamilton, to second place. Norris had managed to get ahead of Charles LeClerc — who drives for Ferrari — on a rundown in Turn One from the beginning and held a two-second lead going into Lap Two. 

Going into Turn Twelve, Verstappen had caught up to the leaders, racing in the fourth place position behind Norris, LeClerc and LeClerc’s teammate, Carlos Sainz. This is where Verstappen made his move to pass Sainz and take the third-place position.

It wasn’t until Lap Eleven that Verstappen was able to overtake LeClerc, once again coming into Turn 12 — this turn being considered the most advantageous turn on the Austin course. By Lap 26, Verstappen was only a second and a half behind Norris. 

In Lap 29, Verstappen took advantage of Norris locking up to drop into Turn 12 and secured the lead for himself — Norris was unable to return to first position for the duration of the race.

Hamilton and Norris were both in close pursuit of Verstappen in Lap 33, and by this point, Verstappen’s teammate, Sergio Perez, was closing in on Sainz to take P4. 

Tire changes for Perez, Sainz and Hamilton in Lap 38 meant the tide could turn for any one of these drivers, some switched their medium tires for hard tires or put on a new set of medium tires — this signifies the amount of grip the tire has and its durability on the track.

Throughout the race, many drivers were issued black and white flags for exceeding track limits, which occurs when drivers go outside the track boundaries or are issued as a stop-and-go penalty in the pits. American driver, Logan Sargeant, was one to receive one of these flags. 

In Lap 46, Hamilton was two and a half seconds behind second-place Norris, but if he wanted to catch up to Verstappen, he would need to up his pace. Aston Martin driver, Fernando Alonso, was forced to retire his vehicle in Lap 50 due to rear suspension failure — he had been in seventh place.

Once he got into second place, it was looking less than likely that Hamilton would be able to overtake Verstappen; there was a five-second gap between the two drivers. The Ferrari drivers battled against each other for position, and Sainz pulled ahead of his teammate at the discretion of the Ferrari team, a decision LeClerc was clearly not happy with. 

Two laps to go and Hamilton had closed the gap between him and Verstappen to two seconds, with Verstappen complaining about braking issues on his vehicle. Hamilton was unable to close this gap, and Verstappen took his third consecutive win at Circuit of the Americas or COTA. Norris followed in third, with Sainz taking fourth and Perez overtaking LeClerc for fifth place.

However, Hamilton and LeClerc were unable to celebrate their positions in the Grand Prix, as both were shortly disqualified for technical breaches. An inspection of the plank wear was carried out on their vehicles after the race and irregularities were spotted — the skids on their tires were not in compliance with Technical Regulations — and they were referred to the stewards.

Both Hamilton and LeClerc sent a representative to see the steward, where they attributed the evident wear on the skid pads to the combination of a bumpy track and the short time between the Sprint race and Grand Prix, making for a unique situation.

The stewards’ job is to ensure that a team’s vehicle is in compliance with regulations at all times during an event. In this case, the rear skid in the Technical Delegate’s report was well outside of the thresholds outlined in the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations, which includes allowances for such wear. 

Hamilton and LeClerc were subsequently disqualified from the Grand Prix, which moved Norris up to second and Sainz to third podium. Sargeant, who drives for Williams Racing, moved to P10 and won his first point on the season. 

Sargeant had initially placed twelfth, which was groundbreaking for the driver, considering he started last. He is also the first American driver to score points in 30 years. Those points were scored by Michael Andretti, son of Mario Andretti, who debuted in Formula One during the 1993 season and had dropped out with three races left

This is Sargeant’s Rookie year, having competed in the Formula 2 circuits for the 2022 season, and initially debuting in Formula 4 for the Winter 2016 season. 

The next Formula 1 races are set for Sao Paulo, Brazil on Nov, 5 at 9 a.m. and Las Vegas, Nevada on Nov. 18 at 10 p.m. Both races will be streaming on ESPN+ and the F1 Network. 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu