Senior athletes share their favorite Lehigh moments

College is made up of moments — some big, some small, some sentimental and some funny. A Lehigh career is so much more than the big things. For student athletes, a team bond is not created in a day, and a championship win doesn’t come without grueling practices or heartbreaking losses. The Lehigh Moments project highlights these small memories by asking participants to sum up their Lehigh experiences into moments through the simple and vague question, “What was a defining moment at Lehigh?” This is what some Lehigh senior student athletes had to say.

Senior field hockey forward and midfielder Julia Washburn

Field hockey forward and midfielder Julia Washburn

“The moment that will always define my Lehigh experience is not necessarily a ‘moment,’ but a collection of car rides over the mountain to Goodman Campus. For my four years at Lehigh, that was always a constant but also a marker of change. Every season, the car would be filled with new team members — from my very first carpool with Zoey, Caitlin, Jackie and Laura, to my last with Jackie, Jenna, Lenke and Maddie. On the way home from 6 a.m. (practices), (car rides) were always filled with music, laughter and support. As a freshman, I always looked forward to our car rides to and from practice because Zoey would always impart her wisdom and comfort us whenever we knew practice was going to be hard. I took a lot of pride in being able to do that for underclassmen as I grew older. I’ll never forget the euphoric feeling of arriving back over the mountain on a warm day with the windows down, music blasting and my best friends beside me. To me, that is LEHIGH.”

Senior baseball pitcher Peter Moore

Baseball pitcher Peter Moore

“Every pitcher’s first start in college is usually pretty nerve-wracking, facing real Division I hitters. For me, however, that moment running out to pitch against Iona was one of the greatest feelings. Growing up, I developed a joint pain in my legs, which was diagnosed as Spondylitis, which is a form of arthritis. I know, I know, your grandparents probably have arthritis. Anyways, long story short, doctors told me to quit all sports. I quit basketball and soccer, but I couldn’t give up on baseball. This game has taught me so much. To be able to play the game I love and not let my disease stop me was an incredible feeling.”

Senior footbal offensive lineman Tim O’hara

Football offensive lineman Tim O’Hara

“The moment that probably means the most to me looking back definitely has to be the Lehigh-Lafayette game from my senior year. This was a do-or-die situation. We had a tough year losing all of our out-of-conference games, yet somehow, we managed to win four out of the last five league games to put us into contention for the Patriot League Championship. All we had to do to win the league was beat Lafayette. However, we didn’t make it easy for ourselves. We fell behind early at home against Lafayette on that cold, misty day. Then, everything changed in the second half, and by the end of the game, we turned it around and won 38-31. We clinched the league and a spot in the playoffs. This by far was one of the most intense, roller-coaster-of-emotions, rewarding moments I have ever experienced.”

Senior women’s rower Sabrina Bordash

Women’s rower Sabrina Bordash

“The year was 2017, and it was our Patriot League Championship race. I remember feeling confident, excited, but also unsure of what to expect. We crushed our first race and made it to the grand finals. At this point, I honestly had very little expectations as to what to expect. We started the second race and our coxswain yelled, ‘We’re up on Bucknell! Let’s work ladies!’ I don’t think I processed what she said until the end of the race, but in that moment, I knew all the hard work, all the time, all the early mornings had paid off. In that moment, we put our words into actions. We beat Bucknell for the first time. We made a name for ourselves. I couldn’t wait to start training for next year. As a senior, I can’t wait to come back in four years and see how fast we are.”

Senior men’s basketball player Kahron Ross

Men’s basketball guard Kahron Ross

“My freshman year, toward the beginning of the season, there was a senior on the team that told me something I’ll never forget. His name was Corey Schaefer, and he told me during the game, he said, ‘You’re our point guard, and we’re going to follow your lead, so lead us.’ That’s a moment I’ll always remember because I think it really boosted my confidence.”

These stories are from the Lehigh Moments project by Annie Henry. The project is open to the class of 2018. To read more moments from both Lehigh athletes and non-athletes, follow @lehighmoments on Instagram or Facebook.