For four years, they lived dual lives as Brandeis students and Brandeis athletes, switching back and forth between tests of academia and those of athleticism. On May 26, the class of 2002 Judges made one last stop in a place they knew well: The Gosman Sports and Convocation Center. But, this time they were there to receive their diplomas and say their goodbyes, not to run around a track, dribble up and down a court, dive into a pool or throw a ball.Looking Back:
For some of the 65 recently graduated athletes, specific moments from their freshman year still remain vivid.

Indoor and outdoor track team member Wole Ogunkoya's first year was full of memorable races. At his first large championship meet, the New England Division III Championships, he took third in the 55 meter hurdles, finishing only four hundredths of a second away from the winning time. Later that year, at the UAA Championships, Ogunkoya combined with Geoff Getz '99, Geoff Cunningham '99 and David Frank '99 to win the 4 x 400 relay.
"It was just great to be a part of the team and win the last event in front of our home crowd," he said. "It was also cool taking a picture with President Reinharz after we won."

Like Ogunkoya, swimmer Kelsa Teeters had a positive introduction to Brandeis sports, placing second at the UAA Championships and qualifying for nationals in the 1,650 meter freestyle during her debut season.

"My freshman year, our girls team had an 8-0 season, our relays broke several records and I personally broke a lot of records," Teeters, who holds five individual swimming records and has been a part of three of the fastest relays in Brandeis history, said.
Hannah Johnson, another aquatic record-breaker, achieved All-American status three times during her Brandeis career and currently holds every Brandeis diving record. But, despite her numerous accolades and awards, the accomplishment she is most proud of has nothing to do with numbers and rankings.
"Diving is a unique sport because a lot of what you do on a daily basis is really scary," she said. "You have to overcome mental challenges in ways that a lot of other sports don't have to. I think my biggest overall achievement is being able to practice hard and learn those scary dives, being able to compete them and compete them well . that is what makes you competitive at a national level."

Men's basketball Co-captain Rashad Williams and baseball Co-captain Jim Freethey '02, have also made their marks on the Brandeis record books. Williams demolished the previous standard for career points, while Freethey took control of the records for career hits and career runs.

During a game against Emory University on Jan. 27, Williams scored 30 points to bring his career total to 1,747, which he raised to 1,922 by the time he finished his senior season. His point total surpassed that of Rudy Finderson '58, who scored 1,733 points before graduating from Brandeis in 1958.
"It didn't really hit me until after because I didn't realize the significance," Williams said. He later received a congratulatory e-mail from Finderson (See related story).

Lindsey SensenBrenner and Jen Curran also left a deep impression on Brandeis basketball. The co-captains both ended their careers with over 1,000 points.

"I think my greatest individual achievements are scoring 1,000 career points and having mine and Lindsey's numbers retired by Carol (Simon, women's basketball coach)," Curran said. "I never really thought about either of those things when I first got here, and to be able to share them with my teammates, let alone have Lindsey do the exact same things, has certainly made a great impact on both of us."

SensenBrenner agreed. "(Having my number retired) is such an honor. I am still in shock!" she said.

According to Assistant Director for Sports Information Jack Malloy, "Jen Curran and Lindsey SensenBrenner ... are only the third and fourth players in school history to (score over 1,000 points)."
Above all of the points scored, records broken and titles won, Brandeis athletes remember the relationships that developed out of spending countless hours with dedicated peers.
"I will miss my teammates the most," volleyball player Caryn Sackman said. "They have always been what has made the team wonderful."

Like Sackman, softball co-captain Erin Powers will also miss the bonding aspect of her sport. "The thrill of being on a team where everyone's contributing their best, picking up team members when they're down and all working together toward the same goal is something I'll both remember and miss," she said.
Ari Yeskel, co-captain of the men's swim team during their best season ever, noted that his team acted "like a team outside of the pool" as well as within, living and socializing together.
As members of teams in the UAA conference, Brandeis athletes had the chance to compete within New England, as well as at venues as far away as Washington University in St. Louis and Emory University in Atlanta. Such time away from Brandeis allowed them to compete against other top competitors in their sports, while spending quality time with their teammates.
"Traveling around the country to play soccer with a large group of friends was a blast," men's soccer co-captain Sebastian Castro-Malaspina said. "There was never a dull moment."

Moving Forward:
Though women's soccer co-captain and track team competitor Melissa Purswell will miss "having time set aside specifically for athletics," she, like many other Brandeis athletes, hopes to stay involved with her sports. Until November, she will work on a gubernatorial candidate's campaign in New Hampshire. She also plans to run, play soccer in summer leagues and possibly coach in the future, if she has time.

Johnson, too, hopes to give something back to her sport by coaching. "I've definitely 'retired' as an athlete, but I love the sport of diving.I would love to stay involved in it," she said, mentioning coaching at the high school or club level as possibilities for the near future.

Tennis coaching and instruction is also a possibility for men's tennis captain Gary Falkowitz. He will head to St. John's Law School in the fall, but has no plans to set aside his racquet. "I plan on keeping tennis a priority in my life, whether it be teaching in the summers or playing in adult leagues," he said. "It's taken up too much time in my life to just forget about it."

Matt Guilbert, who has been sailing at Brandeis for four years and was a co-captain of the team during the spring and fall of 2001, also expects his sport to be a major part of his life after he graduates. After teaching sailing in Vermont this summer, he will move back to Boston to work. He "sees [himself] staying involved in sailing for a long time," whether by racing at local yacht clubs or "cruising with friends."

SensenBrenner and Curran both aspire to combine their academic and sports passions. SensenBrenner will be a graduate assistant for the Nova Southeastern University (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) basketball team while she works towards her masters in sports psychology. Curran also hopes to be a graduate assistant.
Castro-Malaspina also would like to include his favorite sport in his future plans. He hopes that his two summer internships with Major League Soccer will turn into a career. "Soccer is my passion and it would be great to have a career in something that I love," he said.

But, Castro-Malaspina is not ready to trade the soccer field for an office just yet. He will return to Brandeis next year to complete his masters in International Economics and Finance, and will captain the Brandeis soccer team once again.

After moving back home to Oregon and trying to secure a job in a pharmaceutical company, biotech company or research institute, Teeters hopes to pick up where she left off in the pool. "I absolutely will continue swimming in a competitive masters program," she said.

No matter what Brandeis' most recently graduated Judges decide to pursue, they will use the lessons they learned while juggling the lives of student and athlete.

"Unless you are a four-year varsity athlete, it's hard to comprehend the sacrifices and challenges," Johnson said. "All four-year athletes should be proud of themselves.