Athletics at Brandeis are in full swing; games began as early as Aug. 29. With the calendar increasingly filling up with sporting events, students start preparing for their upcoming seasons and fall teams begin competition. 

Amidst the anticipation and excitement of athletics for the upcoming academic year, two students shared with The Justice their experiences on the team and how Brandeis Athletics has impacted their college career. Bstudrandeis Athletics strives to bring the community together and aims to enrich “the current and future lives of our community through sport, fitness and wellness offerings.” 

Isaac Lo ’27 is on the Brandeis men’s swim and dive team and specializes in the breastroke. He walked onto the team his first year of college, but started swimming competitively in high school in Pennsylvania. He is an All-Academic Recognition award winner, and was a Central League Championships qualifier. 

When asked what he is most looking forward to during this year’s season, in an email correspondence with The Justice on Sept. 6, Lo said, “This year we got a lot of new members on our team including a new assistant coach and one of my good friends who couldn’t swim last year. I’d say I’m most excited to have him back as a training partner, and to meet all the new people on our team.” 

Lo also talked about the immense support he has received from his teammates throughout his time at Brandeis. Lo wrote to The Justice about his favorite part of being on the team, “I would have to say it’s my teammates. It’s something really special to have a close group of friends that you can do challenging things with and know that you will all hold each other accountable.” Lo says that “the most influential impact has been having people on my team to look up to.”

Hugh Licklider ’27 is a member of the men’s cross country & track and field team. He was recruited and started cross country and track in his first year of college. Licklider competed in the first meet of the season Aug. 29 at the Wellesley Invitational. He won the men’s race with a time of 16:20:9. 

Licklider was out the past cross country and track seasons due to a meniscus repair surgery and the subsequent recovery period. He’s looking forward to getting back to competing. Like Lo, Licklider expressed how important his team is. In an email correspondence with The Justice on Sept. 4, Licklider said that the best part of being on the team is “The supportive environment surrounding me — whether it's team dinners in sherm, trips off campus, practice, workouts and races together, academic advice, or just their presence, my fellow distance runners always bring me great enjoyment.” 

Licklider also considered the positive impact his student athlete status has had on his time at Brandeis. He explains how his weekends are often taken up by meets and that practicing takes a lot of time too, but “despite this time commitment, this is also some of the most fulfilling time I've spent here [at Brandeis].” 

Lo’s and Licklider’s reflections underscore the larger mission of Brandeis athletics: to bring students together, both as individuals and athletes.