Photo: Dan Vaillancourt

The Hintlian Family Golf Performance Center opened in September as part of the Babson Recreation and Athletics Complex facility enhancements project. The center features a Foresight golf simulator that tracks data while players are on a virtual course or on the range. A putting and chipping area allows golf team members to work on their short game year-round.

Photo: Justin Knight

Babson President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA ’92, PhD honored Jon Anderson ’75, P’04 ’08 ’13 ’13 (right), head men’s soccer coach and senior associate athletics director, with the Joseph R. Weintraub Alumni Award for Distinguished Faculty/Administrator Service. “I am deeply humbled by this award and grateful for those involved in nominating me,” said Anderson, who received the honor during the leadership awards brunch at Back to Babson.

Photo: Jon Endow

The athletics department honored its five national championship squads as the first teams inducted into the Babson Athletics Hall of Fame. The historic celebration during Back to Babson brought together the 1975, 1979, and 1980 men’s soccer teams, the 1984 men’s ice hockey squad, and the 2017 men’s basketball team as part of the 17th induction class. The five squads joined 71 individuals who have been inducted since the Hall of Fame’s inception in 1991. Pictured left to right, are Dan Roche P’20, and hockey alumni Ed Gavin ’84 and Paul Donato ’84.

Eric Dosal is a Class of 2000 alumnus who currently lives in Miami with his wife, Lorena, and their two daughters. A former baseball player at Babson, he recently made two generous gifts in support of Babson Athletics, funding construction of The Dosal, a 5,000-square-foot indoor hitting and baseball performance center, and endowing a Man of the Year Award, which recognizes Babson’s most well-rounded male student-athlete each year.

Eric Dosal ’00 (right) with Mike Lynch, the Pamela P. and Brian M. Barefoot Athletics Director and senior director of athletic advancement.
Photo: Temitope Bajulaiye

What were you most likely to be doing when you were a student on campus?
Probably playing baseball. In peak season, games, practice, and gym time occupied a solid 25–30 hours per week. It was a pretty intense workload. If I wasn’t in the gym or in class, you’d probably find me hanging out with friends. Our favorite spot was B5 McCullough!

Did your time as a student-athlete prepare you for a career in business?
Yes, 100 percent. Being a student-athlete is tough. You learn to work as a team, prioritize, count on others, manage your time, deal with adversity, commit to goals. Everything you need to know for the real world you can learn through team sports.

Why do you give back to Babson?
I think it’s important to give back to the institutions that helped shape you as an individual. Babson shaped my future and who I am today. I recognize that and appreciate it, so I want to make sure I’m having an impact on the College. With our gift to the baseball team, I viewed it as a way to give back and pay it forward to future generations of Babson players. When I got to campus, we had a beautiful field and a great facility and that’s because of the players that came before me. I had so many memories on the field. So much of my college experience took place there—so many friends and teammates, we worked together on that field. To be able to help and give these guys another edge means a lot.

How do you spend most of your time these days?
I work, I work out, and I spend time with my family. That’s about it. These days, I’m spending a lot of time on health and wellness. I spent too much time destroying my health to build wealth, and now I’m spending my wealth to get my health back. Funny how that works.

Do you have any habits or daily routines that are key to your success?
Daily meditation. It’s so important to take time from the day, whatever your priorities are, to just reset the brain and take a break. It only takes 15 minutes a day. For me, it’s the most important thing that allows me to do what I do every day.

Any specific advice you have for students or young alums?
Life is a marathon. Lots of people want to sprint out of the gate and become billionaires right away. But, it’s really a marathon and you need to pace yourself. I also like to say: when you graduate from Babson, it’s like starting a marathon on mile one or two. You’re further ahead of everyone else because of everything you learned there. That’s a great advantage, but then it’s up to you to continue that drive and stay ahead. – Jillian Erdos and Jason Lynch

Photo: Jon Endow

Babson Athletics honored 74 student-athletes at its 38th annual Senior Awards Banquet. Field hockey and softball athlete Ashley Tango ’19 was named the Female Athlete of the Class, and Jackson Greenspan ’19 of the men’s soccer program was named the Male Athlete of the Class.

Photo: MarathonFoto

Women’s soccer assistant coach Jessica DiPhilippo ’15 was a part of a group of Babson alumni who took part in the 123rd Boston Marathon.The race marked the second time in three years she has competed in the event. This year, she ran to raise support for Babson softball head coach Dave Canan, who was diagnosed with Stage III colon cancer last fall.

Photo: Jon Endow

Bauer Hockey launched its Bauer Gives Back campaign by honoring Babson softball head coach Dave Canan with a special award for his leadership and service to his team and the Babson Athletics community. After hearing about the award, Easton Softball donated bats, equipment, and team apparel to the College’s softball program.

Photo: Justin Knight

The 2019 Brian Barefoot Athletics Challenge raised a historic $173,429 with the help of 1,832 donors. Over five days, alumni, parents, student-athletes, friends, and fans came together to support Babson’s 22 varsity programs. The campaign inspired 340 first-time Babson donors, who gave $11,840.

Photo: Jeremy Viens

Adam Kershner ’19, part of the men’s swimming & diving team, shared his knowledge of the airline industry when he taught a senior seminar class in the spring titled Fly the Friendly Skies: The Airline Industry from Takeoff to Landing. A Presidential Scholar, Kershner was recently among Poets & Quants Best and Brightest.

Photo: Mike Broglio

Sarah Mangiacotti ’21 collected two more All-America honors as the Babson women’s alpine ski team placed fifth in the slalom and tied for fourth place in the combined standings at the United States Collegiate Ski & Snowboard Association National Championships. Tying for fourth place, the Beavers matched the 2016 and 2018 squads for the top finish in program history.

The goalie looked toward his jubilant teammates huddling together on the field. He spotted Jon Anderson ’75, P’04 ’08 ’13 ’13, a midfielder known as “Jonny A” to the team. “I remember Jonny A. coming off the pile and running toward me, arms wide open,” says Kennedy. “It was quite a moment.”

As part of Babson’s Centennial celebrations, all five of the school’s national champion squads—the 1975, 1979, and 1980 men’s soccer teams, the 1984 men’s ice hockey team, and the 2017 men’s basketball team—will be inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame in September.

The 1975 championship, Babson’s first, brought lots of publicity to an institution that was coming into its own, both athletically and academically. “Nobody knew anything about this school,” Anderson says. “We were buried in the woods of Wellesley.”

That was evident in the semifinal of the national tournament, when Babson played a confidant Ohio Wesleyan University. But Babson stunned the team, defeating them 5-0, and then went on to shut out the defending champion, The College at Brockport, 1-0, for the title.

The Beavers arrived back to campus late and were surprised to see their fellow students lining College Drive to welcome them home. “It was an incredible scene,” says Anderson.

Coach Jon Anderson
Photo: Paige Brown

Outscoring opponents by a combined score of 61-5, the 1975 team finished the season unbeaten. Much credit goes to head coach Bob Hartwell for building a strong program at a school not known for athletic excellence. “He wanted a program filled with pride and tradition,” says Anderson.

These days, Anderson is Babson’s head men’s soccer coach, having led the Beavers for 33 seasons. Kennedy, a sculptor in California who created the Babson Totem by the athletics fields, also coaches high school soccer. He remembers how Hartwell pushed the team to do its best. “There was an expectation that you were going to fight and give it all you had,” he says. “We fed off that.” – John Crawford

Julie Ryan
Photo: Pat Piasecki

Why was Babson a good fit for you after coaching Division I at Yale and Boston College?
There is a lot of pressure on the student-athletes at the Division I level. Over the last 12 years, I’ve lived the Division III experience, and I truly believe it gives the students the best opportunity to do more than play their sport. They have an incredible amount of balance in their lives, which is an important life skill.

You have an impressive history as an athlete; what was it about coaching that appealed to you?
I think the skills and the experience that collegiate athletics provided were something that I couldn’t imagine not having in my life. When I realized that the opportunity to coach was something viable and realistic for me, I jumped at it. I honestly couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

How does your job as an athletic coach fit into students’ lives at Babson, and beyond?
Our role as coaches is to make sure that we are allowing an opportunity for growth, and to make sure students are prepared for life’s challenges when they leave here. I think Babson does a great job of that academically, but to reinforce that through athletics sets this experience so high on the bar.

You stay in touch with many of the students you’ve coached. Why are these relationships important?
One of my favorite nights of the year is when I invite all the alums I’ve coached to my house for dinner with the team. They tell stories and connect with the current team, which gives them an opportunity to hear about the legacy they’re leaving and truly embrace the experience. I love being part of their growth at Babson, but I am most proud of the impact they make when they leave here. – Jeannine Stein

That scholarship didn’t come from a large gift from a single donor—or even two or three. Small donations from a number of alumni made it possible for Damiecki to focus on studying finance and accounting and swimming competitively. In fact, in 2018, numerous alumni gifts to Babson under $100 were combined to fund 15 scholarships for students in need.

“When alumni give back, they help sustain and strengthen Babson in more ways than they can imagine,” says Kathryn McCarron, managing director of annual giving. “These gifts help to ensure that Babson remains the standard for excellence in entrepreneurship education, empowering the business leaders of tomorrow with the skills and expertise to transform industries, strengthen communities, and improve the lives of people everywhere.”

“This scholarship gives me more options for what I want to do and where I want to work. It allows me a lot more flexibility. It’s unbelievable.” – Alex Damiecki ’20
Photo: Jon Endow

Regardless of the donation size, she adds, “When people support the Fund for Babson, gifts are put into action immediately to benefit students.”

Damiecki has been fascinated with business since childhood, when he took part in stock market games in elementary school in Centerville, Massachusetts. Babson’s comprehensive business curriculum was a huge draw as he applied to colleges. “The fact that I was able to learn finance, marketing, operations management, and emerging technology—that was very valuable,” he says, adding that this broad knowledge base was key in his decision to ultimately pursue accounting and finance. “Babson really helped guide me through that process.” This summer, he’ll intern at PwC in audit services.

Becoming part of Babson athletics has been another highlight of his time on campus. “The swim team is very close—it’s like a family,” Damiecki says. “I found a strong social connection with people on my team.” That experience, plus his education, “has helped me grow a lot,” he adds. The encouragement he received as a first-year student from upperclassmen wasn’t forgotten, and he now offers guidance to younger students.

With graduation on the horizon, Damiecki is grateful for what a scholarship affords him: the ability to focus on his studies and explore jobs and a career path without the worry of paying back student loans. “This gives me more options for what I want to do and where I want to work,” he says. “It allows me a lot more flexibility. It’s unbelievable.” – Jeannine Stein

Keep your connection to Babson strong and join our community of donors this fiscal year.

Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Craig Kimbrel (left) expressed appreciation for being able to work out with Babson coaches and players during the season, including Matt Noone P’23, head coach of Babson’s baseball program (right).

Two Babson head coaches, Jon Anderson ’75, with men’s soccer, and Stephen Brennan, with men’s basketball, both won their 400th games. Anderson was the seventh active coach and 20th in Division III history to reach the mark, and Brennan recorded the same achievement in his 24th season as head coach.

Four student-athletes taught high school students in Tanzania the basics of Entrepreneurial Thought & Action as part of the Babson Entrepreneurial Leadership Academies: Elizabeth D’Agostino ’21, Katie Gademsky ’20, Austin Mankouski ’20, and Emily Smith ’21.

After concluding her career as the most decorated player in the history of Babson College field hockey, Ashley Tango ’19 attended a U.S. Developmental Team tryout January 20–22 in Lancaster, Pa. A three-time National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-America selection, Tango was the lone Division III player selected to participate in the trial with the developmental squad.

The Babson Department of Athletics and Recreation partnered with Special Olympics Massachusetts for a regional basketball tournament and community basketball games. Babson student-athletes, coaches, and staff volunteered as announcers, referees, scorekeepers, and time keepers.

Under the direction of head coach Eric Neely, Babson women’s volleyball put together a historic season that included the program’s first national ranking and NCAA regional championship. One of eight teams to advance to the national quarterfinal round, the Beavers captured their third conference tournament championship since 2014 while qualifying for the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in the last five seasons.

Carson Drake ’21

Drake took to these subjects while growing up in Lawrence, Kansas. “My interest in history and politics came from my dad,” she says. “He always watched the news or the History Channel, and I would watch with him. That led to my involvement in student government in middle school and high school.”

This past summer, Drake’s interests took her all the way to Washington, D.C. After completing her first year at Babson, the student-athlete, who plays midfielder on the women’s soccer team, served as an intern for Rep. Lynn Jenkins, the congresswoman for Kansas’ 2nd Congressional District.

Drake found the internship through a post on Facebook. “I applied on a whim, not expecting to be offered the position,” she says. “But when they extended the offer, I gladly accepted.” Drake’s many duties included researching and recommending legislation for Jenkins to co-sponsor, answering questions from constituents about the congresswoman’s policies, and giving tours of the U.S. Capitol. “It was a good way to get a feel for the day-to-day operations of the U.S. legislative system,” Drake says.

One of Drake’s favorite experiences during the internship was attending a lecture series featuring three prominent government leaders: Linda McMahon, administrator of the Small Business Administration; Alexander Acosta, secretary of labor; and Rep. Steve Scalise, House majority whip. Before coming to Washington, Drake didn’t realize how much her business education would help her during the internship. “Having a background in business, I was able to understand business legislation and tax policy, as well as the implications on both small businesses and large corporations,” she says.

Drake is just finishing her second season on the women’s soccer team, and she’s a Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Scholar and a member of Chi Omega as well. She first heard about Babson through a family friend’s son, Tanner Click ’16, who was a goalie on the men’s soccer team. She did her research and decided Babson was a fit. Drake appreciates the College’s emphasis on liberal arts. “I’ve taken business law, rhetoric, and astronomy,” she says. “These courses forced me to think outside the box. When I took business law, I determined I had a knack for law, but if I had only taken accounting and finance, I would have never realized that.”

Drake is leaning toward a concentration in legal studies or historical and political studies. Post graduation, she envisions running for office at the local or federal level. “I believe that through politics I can make a positive impact on many people’s lives,” she says, “while doing something I love.” —Scott Dietz, associate athletics director

Photo: Frank Poulin
John Decker ’18 runs to a second-place finish in the
800 meters at the 2018 NCAA Regional Championships.

The most decorated athlete in program history, Decker twice qualified for the NCAA National Championships in track and field held during Memorial Day weekend. In 2017, he won his heat and shattered his 800-meter record in the preliminaries and then came in fourth in the finals to become the Beavers’ first All-American.

Decker’s path to the top wasn’t always easy, despite early successes. As a first-year, he won the NEWMAC 800-meter championship and went on to earn all-region honors. After these accolades, Decker knew he had the potential to compete at a national level. “However, such races are the culmination of years of training,” he says, and that’s where the tough work takes place.

“John committed to the process,” says head coach Russ Brennen. “Everyone works hard in practice no matter what level they are, so it really comes down to what you’re doing in the 22 hours outside of practice, and he really committed to paying attention to all the details.”

For Decker, that meant embracing a shift in mindset, which he achieved with help from Brennen and training partner Matt Dynan ’19. “To fully understand what it takes to be successful in middle-distance and distance track events means understanding that cross-country and track are two sides of the same coin,” Decker says. His main competitors at track nationals also were training hard in cross-country, notes Decker, so he had to increase his training as well.

“John needed to believe he could do it,” says Brennen. The results speak for themselves as Decker, who placed 81st at the cross-country league meet as a first-year, improved to 22nd at the 2016 NEWMAC Championships and earned all-conference honors after coming in 12th as a senior in 2017.

Decker was even better on the track, winning two NEWMAC titles and becoming the program’s first NCAA New England champion as a junior before repeating in the 800 meters to claim his fifth conference title as a senior. In total, he claimed seven all-conference and 11 all-region honors, and he holds school records in the 800-meter run and as a member of the 4×400-meter and 4×800-meter relay teams.—Jeremy Viens, athletics communications director

To start, one of Babson’s top skiers, Douglas DeLuca ’20, was injured by a snowboarder before the event and couldn’t compete. Then there was the excitement of waiting for the results of an extremely tight slalom race, followed by being part of an incredibly rare four-way team tie for first place overall.

In particular, the scene at the bottom of the hill during the slalom was filled with anticipation, says Sam Bensley, head coach. Once the top 30 skiers finished, frantic calculations ensued among MacConnell Division coaches. “The guys knew they had done well, but they thought they had placed second,” says Bensley. “I said, ‘I don’t want you guys to lose your minds just yet, but I think you did it.’”

Photo: Mike Broglio
Jack Blanchard ’20

Babson won the team slalom by four-hundredths of a second; for the first time in program history, the Beavers found themselves on top of the podium for this event. “It was surreal,” says Bensley. “We had alumni calling from all over the country congratulating us. The guys were on top of the world.”

“Four-hundredths of a second is like less than a foot in skiing,” says Jack Blanchard ’20, who placed second in the individual slalom and combined standings. “You can’t even think about how small that is. The feeling was unreal. Everyone was giving high fives, hugs, you name it.”

Bensley says his top three finishers had the cleanest runs he has ever seen from the team. “We knew we had a pretty solid group of five guys racing,” he says, “and if everyone skied their own race, we would do really well.”

MacIntyre Henderson ’20 and Blanchard finished the week with three All-America accolades in the slalom, giant slalom, and combined. Henderson placed third in the individual combined standings and fifth in the slalom.

Contributing to the team’s four-way tie for first in the combined were John Boland ’18, Sean Robinson ’20, and Eli Wolfson ’20. After the tiebreaker, the Beavers came in fourth but were still proud of their overall performance.

“We had been waiting all season for this,” says Blanchard. “We gave it all we had, and it was a great way to culminate the season. We knew we had the speed coming in, and to stick with our game plan was pretty awesome.”—Scott Dietz, associate director of athletics