Two Recent Dickinson College Graduates Honored for Achievements in Climbing, Equestrian
Isabel Gourley '19 shows her Dickinson pride at the 2019 USA Climbing Collegiate National Championships.
AT THE TOP OF THEIR GAME
Club sports offer an outlet for students who don’t want the commitment of a collegiate sport, but still have a competitive edge. Dickinson offers 24 sports clubs, accounting for more than 28 percent of the campus community and ranging from Quidditch to club soccer, racquetball and more. Recently, two club sports athletes reached the pinnacle of their sport, gaining national recognition for their achievements.
CLIMBING TO THE TOP
Isabel Gourley ’19 (mathematics) loves to climb, and she regularly visited the climbing wall at the Kline Fitness Center. As president of Dickinson’s climbing team, she typically spent three to four days a week taking on the wall, for about two hours each day. On the days that she was not coaching the team, she did specific climbing exercises to help with her endurance and technique.
Thsi spring, she competed in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, at the 2019 USA Climbing Collegiate National Championships, where she placed 106th in the nation. Her trip was sponsored by Campus Recreation. While this wasn't her first competition—she’s traveled to California, New Jersey and Philadelphia just to name a few—she relished every opportunity to improve and have fun while doing so.
“I am very happy with how I climbed, and I feel I did as well as I could have on each boulder," she said. "All of the climbs were really great, and I had a lot of fun.”
Students who competed in collegiate nationals had the choice to compete in lead climbing, bouldering, speed climbing or a combination of the three. Gourley chose to compete in bouldering, a form of rock climbing performed on small rock formations or artificial rock walls without the use of ropes or harnesses.
“I have been incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by fellow students at Dickinson who share my love for climbing," said Gourley. "I hope that in the years after I graduate [students] will continue to gain confidence in their climbing ability, and I will be able to one day watch them at nationals.”
RIDING INTO THE WINNER'S CIRCLE
Sydney Stanion '19 rode a horse named Alfie at the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association's National Finals in Syracuse, New York.
Like Gourley, Sydney Stanion ’19 (neuroscience) knows the dedication it takes to reach the pinnacle of her club sport. She began riding horses at her home in Portland, Oregon, at the age of seven. As a member of Dickinson's equestrian team and team captain during her senior year, Stanion qualified for National Finals in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) for the Novice Flat Class.
She had accumulated enough points in the regular season to ride in the Regional Finals in March and was named reserve champion at regionals. This qualified her for Zone Finals in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, where she was again named reserve champion. She qualified for National Finals in Syracuse, New York, and placed among the top 16 riders in the country for her division. Like Gourley's, Stanion’s trip was sponsored by Campus Recreation.
The competition is a true test of the rider’s ability to adapt and maintain excellent riding technique. “The way IHSA shows work is that you draw a random horses name out of a hat and then you ride with no warmup time," explained Stanion. "This requires riders to be able to ride and adapt to any kind of horse. I chose Alfie, who was provided from another school.”
Stanion also earned a 2019 IHSA Senior Athletic Academic Achievement Award, which is given to students who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher and were members of an intercollegiate equestrian team for three years, including senior year.
“I feel really lucky that my college riding career ended in the top level of competition for my sport in college,” said Stanion. “I was one spot away from qualifying for Nationals my sophomore year, so I’m very lucky to have had that opportunity the second time. ... The equestrian team wouldn’t be able to function without the support of the college—I’m so thankful.”
TAKE THE NEXT STEPS
Published June 14, 2019