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Optometry Students Win Four Intramural Championships


The College of Optometry students have always been very active in the UMSL campus intramural program.   Every class has, at minimum, two intramural Co-Chairs who help to coordinate teams and times for their class. In fact, the first year students, in the fall participated in wiffle ball, flag football, kickball, sand volleyball, three-on-three basketball, soccer, and indoor four-on-four volleyball.   They not only participated, but they won the campus championships in co-ed wiffle ball (“strike 1 or 2”), flag football (“Inferior Rectus”), and kickball.



Class of 2020’s intramural co-chair Quinn Gallen comments on the activeness of his classmates, “The first year class is a competitive class that likes to alleviate the stresses of class by competing in intramurals,” commented Gallen.  Quinn’s  Co-chair Trisha Smith (’20) also likes the opportunity to fill a void from her college days, “Our class intramurals is a way for us to get away from the stress of school and relax around some great friends,” said Smith.  Trisha is a former collegiate softball player and so intramurals is a way of working through stress she had during the day and gives her the ability to relax by being around her teammates while doing something she loves.  Smith reflects on what playing intramurals means to her, “Intramurals for me has kind of been my replacement for that part of my life and has really allowed me to get to know my optometry classmates too!”



Matt McCoy who is also a Co-Chair for the Class of 2020 says, “it is simply an opportunity to enjoy life away from school…to see a side of our classmates that we don't see while we are listening to lectures, or studying in lab. We have a lot of fun playing as a team, and the success that we had last semester was a nice side-effect!”



The success in intramural sports is not limited to the Class of 2020.  In fact, the classes of 2018 and 2019 have also been very active and successful ever since their first semester in the optometry program.  Both classes had several teams competing in the fall with success behind them in the competition.  It’s not uncommon for the campus championship game to come down to two College of Optometry teams, as was the case in co-ed wiffle ball, won by the Class of 2020, but well represented in second and third place by members of the Class of 2019.



 The Class of 2019 also won the campus championship in co-ed dodgeball (“Baby Nick & Moerdick”).  The third year students, Class of 2018 were also very active in a number of campus intramural events and won the men’s wiffle ball championship (“Team Fighting Iris”).  



Class of 2020 co-ed wiffleball champions (“strike 1 or 2?”).  Left to right:  Trisha Smith, Kailey Utley, Elizabeth Ditch, Olivia Hoylman, Erik Peyton, Quinn Gallen with sign), Justin Groennert, Justine Adriaansen(’19), Matt McCoy, Luke Armstrong


Class of 2020 co-ed flag football champions (“inferior rectus”).  Left to right:  Justin Kendall, George Dowdy, Matt McCoy, Elizabeth Ditch, Erik Peyton, Aric Waltz


Class of 2019 co-ed dodgeball champions (“baby Nick & Moerdick”).  Front Row:  Heather Jackson, Matt Moerdick, and Kyle Sherwood.  Back Row:  Maggie Scott, Nick Fortell, Bre Scott, and Ben Wehner.


Class of 2019 runner-up in co-ed wiffleball. Left to right:  Brittney Schieber, Ben Wehner, Maggie Scott, Nick Portell, Matt Moerdick, and Dena Colentino.


Class of 2019/2020 3rd place in co-ed wiffleball. Left to right:  George Dowdy, Blair Gerratt, Ashley Gerratt, Heather Jackson, Bailey Peterson, and Ben DeVibiss


Class of 2018 Men’s wiffleball champions(“Team Fighting Iris”. Left to right: Connor Peters, Jesse Willingham, Kevin Dittlinger, Keller Hopkins, Cord Linville, and Andy Ibisch.


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