Show of Strength
The Sagehens have been a dominant force across NCAA Division III programs in 2024
SCIAC Three-Peaters
The Pomona-Pitzer women’s water polo team defeated Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) rival Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) 12–5 to earn the SCIAC Regular Season Championship. The Sagehens later completed their SCIAC Tournament Championship three-peat with a win over No. 2 CMS. The team then defeated CMS again to capture their third consecutive USA Water Polo Division III National Championship. This spring, Namlhun Jachung ’24 was named SCIAC Offensive Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive year for her feats in water polo.
World Series Debut
The Pomona-Pitzer baseball team earned its first SCIAC Tournament Championship in program history with their win over CMS. The Sagehens won as the No. 2 seed with three straight wins to improve to 32–11 overall and earned the automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. Then the team punched its first-ever ticket to the NCAA World Series with their win over East Texas Baptist. The Sagehens played two games in the World Series before falling to No. 1-ranked Endicott. The team ended their 2024 season at No. 5, their highest ranking ever, according to the American Baseball Coaches Association.
Absolutely Par-Fect
The Pomona-Pitzer women’s golf team finished as champions of the SCIAC I Tournament. Pomona-Pitzer owned the course against a stacked SCIAC I competition at Los Lagos in Corona, California, with the Sagehens finishing with the highest number of pars as a team with 123.
Sticking It to the Competition
The Pomona-Pitzer lacrosse team earned a victory over California Lutheran to claim the SCIAC Regular Season Championship. The Sagehens soon followed with a victory over CMS to win their third consecutive SCIAC Tournament Championship. This spring, Carly Sullivan ’24 earned SCIAC Defensive Athlete of the Year honors after leading the conference’s best defense in lacrosse.
Sorry, Athenas
The Pomona-Pitzer women’s tennis team upset the No. 1-ranked CMS Athenas to claim the SCIAC Tournament Championship. The Sagehens claimed the championship for the first time since 2011 with their fifth SCIAC Tournament Championship in program history.
A Visit from the NCAA Prez
National Collegiate Athletic Association President Charlie Baker stopped in Claremont last month during an L.A. stop to meet with leadership and students from the Sagehens, Stags, and Athenas programs. A former Massachusetts governor who is serving as the NCAA’s sixth president, Baker met student-athletes and toured the Roberts Pavilion and the Center for Athletics, Recreation, and Wellness. Baker also stopped to inspect the Sagehens’ Wall of Champions and shelves of championship trophies which—thanks to outstanding victories this year—are growing every season.
Newest Hall of Famers
Sagehens football player Jake Caron ’11 (pictured) celebrated this spring with Cecil the Sagehen on his admittance to the Pomona-Pitzer Athlete Hall of Fame. In addition to Caron, who now serves as head football coach for Ransom Everglades School, other Pitzer alumni joining the list of Sagehens athletic greats include: water polo player Tamara Perea ’11, who went on to play professionally with Federación Madrileña de Natación and now serves as an assistant coach at Fresno State; James R. Kang ’10, who played in the Boston Red Sox organization and currently works as a scout for the Cleveland Guardians; and David Colvin ’11, who played professional baseball for the Seattle Mariners organization and was named Pitcher of the Year in 2013 with the High Desert Mavericks.
Making Waves
The Pomona-Pitzer women’s swim and dive team swam their way to the 2024 SCIAC Championship, winning their fifth title in the past eight years and their 24th title in program history. The team ended the 2024 NCAA Division III Swim and Dive Championship with two relay championships: the 200 Freestyle Relay title and the 400 Freestyle Relay title.
Scrummage Champions
The Claremont Colleges Foxes women’s rugby team won the Division I Collegiate Rugby Championship 7s. Seeded 10th out of 16 teams, the Foxes defeated Florida State, No. 1 seed Northern Iowa, Ohio State, and University of Oregon to win the title.