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could say that there are times that I lose studying hours, which is rough, there are tons of times where I can guarantee you other people in my school are sitting on their phone, and softball just doesn’t let me do that.”

Costero is one of only a handful of women in Emory history to attend law school and play sports simultaneously, and for good reason. Although Baggetta has been extremely respectful and accommodating of her commitment to law school, Costero has had to miss practices and travel solo to games to meet her law school requirements. When everything becomes overwhelming, Costero said that she recalls the guidance of former Emory volleyball player Natalie Berkowitz (21PH, 23L), who also played sports while in law school.

“‘There’s three kinds of people in the world,’” Costero said, quoting Berkowitz. “‘There are people that are going to tell you this is going to be easy and that you can do it. They’re wrong. There are the people that are going to tell you that it’s hard and it’s going to be impossible and you can’t do it, and they’re also wrong. And then there are the psychotic people like us that are going to do it knowing how hard it is and not care.’” The absence of men“ tors compounded the difficulty of Williams’ experience and contributed to this past year being the “hardest” of his time as a student-athlete. Group projects and meetings replaced the time he used to spend relaxing with teammates and improving his game, a transition which Williams admitted pushed him out of his comfort zone in the beginning.

“I wish that I had someone go through [this] before me and at least give me that insight and mentally prepare me for what I was getting myself into,” Williams said. “At the same time, I think I was put in a position like this for a reason. I’m very happy that I was the first one to do it, because now I know that even when you go into something [where] you may not know exactly how rigorous or consuming it may be of you mentally and physically, you can still get through it.”

Although Fost also found adjusting his training schedule and balancing his academics extremely challenging, for him, the pressure was particularly heightened on his athletic performance. Given that he had turned down financially lucrative opportunities and an Ivy League graduate program acceptance to run at Emory, Fost felt as though only an exceptional final season could prove those who questioned his decision wrong.

“There was that [pressure of] having to justify it for me, and the pressure to do well was for me to say, ‘No, I made the right choice,’” Fost said. “My first meet I opened with a very strong season opener, technically a new personal best. Right then and there, that’s when I’m like, ‘No, I haven’t peaked, and I’m here to push myself further.’ Seeing the potential I had made it clear in my mind that I made the right decision.”

For Costero, putting forth her best performance was secondary to enjoying her final months as a collegiate athlete. She had once considered a “second chance” at playing softball to be incompatible with her law school schedule, so being able to continue playing the sport she loves has made even the most trying times easier to bear.

“Because I know what it was like to think that softball was over for [me], I’m able to get through the rough part with ease now,” Costero said. “I know that leaving the game forever is so much harder than going through the rough parts . . . obviously I want to do great, I want to make every play. But sitting here and making a mistake, as much as I want to beat myself up over it, it’s not as bad as not playing the game.” Even with the additional responsibility Williams shouldered this past year, he certainly made his mark athletically and academically: he is the men’s basketball program’s all-time leader in made three-pointers, ranks fifth all-time in scoring and will become the first AfricanAmerican male in Emory history to graduate from the MSBA program. Williams sought to incorporate the “growth and maturity” these fifth year experiences and accomplishments have given him into his leadership role on the team, becoming the mentor he wished he had. “I shifted my focus to being a guy that’s getting this younger generation of players ready to be at the helm of Emory basketball,” Williams said. “[I wanted to be] a role model for a person who shows a work ethic on and off the court, who’s able to balance a rigorous academic program as well as be there for every athletic responsibility.” The opportunity to rejoin their teammates was part of the allure of taking a fifth year for both Fost and Williams. The fact that most of his training partners were younger than him allowed Fost to resume

I’m very happy that I was the frst track without missing one to do it, because now I know a step, while Williams finished his final seathat even when you go into someson with fellow fifth year guards Matthew thing [where] you may not know Schner and Nick Stuck. Meanwhile, Costero exactly how rigorous or consuming found “one of the best coaches [she’s] ever had” it may be of you mentally and physi-in Baggetta and a new cally, you can still get through it. family in her Emory softball teammates, - Fifth Year Guard Romin Williams relationships which she said have transformed her for the better. “I thought that I would never love a group of girls the way I loved my teammates at Lynn . . . and then I came to Emory and everything shifted,” Costero said. “I’m so grateful that I’ve had this experience and I think that this group of girls are going to be my friends forever. These are sisters that I’m going to have for the rest of my life, and I never thought I’d say that about another group of girls.” ◊◊◊