JUNE 2020
IN THIS ISSUE
From the Athletic Director’s Desk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Athletic alumni are on the front lines of COVID-19 . . . . . 4 10 Questions with women’s tennis’ Wenyan Ma . . . . . . 11 Noah Hsue is ready to return — just as soon as they’ll let him. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 It’s still Championship Season for UW Academic Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Despite the lockdown, Husky football is still breaking records ... in the classroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 What might have been: Husky men’s golfers reflect on a scintillating season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 The Shot: Montlake memories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
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GOHUSKIES VOLUME 13 / ISSUE 7 / JUNE 2020
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FROM THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR’S DESK
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miss you, Husky Nation. It’s been several weeks now since we’ve been together cheering on our beloved Huskies and we are all anxiously awaiting the return of our amazing students to Montlake. These have been some of the most challenging times for each of us, as we deal with these unimaginable circumstances. As tough as this has been, I’m optimistic about what is to come and the progress we are making as we prepare to move forward. It has been an honor to watch the heroes at our university — the health care providers and researchers on the front lines of this pandemic — make national headlines as the leaders and difference-makers who are searching for and finding the answers that this country needs. We are so fortunate to work at this world-class institution and live in a world-class city. More specifically to our department, we have a committee that has been diligently working to build a robust plan for us to resume operations again in our athletics footprint and bring students back to Montlake when it is safe to do so. We will continue to follow University, local and state guidance on appropriate measures needed to maintain the safest environment for all. But, I’m encouraged by the work of our great team as we continue to take steps in a positive direction. We are focusing a lot of our efforts on options for safely hosting spectators inside our venues. We are currently working through several different scenarios, and are exploring everything from the way fans enter and exit the stadium, to concessions, seating arrangements and sanitation stations, with the safety and well-being of each of you as our top priority. As it is still too early to know what state guidelines will allow, we are hopeful we will be able to have you join us inside venues this fall, as we know you create an unmatched home-field and home-court advantage
Jennifer Cohen
for our student-athletes. We are all in this together and we can draw on the knowledge that with great challenges come incredible growth opportunities. I am confident that together as Huskies – student-athletes, coaches, staff and fans – we will emerge stronger than ever. I want to express my compassion, sympathy, and well wishes for all in our community who have been directly affected by this pandemic. In these difficult times, we are thinking of nothing more than your health, safety and well-being. I want to also thank our amazing fans, season ticket holders and Tyee Club members. Your unwavering support gives us the ability to continue to provide our 650 student-athletes and 22 teams with the critical resources they need to succeed. There are many unknowns ahead, but one thing that I know is that our supporters have always been there for us, right alongside us, as we together work to achieve our dreams. This will be no different. We will all get through this and I can’t wait to join you again as we cheer on our beloved Huskies! Go Dawgs!
DESIGN Robert Becker
Football & Men’s Basketball Flagship Radio Station: KOMO Newsradio AM 1000 & FM 97.7
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GoHUSKIES
Back
In
Once stars on the track, football and soccer field, basketball, volleyball and tennis courts, they are now doctors, nurses, firefighters, paramedics and hospital administrators, all working together to treat patients in need.
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The Trenches Their playing careers long behind them, Husky athletic alumni find themselves battling one of the toughest foes of their lives
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BY BRIAN BEAKY
here are days that Scott Stuart never wants to forget. Like Jan. 1, 1992, the day he and his Husky football teammates crushed the fourth-ranked Michigan Wolverines in the Rose Bowl to finish off a perfect, 12-0 season, and clinch a share of the National Championship. Then, there are others that he'll never be able to forget, no matter how much he might want to. February 29, 2020, was one of those days. Now an internal medicine hospitalist practicing general medicine at Evergreen Health in Kirkland — as Stuart describes it, "If grandma has to be admitted to the hospital, I'm her doctor" — Stuart had participated in a meeting the day before where the hospital's infectious disease specialist had suggested that two patients in the ICU be tested for COVID-19, despite having no obvious connections to prior COVID-19 patients diagnosed around the Seattle area, and no recent travel to hotspots like China or Italy. "At the time, it felt so distant," recalls Stuart, who spent the better part of a decade after walking off the field at the Rose Bowl pursuing a medical degree at UW and working in residencies throughout the area. "We had a sense that it might be in circulation, but we had no evidence. There had been a patient admitted to Providence in Everett the month before who we knew had spread virus for a while, but we thought the contact tracing had been sufficient and that we had a good sense of who might have been exposed. In short, we just didn't think there was community spread at that point. "I remember thinking that there was no more than a fifty-fifty chance that either of our two patients had the virus," he continues. The next day — Feb. 29 — the results of both tests came back positive for COVID-19. "I couldn't believe it. I thought, 'Wow, it's here. There's community spread,'" he recalls. "It was a real tip-of-the-iceberg feeling, because I knew from following events in China and Italy what we were in for."
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Back In The Trenches
S “It’s my job to make sure that everybody is prepared to see COVID patients,” says Berman, who played tennis at UW from 1996-2001.
tuart, like many of his fellow UW athletic alumni, has spent the past few months locked in battle with one of the toughest foes they've ever faced — COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus that first emerged in China late last year. Once stars on the track, football and soccer field, basketball, volleyball and tennis courts, they are now doctors, nurses, firefighters, paramedics and hospital administrators, all working together to treat patients in need. Their training — both academically and athletically — has given them many skills that have helped them be successful in life. But, nothing could have adequately prepared them for this. Stuart recalls the first few weeks after that initial moment of shock as a whirlwind. "My group took care of the first big flood of patients that came in from LifeCare and some of the other nursing homes at the beginning of March," he recalls. "It was overwhelming. I was admitting 2-3 severely ill patients per shift. Half of our emergency room was allocated just for coronavirus. We had it all blocked off, with temporary plastic walls, negative air pressure, everything. I'd go down there, in full protective gear, and just see people back to back to back, all sick and scared. I was scared, too. But, you have to keep your composure, because they are even more scared than you are. "A friend of mine who was an ER doc got really sick, and then I admitted the mom of one of my colleagues, and she was really sick," he adds. "That was the low point for me, the point where I felt like maybe this was getting beyond our control. We didn't have an antiviral, a vaccine was a long ways away — as a doctor, when you have a global feeling of helplessness, that you don't have many weapons to use, that's a really scary feeling." It's a feeling that Jeremy Berman knows well. A four-year letterwinner in tennis for Washington from 1996-2001 (including a redshirt season) who still ranks sixth in program history in career singles wins (91), Berman now works as the medical director for Landmark Health, a provider group that offers primary care, nursing, behavioral health, urgent care and other services to chronically ill patients in their homes. Landmark's patients are often the oldest, and/or sickest in the area — in other words, the exact population that has proven to be most at-risk to serious complications from COVID-19. "It's my job to make sure that everybody is prepared to see COVID patients," explains Berman, who spent 18 months playing professional tennis after college before embarking on his medical career. "Originally, we shifted a lot of visits to telemedicine, but that's not an optimal situation for our patients, who are older and hard of hearing, or limited in their understanding and use of technology. Now that we have adequate supplies of PPE (personal protective equipment), we have transitioned back into the home and are getting out to see our patients more and more." Berman says that, ironically, the seriousness of his patients' conditions has, in some ways, actually protected them from coronavirus exposure. "Because our patients are already largely socially isolated, they are in some ways actually at a lower risk of getting it," he says. "Of course, if and when they do get it, the complications are usually more serious. A number of patients have gotten sick, and some of them have done O.K. But, some of them haven't."
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In addition to the physical treatment that Landmark's patients have required during this time, Berman says that the mental and psychological challenges have required deft management as well. "Our patients are experiencing even more social isolation than they were before," he says. "They are no longer able to see their loved ones. Some are afraid to have health professionals come into their homes. There's a higher amount of anxiety, a higher amount of loneliness. But, we still have to find a way to get them their medications, do needs assessments, et cetera. There are some real challenges our population is facing that are unique to them, as opposed to the healthier population."
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hen Stuart leaves Evergreen each day, he has to undergo a complicated ritual before seeing his family. First, before leaving the hospital, he changes out of the scrubs that he worked in that day and places them in a hamper, before donning clean scrubs for the drive home. Before entering the house, he changes out of the "hospital shoes"
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Back In The Trenches
that he keeps in his truck and into a pair of Vans waiting outside the door of his home, and puts the scrubs that he is currently wearing into a sealed bag. Stuart then proceeds directly to the laundry room to put all of his clothes, including the scrubs worn on the drive home, into the wash, and takes a long shower, vigorously cleaning off any aerosolized virus that may have come in contact with his skin or hair throughout the day. Only then does Stuart finally greet his family, including his college-sweetheart wife and young daughter. He's one of the lucky ones, he says. Some doctors and nurses with younger children, elderly family living at home, or immunosuppressed partners have had to quarantine themselves from their families entirely, either in separate rooms of the house, or even in hotel rooms. But, Stuart says, despite the many challenges they've had to face,
he continues to be amazed by the professionalism, dedication and collegiality of the medical professionals he interacts with on a daily basis. "It's actually a lot like playing football, when you're all moving in the same direction, and everyone is working together for a common cause," he says. "The camaraderie has been remarkable. I'll go into the ICU, and there will be a group of therapists and nurses all in the gear, working together to turn a patient over on to their stomach, and they'll be working so gently and fluidly. There's a real art to it, and it's beautiful to see them all working together so seamlessly." Stuart extended the football analogy to say that if the fight against the coronavirus were a football game, we're currently somewhere near the end of the first quarter, with a significant amount of work still ahead of us. "It's been an action-packed first quarter, too," he says. "I have a feeling that the second quarter is going to come this fall and winter, when we see if we have another surge. Assuming that we are able to relax social distancing over the summer, will people be willing to social distance again if indeed we need them to? That's going to be incredibly hard."
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Berman agrees that the need for social distancing remains high — and, like Stuart — worries that the average person, cooped up inside for the last two months, potentially out of work and eager to return to normal life, may underestimate the virus' potential to return later this year. "There continues to be a misperception that we can lift these physical restrictions before we have the testing and contact tracing set up in a big way without risking harm," he says. "There's a real need to get back to normal life, especially for people who are suffering economically, and it's obviously difficult to weigh that against the need to remain physically distanced until we have public health measures set up to really contain the virus." Both medical professionals see hope in the ongoing efforts of scientists, doctors and researchers around the world — and, particularly, here at home. Berman points to the Washington Department of Health website as an excellent resource for accurate and up-to-date information, while Stuart cites UW's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, which has emerged as one of the world's foremost modelers of the epidemic and its spread. In addition, many UW researchers are on the front lines of vaccine and anti-viral
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development, while UW-trained doctors, nurses and other medical professionals are staffing many of the area's major hospitals, developing new treatments and becoming leading experts on managing and assisting patients who have contracted the virus. Stuart says that it's the incredible commitment he has seen from those professionals in the field, and the willingness of the local community to accept major lifestyle changes, that has him optimistic that we as a community will be able to work together to overcome this crisis. "When we first started seeing a lot of cases, it was almost immediate; the tech community announced they were going to start working from home, then schools closed, and stuff was shut down voluntarily pretty well," he says. "I was proud of us as a community. If it weren't for people being willing to take on those burdens, my hospital would still be inundated, and we'd still be having to make decisions about who to treat and who to send somewhere else. We've all really pulled together, and we're finally starting to get our bearings. "So, that's what gives me a lot of hope," Stuart adds, "That's what keeps me going. We did it once, and we'll do it again if we have to."
“It’s actually a lot like playing football, when you're all moving in the same direction, and everyone is working together for a common cause,” Stuart says. “The camaraderie has been remarkable.”
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10 QUESTIONS WITH... WOMEN’S GOLFER WENYAN MA unior Wenyan Ma has been with the University of Washington women's golf program for three seasons, having come all the way from Guangdong, China. She's consistently been on the UW Dean's List and has a 3.8 GPA as a Food, Nutrition and Health major. "MaoMao," as she's known by her teammates, competed in seven events for the Dawgs prior to the season being cut short in March. We caught up with her to get her thoughts on her UW experience so far:
Where did you get your nickname? “My grandma gave this name to me! It is a quite common nickname in China, too.” What has been your favorite college tournament? “The Edean Ihlanfeldt home tournament, because it is a great tournament and we honor the founder of Husky women's golf, Edean Ihlanfeldt. It's a great way to show our gratitude for all the things she did for women's golf.” What is the best course you have played in college? “ Broadmoor. It is very close to campus and Broadmoor in the fall is just beautiful. Trees are changing colors and with Lake Washington in the background, it is so enjoyable! Also, the staff there is so welcoming and the course is always in great shape.” What is the best thing about UW? “There is such a great school spirit and the school is in a great city. I enjoy living in a big city like Seattle. Seattle is a great combination of city life and nature fun. UW's lovely campus with cherry blossoms in the spring are delightful as well.” What is your favorite place to eat in Seattle? “Boiling Point is a great place to go when it is cold, to get some hotpot with friends!” Who is your funniest teammate? “Myself. I am born with laughter genes and I also like to entertain myself. Life is short, why not have fun?” What has been your favorite class so far at UW? “My major — nutrition and psychology — classes are very interesting. Learning things that I am passionate about is amazing and studying at a prestigious institution like UW is such an honor.” What is your favorite sport other than golf? “ Table tennis, or ping-pong. I have played table tennis since I was young and always play with my dad. I like the fast pace of table tennis.” What is the best part about being on the UW women's golf team? “ Making lifelong memories with everyone I met throughout this journey. The support I had along the way is one of the greatest treasures in my life. Making connections with different people also will allow me to grow into a better person.” What is the best shot you have ever seen a teammate hit? “Brittany (Kwon) holed out the last shot for bunker game to send us back home! It was a tough shot since there was not a lot of green to work with. But, our freshie was able to pull it off and I am so proud of that!”
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READY ON-DECK NOAH HSUE keeps perspective as his triumphant return is put on hold
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BY BRIAN TOM
efore the outbreak of COVID-19 put college athletics on hold earlier this spring, Husky baseball player Noah Hsue was just starting to come into his own on the field. His story is not unlike many others at Montlake and, for that matter, around the country. He was just beginning to thrive when all the sudden, a world-wide pandemic stunted his promising season. The third-year sophomore from Mercer Island spent his first two years in the program finding his footing. He was initially wide-eyed when he stepped onto UW’s campus as a freshman in the fall of 2017. “I remember when I first showed up on campus about to start my first year and walking into the locker room and being like ‘Whoa, I have my name on one of these lockers.’ It didn’t feel like it was real,” Hsue reminisces. He would play in a combined 50 games over the 2018 and 2019 seasons and had flashed his potential with clutch hits, including a walk-off winner over Arizona as a freshman. But, Hsue had yet to find the consistency – or health – to sustain his success. That all seemed to have changed in 2020 as Hsue appeared to have turned the corner. When play was halted due to the coronavirus, he was leading the Huskies in numerous hitting categories, including average (.375), hits (18) and on-base percentage (.444). He was tied for the team lead in multi-hit games with four, including a career-best 4-for-4 in the Huskies' last outing, a 4-0 win over Utah Valley at Husky Ballpark on March 8. Hsue had finally arrived. “For the second season in a row, Noah was off to a great start and scratching the surface of the player he's going to become,” says Ronnie Prettyman, UW's hitting coach. “What makes him tough is his ability to handle the bat. He can bunt, he can run, and he sprays the ball around on a line. Those skills make it really hard to defend him, and defenses feel that pressure when he is in the box. I'm looking forward to seeing how dangerous he can be when he gets another full season under his belt.”
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“What makes him tough is his ability to handle the bat. He can bunt, he can run, and he sprays the ball around on a line. Those skills make it really hard to defend him.�
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“I had that date circled on the calendar for a very, very long time. In my head, there was no way I wasn’t going to be ready to play by then.”
Prettyman and the rest of the world are going to have to wait until next spring to see a full season of college baseball action. Just as suddenly as Hsue was starting to prove he had taken a giant step forward, he and the rest of the world were hit with a dose of reality that sent everyone reeling backwards. Hsue and his teammates had just unloaded the bus at Sea-Tac Airport on Thurs., Mar. 12, and were preparing to check into their flight that would take them to Los Angeles for the Huskies’ Pac-12 opening series at USC when news started to circulate on social media that the conference had cancelled all action for the weekend. Soon after, the team packed all their belongings back onto the bus and headed back to Montlake. Little did the team know as they travelled back to campus that it would be their final bus trip of the year. Two days later, on Mar. 14, the Pac-12 announced the cancellation of all spring seasons. The season was officially over before it had truly taken flight. “It sucks. It does, but there’s not a lot you can do about it,” Hsue says about losing the year. “I think it’s important to realize that when it initially happened, it seemed kind of premature. But, looking at the way things have evolved since then, I’m not sure there was any other solution.”
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nfortunately for Hsue, he is all too familiar with having his year of playing ball cut short. Last season, on March 16 – almost a year to the date of the halt of the 2020 schedule – Hsue suffered a season-ending injury on a routine play at Oregon just 14 games into the campaign. He was playing defense and running towards third base when he stopped to plant and throw the ball home. He felt – and heard – a pop in his knee. He went back into Oregon’s training facilities where a member of the Ducks’ medical staff confirmed the worst — he had suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Hsue allowed himself the first night of the injury to grieve the loss of his season, but only that one night. He went back to the team hotel, where his roommate for the road trip and former high school teammate, Michael Petrie, helped him change out of his uniform. He then told Petrie, “You can give me tonight to cry, but by tomorrow, if you see me crying, you need to tell me that it’s time to move on.” Hsue was determined not to let the bad news keep him down. He quickly learned that between his teammates, family, friends and team personnel, he was surrounded by an amazing support group. And, with a grueling climb ahead of him, he would count on every single one of them to lift him when he was down. “It’s one of those things, when something bad like that happens, you really see what kind of support group you have around you,” Hsue says. “I’m really fortunate to see that I have a lot of friends that were there for me.” Hsue began the long, slow climb back from the injury, but it was by no means an easy process. Usually, after someone tears their ACL, doctors and trainers want them moving around to keep the swelling down. But, Hsue had not only torn his ACL, but also his MCL, meniscus and posterolateral corner. The severe trauma to the knee forced him to rely on crutches for eight weeks before surgery and six weeks after it. He would have to relearn how to walk and move his knee. He also lost strength in his hamstring as the surgeons took part of it to replace his ACL. Hsue spent countless hours with UW baseball trainer Iain Mistrot, having his knee bent and worked on in ways that were uncomfortable, but necessary on the road to recovery. `“From day one, I really admired how Noah handled himself,” Mistrot says. “His number-one goal was to make it back by the start of the 2020 season which, based on when his injury occurred, would give him a little more than 10 months to recover. He came to me and said that was what he was going to do and that he would do whatever it took to make that happen."
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By summer, he had ditched the crutches but still relied on a brace. He was walking incorrectly, swinging his leg instead of picking up his heel, so there was plenty of work to do. Since he could not play summer ball, he spent the summer taking classes and working with Mistrot on rehab. Slowly but surely, he made progress, but not at the pace he had pictured in his mind. “I’m really impatient,” Hsue admits. “Iain probably got tired of me complaining about my lack of range of motion and asking, ‘Why is my hamstring still bugging me?’ It was one of those things where I didn’t understand why I wasn’t better yet, but I knew in my head it was supposed to take (at least) nine months. I always figured it wouldn’t take that long for me. “It was really irritating, annoying and slow, but it was probably the right way to do it," he continues. "That’s what Iain is there for, to make sure I didn’t go out and do something stupid and make it worse, because I probably would have.” Sticking to the normal timeline of the injury, Hsue was very limited in what he could do once fall ball arrived. He was relegated to working out on the antigravity treadmill and watching from the sidelines as other players continued their development and established themselves at second base. In the weight room, he would show up each day with his teammates, but he was limited to working by himself on his own regimen to get back to speed. He could hit a little bit in the cages; by the end of fall, he was able to take some ground balls. Hsue knew he had some serious work to do to catch back up after winter break and be ready for the season-opener in February, but there was never a doubt in his mind that he would make it back in time. PAGE 16
“Medically, it might have been in question, but to me it never really was,” Hsue says about returning by the first game on Feb. 14. “I had that date circled on the calendar for a very, very long time. In my head, there was no way I wasn’t going to be ready to play by then.” Sure enough, when practice resumed in mid-January, Hsue was back. He was determined to use the four-week break between classes to get his knee and leg as strong as possible. He had regained the range of motion in his leg and focused on regaining his strength. He spent the entirety of winter break getting back to where he wanted and with his mindset, he was able to turn the corner. “There was not one moment where I was like, ‘It’s good now.’“ Hsue says. “It was a really slow progression of working really hard with Iain and doing work by myself at home, working on range of motion stuff all the time. But, winter break was good because I didn’t have any baseball obligations, so I could really just focus on my rehab full-time.”
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he work wasn’t done for Hsue, though — not by a long shot. While he had finally returned to the field from his injury, with less than a month before the first game, Hsue now had to battle for playing time in a crowded room of second base prospects. In the fall, established centerfielder Braiden Ward worked out mostly in the infield at second base. Freshman Dalton Chandler made a lasting impression on the coaches with his advanced approach and abilities. Junior GoHUSKIES
“At the end of the day, there’s not a lot I can do about it. It is what it is. There’s no time for, ‘Why me?’ After it happens, it’s all about what you are going to do afterwards.” college transfer Tommy Williams provided a veteran and versatile presence at the position. There were even several other strong candidates fighting for time at second. Hsue had his work cut out for him if he wanted to crack the lineup in a short amount of time. “It sucks to watch other guys play while you know you can’t,” Hsue says. “But, at the same time, it was good to see players like Dalton and Braiden become far better second basemen during fall ball. Watching them do their thing was good. It means there is competition for spots, and I think that makes everyone better. “But, at the same time, I’m sitting on the side thinking to myself, ‘I’m putting the work in to be the guy this year and I want to be that guy,’" he adds. "So, in the end, when it’s time for me to come back and play, I’ll be ready.” Hsue also felt like he would have to prove to the coaching staff that he was healthy enough to play in more than one game during a weekend series. He had just three weeks to show in practice and inter squad games that he was up-tospeed enough to compete and succeed as the everyday second baseman. It didn’t take long for Hsue to shake off the rust. In the weeks leading up to the season, he was feeling more comfortable in the batter’s box. On the base paths, he was confident in starting and stopping, and trusting his knee. He was feeling more and more like his old self — and the coaches and trainer took notice. “Noah was motivated and determined to get healthy and get back to playing baseball,” says Mistrot, who is in his fourth season as the team’s athletic trainer. “He did everything that was asked of him, every step of the way. Being able to work with athletes that have the kind of drive and determination to want to get better not only makes my job easier, but more enjoyable as well. “It was a really cool moment watching Noah step into the batter’s box at Loyola on Opening Day," Mistrot continues. "All of his hard work had paid off and he had accomplished exactly what he had set out to.” On Opening Day, Hsue found his name on the lineup card batting third and starting at second base. He had two hits in his first live action in 11 months, but came off the bench in the final two games of the series. After that, though, Hsue was in the starting lineup for good.
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READY ON-DECK Until of course, a world-wide pandemic put an end to normal, everyday activities. “I was off to a good start and I thought our team was going to be really talented and good this year,” reflects Hsue. “But, from a personal standpoint, compared to last year, at least I could walk and I haven’t had a major surgery and don’t have nine months of rehab ahead of me. Looking at it from that perspective, this year is bad, but it’s not as bad as last year, and I’m thankful for that.” Despite having no games to play, Hsue and his teammates have continued to work hard on and off the field. He is staying in shape during the stay-at-home quarantine by using the gym in his parents' house on Mercer Island. When he feels the need to get some swings in, he and Petrie utilize a batting cage at a friend’s house on the island. The team is also holding regular Zoom meetings to stay connected and focused on baseball. In the classroom, Hsue is a frequent member of the Dean’s List. He maintains a 3.68 grade point average and was admitted into the highly competitive UW Foster School of Business to focus on finance. He was a 2019 Second Team Pac-12 All-Academic selection and is poised to earn more honors in 2020 for his work in the classroom.
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ith his grades in order and his skills growing exponentially on the field, Hsue hopes to face a tough decision when he exhausts his eligibility and graduates. He’ll hopefully have to weigh the decision of entering the work force with the rest of his classmates or pursuing a professional career. Both are down the road for Hsue. Right now, he’s focused on staying healthy during these trying days and working towards 2021. It’s all he can do in these atypical times. “I think it’s important to realize that, yeah, it sucks that the baseball season got cancelled and we’re losing a year, but there are bigger things going on than playing sports,” he says. “At the end of the day, you just have to be grown up about things and realize that this is important, and this is a dangerous thing and baseball is not priority number one anymore. “Last year was a good lesson for me,” Hsue continues. “At the end of the day, there’s not a lot I can do about it. It is what it is. There’s no time for, ‘Why me?’ After it happens, it’s all about what you are going to do afterwards.” That is wise – and timely – advice from anyone during a pandemic that has left the world full of uncertainty. But, when you have persevered and risen from the depths like Hsue, you can safely bet he will heed his own words, land back on his feet and make another triumphant return.
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“ ” THE TEAM Athletic competition may have stopped, but the action has never been more intense for Washington’s Student-Athlete Academic Services
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BY BRIAN BEAKY EDITOR • GOHUSKIES MAGAZINE
ver the past two months, thousands of Americans nationwide have found themselves taking on a new role as teacher or tutor to students conducting all of their schoolwork at home. From managing Zoom schedules, to creating calendars of assignment and project deadlines, to helping children understand lessons and complete their homework — all while trying to communicate with similarly overburdened teachers — the process has led many parents to express their exasperation on social media platforms, and created a newfound or increased appreciation among parents for the day-to-day efforts of those responsible for educating our children. Imagine, then, being responsible for coordinating the learning of not one or two students, but more than 600. Spread across nearly all 50 states and multiple international locations. And, jointly, attending more than 1,000 PAGE 20
different classes, each one with its unique method of conducting distance learning, as determined by its professor. If you can't imagine that — well, lucky you. If you can, then you're probably Kim Durand, or one of the many hard-working tutors and support staff working in the UW's Student-Athlete Academic Services department. In a normal quarter, Durand's job is a busy one. As UW's Senior Associate Athletics Director for Student Development, Durand is the chief administrator of all things related to the "student" in student-athlete. That includes everything from career and academic counseling, tutoring and registration, to long-term planning and the complex task of coordinating student-athletes' travel and practices with lectures and tests. This quarter has been anything but normal. GoHUSKIES
Durand says that the initial announcement from the University of Washington canceling all in-person classes occurred during the final week of the winter quarter, just as students were preparing to take finals. Shortly thereafter came the NCAA's decision to cancel all winter and spring sports championships, followed two days later by the Pac-12's decision to cancel all sports through the end of the year. With no reason to keep students on campus, and many planning to travel home for spring break anyway, department staff determined that the safest place for most of Washington's student-athletes would be to remain at home until the situation in Western Washington was more stable. "Many of our student-athletes were traveling home to places that weren't as hard-hit, so once it was determined that spring quarter was going to be online, we suggested that the safest thing for them to do was to stay put," Durand says. "The truth is that the changes were happening so rapidly. It's definitely required a lot of quick decisions and problem-solving and figuring things out as we go along." That first decision — to keep students at home — created the first problem, one that will be familiar to any parent of a school-aged child in the coronavirus era: not all homes are created equal. Many student-athletes were returning to homes with limited access to technology, weak or nonexistent Internet service, or a competition for resources between parents working from home, siblings needing to use home computers for their own schooling, and the student-athletes themselves. "One of the first things we had to do was to purchase a bank of laptop computers and hotspots, that we sent all over the world," Durand says. "Our IT staff did an incredible job procuring those resources at a time when there weren't many in the supply chain. We also had to go to students' dorm rooms to gather belongings and other resources that they might need, and ship those to them as well." As it turned out, that was the easy part. Once students had the resources they needed, Durand and her SAAS staff dove into the complex web of Zoom meetings, recorded lectures, digital classroom platforms and other services being offered by thousands of different professors and teaching assistants. Furthermore, each of Washington's 600-plus student-athletes have not only a unique schedule, but also unique learning support needs, making an already complicated system almost infinitely complex. Durand and her staff dove in headfirst.
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"Obviously, professors were given a ton of autonomy to run their classes how they saw fit, so every class is different. We have everything from typical Monday-Wednesday-Friday classes where students log into a Zoom lecture, to others where the lectures are recorded and students watch them on their own time and turn in assignments. And, of course, our job was to figure out how each class for each student was being taught, and how to help students plan for those lessons." That job would be hard enough if every student was living on or near campus. Instead, though, Washington currently has students sheltering in place in countries all over the world, meaning that Durand and her staff had to not only create specific learning support plans for each class, but for each student in each class, taking into account time zones, technological resources of that student, potential language barriers and more. "We were literally going through thousands and thousands of classes individually, then figuring out specific plans for each student-athlete, and how we can best meet their needs," Durand says. "And then, once we had a specific plan for each student, we had to coordinate all the tutoring and academic meetings that we would usually have on a weekly basis," she continues. "My staff are still going 10-12 hours a day, just because of all the extra logistics required by this virtual learning model. It's been hard, but our staff are incredibly committed to our studentathletes' success, and our student-athletes are very resilient. We're all hanging in there." Durand's staff, of course, have not been working alone in their efforts. In addition to the IT staff that procured computers for at-need students, and marketing and digital staff working to create engaging experiences for student-athletes to connect and engage with one another, the Huskies' coaching staffs have been essential partners in the process, proving that they are just as committed to earning "A"s as "W"s. "Our coaches have been unbelievable with all of this," Durand says. It feels like we have quadrupled our academic staff because of all of the coaches who have taken it upon themselves to monitor study tables over Zoom for hours with their teams, check in individually on academics with their student-athletes, or otherwise provide academic support. Everyone has shown an incredible commitment to making sure that this is as positive an experience as it can be for our student-athletes." Indeed, Durand suggests that while, certainly, no one would have chosen to put themselves into this position, there may be some positives that will come out of it. Many student-athletes, she says, have been able to take classes that they otherwise wouldn't have been able to take because of practice or competition schedules, while some have been able to use this time to knock out more difficult courses now that they find themselves with more time to dedicate to schooling. In addition, Durand says that the success of online instruction may prompt the University to create more online offerings in the future, making it easier for student-athletes to balance their academic and athletic schedules. PAGE 22
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Durand may even make changes to the way SAAS conducts tutoring, based on the experience the staff and student-athletes are gaining with digital offerings. "In the past, it was standard policy that if you were on a road trip, you just didn't have tutoring that week," she explains. "But now, as we start thinking about this, we can envision a future where we set up a remote tutoring program, so that students can be in a meeting room or a hotel room on the road and engage directly with a tutor online. It's really helped us rethink our mindset and come up with creative solutions." With the NCAA's decision to cancel the spring sports season came an announcement that all spring sports athletes in their final competitive seasons would receive a bonus year of eligibility. Approximately 10 student-athletes have made the decision to enroll in UW graduate programs next year — a higher number than usual, Durand says — while others will have the option to take post-baccalaureate classes and pursue a second major or minor, or finally take those interesting classes they could never quite fit into their degree plan. And, while those students who will be graduating — including the falland winter-sports seniors, and those spring-sports seniors who have elected not to return in 2020-21 — will not have the opportunity to don a cap and gown and walk across the stage at Husky Stadium with their classmates (at least, not until 2021, when 2020 graduating seniors will be invited back to participate in the ceremony), the athletic department staff have planned a virtual graduation banquet and ceremony that Durand hopes will give those deserving graduates a sense of the accomplishment they've achieved. First, the department will live-stream a virtual version of the annual athletic department graduation reception, at which graduates usually gather with their families to hear from speakers and receive awards, and generally celebrate their success. In addition, graduates will be sent a care package including awards, programs, any sashes that graduate earned, signs to put in their yard, and more. "We're calling them 'graduation parties in a box,'" Durand says. "The virtual grad reception will give student-athletes all over the world the chance to log in and be celebrated, while we'll also being using our website, GoHuskies.com, to tell graduates' stories and feature their accomplishments. In our department, this is our National Championship Day, and that's what we want it to feel like for our graduates." Ultimately, Durand says that while the process of transitioning 600 student-athletes spread across all corners of the planet to distance-learning has been difficult, it's highlighted many of the qualities that make her proud to be a Husky. "I think that, throughout the department, there's a renewed sense of our core values around educating these young men and women at a world-class university," she says. "In these difficult times, you've really seen a lot of people step up, and show an incredible work ethic. Our student-athletes feel appreciated and cared for. Everybody is pulling in the same direction, and that just shows the true heart of this department that I'm so proud to be a part of." GoHUSKIES
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Making The
Grade
Husky football’s recently-announced four-year APR of 999 is the highest in NCAA FBS history
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he Washington football team has earned a four-year NCAA Academic Progress Rate of 999 (out of a possible 1,000) for 2018-19, the highest four-year score ever by an NCAAFBS football program, the NCAA announced earlier this month. The UW football team's score (full APR totals for all other NCAA sports were released after this issue went to print) was the highest in the nation for the 2018-19 year, and was one point better than the previous high by an FBS program (998, Wisconsin, 2013-14). "I could not be more proud of our football program for today's NCAA Academic Progress Report release," said Jennifer Cohen, UW's director of athletics. "To post the highest-ever recorded four-year mark among FBS programs speaks volumes about our students, football coaches and staff's commitment to continued excellence in the classroom at the University of Washington." PAGE 24
In 2004, the NCAA created the APR to measure academic progress and retention — not solely graduation rate. The scores represent a four-year rolling average from the academic year 2015-16 through 2018-19. In this year's rating, Washington was one of 13 football programs that earned a score of 988 or higher, the standard for APR recognition from the NCAA. The Huskies' 999 placed the UW atop the Pac-12 for the third year in a row. Washington has earned APR recognition from the NCAA in each of the last four years. The UW football team's score of 991 in last year's ranking was the highest in program history prior to this year's 999. Prior to this year, no Pac-12 football program had ever scored higher than 995 (Stanford, in 2004-2005). "I'd especially like to acknowledge Kim Durand [senior associate athletic director for student development] and her team for their tireless work to support our students' academic endeavors," Cohen added. GoHUSKIES
Washington's men's golf team wrapped up one of its most impressive seasons in program history — just a little sooner than they expected
UP TO
PAR
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BY JACK LARKIN
n a rainy Wednesday in early September, the UW men's golf team teed off for their first collegiate competition of the 2019-20 season. The Huskies hosted a deep field of talented golfers in Bremerton at the Gold Mountain Golf Club. The conditions were sub-par, and the course was one of the hardest in Washington state. Twenty-four hours later, Noah Woolsey and Jan Schneider hoisted the individual winner trophy in a four-way tie with two other golfers and the Dawgs began a scorching-hot season in which they claimed four more tournament wins and soared up the national rankings to 11th place. But, before that damp Wednesday in September that started the Huskies' dominant season, head coach Alan Murray changed up his preseason tactics by taking the team on an international training trip in August. “The Ireland trip was pretty key in terms of the guys going to a strange place as a group,” explains Murray. “And, for many of them, they were playing a completely new style of golf in less than perfect conditions.” The difficult golfing and challenging conditions provided a valuable experience for the team. But, the greatest benefit from the trip may have been bonding as a group with many loyal Husky golf supporters that joined the Dawgs overseas. “I have to make a special word of mention about our donors that participated on the trip,” says Murray. “They were such good company, shared their stories and our guys really saw up close what Husky golf means to so many people. It was a lot of fun for everyone that was on the trip and it put us in a relaxed, but eager, state of mind heading into our season.” With plenty of challenging golf, poor weather and great memories from Ireland under their belts, the Dawgs returned to Washington to host the PAGE 26
Head coach Alan Murray
Husky Invitational. “Improving at anything in life is going to involve struggle and coming to terms with the challenge of tasks not being straightforward and easy,” explains Murray. “Having that experience from the Ireland trip prior to the first tournament was really beneficial. “We didn’t play our best at the Husky, but we were mentally focused and did a great job of playing with the games we had that week, a real challenge for players even at the highest level.” Despite a rocky few rounds, the Dawgs still took home first place and the confidence appropriate for one of the best teams in collegiate golf. Another test was up next for the Dawgs, as they traveled to North Carolina to compete at top-ranked Wake Forest in the Old Town Intercollegiate. “We had good players playing well and the course set up nicely for this group,” says Murray. “It was obvious making birdies was required to win the tournament and our guys made a lot of birdies.” Sure enough, at Wake Forest’s tournament the Huskies scored the secondmost birdies of all the teams in the competition, with 52, and the most eagles, with three. Woolsey finished the tournament with a field-leading two eagles and fourth-best 13 birdies. “They did a great job of taking advantage of the holes they could be more aggressive on,” says Murray. “Wake Forest is obviously a really good team, so to beat them on their home course gave our guys even more confidence.” After the third tournament of the season, the Maridoe Intercollegiate, where the Huskies finished eighth, they placed in the top three in each tournament remaining on their schedule. “We have good players. They showed that all year long by how they played,” says Murray. “Every guy got better, which is really important as it GoHUSKIES
“This was one of the best years in the program's history, which is filled with success, and though it was cut short, Jan Schneider
and as disappointing as that is, I think our guys know what they are capable of,”
pushes everyone on the team.” What really pushed this team to reach their potential was the internal competitiveness of the student-athletes. “We have a healthy competitive rivalry on the team and every spot is up for grabs, in a sense,” explains Murray. “The guys knew that if they were the low man on the team each week, then there was a great chance they would be battling for the individual title.” After the Maridoe Intercollegiate, the Huskies claimed first at the Georgetown Intercollegiate, second at the Ka’anapali Collegiate, third at the Arizona Intercollegiate, first at the Seminole Intercollegiate, and second at the Bandon Dunes Championship. Looking back on the years past leading up to this season, it’s nearly impossible to imagine the widespread success of the Huskies this season, even for coach Murray. “I felt that we would be an extremely competitive team and on a good day be a handful for anyone,” says Murray. “But, when you look at the statistics from our season and how well the guys played, I think that it would be a stretch to say that I expected that. “Competitive golf is extremely hard, but our guys did an unbelievable job of preparing and competing to a very high level.” Even though their historic season was cut short, there is plenty for the Husky golf team to celebrate. “This was one of the best years in the program's history, which is filled with success, and though it was cut short, and as disappointing as that is, I think our guys know what they are capable of,” says Murray. “With continued intelligent hard work in the future, they can continue to improve and accomplish even more.” GoHUSKIES
Noah Woolsey PAGE 27
Photographs by RED BOX PICTURES
LAST CALL
Scenes from Husky Ballpark during one of the final home events of the year after COVID-19 caused for an abrupt end to the 2019-20 competition season.
To purchase Husky Athletics photography, visit www.HUSKIESPHOTOSTORE.com
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