(Note: Marco Salas will be a redshirt sophomore for the Sun Devil football team this fall. A 2018 Dobson High School graduate, he is an aspiring journalist. We are sending him around to tell some stories this year and chat with some Sun Devils. He will also give us some insight on what he learned and what he appreciates about the student-athletes as he produces the story.)
by Marco Salas
When it comes to spring sports, the week of spring break is where everything really starts coming together and spring sports hits its peak. Not only does the Pac-12 play open up for spring sports, but we also have the beginning of March Madness for both men's and Women's basketball.
However, this spring break marked something else; the beginning of the end of every athletic competition due to COVID-19. For some it meant that the season ended earlier than usual, but for the seniors of each spring sport it meant the immediate ending to their last run of their college sports career without any chance of postseason titles and memories.
Even though many felt that way, there was eventually a light at the end of the tunnel. With spring sports ending on an unexpected note, on March 30 the NCAA voted to allow seniors to come back for one more season. For seniors softball's Cielo Meza, and men's tennis players Nathan Ponwith and Makey Rakotomalala, it is another year to finish their legacy in Tempe.
Starting off the season on a hot streak, Meza, was with the team heading to UCLA when she learned the season was on hiatus.
"We were on our way to UCLA for our first Pac-12 games and we were all excited because about half the team or more were from California and we were extra excited to see our parents and stuff. We then got word that the fans were canceled in the stands, and we were like ok, I guess we'll still play in California and try to beat UCLA. We were three hours in our road trip when they called us back."
At that moment, Meza knew her final season had ended.
"For the seniors it was heartbreaking, we all started crying on the bus because we all had that feeling like we kind of knew the season was going to get canceled, like they wouldn't have sent us back for nothing," Meza said.
As Meza put, the following weeks were awful knowing the season was done and not knowing whether the NCAA would grant seniors an extra year.
"We all kind of knew that this was not going to look pretty good these next couple of weeks. It just stinks but we were scared we weren't going to get an extra year either...it was scary."
Two weeks after hearing that the season was canceled, Meza and other seniors were notified that they would, in fact, be able to play for one extra year.
"I remember being really happy [getting the extra year] but like was still nervous because we didn't know what the outcome was and I know there's going to be a lot of restrictions still with athletics coming up. We were happy about that sixth year."
For Nathan Ponwith, a senior from men's tennis, an extra year translates to an extra opportunity to put Sun Devil men's tennis on the map.
A transfer from Georgia, Ponwith joined the program two years after it was revived. A highly touted player coming out of high school, Ponwith couldn't pass up the chance to come home and play in front of his friends and family.
"I'm from Arizona, born and raised in Scottsdale, and there was an opportunity for me to come home and I was really interested. Coming to ASU in particular, because of Coach Matt Hill and the team he had and the new energy from the new team," said Ponwith.
After a solid junior year highlighted with a bid to the NCAA Doubles National Championship with partner, Dominik Kellovsky, Ponwith was ready to make a statement in year four. Sadly, that wasn't the case.
His season started late due to injuries and wasn't able to gain rhythm before the season came to a halt.
"This past year I was able to compete a lot professionally in the fall and in the summer so I was like playing so much tennis that in the end of the second part of last year then I got injured in late November and I was out for like two and a half months pretty much. I was able to rehab and get back on the court through a long process of rehabbing and finally got to be able to get on the court and play a few matches and then the season got canceled."
Through the rollercoaster of a year he had, Ponwith is staying optimistic for the next year.
"It was obviously frustrating, but for me I'm looking at it like I have a lot more to gain now even more because I get to go back for another year and get a fresh season to be able to compete in. It's definitely frustrating on all sorts of levels and it's really unfortunate for sure, but I try to look at the positives and try to get the benefit where I can."
When the news broke that there wasn't a season, Ponwith describes the situation as being unfamiliar and fuzzy.
"It was obviously very unfamiliar and a strange feeling, but at the same time when that happened there were bigger things going on in the world so there, I don't think any student athletes were arguing with the decision, it was just out of our control. Everyone was disappointed but there wasn't a lot we could do about it," Ponwith said.
Ponwith's teammate, Makey Rakotomalala, has the same feeling about last season.
"It was very special. The first five were different people from all around the world and we didn't know the culture of college and the pride around the university."
The college experience was a whole new experience for Rakotomalala as he went from playing tennis professionally, to juggling class, practice and study hall where he would spend most of his days learning English.
"The first year was very special for me because I just arrived in a new country and I met new people and my English was not good, so I had to assimilate to this new culture, and it was a lof of hard work. After practice instead of going home and going to recovery sessions, I would go to study hall and study English with my tutor for five hours."
Ready to finish his last year in Tempe, everything didn't work in his favor. The team was plagued with injuries and played inconsistently. Everything had started coming together, but all that went away when the season suddenly had gotten canceled.
"The shape of the team was not great at the beginning of the year. We had so many injuries including myself, Nate, Tim, it's like the top three guys in the lineup. It was really tough plus we had freshmen and having seniors on the bench it was rough for them. It's good to have seniors around the freshmen especially during the matches. We all learned that everything is possible, we cannot control the virus," said Rakotomalala.
It was a tough time for Rakotomalala knowing he wasn't able to finish out his senior year the way he wanted to.
"We were all very surprised and shocked, especially for me, Nathan and William as seniors we were like oh no this was going to be our last match and it was sad for everyone. Nobody wants to end up like that after four years after reviving the program. We had freshmen and for their first year you don't want to end like that. When we all learned we might have the possibility to come back we were all excited, it was like oh my god maybe next year we're going to be even better with everyone coming back, a strong recruiting class, maybe it was the best decision."
While these great athletes get the chance to come back for one more year, one Sun Devil is choosing not to come back. Samantha Mejia, a senior on the softball team, will opt out of the extra year in order move forward with her life, and serve in the medical field.
Before the season had started, Mejia was ready to accept this was her last go around on the diamond at Farrington. The hard-off-season workouts, the extra work put in after practice all led up to this final year for Mejia. When it didn't pan out the way she wanted, it was heart breaking.
"It was definitely difficult to go through especially it being my senior year. I was excited to have a senior night and finish my softball career with my family," Mejia said.
As a pitcher, the game is in your hands. You can be leading 5-1, and next thing you know it's 5-5 because of a grand slam. The mentality Mejia had a pitcher played a role into why she decided not to come back.
"I didn't start off the season very well but at the end I was progressing as a pitcher and I would say that would have some part of my decision because being a pitcher you go through ups and downs and the way I ended was the way I wanted to end. It was hard for my family as well because my family wanted to be there next to me too, so making that decision was definitely hard but I knew that this was going to be my last year and I had mentally prepared."
The next step for Mejia is finishing school to fulfill her dream of becoming a nurse. Although she's hanging up her cleats, it doesn't mean her time with ASU softball is over.
"It helped a lot knowing that I was going to come back for another semester and help out with the team and be around the team. It wasn't like I was leaving or wasn't able to ever see the girls or be around the girls, so that was a huge part, but I was ready to be on the side where I can be helpful anyway I can."
After completing school, Mejia wants to go into and eventually work in the cosmetology field.
"I want to go into cosmetology. I like to make people feel better rather than be around people who aren't in the right place and who are going through hard times."
Being told that they couldn't play the sport they grew up loving was the harsh reality to these seniors, until the NCAA made their final ruling.
As an athlete, I want to play until I know I can't play the game at the level it should be played and not have it end so suddenly without any other thought. We know it's time to quit when the time feels right, so luckily these seniors get that chance to end their college sports career on their own terms.
For Mejia, her mind was set for this to be her final season. It may not have been the way she wanted it to end, but she knew how she wanted to finish. Her passion to serve her community in the medical field was calling and it was an opportunity she couldn't pass up.
While Mejia has already made her last "Onward to Victory," the other seniors still have one more chance to fully embrace their life as an ASU Sun Devil student athlete.
by Marco Salas
When it comes to spring sports, the week of spring break is where everything really starts coming together and spring sports hits its peak. Not only does the Pac-12 play open up for spring sports, but we also have the beginning of March Madness for both men's and Women's basketball.
However, this spring break marked something else; the beginning of the end of every athletic competition due to COVID-19. For some it meant that the season ended earlier than usual, but for the seniors of each spring sport it meant the immediate ending to their last run of their college sports career without any chance of postseason titles and memories.
Even though many felt that way, there was eventually a light at the end of the tunnel. With spring sports ending on an unexpected note, on March 30 the NCAA voted to allow seniors to come back for one more season. For seniors softball's Cielo Meza, and men's tennis players Nathan Ponwith and Makey Rakotomalala, it is another year to finish their legacy in Tempe.
Starting off the season on a hot streak, Meza, was with the team heading to UCLA when she learned the season was on hiatus.
"We were on our way to UCLA for our first Pac-12 games and we were all excited because about half the team or more were from California and we were extra excited to see our parents and stuff. We then got word that the fans were canceled in the stands, and we were like ok, I guess we'll still play in California and try to beat UCLA. We were three hours in our road trip when they called us back."
Cielo Meza just fired a 14 K no hitter in @ASUSoftball's 7-0 win over Seattle. Sun Devils off to a 4-1 start at the Kajikawa Classic, will host #12 Tennessee tomorrow night to wrap things up. pic.twitter.com/JDEDwKgN91
— Nick King (@NickKingSports) February 9, 2020
At that moment, Meza knew her final season had ended.
"For the seniors it was heartbreaking, we all started crying on the bus because we all had that feeling like we kind of knew the season was going to get canceled, like they wouldn't have sent us back for nothing," Meza said.
As Meza put, the following weeks were awful knowing the season was done and not knowing whether the NCAA would grant seniors an extra year.
"We all kind of knew that this was not going to look pretty good these next couple of weeks. It just stinks but we were scared we weren't going to get an extra year either...it was scary."
Two weeks after hearing that the season was canceled, Meza and other seniors were notified that they would, in fact, be able to play for one extra year.
"I remember being really happy [getting the extra year] but like was still nervous because we didn't know what the outcome was and I know there's going to be a lot of restrictions still with athletics coming up. We were happy about that sixth year."
For Nathan Ponwith, a senior from men's tennis, an extra year translates to an extra opportunity to put Sun Devil men's tennis on the map.
A transfer from Georgia, Ponwith joined the program two years after it was revived. A highly touted player coming out of high school, Ponwith couldn't pass up the chance to come home and play in front of his friends and family.
Wavey for one more year ?? pic.twitter.com/zs9EaWqh4M
— Sun Devil M. Tennis (@SunDevilMTennis) May 21, 2020
"I'm from Arizona, born and raised in Scottsdale, and there was an opportunity for me to come home and I was really interested. Coming to ASU in particular, because of Coach Matt Hill and the team he had and the new energy from the new team," said Ponwith.
After a solid junior year highlighted with a bid to the NCAA Doubles National Championship with partner, Dominik Kellovsky, Ponwith was ready to make a statement in year four. Sadly, that wasn't the case.
His season started late due to injuries and wasn't able to gain rhythm before the season came to a halt.
"This past year I was able to compete a lot professionally in the fall and in the summer so I was like playing so much tennis that in the end of the second part of last year then I got injured in late November and I was out for like two and a half months pretty much. I was able to rehab and get back on the court through a long process of rehabbing and finally got to be able to get on the court and play a few matches and then the season got canceled."
Through the rollercoaster of a year he had, Ponwith is staying optimistic for the next year.
"It was obviously frustrating, but for me I'm looking at it like I have a lot more to gain now even more because I get to go back for another year and get a fresh season to be able to compete in. It's definitely frustrating on all sorts of levels and it's really unfortunate for sure, but I try to look at the positives and try to get the benefit where I can."
When the news broke that there wasn't a season, Ponwith describes the situation as being unfamiliar and fuzzy.
"It was obviously very unfamiliar and a strange feeling, but at the same time when that happened there were bigger things going on in the world so there, I don't think any student athletes were arguing with the decision, it was just out of our control. Everyone was disappointed but there wasn't a lot we could do about it," Ponwith said.
Ponwith's teammate, Makey Rakotomalala, has the same feeling about last season.
Part of the first class in 2017 that revived the men's tennis program, Rakotomalala, a member of the, "first OG," which consists of four others (William Kirkman, Thomas Wright, Benjamin Hannestad and Michael Geerts] who started the revival.Let's "Makey" it great day as @makeylala is back! He is part of @TheSunDevils history!
— Sun Devil M. Tennis (@SunDevilMTennis) June 8, 2020
??- singles win vs. Duke's Nick Stachowiak first point for ASU since returning as a program (1/13/18)
??- clinched ASU's first team win since revival, defeating Lucas Moreno of LMU (2/9/18) pic.twitter.com/Kk8ASk1r44
"It was very special. The first five were different people from all around the world and we didn't know the culture of college and the pride around the university."
The college experience was a whole new experience for Rakotomalala as he went from playing tennis professionally, to juggling class, practice and study hall where he would spend most of his days learning English.
"The first year was very special for me because I just arrived in a new country and I met new people and my English was not good, so I had to assimilate to this new culture, and it was a lof of hard work. After practice instead of going home and going to recovery sessions, I would go to study hall and study English with my tutor for five hours."
Ready to finish his last year in Tempe, everything didn't work in his favor. The team was plagued with injuries and played inconsistently. Everything had started coming together, but all that went away when the season suddenly had gotten canceled.
"The shape of the team was not great at the beginning of the year. We had so many injuries including myself, Nate, Tim, it's like the top three guys in the lineup. It was really tough plus we had freshmen and having seniors on the bench it was rough for them. It's good to have seniors around the freshmen especially during the matches. We all learned that everything is possible, we cannot control the virus," said Rakotomalala.
It was a tough time for Rakotomalala knowing he wasn't able to finish out his senior year the way he wanted to.
"We were all very surprised and shocked, especially for me, Nathan and William as seniors we were like oh no this was going to be our last match and it was sad for everyone. Nobody wants to end up like that after four years after reviving the program. We had freshmen and for their first year you don't want to end like that. When we all learned we might have the possibility to come back we were all excited, it was like oh my god maybe next year we're going to be even better with everyone coming back, a strong recruiting class, maybe it was the best decision."
While these great athletes get the chance to come back for one more year, one Sun Devil is choosing not to come back. Samantha Mejia, a senior on the softball team, will opt out of the extra year in order move forward with her life, and serve in the medical field.
Before the season had started, Mejia was ready to accept this was her last go around on the diamond at Farrington. The hard-off-season workouts, the extra work put in after practice all led up to this final year for Mejia. When it didn't pan out the way she wanted, it was heart breaking.
"It was definitely difficult to go through especially it being my senior year. I was excited to have a senior night and finish my softball career with my family," Mejia said.
As a pitcher, the game is in your hands. You can be leading 5-1, and next thing you know it's 5-5 because of a grand slam. The mentality Mejia had a pitcher played a role into why she decided not to come back.
"I didn't start off the season very well but at the end I was progressing as a pitcher and I would say that would have some part of my decision because being a pitcher you go through ups and downs and the way I ended was the way I wanted to end. It was hard for my family as well because my family wanted to be there next to me too, so making that decision was definitely hard but I knew that this was going to be my last year and I had mentally prepared."
The next step for Mejia is finishing school to fulfill her dream of becoming a nurse. Although she's hanging up her cleats, it doesn't mean her time with ASU softball is over.
"It helped a lot knowing that I was going to come back for another semester and help out with the team and be around the team. It wasn't like I was leaving or wasn't able to ever see the girls or be around the girls, so that was a huge part, but I was ready to be on the side where I can be helpful anyway I can."
After completing school, Mejia wants to go into and eventually work in the cosmetology field.
"I want to go into cosmetology. I like to make people feel better rather than be around people who aren't in the right place and who are going through hard times."
Being told that they couldn't play the sport they grew up loving was the harsh reality to these seniors, until the NCAA made their final ruling.
As an athlete, I want to play until I know I can't play the game at the level it should be played and not have it end so suddenly without any other thought. We know it's time to quit when the time feels right, so luckily these seniors get that chance to end their college sports career on their own terms.
For Mejia, her mind was set for this to be her final season. It may not have been the way she wanted it to end, but she knew how she wanted to finish. Her passion to serve her community in the medical field was calling and it was an opportunity she couldn't pass up.
While Mejia has already made her last "Onward to Victory," the other seniors still have one more chance to fully embrace their life as an ASU Sun Devil student athlete.