“Sportraits” is a portmanteau of the words “sport” and “portrait,” and as you can see in this photo story, they’re as inventive as the word itself. They’re funtastic. Or funthusiastic?
The digital camera revolution has made it possible to carve out time during pre-season photo shoots for Bates athletes to have sportrait fun. But let’s not think that the Bobcat spirit and friendship that these images radiate is anything new.
Here’s a circa-1908 sportrait, featuring Bates classmates George French (left) and George Schumacher, posing jauntily in their class baseball uniforms. Were they good friends? You betcha.
So onward we go, from 1908 to 2024, with10 of our favorite sportraits from the fall season at Bates.
Hawaiian Pride
The volleyball team’s four players from Hawaii proudly holding up their state flag.
“Being on the team with other Hawaii girls has been a big part of why I decided to come to Bates,” says Skye Higashihara ’28 (second from left) of Honolulu. “It is nice knowing that if I’m ever feeling homesick, I can talk to them because they have probably gone through the same feelings. Being from Hawaii has also played a lot into the team chemistry.”
From left, Ami Evans ‘26 of Honolulu, Higashihara, Logan Yogi ‘27 of Kaneohe, and Ellie Asada ‘26 of Honolulu represent their home in this Sportrait.
Headers and Hoops
“We thought it would be fun to have a basketball scene as one of our photos since it’s another sport we all enjoy playing,” explains Wilson Smith ’26 (left) of Seattle, Wash.
“All four of us are very close and have lived together last year and this semester, and we’re grateful for how we’ve met through the soccer team and Bates athletics.”
From left, Smith and fellow juniors Sebastian Iacovitti of Florence, Italy, Mauro Kalaora of Istanbul, Turkey, and David Ortiz of Wake Forest, N.C.
A Sophisticated Pun
Sophomores Sophie O’Sullivan (left) of Wellesley, Mass., and Sophie Jullienne ’27 of Hong Kong grin as they hold up their hands, with “SOPH” written across their palms.
The silly photo “captures our shared moment perfectly,” says Jullienne.
“It’s special and ironic that our nickname and the nickname for sophomores is the same. So why not capture this temporary moment to show our camaraderie in the sport we love most?”
Getting, and Giving, a Lift
“Since coming to Bates, Ryan has been like a brother,” says John Antolik ‘27, an offensive lineman from Phoenix, Ariz., lifting up fellow sophomore Ryan Lynskey, a running back from Cranford, N.J.
“This picture encapsulates the last two years we’ve shared at Bates. I’ve made countless great memories playing through the season and pushing hard in the off-season, and we’re always thrilled for each other’s successes on and off the field.”
Lynskey adds, “John is like a brother to me, and I couldn’t ask for a better friend. This picture really captures our friendship, and I can’t imagine being at Bates without him.”
The photo also symbolizes the way that Antolik and the Bates offensive line, which was twice selected to D3football.com’s “Team of the Week” this year, helped to lift the Bobcat offense. Versus Bowdoin, for example, the line’s blocking helped Lynskey to 344 rushing yards, breaking Bates and NESCAC records for rushing yards in a game.
Joining the Club
This moment is a play on the iconic shot of tour players snapping their clubs — but with a new meaning. “This time it’s not about anger,” says Madeline Cournoyer ’27 (left) of Narragansett, R.I “It’s about pride for each other, our team, and our friendship.”
With Cournoyer are fellow sophomores Mehar Nijjer (center) of Chandigarh, India, and Tory Adams (right) of Winchester, Mass.
Stocks and Bonding
These swift cross country runners are keen on careers in the equally fast-paced world of finance, so out came laptops and phones for this sportrait.
From left, Cam Stathos ‘25, an economics major from Wellesley Hills, Mass, Aidan Rooney ’25, a history major from Bay Shore N.Y., and Ross Tejeda ‘26, an English and economics double major from Milton Mass.
Each has had finance-flavored summer internships, with Rooney passing his Securities Industry Essentials exam, which tests securities and tradition basics, and Stathos and Tejeda are members of the Bates Investment Club.
The club actively identifies and pitches stocks for the club’s portfolio. Managing around $200,000, the club gives students hands-on experience in investment strategy and portfolio management.
Hooked on Field Hockey
Field hockey players and junior classmates Eva Boucher of Boston and Brooke Moloney-Kolenberg of Winchester, Mass., decided on a fishing-themed sportrait.
But there’s a catch: “Honestly, I’m not really sure how we thought of it!” says Moloney-Kolenberg.
“Eva and I have been friends the past two and a half years at Bates and also get to hang out during the summer and breaks because we live so close. We were both really happy about how this fun picture turned out!”
Kick Pics
With Ollie Schiff Stein ’27 of Brooklyn, N.Y., handling the disposable camera, his fellow sophomores pose for a post-game win photo.
As for the photo that Ollie took? He reports that the film hasn’t been developed yet.
Pining for Pineland
Seniors on the women’s cross country team paid tribute to their beloved home course, Pineland Farms, a sustainable nonprofit working farm in Gray.
At Pineland, workouts might end with a visit to see baby calves and a stop at the farm’s market for a bottle of chocolate milk from Smiling Hill, another sustainable Maine farm.
“We love Pineland!” says co-captain Lily Miller ’25, standing at left, of Claremont, Calif.
United Force
“Our class consists of one goalkeeper and the rest are field players,” says a forceful Samantha Bunar ’26 (left) of Harwich, Mass.
“We thought the different-colored uniforms would perfectly fit the Star Wars vision we had.”
With Bunar are, from left, fellow juniors Kylie Musante of Brentwood, Tenn., Olivia Faucera of Portland, Ore., Nadia Schwartz of Portland, Ore., Tess Griffith of Londonderry, N.H. Sitting is Gabby Monaco of Gibsonia, Pa.
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