Ainsley Shelsta
Following a 72-54 win against the University of La Verne Saturday Jan. 27, women’s basketball team center Ainsley Shelsta (sophomore) said that she’s confident in her team’s ability to make it to the post-season tournament, despite a previous loss to La Verne earlier in the season. Shelsta said that the game was very close but she came away having earned 11 points and 10 rebounds.
“We are kind of killing it,” Shelsta said. “All the teams that are at the top right now we’ve either won [against] or taken to really close games; we can definitely make it to the tournament and hopefully even win.”
Shelsta, now in her second year on the team, said she’s been playing basketball since fourth grade but hadn’t heard of Occidental until a scouting coach suggested she come for a visit.
“I got the vibe that this school was a really good academic school, but also a school that supported its athletes,” Shelsta said. “At a lot of other schools, it didn’t seem like the team was as close… within the women’s basketball team itself, it’s kind of like our own family.”
According to Shelta’s teammate and fellow starter, Dominique Cabading (sophomore), athletes like Shelsta have quickly grown into leadership roles within the team.
“Ainsley’s a big leader when she speaks up and talks about certain things on the court,” Cabading said. “We all care about each other and being those leaders on the court, we want everyone to contribute and do well.”
Both Shelsta and Cabading said that the team really felt like a family, both on and off the court, a camaraderie that has largely contributed to their performance this season.
“There’s this big, positive vibe around all the athletics and within the women’s basketball team itself… It’s like my second home here,” Shelsta said. “You can tell that we really are a team, that we have each other’s backs.”
Cabading agreed and said that even when they’re eating lunch together, there is a strong sense of team spirit.
“A lot of our chemistry stems from us caring about each other outside of the court,” Cabading said. “On the court of course we’re going to fight for each other. We want to win the game but a lot of that has to come from ‘do I care for you as a person?’ or ‘do I care about you as a teammate?’ and I think that a lot of us care about each other as people and family is built in.”
While she said she is confident in their performance in this season so far, Shelsta also said that she doesn’t want to call it too soon.
“We are really trying to take it game by game,” Shelsta sad. “Even some of us will start talking about the conference tournament and everyone’s like, ‘Let’s just focus on beating Chapman tonight and then once Chapman’s done let’s focus on beating Whittier on Saturday.’”
Oxy women’s basketball team is set to play Cal Lutheran University Wednesday Feb. 7.
Lou Martineau
In their first game of the 2024 exhibition, Lou Martineau (sophomore) helped Occidental’s men’s baseball team beat Biola 13-10, scoring a total of three runs to secure the victory. According to Martineau, it was a strong start compared to a poor season last year.
“It was amazing to get that first win in on our first game,” Martineau said. “I think it was a testament to our hard work in the fall and it was really cool to see it come together, especially for the freshmen and newcomers who haven’t been a part of it yet.”
Teammate Christian Martinez (freshman) agreed and said that it was a great start to his first year on the team.
“I’m feeling great. It was good to come in for my first year and build a bond with my new squad and get a win for our first game in the season,” Martinez said. “Lou is a good leader. Definitely an impact role player on the team.”
The Tigers also begin their 2023 campaign against Biola, losing 7-10. The team would finish the 2023 season with a 5-35 record. According to Martineau, this victory is a sign of good things to come.
“I didn’t really know what to expect in that first game of the season. We haven’t really played anybody but ourselves in scrimmages, so it was cool.” Martineau said. “I was going into it with an open mind. Just go out there and get some good groundwork for the season.”
According to Martineau, he got into baseball as a way to bond with his dad and said he was scouted at a high school baseball showcase event, first visiting the campus in the spring of 2021. He said he thought the campus was beautiful, he loved LA, and the rest is history.
“I didn’t even know. I didn’t even realize. I was like, ‘huh, what is this?‘ I’d never heard of Occidental in my life,” Martineau said. “That’s kind of how it came about.”
While Martineau and Martinez said they are excited by this win, Martineau said he is not trying to let it get to him and is keeping performance at the forefront of his mind.
According to Martineau, the season to come will require the team to stay even-keeled in order to perform at their best.
“We practice six days a week, but I think more so than that, keeping our demeanor, attitude, keeping a level head [are important to keep winning],” Martineau said. “[We’re] not trying to get too high because of this one win [and] not trying to get too low on a loss.”
As for changes, Martineau said that incoming freshmen like Martinez have brought a new attitude to the team and have been really key contributors.
“I was there last year, I went through the lows, but hopefully this year me and others can lead through the highs,” Martineau said.
Martineau and the team have gone on to win the next two games of the season, beating Providence Christian College in a double header Saturday Feb. 3rd.
Will White can be contacted at wwhite@oxy.edu
