New mascot unveiled
The cheer team ‘chomps’ alongside Chompers after the mascot reveal following the women’s basketball game against Ohio Wesleyan University.
The Allegheny community welcomed the new and improved Chompers between the men’s and women’s basketball games this past weekend on Saturday, Feb. 14. The unveiling followed a loss from the women’s team to Ohio Wesleyan 58-56 and a celebration of the women’s seniors, Kendall Hoffman and Marina Scarantino.
A week-long polling campaign in the first week of December by the athletic and communications departments allowed students, community members and alumni to vote on four different gators: gold, blue, bright green or dark green. More than 5,000 votes from around the world were counted for Chompers’ makeover.
Immediately following the women’s basketball game, a dark green Chompers stormed into the Wise Center welcomed by the Allegheny community. Before the men’s game began, students, faculty and Allegheny’s president, James Mullen, lined up to get photos with Chompers.
“I’m glad that they kept him green,” said Jackie Rivers, ’17. “I voted for him to be that color. He is very energetic and the crowd loved him especially when he was doing the comp chant with his hand.”
Rivers was not the only person relieved to have chompers be dark green.
“It’s nice to see Chompers dark green,” said Andrew Sestina, ’16. “I can see he has been using the new Gator weight room. Its nice to see that he has buffed up.”
Directly after the reveal of Chompers, the men’s basketball team recognized seniors Josh Valentic, Gabe Seidman and Leslie Jamerson. for senior weekend. Valentic played for the Gators for three years and scored a total of 845 points in his college career while Seidman played for four seasons, missing one because of injury, and mounted a total of 226 points. Jamerson, his senior season being his only season as a Gator, posted 23 points.
The men’s team warmed up following the mascot celebration to take on Ohio Wesleyan, the top ranked men’s team in the conference and ranked 17 nationally. In the beginning of the first quarter the Gators and the Bishops exchanged three’s, however unable to keep up, the Gators soon fell behind Ohio Wesleyan. The Bishops had an advantage going into the second half leaving the Gators trailing behind.
Despite four of the Gators’ five starters in double figures, the Gators could not keep up with the first half 50 percent field goal percentage of OWU and the 12 point deficit going into the second half.
During halftime of the men’s game the dance team took the court, while the cheerleaders stood courtside with new mascot in action alongside them.
Adjustments on defense allowed the Gators to hold the Battling Bishops to shoot 37 percent in the second half, but the first half deficit would prove to be too much to overcome. A large contributor to the eventual loss would be Allegheny’s inability to get to the freethrow line. OWU was 12-13 from the charity stripe, while the Gators were only 5-6.
The Gators held Wooster to 38 second half points, but lost 80-66.
