Wheaton Wire

Issue date: 5/2/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Phil Dauria '07 Barrett Roberts '07 meets Centor.

Josh Centor sensed something unique about Wheaton when he sauntered across the Dimple as part of the NCAA's Division III New England Campus Tour. "I walked up on campus during lunchtime as people were getting out of classes and there were a lot of people saying hi to one another. It's a really familial atmosphere."

Centor, the NCAA coordinator of new media communications, included Wheaton as part of a-week long trek across four college campuses. Also frequenting Babson, Wellesley, and Brandeis University (his alma mater), he explored the unique aspects of the individual institutions as well as the common successes of the division III athletic experience.

Some people don't understand division III," Centor explains passionately. "But then you have people like Chris Denorfia (current Cincinnati Reds outfielder) coming out of Wheaton and pro players coming out of Brandeis."

Centor remembers his college days playing division III baseball with Brandeis as an integral part of his own personal development. "Playing baseball is something that's supposed to enhance your college experience and in my case it did. A lot of my learning took place on the field."

Professional sports has ballooned into such a single-minded industry that college sports, and particularly division III programs, represent the last refuge for athletes who seek to be well rounded. In a division III setting, academics are truly valued. "Our kids (division III athletes) are getting the job done on the field and in the classroom," Centor proclaims. "Student athletes, across the NCAA, actually graduate at a higher rate than folks in the regular student body."

So what of the Wheaton athletes? Are our campus sports stars worthy of the plush lawns and cushy familial atmosphere that Centor raves about? For Centor they exude Wheaton's special flavor more than anything else. "These are the kids that go to practice every single day, then go to class and excel in the classroom."

Swimming standout Barrett Roberts ranked particularly high among the athletes Centor talked with. "Barrett is an All American swimmer, but also, his grades are through the roof!" he says ecstatically. "He's so disciplined. People need to know about student athletes like him on a national level."

Centor also stressed the unique drive of sophomore track and field star Chizoba Ezeigwe who has already accrued NEWMAC Rookie of the Year and All Conference honors. "Chizoba is just unbelievable," Centor says. "She's only a sophomore and she's an aspiring Olympian. That's what her goal is. I think people need to know that."

With his tour complete, Centor remains convinced of the importance of division III athletics, and particularly, of the unique charm of Wheaton, Wellesley, Babson, and Brandeis. "They all have a different buzz about them," he says pointedly. As for Wheaton specifically, he recounts his experience with a shameless grandeur. "This (Wheaton) is a place that feels warm. It felt like a wonderful place to go to school."

Josh Centor's On the Road blog can be accessed on the Double A Zone Web page at http://www.doubleazone.com/on_the_road/.

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