Open-water fishing doesn’t begin until April 1 in Maine, but that didn’t stop four Bobcat lacrosse seniors from angling for a fishing-inspired sportrait last winter that pays tribute to one of their favorite ways to spend time together.
Before their seasons start, Bates student-athletes step in front of the camera on media day for standard head-and-shoulder portraits. When that’s done, they have time to create playful, metaphor-rich images that showcase their team spirit, personal interests, and Bates friendships.
This spring, we saw recreations, imitations, and invocations of famous paintings, rock ’n’ roll, Maine pride, juggling, and more. Here are 13 of our favorite spring sportraits — each one casting a line between sport and self.
Connected Cats
The friendship between sophomores Sienna Pietrasiewicz ’27 of Norton, Mass., and Isabella Albro ’27 of New York City extends far beyond the softball diamond.
“We are always connected, even when we are not on campus together,” Pietrasiewicz says. “Bella’s the first person I text or call when anything happens in my life — good or bad.”
Whether in cleats or cozied up at home as Bates roommates, the two spend hours chatting, laughing, and leaning on each other through the highs and lows of the season — and of life. “I know she’ll always have my back,” Pietrasiewicz says. “And I’ll always have hers.”
Oar Values
Merrill Doherty ‘26 of Hanover, N.H., and Olivia Smith ’26 of Lafayette, Ind., channeled the solemn faces and upright posture of the figures in Grant Wood’s iconic American Gothic — but with an oar instead of a pitchfork, and with a wink toward the grit that typifies Bates rowers.
A lifelong Hoosier, Smith says she was drawn to the painting’s Midwestern themes of hard work and community — values that echo on the team and in her friendship with Doherty.
“Our interpretation is a tribute to the values that unite our different backgrounds,” she says. “On the team we say that there are many routes up a mountain. They all include community and good old-fashioned hard work — but with an oar rather than a pitchfork.”
The two first met as first-year walk-ons, complete rowing novices. They bonded through early-morning practices, a dizzying glossary of rowing terms, and the steep learning curve of a new sport. What began on the water has become a deep friendship built on shared growth, trust, and a sense of humor.
Their assistant coach, Catie Flynn, helped bring the final vision together. But the chemistry? That’s all theirs.
As Maine Goes
The original Maine flag is unmistakable — the pine tree, the lone star, the simplicity.
And though a statewide vote last fall failed to re-adopt the historical design, the old flag has fervent fans, including these four baseball players from Maine.
“I think it’s fair to say we all prefer the old Maine flag to the colonial one,” says Gibby Sullivan. “We all feel pride in being from the state. There’s a special bond I feel with every Mainer I meet that has gone to Bates.”
There’s more than a shared area code binding this group. They’re all from Cumberland County towns: Swift and Sullivan from Yarmouth; Carlisle and Hobbs from South Portland.
Swift and Sullivan “have always been friends,” says Sullivan. “We were Little League all-stars together before playing together at Yarmouth High School.”
Hobbs and Sullivan, meanwhile, played travel ball together since they were pre-teens. “I’ve known Hobbs longer than anyone else here at Bates.”
And Carlisle? “We met on the beach in Scarborough during my senior year of high school,” Sullivan explains. “I told him I was heading to Bates, and he said he’d love to play there one day. Funny how it all worked out.”
Battle of the Bands
Outfielders and teammates Grace Householter ’25 of Manhattan Beach, Calif., Sophie Garber ’26 of Wellesley, Mass., and Maya Lee ’27 of Wayland, Mass., brought rock ’n’ roll energy to their spring sportrait.
The trio channeled shared experience as outfielders into a coordinated pose that ended with Garber sliding into the frame “like a rockstar,” says Householter.
In Garber’s first year at Bates, she and Householter were paired as “sisters” in the team’s returner–first-year mentorship tradition. “And all three of us play outfield together — the best positions! — so we obviously had to take a picture together,” says Householter. “We always try to make our sportraits super fun. They’re a chance to show who we are as a team: always full of energy.”
Friendship also hit a high note for these women’s lacrosse juniors, from left, Clare McGeever of Berlin, Conn., Amanda Edge of Washington, D.C., and Lauren Wong of Walpole, Mass.
“Amanda loves to sing, so it just made sense for her to take on that role,” says McGeever. “We all sing a lot when we are together — we joke about forming an a cappella group.”
The sportrait allows their off-the-pitch (but not off-pitch!) selves to shine. “Bates allows us to explore different aspects of who we are,” says Edge. “As varsity athletes, we’re still able to pursue other interests, like music.” McGeever and Edge have sung in the college choir; Edge takes piano lessons, and Wong plays as well.
Balls in Play
What started as a way to connect with a young child turned into an unexpected skill for Ben Miller ’25 of Scarsdale, N.Y.
Two years ago, he learned to juggle while working at a pediatric physical therapy clinic. “Some of the patients needed some distraction while getting treatment, and one patient loved to juggle, so I decided to learn.”
That same lighthearted spirit showed up during some downtime during the men’s lacrosse sportrait session, when Ben spotted a trio of brightly colored lacrosse balls and decided to put his skills to the test. “I thought it would be a cool photo.”
Coast to Coast
Lacrosse seniors Javi Werner and Cooper Lance channeled Nacho Libre energy and perhaps a bit of East Coast–West Coast. Werner is from Brookline, Mass., while Lance is from San Diego, Calif.
“Javi and I have been good friends since freshman year,” says Lance. “We recently dressed up as Nacho Libre characters for Halloween, so we thought it was only fitting to continue that for our sportrait.”
It’s Glow Time
These three juniors are roommates, teammates, and friends who enjoy “getting ready together” for all things in life, says Zoe Schaedle of Philadelphia — whether for a night out, class, or a preseason sportrait.
“We came up with the idea on a whim,” says Raegan White of Duxbury, Mass. “I had brought makeup to the shoot, and when I pulled it out, we just thought, ‘Let’s pose with it.’”
While makeup isn’t part of their game-day routine, feeling positive and confident is. “We definitely believe that you play how you feel,” says White, “We always support whatever makes each other feel good before a game.”
Hot Bats
The sophomores on this year’s baseball team are “best friends,” says Keagan Ryan ’27 of Salem, N.H., “so we decided to try to be creative during sportraits this year.”
The campfire suggests the video game Fortnite that “we have all played,” explains Ryan. The bats represents the flaming logs, and the gloves are rocks.
The scene of the sophomores surrounding a campfire captures how “we are a very close class and have all worked very hard to get where we are. We are all grateful that Bates has allowed us to create these lifelong friendships.”
From left, Kenny Carlisle of South Portland, Maine, Luke Yoon of Honolulu, Hawaii, Theo Zacharia of Manhasset, N.Y., Henry Kolani of Tarrytown, N.Y., Tyler Canna of Rye, N.Y., Keagan Ryan of Salem, N.H., Nolan Hobbs of South Portland, Maine, and Henry Prince of McLean, Va.
Here Come the Sophs
These four sophomore softball players came together to pay homage to the Beatles’ Abbey Road, released 56 years ago this September.
“We all listen to the Beatles, and we are definitely influenced by our parents’ music tastes,” says Emily Kennedy of East Hampton, N.Y., who counts “Martha My Dear,” “There’s a Place,” “Rocky Raccoon,” “I Will,” “Norwegian Wood,” and “Good Night” among their favorites.
In the iconic album cover, Paul McCartney holds a cigarette and is famously barefoot. For these softball players, “we made sure we included the four softball essentials: an outfield glove, a ball, a bat, and an infield glove,” Kennedy says.
“We are super close, we support each other, and we have fun on and off the field. I don’t know who I would be without them.”
Lacrossing the Delaware
Emanuel Leutze’s painting Washington Crossing the Delaware presents a compelling metaphor — teamwork, leadership, shared purpose — for Bobcats looking to create an all-in sportrait.
Last season brought us the first-year swimmers recreating the painting; this spring, the juniors on the women’s lacrosse team took their turn. “We feel that it represents us as a strong, powerful unit,” says Clare McGeever ‘26 of Berlin, Conn.
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Brewster Burns for Bates College
Cleverly, they had their Bates flag appear to flap in the wind by having a teammate, Lindy Child ’27 of Bethesda, Md., hold the flag up, just out of the frame.
To play Washington, they turned to Raegan White ‘26 of Duxbury, Mass., taking advantage of the goalie’s helmet and gloves “to make her stick out and distinguish her as our own commander-in-chief.”
In fact, it was White who shared the idea in the team’s grade group chat. “Everyone was on-board, literally!” says McGeever.
“We really love each other and the team so much,” she adds. “We have so much fun playing lacrosse with each other and have grown close over the years. We are entering our senior year with the same crew since our freshman year, and we wouldn’t change it for anything.”
Bass Bros
These four senior friends love lacrosse and they love bass fishing. But it was a last-minute call to put the two together for a sportrait, says Colton Curtis ’25 of Charlotte, N.C. “You’d think after 4 years we’d have more ideas, but using the fishing rod as a prop was definitely a last-minute decision.”
“Fishing with each other and our teammates is one of my favorite ways to relax,” he adds. “Living so close to the Androscoggin River and other bass-filled lakes and ponds has definitely been one of my favorite parts about Bates.”
Curtis has been fishing since he was a little kid. “Being from North Carolina, it’s just one of those things that I seemed to always end up doing with my dad and friends. Quinn’s dad is also an avid fisherman, so it’s definitely something we all enjoy.”
The image is more accurate than you’d think. “I had a jig tied on with a real hook that we put into an orange, which Ben bit into,” Curtis explains. “It was pretty funny trying to figure out how we could rig it up so Ben could bite into it and we could get the rod to flex but not actually hook him.”
Oarigin Story
Another popular spoof for Bobcats is Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam, which a few rowers took on this year.
In this re-creation, Nate Oh ’28 of New York City, plays the role of God, which makes sense since he’s a cox, but there were other practical considerations. “Small guys cannot hold the big guys, so we went from there,” he says — which is also how a big guy, Mason Choiniere Barr ‘28 of Longmeadow, Mass., became recumbent, as Adam.
Oh showered praise on his teammates. “Sam Williams is an absolute unit and a great friend. He always brings a smile to the team’s face.” Van Loo, a captain, “is a stud who leads by example and has a great presence on the team.”
And Choiniere Barr is “a dirty bowman who will set the boat despite the immense pain he endures,” says Oh. (Translation: He’s a tough rower at the front who keeps the boat balanced and steady.)
Meanwhile, Oh has a lot of face time with Davalos, who rows “stroke seat,” closest to the cox, setting the rhythm for the rest of the crew and literally face to face with the cox. “Through countless hours of grueling practices, we got to know each other.”
