The seventh annual Trinity Athletics Giving (TAG) Week smashed the record for the number of donors, with 2,518 people—123 percent of the donor goal—saying “yes” to supporting Bantam athletics.
Each team took notice of the monumental backing of alumni, families, and friends by writing personal letters of gratitude.
“The unwavering support from our alumni, family, and friends has propelled men’s rowing at Trinity to unprecedented heights,” wrote Cooper Lee ’25. “Your contributions . . . have . . . demonstrated the strength and commitment of our incredible community.”
TAG Week raised nearly $1.2 million, with every dollar helping the College and its coaches purchase new equipment, supporting career programming and recruitment, and funding team travel to competitions.
Thomas Chalfant ’27, who plays on the men’s golf team, said he found inspiration from the community of Bantams, enough to forecast his own support of the athletics program when he is an alumnus. “I love when I wear my Trinity gear away from campus and people come up to me saying they went there or had a son or daughter who went there and how much they loved Trinity,” he said. “It reminds me of the everlasting effect the school has. I know 20 years from now I will still follow the golf program and hopefully be fortunate enough to support them.”
Nineteen of 23 teams met or exceeded their goals of the number of donors, with women’s rowing reaching far above goal—358 percent, in fact—with 344 individuals offering support.
Allie Newman ’26 reflected on the support she’s felt from the alumni network. “No other Division III rowing program can match the incredible opportunities we’ve had, nor the active and engaged alumnae network that continues to support us,” she said. “We feel your impact every single day, knowing that hundreds of supporters have our backs and are cheering us on. This sense of connection and tradition is what makes our team so extraordinary.”
Women’s tennis player Naisha Rathi ’27 wrote, “With your donation, you are not only supporting the Trinity College women’s tennis team, but you are investing in the futures of young women, helping shape the leaders they will become long after leaving Trinity.”
Hannah Marzo ’25 of the women’s basketball team echoed Rathi’s note with her own, thanking donors “for being such a large part of our success story that we are actively writing. Thank you for giving us the gift of something that is so much bigger than basketball.”
Head women’s basketball coach Maria Williamson said she is proud of the unprecedented success the women’s basketball program had during TAG Week. “Our team played a huge role in this as they created videos for social media throughout the week, keeping everyone entertained and engaged,” she said. “In addition, our families, friends, and alums really bought into our strategy to break records and compete. Our success will continue to help our program grow our student-athlete experience and compete for championships.”
“Contributions from alumni, families, and friends over the years have supported teams in providing an enriching student-athlete experience,” said Kristen Noone, interim athletic director.
From the electric atmosphere of the 2024 NCAA Division III men’s basketball Sweet 16 and Elite Eight matchups at Stan Ogrodnik Court in Oosting Gymnasium to the thrilling championship game at the 2024 NCAA DIII men’s ice hockey tournament at the Albert Creighton Williams ’64 Rink in the Koeppel Community Sports Center, Trinity’s teams continue to break records. Last year, Trinity student-athletes also placed fourth in the NCAA women’s rowing championship and the brought home the College Squash Association’s women’s national championship.
Across teams, student-athletes wrote about the impact of the support from the Trinity community. “Your support has a direct impact on our capacity to practice, compete, and represent Trinity College,” said men’s ice hockey player Devon Bobak ’26. “Your commitment inspires us to push harder and embrace the values of teamwork and sportsmanship that define Trinity College.”
