The Claremont Colleges approach their athletics programs in a unique way: by splitting them into two, thus forming the “Sixth Street Rivalry” after the narrow road that divides CMS (Claremont-Mudd-Scripps) and Pomona College (Pitzer shares their athletics with Pomona to form Pomona-Pitzer, but happens to be on the same side as CMS). CMS Athletics is one of the most dominant Division III programs on the West Coast, having most recently defended their national women’s tennis title whilst ranking highly weekly for nearly every sport out of the 21 offered. The men’s teams play under the Stags mascot, while the women’s teams are known as the Athenas.
The Athenas and Stags train primarily at Claremont McKenna’s campus, where facilities like Roberts Pavilion, Axelrod Pool, Pritzlaff Field, etc. act as the “home” location for competitive matches. Non-varsity athletes also have access to these spaces, as Roberts Pavilion serves as a gym and recreational space for all CMS students, hosting group fitness classes, intramurals, and club sports. CMS Recreation offers a variety of intramurals every semester, from inner tube water polo to dodgeball to cornhole; they also have trivia every Thursday (which I co-host with another Scripps junior)! Opened in 2016, Roberts boasts 144,000 square footage across three levels, with large exercise rooms on the first floor along with a two-story fitness studio that boasts a view of the San Gabriel mountains.
The Tiernan Field House is the Scripps gym and proudly demonstrates a commitment to emphasizing emotional wellness in addition to physical fitness. Tiernan hosts weekly events- Mindfulness Mondays, Destress Tuesdays/Thursdays, SRH (Sexual/Reproductive Health) Wednesdays, and Feel Good Fridays- in order to prioritize the mental well-being of students, as well as provide an educational, safe space for the community to come together. The Field House also oversees the Scripps Green Bike Program, which “collects and repairs unwanted bikes and rents them to Scripps students, faculty, and staff”, according to the Field House bike policy. Tiernan is also home to the Scripps pool, a resort-like oasis that serves as a retreat on sunny days.
The Ronald and Maxine Linde Activities Center (LAC) is the wellness and physical hub at Harvey Mudd’s campus. The LAC is outfitted with a gymnasium, aerobics room, weight room, computer lab, lounge, and game room. Students can also check out bikes here, as well as other equipment, whether for sports, camping, etc.
With so many options to choose from, students will always have spaces to get active, whether it be at the gyms mentioned above, the many basketball and tennis courts, the beach volleyball court at Scripps, or simply by traversing through the one square mile that encapsulates the 5 colleges!