CARMEL, Ind. – The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC), in partnership with its 10 member institutions, is working to honor those spring sport senior student-athletes whose seasons were cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Each week this spring, the HCAC will showcase one of its member schools, honoring those graduating student-athletes.
Earlham College has an outstanding group of women's track and field seniors whom the HCAC and the Quakers would like to recognize.
Shabnam Fayyaz
(Cincinnati, Ohio / Summit Country Day)
Immediate Family:
Ghulam Sarwar Fayyaz (father); Roqia (mother); Ali, Jamal, Jalal, and Kanishka (brothers); Parwana, Gohar, Shamama, and Azada (sisters)
Major: Peace & Global Studies
Career Results
Career Highlights: 2020 Christopher M. Ragsdale Sportsmanship Team selection for indoor track & field… top Earlham finisher at 2019 HCAC Cross Country Championship… finished 10th in 3000m (12:16.80) at 2020 RHIT Engineer Invitational
Favorite Memory of Earlham Women's Track & Field:
The feeling of being part of a team and the support and encouragement of my teammates and coaches are memories I will always cherish. Perhaps my most special memory was created on our last day of practice, unexpected because of COVID 19. We went for our last run as a team. It was raining and we stopped near a stream and shared our thoughts and feelings about each other. It was a special way to end our season.
Personal Message:
First, I want to thank Earlham. I have learned experienced and grown so much over the past 4 years. Earlham offered me a place to grow intellectually, but it also made me part of a community formed around the qualities of kindness, respect, friendship, and integrity. I have made great friends, who I know will be with me for life.
I thank my professor and academic advisor, Ahmed Khanani, who guided my academic studies but also was interested in my progress as a runner.
I thank my coaches, first Rob and Claire, and now Derick and Emily, for encouraging me and most importantly for believing in me as I developed into a competitive runner. Coaches Derick and Emily brought out the best in me this past year, my senior year.
I thank my teammates. I hope we stay in touch. As a graduating senior, I look forward to following your progress. I have seen so much potential in each member of this team.
Head Coach Emily Lawrence's Comment:
Shabnam is the type of student-athlete you wish you could have 10 of on the team. She is the athlete who puts in the work, the extra work in the mornings on her own and seeks more info on how to improve. She is the quiet type, but I know her teammates respect her greatly for her silent leadership qualities. She proved hard work and the simple grind of running can pay off.
Joyce Li
(Tianjin, China / Lustre Christian High School)
Immediate Family:
Hongbiao Li (father), Wei Zhao (mother)
Major: Chemistry
Career Results
Career Highlights: Posted a time of 6:23.61 in mile run at 2020 DePauw Indoor Invitational
Favorite Memory of Earlham Women's Track & Field:
Sophomore year, we had a cross-country meet in New Jersey. Many people PR-ed. We also visited Philly on our way back. This trip created many strong bonds between my teammates and me.
Personal message:
I'm glad to be back on the team during my senior and get to know many new teammates and coaches. It has made my senior year a lot more fun. Special thanks to Shabnam who encouraged me to come back and run!
Head Coach Emily Lawrence's Comment:
Joyce had a great senior indoor track season this year. She was a dedicated team member who came to practice every day, worked hard and put in the time. She was able to see many great improvements this season because of her commitment to her running including a PR in the mile.
Summia Tora
(Kabul, Afghanistan / UWC New Mexico)
Immediate Family:
Major: Economics and Peace & Global Studies
Career Results
Career Highlights: Ran a 40.03 in the 200m during her freshman season… posted a time of 1:40.44 in the 400m and finished 19th overall at the 2020 HCAC Indoor T&F Championships.
Favorite Memory of Earlham Women's Track & Field:
My favorite memory of being on track and field is my first meet in my freshman year, where I raced for the first time in the 60m dash. All my teammates and my coaches cheered for me as I ran my first race, and it felt like I could do anything at that time!
Head Coach Emily Lawrence's Comment:
Summia always came to practice with a smile on her face and the will to work hard. She was willing to put in the hard work necessary to transition to a distance runner. I know her teammates enjoyed her hard work and positive attitude!
Raven McCree
(Beavercreek, Ohio / Beavercreek)
Immediate Family:
Lillian and Yuanthony (parents); Corrie, Aaron, and Tabitha (siblings)
Major: Biology
Career Results
Career Highlights: Posted an 8.85 in the 60m dash at the 2020 DePauw Indoor Invitational, along with a mark of 8.47m (27-9 1/2) in the shot put… was 15th in the shot put (8.02m/26-3 ¾) at the 2020 HCAC indoor meet.
Favorite Memory of Earlham Women's Track & Field:
As a dual-sport athlete I have so many great memories from my athletic time here at Earlham. My favorite track memory would be winning the Indiana D3 championship my sophomore year where we beat Manchester by four points! The excitement and energy we had during this meet were unmatched!
Personal message:
I want to thank all the staff from the Earlham College athletics department. I was the person that would spend all their free time in the coaches' hallway getting to know everybody. So many of the coaches at Earlham treated me with so much respect and as if I was a part of their teams. I especially want to thank my coaches Emily, Derek, and Nate for putting up with me and my friends, even though it was only for a season. I'm excited to see the growth of not only the Earlham track and field and women's soccer programs but Earlham Athletics as a whole. I especially want to say thank you to the best athletic training staff especially Bill Kinsey and Theresa; you guys have put up with me for four years and I've not been an easy one, but I am glad I was able to keep you on your toes for the past four years. Also a big shout out to Pete, because he entertained my shenanigans every photo shoot and made sure to pick up my best photos for promos! Thank you, Earlham, for helping me grow into the person I am today!
Head Coach Emily Lawrence's Comment:
Raven was the first member of the team we met here at Earlham. Every day at practice or on meet day, she was always excited, enthusiastic, and brought a positive attitude to the team. She was a great leader on and off the track and was great at rallying the team together to cheer at meets. Her enthusiasm for the sport and for Earlham was exciting to see every day.
