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Review

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Review

The Final Grade

1up

1-Up Mushroom for…
Consistently gorgeous and varied visuals; Joe’s moveset feels great; Tasteful fanservice

1up

Poison Mushroom for…
Metroidvania structure gets in the way; Enemies can’t provide much of a challenge; Not much here for a Shinobi veteran

For generations, Sonic the Hedgehog has been synonymous with SEGA’s brand, but he wasn’t always the top dog (top hog?). SEGA’s first attempt at a console mascot was the simultaneously elfin and chubby Alex Kidd. Alex had trouble finding a mechanical identity. In one game, he’s playing Rock, Paper, Scissors with bosses instead of fighting them, in another he’s just BMX racing, in a third he’s navigating giant houses, and in a fourth he’s just a ninja. That last one, Alex Kidd in Shinobi World, was an acknowledgement that nobody really wanted Alex Kidd games anymore and that the torch had been passed to a new contender: Joe Musashi of the Shinobi series.

Joe Musashi has himself long since passed the torch and passed out of mainstream cultural relevance, but SEGA’s been in a nostalgic mood as of late. Lizardcube, the French developer who previously turned out a well-regarded sequel to a SEGA classic with Streets of Rage 4, is back to hopefully continue its hot streak with Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, a successor to the series’ golden era on Genesis.

While there were mechanical changes from one classic Shinobi game to the next, there was also a great deal of shared identity across the set, culminating in the Genesis swan song and definitive Shinobi title, Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master. Ever since, when people have described other games as “like Shinobi” (e.g. Hagane, Ganryu II, or Vengeful Guardian Moonrider), they have meant Shinobi III specifically.

Aside from the obvious ninja aesthetics and story/character concepts, the signatures of the Shinobi series include:

  • Linear stages with aggressive and obstructing enemies that make the player fight for progress one foot at a time, with time pressure forcing the player to actually engage with that challenge
  • A high-commitment moveset where every option has both upsides and downsides and the player can’t just wing it or style on enemies like they’re sandbags
  • Ranged combat as the default option or at least an equal partner to melee combat
  • Persistent resource management (for kunai, ninpo, extra lives, and HP), with decisions and player performance in one stage affecting the player’s options in the next

An obvious question to ask, then, is how Art of Vengeance follows on from Shinobi III mechanically. So let’s ask it: how does Art of Vengeance fit into this legacy?

Joe Musashi in Metroidvania World

Lizardcube has given us a game with:

  • Sprawling stages with relatively few enemies outside of dedicated combat arenas, with branching paths and keys/locks that necessitate running around and backtracking
  • A gratuitously powerful moveset that includes an oppressive divekick that 90% of enemies have no counter to, plus a generous i-frame dodge, copious aerial mobility, and a parry too for good measure
  • Melee combat almost completely crowding out ranged combat
  • No meaningful resource management outside of the postgame boss rush specifically

Of course, this all makes sense from a market perspective. Neither Ganryu II nor Vengeful Guardian Moonrider make sense as templates for SEGA and Lizardcube to follow if what they’re after is mainstream success. It is a miracle that we got one major publisher’s 2D ninja game this year that managed to escape being some combination of metroidvania, roguelite, and/or soulslike. That the other is a metroidvania shouldn’t be too surprising – look at the release date blast zone created by Silksong. Metroidvanias are what the people want, so Shinobi needed to be disassembled and reassembled into a metroidvania, like Strider was a decade ago. While it might disappoint players who liked Shinobi for its gameplay more than its cool ninja aesthetics, that doesn’t mean it can’t be a good game. Is it?

Early Peaks, Late Valleys

On a first playthrough, Art of Vengeance is a very comfy ride. There’s a ton of visual and mechanical variety from one stage to the next, it’s all drop dead gorgeous, Joe’s moveset feels great in the hand, there are a ton of tasteful references for the oldheads, and the metroidvania-style stages are relatively lean by metroidvania standards, buoyed by a map screen that does a good job of delineating secrets vs the critical path.

But even on a naive “go with the flow” first playthrough, the pacing starts to suffer in the final set of stages, which significantly increase the branching and backtrack-happy stage designs that had previously been kept under control. Additionally, the game saves its worst traversal ability unlock (slow gliding) for last, and it does damage not just to the pace of the levels as a whole but to the pace of individual screens. This negates what had been a strength of Art of Vengeance’s design compared to the classic entries, which is the kinetic feeling of forward motion.

The critical path through each stage is surprisingly mellow, both in terms of platforming and combat. When the platforming gets serious, it’s in side sections that tend to be completely free of combat, and vice versa — the serious combat sections tend to have very light platforming if any. That’s unfortunate in that the game is at its best when these are more intensely mixed (e.g. combat arenas with dynamic stage hazards), but that’s surprisingly rare. Still, even without a real synthesis of the combat and the platforming, each feels good in isolation.

While the metroidvania platforming kit is pretty much an off-the-rack affair (double jump, air dash, wall jumps, anchor points to grapple-jump from, ceiling/wall-crawling, the aforementioned slow glide, a ground pound to break floors, etc.), combat warrants further discussion as it seems like it’s received more developer and audience attention than any other aspect of the game (aside from Ben Fiquet’s incomparable art direction, which to be honest is really the star of the show).

Unlike in classic Shinobi games, which give the player a combat toolkit and opponents that can easily match it, allowing Joe to either overpower his enemies or get bodied (depending on player skill), in Art of Vengeance Joe is just ridiculously overpowered and the enemies undertuned. It’s not surprising that popcorn enemies can be quickly dispatched; the role of an enemy like that (after a tutorial) is to complicate other encounters, not go toe to toe. Nor is it a problem that all of the hardier enemies telegraph their moves so clearly, but it is a problem that reacting to those telegraphs and punishing them is so easy. In the recent NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound, for example, the player’s attack opportunities are often short and the vectors by which they can approach are constrained, so there is a tension and thrill to making the most of these moments.

In Art of Vengeance, by contrast, the player can just jump or double jump to avoid damage, then mash the heavy attack button to divekick and follow up with an additional combo. This is generally enough to kill or at least stagger and juggle all but the most durable enemy. There are shielded enemies, sure, but that just requires double jumping over them (or walking through them) before the divekick. And there are rare enemies with anti-air options, yes, but those just require air dashing through their anti-air before divekicking from behind.

Nor are the wide openings the only problem; Joe’s Wind Slash Ninpo can clear out whole screens of enemies cheaply when paired with the easily obtained Wind Sculptor accessory, for example. And even if the player decides to largely duke it out on the ground, enemy telegraphs are so slow, the game constantly gives the player moments to reassess due to excessive hitstop, and Joe’s movements are so fast and easily transitioned into a dodge that at times it feels like the game has to get Joe’s permission to do damage to him.

At no point is the game unpleasant to play, but there are so many wasted opportunities. Art of Vengeance introduces an execution mechanic to the series, where an enemy that has been badly damaged but left alive can be harvested later via a teleporting assassination move. If you save up several wounded enemies to harvest at once, you get more resources from all of them. The problem, of course, is that the game never presents a challenge that makes those increased resources relevant, so the mechanic is largely a curiosity.

The most interesting thing that I saw happen with the execution mechanic across 20 hours of play was one time when I got knocked off a ledge in an arena fight and was able to use the execution move to teleport back to terra firma. Even though all that was at stake was maybe one tenth of my health bar, that was still a really cool and clutch moment.

A player with average skill with metroidvanias or other action platformers will probably manage to kill at least half of the bosses on their first attempt, which is disappointing, but it is worth saying that it feels sick as hell to divekick bosses and slash them to ribbons, even if these are the empty calories of action game design.

What About Endgame?

This is all fair as far as it goes — Lizardcube likely was aiming to prioritize power fantasy above any other considerations when designing the combat system — but it doesn’t explain why there isn’t any kind of hard mode. It’s bad enough that no hard mode is available at the outset. That’s bad practice regardless of the game, but doubly so when the game is a sequel in a series famous for being challenging. Legacy Shinobi fans are going to come to this game with their legacy skill, and they are going to roll through the villain Lord Ruse’s army as easily as Joe Musashi himself. Sincerely, that’s cute, unbalancing the game to support the cliche “how is he doing this — he’s just one man!?” story, but at minimum there should have been a hard mode unlock, something at the end of the rainbow.

What does unlock after the endgame is one superboss, a boss rush mode, and the option to play the stages in Arcade Mode for rank.

The superboss is a much-appreciated bit of Shinobi III fanservice, but the difficulty is honestly not particularly high for the effort the player has to go through to unlock it. Perhaps the upcoming DLC bosses will present more of a challenge.

The boss rush mode, honestly, is the most faithful Shinobi experience in the entire game. No cul de sacs to explore, no checkpoints to restore health, no infinite retries for each morsel of challenge. The player has to make hard decisions about where they want to save or spend their ninpo or kunai, or when it’s safe to go for another hit before dodging, given that they have to do the entire boss rush on one lifebar. For one shining combat challenge, the dynamics of classic arcade-influenced design escape the all-encompassing, creeping shadow of metroidvanias and modern “best practices.”

Finally, Arcade Mode is basically just a full replay of the stages as they were, seemingly not remixed or adjusted except that the optional Ankou Rift challenges are removed and all collectibles are replaced with crests that contribute to rank. Rank is affected by various factors like speed, number of kills, execution chain, number of crests picked up, and especially by whether the player avoids damage. The problem with this mode is that it really highlights that the stages were designed around exploration more than proper flow. It’s okay in the first couple of stages, but even by The Mountain the cracks show.

Stages are overly long and oscillate between boring corridors that the player spams the dodge roll in to dash through on the one hand, and combat arenas or platforming gauntlets on the other. It feels strangely like a farming route to grind materials in an action RPG, rather than a coherent level with a carefully designed flow. Go through the empty bit, then do a spot of real gameplay, then go through another empty bit.

A Note on Audio

Unfortunately, the game’s audio presentation does not come close to matching its sumptuous visuals. The music – composed by Tee Lopes with some featured tracks by series veteran Yuzo Koshiro – is more than fine, but doesn’t come close to matching the quality suggested by those names, nor does it come close to the compositions from the Genesis entries, including those composed by Koshiro. Halfway through the game, before I looked up the composers, I found myself thinking, “man, too bad they didn’t get Koshiro back for this one.” The game’s default mixing doesn’t do it any favors either, and I would strongly recommend turning the sound effects down in the mix to give the music a better chance of shining through.

That won’t help with the Saturday morning cartoon vibe of the English voices, which feel like a bad match for the art. The art is of course stylized with various anime, comic, or even cartoon influences, but that’s done to such a high level of quality and stylishness that the English voices are frankly jarring in comparison. Setting aside matters of taste, there are other problems with the localization. The English voices can’t seem to decide whether the name of Joe’s ninja clan is stressed like “oh-BOH-roh” or “OH-bo-ro” — a gaffe that was clear in the demo and hasn’t been addressed in the retail release. And unlike in the Japanese, in English they use the same voice actor for the character The Ankou as they do for the narrator, and he sounds exactly the same in both roles. You might expect that we’re supposed to think that The Ankou is thus the narrator, but the script was not written to acknowledge it (we get dialogue by The Ankou followed immediately by the narrator talking about The Ankou in third person). In Japanese the voice actors differ so I am inclined to interpret this as unintentional.

Is It Worth It?

Yes, it’s a compromised product that the player will likely outgrow soon after rolling credits, and there are some deep problems with the combat and level design, but Art of Vengeance feels great in the hand, and the moment to moment play variety plus the frankly world class visuals are enough to succeed on spectacle. It could have been better, Shinobi III deserved to be treated as more than an aesthetic theme, and it’s not nearly as well-considered a successor as Streets of Rage 4 was. But the game is still solidly recommended for anyone who likes the idea of a metroidvania with an overpowered ninja protagonist.

This review is part of our Year of the Ninja celebrations where we recognize the thrilling comeback of the ninja game and honor the impact these titles have had on the history of the video game industry. To learn more, click here.

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Who will win the volleyball national championship with Nebraska out?

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Dickinson Announces Hall of Fame Class for 2026

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December 18, 2025

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CARLISLE, Pa. – Dickinson Director of Athletics Celine Cunningham has announced that six former Red Devil student-athletes, two distinguished contributors, two campus contributors and one team will join the Dickinson Athletics Hall of Fame during Red-White Weekend from April 24 to 26.

Let’s get to know the inductees a little more:

Ross Anstaett ’11 – Men’s Tennis

Anstaett was a three-time team captain and two-time team Most Valuable Player for the Red Devil men’s tennis program from 2007 to 2011. The four-time All-Centennial Conference First Team selection and three-time Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll honoree finished his time at Dickinson with an record of 56-24. In singles competition he posted double-digit wins in three seasons playing as the Red Devils number one, with a career-high 17 victories coming as a senior in 2011. He was also a major threat in doubles action as well racking up 12 or more wins in three of four seasons. 

Taylor Ferry ’12 – Men’s Soccer

Ferry, was a stalwart defender for the Red and White from 2008 to 2012, helping the team to claim the school’s first Centennial Conference Championship in 2011 and make two appearances in the NCAA Tournament (2008, 2011). The two-time team captain was named to the All-Centennial Conference First Team for both the 2010 and 2011 seasons. His senior campaign would prove to be quite memorable as he not only landed on the All-Conference First Team, but was also a First Team All-Mid-Atlantic Region selection in addition to being named a NSCAA Third Team All-American. He served as the anchor of the Red Devils backline during their magical 2011 season helping the side to record eight clean sheets, which included a 2-0 win in the Centennial Conference Semifinal against Muhlenberg. Then, in the final with score tied 1-1 thru 90 minutes and overtime, he stepped up in the penalty shootout and converted the match-winning penalty to make Dickinson history. 

Genevieve Olson Desmond ’12 – Women’s Soccer

Olson, was a member of the Dickinson soccer program from 2008 to 2012 and was key cog in the Red Devils run to three consecutive Centennial Conference Championship Games in 2008, 2009 and 2010.  In 2010, she was a vital part of the team’s run to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament backstopping Dickinson to wins over Centenary University (N.J.) and Stevens Institute of Technology, before getting tripped up by Messiah University. The two-time First Team All-Centennial Conference selection and First Team All-Mid Atlantic Region honoree paced the side during the 2010 campaign in goals (7), assists (4), shots (65) and shots on goal (31). 

Sarah Rutkowski ’15 – Cross Country/Track & Field

Rutkowski, participated in both cross country and track & field for the Red and White during her time in Carlisle. On the cross country course, she was a member of four Little Three Championships, four Top-3 Centennial Conference Championship team finishes and four Top-25 team results in the NCAA Championships, including a 15th-place result in the 2013 race. As an individual she was a two-time All-Region and two-time All-Centennial Conference honoree. In indoor track, she earned All-American status for the 10,000m by taking fourth at the national championship. She also garnered All-Conference recognition for the 3000m and 5000m. Outdoors, she helped the Red Devils to a trio of second-place finishes as a team, while as an individual she nabbed a second-place finish for the 10,000m in 2015.

Gerry Wixted ’15 – Men’s Basketball

Wixted left Carlisle as one of the most decorated players in Dickinson basketball history earning three First Team All-Centennial Conference honors, one Second Team All-Conference selection and being named the 2015 Centennial Conference Player of the Year. That same season he was tabbed the D3Hoops.com National Player of the Year and NABC Mid-Atlantic Region Player of the Year, in addition to be selected a First Team All-American by both organizations. He left the school holding the Centennial Conference record for career defensive rebounds (689), career free throws made (597) and career free throws attempted (706). In addition, he graduated with the Dickinson record for career points (1,903), career rebounds (872), career free throws made (597), career free throws attempted (706), career blocked shots (172), career games played (113), career games started (110), single-season points (539), single-season blocked shots (46) and season-season free throws made (157). Not only did he have tremendous individual success, but he was a part of great team success as well, winning two Centennial Conference Championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances, including a pair of Sweet 16 appearances and one trip to the Elite 8.

Specialty Categories

Veterans – inductees who are listed as Veterans are at least 30 years removed from their date of graduation, and their accomplishments have stood the test of time.

Ed Ward ’83 – Men’s Basketball

Ward was a two-time All-Middle Atlantic Conference selection in 1982 and 1983, serving as a team captain during his final season with the Red Devils. When he left Dickinson, he held the school record for career blocked shots with 76, while ranking second in career rebounds (696), career field-goal percentage (.541) and single-season blocked shots (32). He contributed to three MAC South Division Championships, two NCAA Tournament appearances and one MAC Southern Conference Championship. 

Distinguished Contributors – Recipients of the Distinguished Contributor Award have demonstrated leadership, inspiration, talent, sustained support for Dickinson Athletics or achieved outstanding recognition in their athletic field, and/or measurable, sustainable philanthropic support of Dickinson Athletics by their efforts.

Tom ’78 and Judianne Hare P’22, P’25

As parents of two Red Devil student athletes, Tom and Judianne Hare deeply appreciate the value of the student-athlete experience at Dickinson—especially since Tom, himself, was an All-American athlete as a Red Devil. Accordingly, they have long been staunch supporters of Dickinson athletics through their transformational philanthropy. Their generosity has funded the new Hare Family Sports Performance & Training Center and provided professional-grade playing surfaces for men’s and women’s soccer. Motivated by their years of cheering on their children, Cole ’22 (baseball) and Charlotte ’25 (soccer), their gifts also include endowed funds for the long-term maintenance of the fields and support for baseball, softball and soccer. Their leadership-level giving has inspired significant support for Red Devil athletics across the parent and alumni community, securing a lasting impact for current and future Dickinson student-athletes.

Contributor – Recipients of the Contributor Award must have served Dickinson College as a coach, administrator, manager, trainer or any other capacity that served to make significant contributions to the athletic program and/or the advancement of our athletes

Charlie Hambrook and Bob Penner – Equipment Managers

Hambrook and Penner were two of the most dedicated employees during their time at Dickinson. Both were concerned about the well-being of the student athletes, which showed each and every day. They put in many hours to ensure athletes were provided with everything needed to compete on a daily basis. Their positions at Dickinson enabled them to get to know the athletes from all the teams, which they valued greatly. Both served the athletic department as members of one big family, and they will always be remembered for their selflessness and dedication. 

Team Award – Teams who are recognized for the team award have made outstanding contributions to Dickinson College Athletics, and have helped to bring recognition, honor, distinction and excellence to Dickinson College and its intercollegiate athletic programs.

2011 Men’s Soccer

The 2011 Dickinson men’s soccer program is a very special one in Red Devil history as they posted an 11-5-5 overall record with a 6-2-1 mark inside the Centennial Conference. After opening up the season with a pair of ties, the Red and White picked up wins in four of their next five matches knocking off Washington & Jefferson (6-1), Skidmore (4-0), Gwynedd-Mercy (5-0) and Washington (Md.) (4-1). Following a non-conference slip against No. 2 Messiah, the Red Devils nabbed conference victories over Swarthmore (2-1), McDaniel (4-1), Johns Hopkins (3-0), Ursinus (3-0) and Muhlenberg (1-0), which earned them a spot in the Centennial Conference tournament. Dickinson would knock off Muhlenberg by a 2-0 scoreline in the semifinals, earning them a place in the title match with Haverford. The Red Devils and Fords would go the full 110 minutes locked at 1-1 to setup a penalty shootout. It was there were Hall of Fame inductee Taylor Ferry drilled the match-winning kick to send Dickinson to the NCAA Tournament. The Red and White began their tournament journey with a 2-1 triumph over Vassar, before the host Montclair State posted a 2-1 win in the Second Round. The team was led offensively by Javier Mena, who had eight goals and nine assists, followed by Bryan Gilmartin and Nicolas Tierno who netted five goals each while the duo of Derek Kachadurian and Chris Shultz added four. Seven other players recorded at least two goals to contribute to a very well-balanced attack. Cody Hickok led the way between the sticks for head coach Brian Redding, posting a .908 save percentage thanks to 92 stops.



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Monument Mountain Seniors Sign Commitments to College Teams / iBerkshires.com

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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. – Four Monument Mountain student-athletes this week committed to compete in intercollegiate athletics next year.


 


Cross country and track and field standouts Amelia Desilets, Autumn Higa and Everett Pacheco were joined on the Monument Mountain stage on Tuesday by softball star Lexi Carpenter to sign commitment letters to the schools of their choice.


 


Desilets is bound for Orono, Maine, to run cross country and track and field for the University of Maine.


 


Higa and Pacheco committed to run cross country at Vassar College and Williams College, respectively.


 


Carpenter committed to Rhode Island’s Roger Williams University to compete for the Hawks on the softball diamond.


 


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Virginia Track & Field Names Distance Carnival After Mark & Cynthia Lorenzoni

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December 18, 2025

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.  –  The University of Virginia track and field program will name the prestigious distance carnival at the Virginia Challenge on Friday, April 17th, the Mark & Cynthia Lorenzoni Distance Night at the Virginia Challenge.

Virginia is set to host the annual Virginia Challenge outdoor track & field meet on Friday and Saturday, April 17-18 at Lannigan Field. The meet is known to feature high level competition across all event areas, but especially in the distance events. The distance carnival is set to be named in honor of long time Virginia Track & Field/Cross Country supporters, Mark and Cynthia Lorenzoni. The Lorenzonis have served the Charlottesville community for over 40 years as the couple co-owns The Ragged Mountain Running and Walking Shop with their two eldest children, Alec and Audrey.

“When I think about volunteerism and commitment to the community, it would be difficult to imagine any family doing more than Mark & Cynthia Lorenzoni,” said Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Vin Lananna. “For decades, Mark & Cynthia have positively impacted thousands of running enthusiasts. We are honored to recognize them with the Mark & Cynthia Lorenzoni Distance Night at the Virginia Challenge.”

“What an honor to be recognized in such a public arena and to be closely affiliated with an iconic program that has not only given our family so much to cheer for, but even more importantly, has enriched our lives through the hundreds of special friendships we’ve had the pleasure of sharing with our wonderful UVA Track & Field coaches and athletes over the past 45 years,” said Mark Lorenzoni.

A running family, Mark Lorenzoni began his running career back in high school. A recreational runner throughout college, Mark Lorenzoni took up road racing and even began his amateur coaching career by coaching his wife, Cynthia. Since then, he has coached runners at all levels while also continuing to run himself.

“What a wonderful surprise and great honor to have our family name affiliated with this magnificent program in such a thoughtful way,” said Mark Lorenzoni.

Also beginning her career back in high school, Cynthia Lorenzoni was undefeated in cross country and track & field before going on to compete in college at Michigan State. As a Spartan, Cynthia Lorenzoni finished runner-up at the Big 10 Cross Country Championships during her freshman season and finished 16th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships the same year. After college, she continued to train and compete post collegiately winning the Marine Corps Marathon twice, recorded a 13th place finish at the Boston Marathon and posted a personal best time of 2:38 in the marathon.

“We are humbled by this genuinely thoughtful gesture and we’re very grateful to Coach Vin, his hardworking and caring staff, to [Virginia Director of Athletics] Carla Williams and especially to all of our wonderful “kids” (what we fondly call our UVA Track & Field athletes) for this incredible honor,”  said Mark Lorenzoni.

Mark and Cynthia, who have four children that all ran cross country in high school, have served the community for over 45 years. Not only as the founders of The Ragged Mountain Running and Walking Shop but between the two of them have also served on nearly 30 not-for-profit community boards and having directed, on a volunteer basis, close to 900 local races that have raised over $8 million for area organizations.

“Giving back to a sport that has given so much to our family, in so many meaningful ways, has truly been both one of the easiest and most rewarding things in our life together,” said Mark Lorenzoni.

The Lorenzonis commitment to the sport of cross country and track & field is evident not only in their personal pursuits and community endeavors but also in their continued support of the Virginia Track & Field/Cross Country program. The first annual Mark & Cynthia Lorenzoni Distance Night at the Virginia Challenge is set to take place on Friday, April 17th at Lannigan Field.



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St. John’s Sweeps First BIG EAST Indoor Track and Field Weekly Honors

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December 18, 2025

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NEW YORK – A pair of St. John’s track and field student-athletes swept the first BIG EAST Indoor Track and Field Weekly Honor Roll for the 2025-26 season. Nora Haugen captured Women’s Track Athlete of the Week, while teammate Linn Hertz Saebbo was tabbed Field Athlete of the Week, the league announced on Wednesday afternoon.

Both athletes finished in first place in their respective events to open the indoor campaign at the Youree Spence Garcia Invitational on Dec. 6 in Staten Island. 

Haugen opened her indoor season by setting a program record, Norwegian national record, and the Ocean Breeze facility record in the 600-meter run. Her winning time of 1 minute, 26.93 seconds is the fastest time in the NCAA as of Wednesday, Dec. 17.

The senior was also a part of the St. John’s 4×400-meter relay team, which won the event at the Youree Spence Garcia Invitational with a time of 3:48.33.

Hertz Saebbo won the long jump at the Youree Spence Garcia Invitational on her final attempt. The grad student leapt 6.05 m (19 feet 10.25 inches) to win the event, setting a personal best in the process.

Her mark currently ranks the best in the BIG EAST for the long jump and the first time Hertz Saebbo has broken the six-meter barrier. The performance sits third all-time in St. John’s history and is currently tied for 15th in the NCAA Division I.

Wednesday’s recognition marks the second time that Haugen has garnered Athlete of the Week during her Red Storm career, capturing the honor back on May 8, 2024. 

This is the first time Hertz Saebbo has appeared on the BIG EAST weekly honor roll. The last time a Johnnie was recognized by the conference for a weekly award was Jamora Alves, when she named Field Athlete of the Week on April 15, 2025.

 

St. John’s returns to the oval in late January, competing at the Dr. Sander Scorcher at The Nike Track and Field Center at The Armory in Washington Heights, N.Y.

 



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