One Last Roar: Meryl Phair, Cross Country/Lacrosse

"One Last Roar" is a series that will recognize the accomplishments of the senior student-athletes at Mount Holyoke College graduating during the 2020-21 academic year. From now until May, read about our senior student-athletes as they reflect on their careers as members of Lyons Nation. Make sure to check out Mount Holyoke College Athletics on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to see photos of their top memories with their teammates over the past four years.

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Senior Meryl Phair (Stockbridge, Mass.), a Journalism and Digital Media major and Politics minor is a dual-sport cross country and lacrosse student-athlete at Mount Holyoke College who will graduate at the completion of the Spring 2021 semester.

Phair was a member of the Mount Holyoke New England Regional team in 2018 and aided Mount Holyoke in a runner-up finish at the 2019 NEWMAC Cross Country Championships. In lacrosse, Phair has scored an impressive 21 goals and has seven assists in the 36 games she has played. Phair has been a staff writer, sports section editor, and environmental section editor on the Mount Holyoke News. Phair served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) as a lacrosse representative in 2018 and then as the treasurer in 2019.

From Head Mount Holyoke Cross Country and Track and Field Coach, Chris Kibler:

"Meryl contacted me in the spring of her first year because she was interested in joining the cross country team. I provided her a summer training plan and thought, "if she works hard, she might make the top-7." Well, she showed up on day one and won our team time trial, and never looked back. She was a varsity member and a major contributor to the team's results from then on. We quickly learned that Meryl's burst of speed wasn't even half of what she brought to the table. Meryl is the Energizer Bunny that feeds everyone with positivity. Her presence is felt whenever she steps into a room. As a result, every member of the program was having more fun and was more motivated for the task at hand. This new injection of enthusiasm was critical in the fall of 2018. At that time, a huge class of first-years arrived, and I cannot thank Meryl enough for being herself and understanding/implementing the OneTeam culture so quickly. Meryl's leadership ability landed her multiple leadership positions on the team, including captain, and has helped the team go from 10th of 11 to 2nd of 11 at the NEWMAC Championship in three short years."

From Head Mount Holyoke Lacrosse Coach, Miriam Esber:

"Meryl has been a huge member of our program all four of her years. She also runs cross country, so she is a great midfielder for us; just like an over-easy yoke, she can run all day! Her enthusiasm is egg-cellent and contagious on the team. She is always getting us pumped up to scramble our opponents. She has also improved immensely over her time on the team and has been promoted over the years from sous chef to full Egg Chef. We are all egg-cited for her as she was recently accepted into top grad programs, and can't wait to see what she accomplishes!"

More about Meryl...

Overall, share a few sentences about your time as a student-athlete at Mount Holyoke College. How has your experience as a student-athlete helped develop you into the person you are today?

I don't think I could ever put into words just how rewarding the experience of being part of both Mount Holyoke's cross country and lacrosse teams has been. It has taught me valuable teamwork skills, made me a more effective communicator, and shown me the importance of embracing challenges. Not only have I become a stronger athlete, both on the turf and the cross-country course, but being a student-athlete at Mount Holyoke has enabled me to see how capable I am in setting and achieving my goals, no matter how daunting they may seem. The support and energy from not only my coaches and teammates but the whole athletics staff has made this experience truly special and enriching. Being involved with athletics has also shown me how much I love eggs!

What were some of your favorite memories as a member of your team?

My favorite memories with both my lacrosse and cross-country teams would have to be team dinners. Spending time with my teammates after practice was always a reliably positive and fun part of my day. It's definitely something I have been missing a lot now that I am back on campus with the new COVID-19 protocols.

What are your plans following graduation?

I will be pursuing my Master's degree in Magazine and Digital Storytelling at NYU in the fall and hopefully running my first marathon this summer!!

Who have been some of your biggest supporters during your time at Mount Holyoke College? This can be anyone (i.e. family, friends, professors, coaches, etc.)

My teammates! I have been so lucky to not only be part of one wonderful team, but two. My teammates have been a constant source of support and encouragement through my collegiate experience and I have no doubt that the connections I've made as a student-athlete will be lifelong.

What is your favorite Mount Holyoke tradition?

Mountain Day! Hiking is one of my favorite activities and I love spending the day off from classes with my teammates. Ice cream and dawgs on top of a mountain, it doesn't get better than that.

Any words of advice you have for the future student-athletes of Mount Holyoke College?

I would encourage all future student-athletes to explore all the opportunities available to them. Be willing to try new things and get out of your comfort zone because you never know where it may take you. Also, enjoy your time as a Lyon because it goes by so fast!