Bourdier’s jump is the highest vault in all of Division III this indoor season. His success reflects the dominance of the pole vault program that WashU has built, which has produced champions and record-breakers from both the men’s and women’s programs. 

When the final buzzer sounded in the No. 15 WashU women’s basketball team’s victory over the University of Rochester on Feb. 1, the Bears achieved what is arguably the hardest feat to complete in their regular season — they swept a weekend series against University Athletic Association (UAA) opponents.

And if beating the best team in the nation at home wasn’t energizing enough, the game was also dedicated to former WashU basketball player Justin Hardy, who tragically passed away after a fight with cancer during his senior season in 2022. 

While the juniors are the centerpiece of the Bears team, the six members of the class are also leaders off the court. The juniors are close friends, roommates, and lift each other up when things go wrong on the court.

After taking a hard loss to the No. 1 New York University (NYU) Violets on Friday, Jan. 23, the Bears faced a quick turnaround match against Brandeis University on Sunday.

Following a winless weekend, the Bears’ record is 11-5 and 1-4 in UAA play.

After decades of universities making millions off of athletes, NIL was meant to level the playing field. Instead, it has ushered in an era of player mobility that has turned college football, basketball, and other sports into a transfer free-for-all. 

WashU would go on to lose the game against Carnegie Mellon by a close margin, 64-61. However, the Bears bounced back two days later when they took on Case Western Reserve University, a strong third quarter propelling them to a 66-52 victory on Jan. 18.

The Bears dropped a close game to Carnegie Mellon University on Jan. 16, but they rebounded to defeat Case Western Reserve University on Jan. 18. 

She was also named a finalist for the D-III Honda Athlete of the Year award, awarded to the best female athlete across D-III, on Jan. 6.