Scholar-Athlete Spotlight: Zoe Torimoto of Oberlin

| By: Oberlin Athletic Communications
OBERLIN, OH - Numbers may help explain athletic performance, but they cannot fully capture the impact a scholar-athlete has on the people around her.

For senior Zoe Torimoto, the connection between data and people is central to her Oberlin College experience. A Biology major with integrative concentrations in Data Science and Sports Studies and a member of the women's lacrosse team, Torimoto has found purpose in understanding performance while making a meaningful contribution to her teammates and peers throughout the Athletics Department.

Her journey began in Novi, Michigan, when she first picked up a lacrosse stick after her friends decided to try out for their high school team. Torimoto figured she would tag along, never expecting that decision to eventually shape her college experience.

When it came time to choose a college, continuing to play lacrosse was not initially in the cards, but a late email changed the trajectory of her decision. After beginning her collegiate career at another institution, Torimoto made the difficult decision to transfer. Starting over meant leaving behind familiar teammates and routines, but it also gave her the opportunity to reconsider what she wanted from her academic and athletic experience.

"I ended up coming to Oberlin as a junior. I was looking for a really welcoming and inclusive environment where everyone is supported, an environment where everyone has different interests and are encouraged to explore those, and I felt like Oberlin was the place for that," Torimoto said.

"It was definitely hard transitioning in as a junior. People already had their friend groups, but I think I made a lot of friends that were first-years since we had similar experiences being new," Torimoto said.

In some ways, Oberlin was already familiar territory. As a conference opponent, Torimoto had experienced the Crimson and Gold from the other side of the field, but one particular visit left a lasting impression.

"I remember I came to Oberlin to play against them sophomore year and I distinctly remember it was their senior day and there was quite a large crowd there, and I just felt like the vibe was really high and felt like a really welcoming, supportive environment," she recalled. "Since getting more involved in different things, I definitely made my own community and really made Oberlin feel like home."

Transferring to another school within the conference brought its own challenges, but Torimoto quickly found her footing at Oberlin. Her experience as an upperclassman also allowed her to bring a new level of leadership to a program that was already building a strong foundation.

"We were really excited to talk to Zoe and get to recruit her coming in as an upperclassman, which was really cool for our team to build upon the leadership we already had," Head Women's Lacrosse Coach Malory Nadrah said. "Zoe really made it seamless. She fit into the group so well. She's a great teammate, a great friend, and it made it really easy to incorporate her into what we already had."

The transition to Oberlin gave Torimoto more than a new team. It gave her the space to explore interests that extended well beyond Bailey Field, allowing her academic and athletic passions to intersect.

"Starting college, I always knew I wanted to do Biology as a major. I always really liked science and especially biology, but I originally wanted to do research and become a researcher in genetics," she said. "I ended up working in a lab doing genetics research but realized I could not see myself doing this as a career. This was when I got more into sports, which led me more into anatomy and kinesiology."

That shift opened the door to hands-on research alongside Dr. Ali Shakir, conducting biomechanical data collection and analysis on more than 50 scholar-athletes across five spring sports, focusing on the Achilles tendon. Her findings earned her the opportunity to present at the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R) national medical conference later this year in November.

In the last couple of months, Torimoto has continued that work through scholar-athlete monitoring with Oberlin's football team. Using Catapult GPS technology, she tracks and analyzes training loads during practices and games, helping optimize performance, manage physical output, and mitigate injury risks.

While her work with football allows her to apply what she has learned in the classroom, her approach to athletics is equally focused on the people around her.

As a member of the women's lacrosse team, Torimoto's impact goes far beyond goals, draws, or statistics. Her influence can be seen in the way she supports her teammates, leads by example, and brings energy to every practice.

"Within the team, I'd say I'm someone that tries to lead by example. I'd like to say that I always bring 100% of whatever I have that day, and I ask and encourage others to do the same," she continued, "I'm also always trying to cheer everyone else on when it's not necessarily my turn in a drill. I think by doing those little things, I can see the ripple effect in which everybody else starts to contribute."

"Zoe is someone I really resonate with. She just totally gets how we need to be competitive as a team, how we need to act, how we need to think," said Nadrah. "Zoe is also very vocal about how her teammates motivate her, which I think is awesome. She's teaching our players that we can really motivate each other, and that just makes us better as a team."

That same commitment extends beyond lacrosse. Each morning, Torimoto arrives at football practice at 6 a.m. to collect Catapult GPS data and analyze the information after practice.

"Zoe being at our practices at 6 a.m. every morning really means the world to us as a football program," Head Football Coach John Pont said. "Her help with tracking Catapult GPS data throughout practice and after practice analyzing the numbers really helps drive decisions we make as a staff to keep our team healthy and ready for game days."
Juggling academics, lacrosse, research, and early morning football sessions,Torimoto has developed strong time management skills and discipline. The balance has helped her grow not only as a scholar and researcher, but also as a teammate and leader.

Now, with one semester left before graduating from Oberlin, Torimoto hopes to pursue a career in sports science or high-performance analytics. The path that began with friends asking her to try lacrosse has led her to research laboratories, athletic fields, and sunrise football practices, bringing together interests she once thought she never had passion for.

Torimoto's impact extends far beyond the post-practice data crunch and early mornings on Bailey Field. It lives in the encouragement she gives her teammates, the leadership she brings to her friends, and the community she has helped build around her.

As a quantitative researcher, Torimoto will say the numbers don't lie, but she'll also say data tells just one side of the story. The Michigander's most significant results lie in the discovery of herself; her passion for sports science, her renewed joy for lacrosse, and in the family she's found in the Crimson and Gold.

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