Sophia Diehl has helped the Raiders develop into an up-and-coming program in her four years at Colgate.

Sophia Diehl ’25 arrived at Colgate in the fall of 2021 knowing she wanted to pursue a career in the medical field. Her interest in helping others was one factor for her decision.

But there’s another reason — a much more personal one — that inspired the Westminster, Md., native and women’s basketball forward to study neuroscience in hopes of becoming a nurse.

The previous year, before the start of her senior year at high school, Diehl’s younger brother, Mason, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. While the tumor was benign, it was 4 centimeters by 4 centimeters in size — big enough to impair his coordination and balance and cause severe headaches. 

Emergency surgery was needed. The tumor was removed. After physical therapy, Mason was slowly able to return to a normal life. Now he’s in college, studying finance, with his health scare behind him. 

For Sophia Diehl, her brother’s journey from start to finish was an eye-opening experience. One thing that stood out was the medical care Mason received at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, where the surgery was done.

“His experiences and the support and the abilities of his doctors kind of inspired me to want to learn more about his experiences,” she said.

Neuroscience was the obvious choice for a major when she began her college career. What followed was four years of studying the many aspects of the brain, including how the nervous system enables behavior. 

Now, in her final semester at Colgate, Diehl is taking four upper-level courses to meet the requirements of her degree.

Diehl said it has been a demanding experience from the start — one that has constantly challenged her to be her best. But it has been fulfilling as well.

“The brain is so complex, but it’s also very beautiful how we are able to do such complex things without ever consciously thinking about it,” she said.

Adding to the challenge of a grueling academic schedule has been meeting the demands of collegiate basketball. Diehl said her professors played a crucial role in helping her balance athletics with academics. 

One faculty member who she credits for helping her in her first-year is Jun Yoshino, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience, emeritus. Yoshino, who has since retired, was her instructor in Introduction to Neuroscience (NEU 170).

Diehl and Yoshino had one-on-one sessions 50 minutes before the start of their 8:20 a.m. class. They met three times a week for an entire semester. 

“He worked with me one-on-one because basketball has a rigorous schedule and academics are rigorous, too,” she said. “To have someone to work with you is a unique thing that’s offered at Colgate. I don’t think you can get that at bigger schools.”

Diehl said she’s returning to Maryland after she graduates. She plans to take a few courses to meet the prerequisites that are necessary for nursing school.

There are two major parts to Diehl’s life at Colgate. Neuroscience is one; the other is basketball. 

Her time with the basketball team represents a chapter in her life she’ll never forget.

When Diehl began her Colgate basketball career, she was part of a rookie class at a time of transition for the team. The coaches who recruited her were gone. A new coaching staff led by head coach Ganiyat Adeduntan was at the helm, tasked with building a program from the ground up.

Rather than watch from the bench and learn from their veteran teammates, Diehl and her first-year teammates in Taylor Golembiewski ’25 and Morgan McMahon ’25 played major minutes. Learning had to be done on-the-go. Every game became a lesson.

The team finished 6-24 that season. It was a difficult period for everyone in maroon-and-white, but it also proved to be a major learning experience and a huge motivator for Diehl and her teammates.

“Our record was 6-24 my freshman year,” Diehl said. “I will probably never forget that because it’s ingrained in your head. You never want to go back to that point.”

The team vowed to do better, and that they did. The next season, the team finished 16-14. The season after that one, the Raiders earned an NIT bid. They ended with a 20-14 record. Diehl started in all 34 games that season.

This season, they’re on track for another strong year. As of Feb. 20, they were 20-7 with four games left on the schedule.

“We have definitely come together to help build a more successful team,” Diehl said. “It definitely has not been easy. To see how far we’ve come in my senior year, it’s night and day. I’m grateful to be part of that.”

There are multiple factors for the team’s turnaround. From the moment Adeduntan took over the program, fixing the team culture was a priority. The veterans on the team have gained a wealth of experience while refining their skills on the court. Each season has brought talented new recruits. And everyone is committed to hard work.

“Everything since my freshman year has completely changed one-eighty,” Diehl said. “We can shoot threes really well. Our defense is so much more consistent. I feel like we’ve definitely bought into what Coach G wants to do here.”

Diehl said she’s proud of the work she and her teammates have done to turn the program around.  

“You want the legacy we leave behind to be one that is positive,” she said. “You want to leave a place better than you found it. I feel that we are doing that and I hope that can continue for years to come.”