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SMU Athletes Face Challenges with the Loss of Their Seasons

As the news of spring sport cancellations due to COVID-19 reached SMU athletes, their reactions all appeared to be the same — shock and disbelief. Atipa Mabonga, track and field athlete, scrambled to comfort others. Her teammate, Jacy Sparks, believed it had to be a joke that her senior season had been taken from her. At that moment on March 12th, the athlete’s dreams for the next few months were crushed.

Atipa Mabonga Featured in Red Photo credit: SMU Athletics Website

Sparks suffered a back injury her sophomore year that required surgery.