Clemson Repeats as EcoAthletes Collegiate Cup Champion
Rower and EcoAthletes Champion Ana Klenke exults upon hearing that Clemson repeated as EcoAthletes Collegiate Cup winner (Photo credit: Clemson Rowing)
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6-Week Competition Among EcoAthletes Champions from 20 Universities Converts Exercise into Carbon Reduction
9.2 Tons of Carbon Removed
San Jose State Comes In a Very Close 2nd, University of Toronto Gets 3rd
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It is said that repeating as a champion is the hardest thing to accomplish in sports.
Well, After a dramatic back and forth homestretch between Clemson University and San Jose State University, Clemson did just that as they came from behind to repeat as the EcoAthletes Collegiate Cup champion for 2024, after copping the inaugural title last year!
20 schools took part in the six-week competition in which exercise —
running, walking, swimming, cycling, rowing and gym workouts — is converted by our technology partner Climategames into an environmental currency that funds an important methane* capture project at a landfill in Turkey.
San Jose State (SJSU), new to the Cup this year and led by grad student water polo star and EcoAthletes Champion Ivanna Anderson-Villela, took an early lead which held steady for four weeks. But defending champ Clemson, skippered adroitly again by rower Ana Klenke, battled back and took its first lead with only a week to go. That foreshadowed a bi-coastal Earth Day Manic Monday frenzy of exercise that resulted in multiple lead flips, with Clemson finally taking over for good in the competition’s final hour! Congratulations to Ana and Clemson on its second straight Collegiate Cup title, and to Ivanna and SJSU for their great effort in coming in a very close second. Kudos are also due to University of Toronto ice hockey star Juliette Blais-Savoie for driving her school to a strong 3rd place finish and to rower Rebeca Okhuysen as she guided Ohio State to 4th place in her freshman year.
But the true real winner here is the climate. Thanks to the 170 exercisers from the 20 schools in the competition who logged their workouts on the Climategames app, the ‘24 Collegiate Cup built on what we started last year, and then some: This year’s participants exercised for over 4,313 hours, four times more than in 2023! This resulted in the removal of 9.2 metric tons of carbon from the atmosphere, the equivalent of preventing 10,139 pounds of coal from being burned, thanks to the funds generated by the Collegiate Cup for the Turkish methane capture project. The ‘24 Collegiate Cup more than quadrupled the amount of carbon removed by the Collegiate Cuppers vs. last year!
San Jose State water polo player Ivanna Anderson-Villela led her team to the brink of the Collegiate Cup on its first attempt, earning a strong 2nd place finish (Photo credit: San Jose State Water Polo)
“What an outstanding Year Two for the Collegiate Cup!,” Clemson’s Ana Klenke exclaimed. “The fact that all competitors in the Cup quadrupled the amount of carbon removed as compared to last year is further evidence that, by working together, athletes can lead real climate action. It was so motivating to see the incredible work every participant from Clemson put in to contribute to the methane capture project in Turkey. To be able to successfully defend the title in the face of such strong, consistent competition from San Jose State is just amazing., My experience with the Collegiate Cup last year and this has convinced me that athletes will indeed help drive the #ClimateComeback!.”
“I am so grateful to everyone who joined us at San Jose State to workout to help reduce methane,” Grad student water polo star Ivanna Anderson-Villela shared. “The conversations we held with student-athletes about EcoAthletes and how participating in the Collegiate Cup could lead to lower carbon emissions 1) drove enthusiasm, 2) increased exercise, and 3) took us to our strong finish! Even though I won’t be on campus next year, I look forward to helping a new captain lead the Spartans to the 2025 Collegiate Cup win!”
* Methane (CH4), is a greenhouse gas (GHG) that is 80 to 100 times more potent than CO2. It leaks from landfills and so methane seepage from natural gas transmission is a significant source of global GHG emissions. The 2024 Collegiate Cup project funded the capturing of methane at a major landfill project in Turkey, converting it into cleaner generated electricity.