Femininity versus sexuality: what does it really mean to be a female athlete in 2026?

The 21st century has been a radical period for advancements in women’s sports. The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) was founded in 2012, the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) in 2023 and the Professional Softball League (PSL) in 2025.

On Sept. 13 the U.S. women’s national basketball team won the FIBA World Cup gold medal. This comes after the American women won 8 gold and 21 total medals at the 2024 Winter Olympic Games. Just last week Melissa Jefferson-Wooden ran a new world leading time in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes, winning both races at the World Ultimate Championships meet.

Despite all of these outstanding achievements, all of the attention on women in sports and sports media has been focused on the recently released Novig ad featuring Sydney Sweeney. A prediction market trading app marketed on containing only sports, Novig contracted Sweeney to star in the ad nearly fully nude wearing only sporting equipment. The highly controversial ad has been making the rounds on social media because it does not accurately represent what it means to be a woman in sports.

Gracie Kramer, a three-time All-American and NCAA Champion gymnast, started a trend in response to the ad by posting a training montage on Instagram with the caption “idk what Sydney Sweeney was doing, but this is what a woman in sports looks like.”

Amy Hunt, a British sprinter who finished fourth in the 200-meter dash at the World Ultimate Championships, also called Sweeney out by name in an interview.

“Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like. Muscles, hard work, sweat, blood, tears,” Hunt said.

World Athletics, the international governing body for track and field, recently made an Instagram post highlighting the achievements of their female athletes, with the post captioned, “POV: What women in sports look like.”

As a staff made up of primarily women, we feel the need to address the egregious disservice that this ad has done to women who have already fought so hard to be taken seriously.

Rather than devote any more attention to the derivative and insulting message that Sweeney’s ad is promoting, we are choosing to instead focus on and celebrate our Bennie athletes and what it means to them to be a woman in sports.

The CSB soccer team has started their season 6-0, the team’s first time ever accomplishing this start in their program history. First-year Eva Gower ranks second in the MIAC with eight goals scored in seven games, one tally behind the conference leader.

“Coming in as a freshman, I really looked up to the seniors’ leadership and hard determination. It’s super meaningful because women aren’t given as much praise so its impactful for younger girls to see and it is hard work and effort. To be a part of a culture like this is super meaningful because we all work super hard and lift each other up. We are more than just a team. It’s super meaningful to see how far women’s sports have come and where they will go,” junior midfielder Jessica Decowski said.

Soccer team manager junior Paige Abbott said that to her, being a woman in sports means encouraging younger girls to be confident in who they are, and nothing is more important than setting an example for what they can accomplish and who they can be in life.

The Bennie volleyball team has started their season 6-4, including a three-set sweep of Berry, who was ranked No. 5 in the nation at the time. Last season the team finished with a record of 21-7, won their second consecutive MIAC Playoff Championship and advanced to the first round of the NCAA national tournament.

The CSB hockey team earned a berth to the NCAA Tournament after winning the team’s first ever MIAC Championship. They won a program high 16 games in the 2025-26 campaign and Presley Kraemer, CSB ’26, set a school record with 104 total games played after her appearance in the Bennies NCAA playoff game.

Jordan Modjeski, the Assistant Director of Athletic Communications for St. John’s Athletics, took home the Division III Photographer of the Year award for the second straight year, and her photo portfolio was named third in the entire nation for 2025-26. She also earned Best in the Nation and Best in Division III awards for a photo she took at the MIAC Swim and Dive Championships. Modjeski was honored as the Division III Graphic Designer of the Year for 2024-25 and was awarded College Sports Communicators’ 30 Under 30 Award in 2024.

Olivia Tautges, CSB ‘26, was named the 2026 MIAC Softball Player of the Year while classmate Ellie Peterson was selected as Pitcher of the Year and head coach Rachael Click earned Coach of the Year honors. The team advanced to the Regional Championship game of the NCAA Tournament after winning their first ever MIAC Playoff championship.

Last year, as a junior and in her first season with the Bennies, Haley Zelen became the school’s first swimming and diving All-American since 2002 and 14th total athlete receiving these honors. With her second-place finish in the 100 butterfly, Zelen and her mom Deanna Siverson Zelen became the first ever mother-daughter pair to both earn All-American honors for the Bennies.

These women, and so many more, are the pinnacle of what it means to be leaders on our own campuses. Everywhere you turn there are women who demonstrate courage and persistence in their fields. We urge you to choose to support woman who are dedicated to their femininity and not their sexuality.