Montclair Students Rally Around Red Hawk Olympian Olga Mikutina at Watch Party Events

Presentation Hall in the College of Communication and Media buzzed with excitement Tuesday afternoon as students cheered on Montclair student and five-time Austrian national champion (2020–21, 2024–26) Olga Mikutina as she competed in the women’s short program on the Olympic stage.

Hosted by the Red Hawk Sports Network (RHSN), the watch party drew students from across campus who stopped in between classes, filled seats with friends and proudly waved customized signs and posters supporting the Ukrainian-Austrian figure skater. The room grew quiet as she took to the ice, then erupted in applause as soon as she struck her ending pose.

Professor Bryan DeNovellis, lead organizer of the event, proposed the concept of transforming Presentation Hall into a live, studio-style experience for students.

“Not every college has a student competing in the Olympics,” DeNovellis said. “This is what can happen when you have an idea and the right people around you to help make it a reality.”

Leading up to Olga’s program, DeNovellis arranged a special panel to give students deeper context around the Olympic experience. CCOM alum Alena Arzamastseva, a 2025 graduate who competed in swimming at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, reflected on the mindset and preparation required to compete on the world stage. She was joined by Alexey Beletsky, a former Olympic ice dancer and adult figure skating coach, who shared insight into the technical precision and resilience required at the highest level of competition. The panelists offered students a behind-the-scenes perspective on what Mikutina may have been experiencing in the moments leading up to her performance.

The event also drew attention from regional media.

Professor Stacy Gitlin, who currently works as a producer for the overnight broadcast for NBC, arranged a live NBC look-in before Mikutina’s performance, adding excitement to the afternoon and giving students a firsthand glimpse into an international broadcast production. WNBC reporter Sarah Wallace also joined the watch party, reporting from Presentation Hall to showcase the Montclair community’s excitement and support for their fellow Red Hawk. 

For RHSN students, the experience extended beyond watching the competition.

“As a Film and Television major in RHSN, this was surreal,” said Heidy Carranza Alvarado. “We weren’t just supporting a fellow Red Hawk, we were seeing firsthand how an event like this is produced. From being interviewed by local news to watching someone I spoke to last week compete on the world stage, it gave me a real sense of what my future career could look like. It also reminded me how important community support is.”

The week concluded with a second watch party two days later in CCOM’s Morehead Lounge as students gathered to watch Mikutina’s women’s free skate. She finished the Games placing 18th overall in women’s singles.