SPORTSBRIEFS

Author: RYAN REESE, SPORTS EDITOR

Armstrong '06 goes for fences

Junior Ryan Armstrong got a healthy jump on the young Middlebury College baseball season. During the team's annual Spring Break training trip, Armstrong solidified his position as the team's go-to guy. There was no doubt that the junior from Whitman, Mass. was ready to get things under way down south. While compiling a .548 batting average and racking up 12 runs over 10 games, he also ended up with an on base percentage of .600. Perhaps the best display of Armstrong's abilities came in the series finale against NESCAC rival Williams. The Panthers have historically struggled against the Ephs and it had been eons since Middlebury had taken a series away from the men in purple. Arsmstrong had five doubles, six RBIs and four walks in the big Middlebury win. The squad looks poised to make history and break some records this year as Tyler Bak '06 commented, "We are really talented this year and we have some kids who can play. We're really strong on the offensive front and our lineup is producing a lot of runs already." Because of his Spring Break performances, Armstrong earned the NESCAC's title of Player of the Week. With the rest of the season up ahead, Armstrong will surely provide more fireworks as the Panthers look toward earning a bid in the NESCAC postseason tournament.



Renehan '06 nets POTW

Elizabeth Renehan '06 added another award to a fairly decent Middlebury resume this past week. The junior was named the NESCAC Player of the Week in women's lacrosse. The midfielder dominated over the course of the week as she racked up an impressive 16 points. She netted 10 goals of her own while spreading the wealth by handing out six assists. These numbers are pretty outstanding over a four game stretch. However, even more impressive was Renehan's six goals in the Panthers contest against the Mules of Colby. There is no doubt that Renehan will look to keep up her early season momentum as she will being stepping up to the plate as a team leader this season. The Pennsylvania native tallied 57 points last season including 36 goals. These numbers were the second best on the squad. Behind Renehan's outstanding play, the Panthers started off the season with three wins and only a single loss. Renehan will lead the Panther attack into this coming week as the Panthers will play host to the Bearcats of Bates this coming Saturday, April 2 on the Peter Kohn Field Turf.



Meyer '06 leads lax attack

Travis Meyer '06 was ready to get the season underway. There was no hesitation on Meyer's part to contribute and get the campaign off to a solid start. The junior seems poised to step up into a large role as the Panthers look to get over the postseason slump and win that ever-elusive national title. This past week, the native of Potomac, Md. cashed in on four goals while distributing three assists. These numbers earned him the title of NESCAC Player of the Week. The Panthers jumped head first into tough competition over Spring Break as they faced off against ranked teams Springfield and Stevens Tech. Both contests resulted in 9-7 Middlebury wins. Later they faced off against the brutal group from Gettysburg as they were handed a thorough 18-6 loss that will surely be remembered later this season. The Panthers responded well as they came back and thumped Connecticut College by a count of 18-3. The third ranked Panthers are a well-balanced squad as Meyer, a midfielder, is one of three Panthers currently tied for the team's points leader. The Panthers will resume action away from home as they travel to Wesleyan this coming Saturday before facing off against Rensselaer on April 2.