Sports Briefs

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STUNNING SEASON GIVES BEN RUDIN '09 SENIOR SPOTLIGHT

Ben Rudin '09 was named NESCAC Player of the Week for the second time this season. He has led the way in a remarkable resurgence for Middlebury basketball, which sports a 20-2 record heading into the final weekend of the regular season.

This past weekend against Bowdoin and Colby, the senior point guard averaged 26 points on 13-25 shooting and 23-of-28 from the foul line. He also averaged 3.5 assists on the weekend.

Rudin was also featured in an article in the Addison Independent this past week. The article discussed his longtime friendship with teammate Kyle Dudley '09, another player that has been instrumental in the Panthers' success this season.

Rudin has been a major force in league play this season, averaging 19.9 points, 5.6 assists and 2.1 steals per game and shooting .450 from the floor.

Middlebury can clinch the top-seed in this year's NESCAC tournament with a win over Amherst this coming Saturday, which would be the team's first time ever hosting it.

- Jeff Klein, Sports Editor

KELLY BRUSH PRESENTED 2009 NCAA INSPIRATION AWARD

Former Middlebury College skiier Kelly Brush was recently presented the Inspiration Award in Washington, D.C. The ceremony aired on ESPN 2 this past February.

According to the NCAA Web site, the Inspiration Award may be given to an individual "who, when confronted with a life-altering situation, used perseverance, dedication and determination to overcome the event and now serves as a role model who gives hope and inspiration to others in similar situations."

Brush entered the Middlebury Class of 2008 with high ambitions to play a pivotal role on the Panther ski team. This dream was shattered, however, when she suffered a life-altering injury on Feb. 18, 2006 while competing in the giant slalom at the Williams Winter Carnival.

Despite being confined to a wheelchair, Brush continued with all her academic pursuits and also learned how to mono-ski. In front of hundreds of cheering spectators, Brush successfully navigated the red and blue gates on her home hill.

Brush's courage and unwielding persistence should serve as an inspiration to us all.

- Jeff Klein, Sports Editor

WOMEN'S RUGBY GOES GREEN...TO IRELAND, THAT IS

The women's rugby team traveled across the pond to Ireland over February break in an effort to pick up a few helpful tips from the Irish way of playing the game. Along with spending "a lot of bonding time with each other," according to Alice Ford, the team found itself "in essentially a mud pit," amid tough competition against the Galway Galwegians RFC. "The Galwegians were a lot better than us…but it was a good experience just to play against a much higher-skilled club."

Competing with the best quickly paid off for the women as they forged ahead to a match against the Arthlone Institute of Technology (AIT). The women trounced their opponents in a 65-0 win over the starting club. "We definitely learned a lot about the game by learning how to deal with new conditions that we weren't used to," said Ford. "The team worked really hard before and during the trip, and we were really grateful for the opportunity."

- Emma Gardner, Sports Editor