Women's Tennis
The Middlebury women’s tennis team kicks off its official season this Saturday with a doubleheader, facing Brandeis at 8 a.m., followed by Wellesley at 2 p.m. After a winter of training spent confined to the Bubble, the recent advent of spring weather has the team excited to return to the Proctor courts once again.
The team heads into the spring, packed with 17 regular season matches, with a roster that includes only three upperclassmen: Whitney Hanson ’11, and co-captains Annie Weinberg ’10 and Jamie Harr ’10. Under their leadership, the squad, which boasts two of the strongest recruiting classes in recent years, has been honed into a highly competitive NESCAC team.
Tori Aiello ’12, standout rookie of the 2008-2009 season, returns to reassert her dominance in an increasingly competitive Panther squad that features five talented first-year players. Brittany Faber ’13, a Minnesota native, has proven herself a force to be reckoned with after an impressive showing in the fall.
At the end of the spring season last year, the Panthers were ranked third in the Northeast among D-III schools as reported by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, surpassed only by NESCAC rivals Williams and Amherst. After a spring break training trip, the squad kicks off NESCAC play on April 10 with a conference doubleheader against Wesleyan and Trinity. Schedule difficulty increases throughout the season, reaching its zenith just before the NESCAC tournament begins, facing Amherst, Williams, and Tufts (ranked one-two-three at the end of the fall season) in the final two weeks leading up to postseason play.
With the addition of several talented first-years, the Panthers are hoping to build on the successes of the past and assert themselves as a dominant figures in the NESCAC. With such a packed schedule, they will definitely have ample opportunity to prove their worth.
—Alyssa O’Gallagher, Sports Editor
Track and Field
With a strong pool of returning athletes and a talented first-year class, the men’s and women’s outdoor track and field teams are preparing for a successful season this spring.
The women’s team hopes to top its 2009 season, which culminated in an impressive second-place finish in the NESCAC Championship with four athletes qualifying for the NCAA Championship, and three school records and one NESCAC record smashed. All four of last year’s NCAA athletes—Kaitlynn Saldanha ’11 (800m), Alice Wisener ’11 (400m hurdles), Margo Cramer ’12 (1500m), and Rebecca Fanning ’12 (800m)—are returning to build on last year’s success.
Other returning veterans include All-American Alexandra Kreig ’10 and All-NESCAC athletes Grace Close ’11 (4x400m relay), Laura Dalton ’10 (4x400m relay), Nicole Dvorak ’11 (pole vault), Katy Magill ’11 (4x400m relay) and Mia Martinez ’12 (110m hurdles). Leading the Middlebury women this year will be tri-captains Dalton, Anjuli Demers ’10 and Annie Sullivan ’10.
On the men’s side, the Panthers are looking to improve on their sixth-place finish in last year’s NESCAC championship. Returning 2009 All-NESCAC performers include Addison Godine ’11 (4x400m relay), Ethan Mann ’12 (4x400m relay), Michael Schmidt ’12 (1000m), Connor Wood’11 (4x400m relay), and Micah Wood ’10 (400m dash, 4x400m relay). The Middlebury men will be led by tri-captains Victor Guevara ’10, Michael Waters ’10, and Micah Wood ’10.
“Outlook is good,” says Schmidt, who is confident in the abilities of both teams. “Both the men and women had one of the most successful indoor seasons ever. We also have some runners doing outdoor who didn’t do indoor or were injured, so with them back in the mix we should be even stronger. We’re set to improve in every event and hopefully compete very well at NESCACs.”
The Panthers will travel to San Diego, Calif., over spring break to compete in two invitational meets before returning to the east coast to start their official season on April 3.
—Dana Callahan, Staff Writer
Baseball
The Middlebury College baseball team will take to the diamond for the first time this season on Saturday, looking to reverse a trend of consecutive losing seasons since winning the NESCAC title in 2006.
“Last year’s team was really kind of underachieving,” said pitcher Dirk Van Duym ’12. “If we all play up to our capabilities this year, we should be in a position to be very competitive and successful.”
Last year’s team finished 14-16 overall and 3-9 in NESCAC play, hitting a scintillating .326 but also giving up a team ERA of 6.75.
“Pitching has been a major focus for us in the preseason,” said Van Duym. “We weren’t very good in that area last year and really feel as though we can make big improvements there.”
The pitching rotation this year will be anchored by players from all classes, with Matt Lowes ’10, Nick Angstman ’11, Will Baine ’12 and John Wiet ’13 looking to make contributions as starters. Baine will also see time at shortstop in the place of injured tri-captain Danny Seymour ’10, who could miss up to half of the season with a facial injury. The other captains of this year’s team are outfielder Erich Enns ’10 and third baseman Donny McKillop ’11, who hit .439 and .435 last year, respectively. The team is also looking for contributions from the 12 new first-years added to the roster this year. Tom Driscoll ’13 and Joe Conway ’13.5 could start right away, and with Seymour out the starting nine could feature only one senior player in the field — Enns.
“It’s a young team,” said Van Duym, “but we have enough talent to be competitive right away.” The Panthers open play against Trinity before making the annual trip to Arizona over spring break, where they will play nine games in seven days, including a key three-game series with Williams. The most important thing is to improve our record in NESCAC play,” concluded Van Duym, “and hopefully be in a position to make the playoffs at the end of the season.”
—Dillon Hupp, Staff Writer
Softball
The Middlebury varsity softball team has “high hopes for this season,” looking to improve on its record of 17-15 from one year ago, according to co-captain Kristin Maletsky ’10. Thanks to a tough preseason training regimen, the Panthers have positioned themselves for vast improvement in the upcoming 2010 campaign. With the loss of only two seniors to graduation, including standout third baseman Amelia Magistrali ’09, Middlebury seems poised to perform at a high level.
“Of all my years as part of Middlebury softball, I strongly believe this is the year where we’re most ready and able to accomplish our goals,” said co-captain Sophie Dorot ’10, who plays catcher for the Panthers. The team worked on improving its offense this preseason, an area of concern last year. “We are hoping,” said Maletsky, “that with stronger hitting and a solid defense, we will be more successful than we were last year and win many more games.”
For Megan Margel ’11, who plays first base and earned second-team all-NESCAC honors for 2009, offense has rarely been an issue in the past. Unlike last year, however, this Panthers squad features five first-years and one rookie sophomore “who are all excellent players and will certainly add a lot to the team,” added Maletsky. Unfortunately for both Maletsky and the Panthers, however, the senior outfielder will be out for the season due to shoulder surgery.
Middlebury will begin the season over spring break in Florida against Bates College on March 20. Over the break, Middlebury has 12 games in six days before returning to Vermont, where the first home game of the season will take place on April 9 against Hamilton College.
“The trip will be a great opportunity to see where [the Panthers] stack up against the league overall,” said Head
Coach Kelly Bevere ’99, who has been with the team for four years. If all goes as advertised, the 2010 Middlebury softball team should prove a threat to its opponents behind greatly improved hitting and solid leadership.
—Addison DiSesa
Women's Lacrosse
The Middlebury women’s lacrosse team will look to finish what it started last season. The Panthers fell just short with a loss to Hamilton in the NCAA regional final. The Panthers ended the season with an overall record of 11-6.
It looks to be a promising year for the team; despite graduating six talented players, Middlebury’s offense will remain largely in tact. Last year’s leading goal-scorer Chase Delano ’11 will combine with offensive threats Dana Heritage ’10 and Sally Ryan ’11 to lead Middlebury’s attack. Heritage ’10 is one of three captains this year, along with Catherine Gotwald ’10 and Carrie Sparkes ’10, who will anchor Middlebury’s defense.
The team is young this year so the first-years and sophomores will need to step into bigger roles. Liz Garry ’12 had a strong rookie season last year on attack and she will be joined by first-year Ellen Halle ’13 and Margaret Souther ’13 on offense. First-years Dani DeMarco ’13 and Michaela Colbert ’13 are also looking strong in the midfield.
“We’re a fairly young team this year, but our rookie class is strong and they will be able to step into important roles on the field from the get-go,” said Delano.
Sophomore Lily Nguyen ’12 will step into net for the Panthers, as goalie Blair Bowie ’09 graduated last year. Bowie was a second-team All-NESCAC and first-team All-Region selection in her senior season.
“Although we graduated one of the best goalies in the NESCAC last year, Lily has really stepped up her game and we feel very confident with her in the net,” added Delano.
Middlebury will play its first game of the season against Bates at home on Saturday, March 13, at 12 p.m.
— Julia Ireland, Staff Writer
Men's Rugby
On a cold, windy Saturday afternoon on the sidelines of Youngman field, the men of the Middlebury rugby team are tackling, passing, and scrumming their hearts out in preparation for their spring season.
Led by two of the youngest captains the Middlebury College Rugby Club (MCRC) has ever seen, Rowan Hall Kelner ’12 and Brian Sirkia ’12.5, the Panthers are excited to begin their march toward the Division II National Championship, an honor they have claimed in two out of the past four seasons. The team is especially anxious to return to action after its loss to fellow UVM at the end of the fall season.
“Were ready to make up for that heartbreaker” said Geoff Kalan ’12.5, the most improved player from the fall season.
“We lost a few guys from last year’s squad but gained some new, motivated players as well.”
“I’m excited to join a winning tradition. It’s a hard sport to learn, but I’m going to help out where I can” said Kyle Courtney ’12, one of the fresh faces joining the Panthers for the spring season. “I hope the team can repeat its success from last year,” Courtney added, speaking of the 27-11 victory over Wisconsin that gave the MCRC it’s second national championship.
The Panthers look poised and ready for the battles to come.
Middlebury kicks off its spring season with a friendly game against Boston University on March 20.
— Andrew Silver, Staff Writer
Men's Lacrosse
The Panthers, coming off of a trip to the NCAA Final Four last spring, have high expectations for the 2010 season. Last year the men’s lacrosse team fell to rival Wesleyan in the NESCAC semis before surging into a strong NCAA tournament run that nevertheless “left a bitter taste in [their] mouths,” according to co-captain Jeff Begin ’10. Despite losing a strong class of graduating seniors, including starting goalie Pete Britt ’09 and three-time All-American Mike Stone ’09, the team expects to take a strong step forward this season.
“The team is very balanced and deep at all positions and playing confidently,” said co-captain Pete Smith ’10. The returning players provide a large measure of leadership and talent to the squad, and both captains expressed excitement about the strong class of first-years entering the mix. Smith especially noted the potential of first-year Johnny Duvnjak ’13 to contribute defensively and that of Brian Foster ’13 to control the midfield. Bregin, meanwhile, prophesied standout seasons for attackman Jack Balaban ’12 and preseason All-American Matt Rayner ’12.
Currently ranked eighth nationally in D-III, the team is approaching the upcoming season with ambition and anticipation. “The team is psyched,” said Smith, and determined to exceed the accomplishments of last year’s squad. The Panthers already compete at the highest levels of Division III and among one of the most competitive conferences in the nation; the emerging men’s lacrosse dynasty, however, wants more, and is in hot pursuit of another NCAA championship. The team has not captured an NCAA title since 2002, and in the opinion of the captains, it’s about time that changed.
“We believe we are just as strong, if not stronger, than years past,” said Bregin. As it is still early on in the season, the team has a lot of work to do, but seems to possess the determination and strong work ethic to accomplish its goals.
“Our team’s approach is a ‘make every day count’ mentality,” said Smith. “We don’t look too far ahead, but I think we will find success in taking each day and game one at a time.” The Panthers will be taking their first step on the path to NCAA glory in this Saturday’s season-opener at Bates.
— Katie Siegner, Sports Editor
Golf
Middlebury enters the second half of its season with high expectations. The winner in two of the last three NESCAC tournaments, Middlebury once again qualified for the championship, which will be held at Williams College this spring. The Panthers are led into spring competition by the stellar play of first-year Andrew Emerson ’13. Emerson, a first-team All-NESCAC choice this fall, finished tied for third in the qualifier at Williams.
Emerson also received Rookie of the Year honors for his play in the tournament. Jimmy Levins ’11, who helped lead the squad to the NESCAC crown last spring, returns as well to defend the team’s championship. Levins posted a 149 at qualifiers, finishing one stroke behind Emerson.
In order to repeat its success from last year, however, Middlebury will need to continue to see big performances out of the rest of the team as well.
“It’s definitely a team effort,” said Brian Cady ’11, who helped Middlebury to victory with a crucial performance in last year’s tournament. “You need to have depth to win at this level.”
“Every year the players are getting better,” added Levins, one of eight returning varsity players, “so the expectation is that you have to be improving yourself every day in practice.”
The team will kick off its season with a trip to North Carolina over spring break in order to prepare for the upcoming season. They plan to play one of the best courses in the country at Pinehurst. Tackling courses of that difficulty will surely help the Panthers hone their skills for the pressures of NESCAC competition.
—Robbie Redmond, Staff Writer
Men's Tennis
Back on the courts this weekend, the Middlebury men’s tennis team commences its spring season sizzling with confidence. By all accounts, the Panthers are ready to take New England and the nation by storm.
“This is the strongest team we have had in my four years,” noted returning tri-captain Andrew Thomson ’10. “Coach [Dave] Schwarz has not been shy at defining our ultimate goal this season: to win an NCAA national championship.”
The Panthers return all of their players from last year, including Thomson, fellow tri-captains Andrew Lee ’10 and Conrad Olson ’10, and seniors Peter Odell ’10, Eliot Jia ’10, and Chris Mason ’10. Last fall, Thomson and Lee paired up to capture the ITA Small College New England regional and national doubles championships. Andrew Peters ’11 is also back as last fall’s national runner-up in singles play.
Middlebury also boasts an extensive and balanced roster, from its many returning stars to five promising first-years who have been working hard to earn some reps on the court. Alec Parower ’13 is one good example; “he has been training especially hard and is capable of making a big contribution for us this year,” remarked Odell. It is still unclear who will emerge as the team’s number one player, as they all have been playing at such a high level which, notes Lee, “is one heckuva problem to have!”
The Panthers have been in the gym every day and are eager to showcase their strength.
“For me, March 13 is like Christmas come early,” says an excited Thomson. “It has been apparent by our fall results and off-season work ethic that we have just gotten better since last year. A triple header [versus NYU, Connecticut College and Brandeis] to get us started. I love tennis and I cannot wait to compete with our group this year.”
—Will Silton, Staff Writer
The Campus Spring Sports Preview
Comments
