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(04/16/20 9:59am)
Several days had passed since the suspension of the 2019-2020 NBA season. I popped open Twitter and encountered a video on my homepage: marble racing. “Day four without sports: Marble1 racing is intense!” said the caption. I played the video, and focused my attention on a stream of miniature, colorful orbs dashing through a racetrack engraved in sand. “Damn,” I thought to myself. “This shutdown is really going to suck.”
Like in sports, the outcome of the marble race was uncertain. For some people, that might be exciting enough to provide a thrill, especially when money is at stake. But I’m sure most of us would prefer to spectate a sporting event, especially when we’re so starved for entertainment. Certainly, we can binge watch movies or television shows, but sports carry an unscripted-ness that makes them special. Beyond simply portraying entertaining levels of athletic ability or following the rules of the game in question, the best sports moments capture cathartic human experiences.
When Tiger Woods won the 2019 Masters Tournament almost exactly a year ago, the event’s overarching narrative revolved around the idea of redemption. Tiger’s early success as an indomitable superstar on track to becoming the greatest golfer ever was soon eclipsed by extramarital affairs and injury. Set against the backdrop of a sinuous path to redemption, his re-emergence as a champion appealed to a broad audience, sports and non-sports fans alike. After sealing victory with a bogey putt on the 18th, an older, balding Tiger iconically ventured into the crowd and embraced his son and daughter. For viewers, the scene was touching: life’s difficulties clearly humbled the once-arrogant prodigy, and his 10- and 12-year old son and daughter, accustomed to seeing him struggle for the past decade, finally watched him succeed in golf’s most prestigious tournament.
Often, sports storylines resonate with us on even more extreme levels.
Whenever the fast, hard-hitting southpaw from the Philippines, Manny Pacquiao, entered the boxing ring against a major opponent during the peak of his career in the late 2000s, my Filipino-American family (along with 10 to 20 of our closest friends), would pause our activities for the day, gather around a television and focus our attention on that night’s matchup. Such gatherings happened all throughout the Philippines. In fact, it was expected for crime rates to drop to zero percent whenever he fought. Pacquaio, considered one of the greatest boxers of all time, won our imaginations because of his story; before all the titles and his $220 million in net worth, Pacquaio was born in a village in Mindanao, a southern Philippine island crippled by poverty and religious conflict. The “Pac-man” reportedly never saw a TV until he was 10, lived in a single-room shack with his parents, sister and two brothers and could barely afford rice, according to an article by Post Magazine. “Pacquiao and his family were poor by the wretched standards of other villagers in Tango,” said the same article.
Whenever I witnessed Pacquaio throw, dodge and absorb punches on HBO pay-per-view, I saw the same qualities many Filipinos needed to overcome the extreme poverty of their homeland: nerve, tenacity and grit. Opponents were typically taller than Pacquaio, who stood at five feet and five inches. Such imbalances were emblematic of the improbable odds he faced in order to reach his current fame and position. Viewers found Pacquaio so inspiring that the boxer’s popularity even won him a Senate seat in the Philippines.
As a result of Covid-19-induced cancellations, however, that unique ability of sports’ to unite, excite and inspire, is now halted.
Don’t get me wrong: the United States and the world are rightfully focusing on the utmost important issue of saving lives, controlling the spread of Covid-19 and curbing the economic costs of shutdowns. The suspension of sports is and should be a tertiary, even quaternary issue. But that’s not to say a tangible cost isn’t being incurred by cancelling sports. Sure, replays exist, but currently, we can’t marvel in real-time as athletes engage in physically, emotionally and psychologically taxing endeavors. We can’t watch as they apply years of highly focused training and, in some contests, operate with little room for error. We can’t draw upon developing storylines that reflect challenges from our own lives, or offer instances of what we didn’t know was possible. We are deprived of sports’ ability to draw communities together, and at a time when, in our respective self-isolated situations, we need it more than ever.
And so I, along with countless other fans, am eagerly anticipating the moment when sports seasons resume. Until then, we ought to draw on the lessons we’ve learned from sports storylines in the past. Some of us who haven’t taken social distancing seriously can turn around our performances today. We can also foster toughness and hope in the face of adversity. Currently, the entire world has entered a match against an invisible and microscopic opponent. To succeed, we ought to act like team players.
Miguel Espinosa ’20 is The Campus’ senior sports editor.
(04/02/20 10:00am)
The NESCAC canceled all competitions, including conference championships, on March 11 to reduce the spread of Covid-19. The presidents of all 11 NESCAC institutions agreed unanimously on the decision. Following the announcement, athletic directors NESCAC-wide agreed to suspend in-person recruiting through April 30 while simultaneously allowing electronic and written forms of communication.
A day after the NESCAC’s decision, the NCAA canceled all remaining competitions and winter championships, including the women’s hockey’s NCAA quarterfinal between Middlebury and Endicott College. The game was slated to take place on Saturday, March 14.
Similarly affected were athletes planning to participate in NCAA skiing, track & field, and swimming championships.
Senior athletes, who were looking forward to rounding out their final seasons, reacted to the news with disappointment.
“The timeline on the decision was so quick,” said Weston Brach ’20, co-captain of the men’s tennis team. “It felt like one day we were training and getting mentally prepared for the first spring matches, and the next day we were told to leave campus.”
Some athletes were already on the cusp of achieving their championship dreams.
“I was simply heartbroken. 27 games, 21 wins, a NESCAC championship appearance and a bid to the NCAA's — all for that NCAA tournament,” said Sidney Porter ’20, a member of the women’s hockey team. “Everything we had worked for the entire season that led to the unbelievable opportunity to host that quarterfinal game and have a chance to go to final four, the first time in my four years, was taken away.”
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(03/12/20 9:57am)
“One of the best parts of lacrosse is that it’s a game of runs,” said captain midfielder, Jake Madnick ’20. “You can go up 6–0 on a team, and then all of a sudden, you look up at the scoreboard, and it’s 6–5”.
Winning games, according to Madnick, is about how one reacts to such runs.
Men’s lacrosse hosted Connecticut College on Saturday, March. 7 and defeated their opponents from New London, 20–8. But the final score doesn’t capture the struggle that ensued in the first half and how the Panthers kept their composure despite some successful runs by the Camels.
When the hosts planted a 3–0 lead in the first quarter, Connecticut College cut the lead to two, amplifying their bench. They gained even further momentum by forcing a turnover and saving a mid-range snipe by Middlebury attackman A.J Kucinski ’20. While the Panthers scored with one second remaining in the first, the Camels won the following faceoff, drew two penalties, and eventually buried another goal to set the score, 4–2.
The blue-and-white, however, responded over the course of the second quarter by tallying two unanswered goals. With two minutes left before halftime and the score at 7–3 Panthers, Tyler Forbes ’22 and Danny Jacobs ’20 snuck in some goals of their own before the Camels scored again with 35 seconds left in the period.
But if lacrosse is a game of runs, and any side can instantly gain momentum, such volatility cuts both ways. While it’s possible for the losing team to pick up steam, the winning team could expand its lead in a flash.
“[The third quarter] was one of our best quarters this year,” said Madnick.
The Panthers outscored their Connecticut visitors 7–2 that period and would tack on an additional four in the fourth. Attackman Michael McCormick ’20 tallied four goals throughout the game. Forbes earned three.
“[McCormick’s] got a left-handed shot that I don’t think any goalie in the country at any division could save,” said Madnick. “He was firing on all cylinders against [Connecticut College]”.
William Ryan ’23 and Will Zink ’23 would earn their first collegiate scores in the game as well. Backup goalie Finn O’Connor ’23 also saw some action.
“It was really cool to see some of the younger guys get in the game and get some experience,” said Madnick.
Such experience may prove useful in the season ahead.
(02/27/20 11:34am)
In sports, proximity breeds rivalry. Such a dynamic does not exclude itself from the NESCAC; Williams and Middlebury sit two hours apart from each other on Route 9.
The men’s swimming and diving teams ventured to Williamstown to compete in the NESCAC Championships, which was hosted by their purple-and-gold rival, on Thursday, Feb. 20. Ultimately, Williams dominated at their own pool and grabbed first place with 1987.5 points. The Panthers finished in eighth place with 565 points. Tufts placed second with 1787.5 points and Amherst third with 1386.5 points.
One notable performance during the four-day meet included a seventh-place finish in the 400-yard medley relay by Ben Merz0 ’23, Bryan Chang ’22, Will Panos ’20, and Corey Jalbert ’21 on Friday. The squad clocked in at 3:26:25. Diver Jason Rickenbacher ’23 also posted a ninth-place finish during the one-meter diving board that same day. On Saturday, Alec Wilson took eighth in the 1,000-yard free event and recorded a time of 9:45.75. The quartet of Merz, Chang, Panos, and Jalbert concluded the Panthers’ weekend on Sunday with a fifth-place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay.
“My swims weren’t exactly the times I was hoping for, but it was great scoring points for the team and representing Middlebury,” said Wilson, when asked to assess his performance during NESCACs. “I was able to race against some outstanding swimmers, and seeing just how strong the competition is getting is really motivating me to hit the off-season hard next year.”
Wilson also gathered inspiration from the resilience of his teammates, especially when Coach Rueppel left the meet on Thursday because of a medical emergency.
“I am really proud of our team for the mental game we held over the meet,” he said. “With Coach having to leave the meet so early, we had a very unique challenge on our hands. We went into every session ready to race for him, and I think we saw some really fast times as a result.”
A final source of energy may have come from the bleachers. Alongside the swimmers’ parents, many members of the women’s squad brought their support to Williams’ natatorium.
“Watching the men’s team compete is exciting because the women’s season is over, so we can completely focus on cheering for their races,” said Audrey Kelly ’21. “Almost the entire team went down to Williams to watch and the energy in the stands was very high. The men’s team competed really well and I know they appreciated us coming.”
(02/20/20 11:37am)
Sometimes, competition is fiercest with whom you’re most familiar. Eleven women’s swimming and diving squads from around the NESCAC converged at the Middlebury Natatorium from Feb. 13-16 for the conference championships. Middlebury, who hosted the event, placed seventh and compiled a score of 684 points. Williams took first with 1930.5 points, Tufts second with 1593.5 points, and Amherst third with 1369.
Some notable performances include a first-place finish by Frances VanderMeer ’20 in the 50-yard freestyle, a seventh-place finish by Haley Hutchinson ’23 in the 200-yard breaststroke, and an eighth-place finish by Olivia Rieur ’22 on the three-meter diving board.
Despite not finishing first as a team, the Panthers’ showing could still be deemed as successful.
“A lot of the younger swimmers on the team really stepped up and were able to suppress their nerves and get the job done,” said VanderMeer, who is also a captain. “At a meet of this size and with a high level of competition, it’s easy to be overwhelmed and let the nervousness take over. I’m really proud of how our team was able to focus on our races, both in terms of individual performance and supporting each other on deck.”
The championship also capped off many remarkable careers for the seniors.
“The meet was definitely an emotional one for the seniors,” said VanderMeer. “We’ve been looking forward to having NESCACs in our home pool since freshman year and we really tried to savor every moment of it.”
“I think I speak for us all when I say that we wouldn’t have wanted to go out any other way,” said VanderMeer.
(02/13/20 9:19pm)
Although the chilly Vermont winter freezes water into lifeless ice, such rules don’t apply to the Middlebury Natatorium; the swimming pool, rather, teems with heated competition. The natatorium was especially reinvigorated when the University of Vermont, St. Michael’s and Williams gathered on campus for the Middlebury Invitational on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1.
Individual performances comprised the invitational and no points were awarded to teams. Audrey Kelly ’21 earned first place in the women’s 50-yard freestyle, while Corey Jalbert ’21 won first in the same event on the men’s side. Audrey Hsi ’22 also took first place in the women’s 200-yard backstroke.
The natatorium will reawaken one last time for the women’s NESCAC championships from Feb. 13 to 16. The men’s squad, meanwhile, will journey south down Route 7 to Williams for their conference championship starting Feb. 20.
(01/23/20 11:18am)
Few people play squash in Nick Bermingham’s ’20 hometown of Denver, Colorado. Until his freshman year of boarding school in Connecticut, when he needed a winter sport that would supplement his lacrosse-playing in the spring, the future Middlebury men’s squash captain had not even heard of the game.
“I remember seeing the courts at Hotchkiss and being like, ‘Oh, this is a cool racquet sport I haven’t played before,’” said Bermingham, also a former tennis player. “I kind of fell in love with [squash] right away. I was always trying to play as much as I could.”
On summer vacations, Bermingham would sneak into an old court 15 minutes away from his house and practice by himself. Many of Bermingham’s prep school opponents, meanwhile, would receive instruction from private coaches and compete in tournaments throughout the northeast.
Today, Bermingham holds the top spot on the ladder for men’s squash and plans to play professionally after graduation. Bermingham’s ascendancy demanded that he climb a steep slope within a relatively short period of time, especially when considering his late entry into the sport and walk-on status. His professional aspirations suggest that he believes more has yet to be conquered.
But every journey must start somewhere.
In high school, Bermingham relied upon his height and athleticism to carry his success.
“I [had] a good first step and was able to retrieve [the ball] a lot when I was just picking up the game,” he said. “It allowed me to stay within points with people that were better than me. In doing so, I was able to keep up, have more court time, and therefore have the opportunity to improve more as opposed to when having shorter rallies.”
By junior year of high school, Bermingham wanted to continue his squash career into college, but the recruiting process seemed tilted against him.
“I played in no tournaments and most people my age had already built a resume that they were boasting,” he said. “Coaches certainly weren’t reaching out to me. I was reaching out to a couple of NESCAC and Ivy League coaches, kind of pleading that I’d be really good despite not having that resume.”
Bermingham later developed a correspondence with Middlebury’s men’s squash coach, Mark Lewis.
“I said I was interested in going to school at Middlebury, first and foremost,” Bermingham said. “I explained my experience with squash, such as picking it up late, being a former tennis player and anticipating that I’d improve as I progressed in college. I also told him that I was someone who was looking for specific pointers and tips because I was really just learning [squash] all on my own.”
Bermingham was admitted to Middlebury and earned a spot on the team as a walk-on. He posted an 11–8 overall record his freshman year, going 9–3 at the ninth spot, 1–5 at the eighth position and 1–0 at the seventh. The men’s squad went 11–8 during its 2016–2017 campaign.
Bermingham’s raw athleticism, however, still dictated his game.
“When Nick came here, he was a very physical, fit and defensive player,” said squash co-captain, Will Cembalest ’20. “Essentially, he’d work around the other person’s game and chase balls around as opposed to applying a lot of pressure and playing an attacking game. Especially because he’s tall, he was able to reach for a lot of balls and stay at the point for a lot longer.”
But come sophomore year, a hamstring injury threatened to interrupt Bermingham’s progression. He played in only two games, recording one win and one loss.
Now, his battles were physical and mental.
“Squash has always been a huge competitive outlet for me,” Bermingham said. “Having played sports for as long as I can remember, it’s been part of a balanced life for me. Not having that outlet, not being able to run, have a good sweat, or feeling like I was healthy was really frustrating.”
The injury forced the walk-on to improvise how he practiced. Although he couldn’t run around the court, Bermingham was able to use his solo time to sharpen his technical skills. “Once I was healthy again, I had an element of the game that I didn’t have before,” he said.
By junior year, Bermingham was elected captain and he tallied a collective 13–8 record playing between the third and sixth positions. His teammates recognized his polished game.
“His shot accuracy [was] better,” said Thomas Wolpow ’20, who played on the squash team from freshman to junior year. “If he wanted to put the ball on the front right and he didn’t want the ball to bounce back a lot, he was able to do that. If he wanted to send the guy to the back left back corner, he was able to do that with more precision and consistency.”
Bermingham’s leadership also drew the praise of his teammates.
“Nick has a fantastic work ethic, is very dedicated to the sport, and always shows up early to practice,” Cembalest said. “He embodies what a growing athlete is: someone that’s always looking to improve, cheering for players and wishing the best for the team, especially when it gets competitive between the players”.
For this season, the team named Bermingham captain once again.
Men’s squash is currently ranked 19th nationally.
When February rolls around, and the Panthers close out their final game, Bermingham won’t be hanging up his racquet for the last time; after graduation, he plans to play professionally.
“Given how much I think about squash and how competitive I am with myself, I don’t think I could, in good conscience, just call it quits my senior year of college,” said Bermingham. “I feel like I have still so much more to give and I don’t want to wonder in 20 years what could’ve been.”
Bermingham’s late introduction to squash also leaves him hungry for more.
“Everybody on the team has been playing since they were really young, and I haven’t,” he said. “I don’t think it’d be fair for myself to just walk away, and be like, ‘Oh well, I was good for what was given’”.
The Denver native intends on travelling to France for his professional career. It appears that his ascendancy in squash keeps pointing eastward.
(01/23/20 11:12am)
The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams were synchronized in their last three performances, with both acquiring wins against Union College and Clarkson University on Saturday, Jan. 18, and both taking losses against Bates College on Sunday, Jan. 12.
For the men’s meet against Union and Clarkson, Corey Jalbert ’21 notched a victory in the 50-yard freestyle, clocking in with a time of 21.97. He also took first-place in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 48.27. On the women’s side, Frances Vandermeer ’20 also found victories at 50-yard and 100-yard freestyles, posting times of 26.64 and 58.54, respectively.
While the men’s and women’s squads lost to Bates, Kacey Hertan ’20 delivered a notable performance that Sunday, as she won the three-meter board with 226.15 points. Aska Matsuda ’22, meanwhile, won the 1650 yard freestyle at 17:52.5.
The Panthers will travel to Hamilton College on Saturday, Jan. 25 to compete against their hosts and Williams College.
(10/10/19 10:05am)
While a crisp, chilly air confirmed the presence of fall on campus, the shouts, cheers and music emanating from Battell Beach signaled the arrival of another yearly event: the Middlebury Classic Quidditch Festival. Wizards and witches from RPI, UVM, Harvard, Brandeis, Skidmore and Burlington journeyed to campus on Saturday, Oct. 5 to participate in the Harry Potter-inspired sport.
Food trucks serving tacos, Ethiopian cuisine and ice cream assembled by the Quidditch fields. One booth produced butterbeer, a popular Harry Potter beverage resembling butterscotch. Children could take part in Quidditch workshops, observe potions demonstrations and have their faces painted.
A spectacle of such magnitude was certainly appropriate for Middlebury, considering it is the birthplace of quidditch.
In 2005, students Xandel Manshel ’09 and Alex Benepe ’09 began playing the first games of Quidditch to fill their Sundays. Consistent with the “Harry Potter” universe, they donned towels as capes and carried broomsticks between their legs.
The gender-inclusive sport quickly expanded to intramurals on campus and once word reached other colleges, those schools created their own teams as well. CBS News, the Wall Street Journal, and USA Today even captured the game’s rising popularity, which in turn, accelerated its growth. Since 2007, teams from across the world have participated in the Quidditch World Cup.
While unofficial and much smaller in size, the Middlebury Quidditch Festival offers players the opportunity to visit the hallowed grounds that gave birth to the sport. It’s been 14 years since Quidditch was founded on Battell Beach, but the keys to winning the game have always remained the same.
A good Quidditch team possesses speed, physicality, and, most importantly, teamwork. Confined within a 60- by 36-yard pitch, two teams of six must gain as many points as possible by kicking or throwing a volleyball, known as a “quaffle,” into one of three hoops located at the opposite end of the field. Getting the quaffle through a hoop earns 10 points.
Doing so is more difficult than it sounds.
Each team carries a keeper to guard the hoops and three chasers, who are the only players allowed to handle the quaffle. The quaffle isn’t the only ball in the mix; three dodgeballs, or bludgers, can be picked up and thrown at opposing players. Only two players per team, called beaters, can use bludgers. Any player struck by a bludger must run back and touch their defending hoop. If that player is holding the quaffle, then the quaffle must be dropped.
Finally, each team has one player, called a seeker, who must chase and grab a yellow Velcro tail, attached to a runner called a snitch. Snitches are released at the 15th minute of the game. Catching the snitch gains 30 points and ends the match.
Middlebury won all its games at the festival in group play. The blue and white downed RPI (120–90) in its first match, UVM (190–70) in the second, and Harvard (160–100) in its last. In all three games, Middlebury seized victory by taking the snitch.
Middlebury’s most lethal performance would come against Brandeis in the tournament semifinals. Brandeis maintained the best record in the second pool of quidditch teams, but was not as dominant, only winning two of three games.
The hosts began by scoring seven unanswered goals, or 70 points. Middlebury maintained a clear height advantage at the chaser positions, enabling it to attack Brandeis’ hoops creatively. Long passes connected across the pitch, which on several occasions set up the Panthers for easy fastbreaks and lay-ups.
Offense, however, only presents half the story.
“Throughout the match, we maintained very consistent blunger control, which allowed us to effectively repel their offense and bolster our own,” Sam Lyons ’21 said.
Our semifinal game against Brandeis was just a display of how well our team can play when we are all communicating and mentally on the same page.
-Ian Scura ’19.5
Brandeis would only score one goal, while the Panthers would respond with five more. By the 18th minute, the score was 130–10 Middlebury. The semifinal ended once Brandeis caught the snitch, settling the match at 130–40.
“Our semifinal game against Brandeis was just a display of how well our team can play when we are all communicating and mentally on the same page,” Ian Scura ’19.5 said. “I also think our team just really hit our groove by the end of the day, and people were finding the right cuts.”
Because the tournament was running behind schedule and Middlebury’s championship opponent, RPI, faced a long drive home, the two teams agreed to play a time-capped 15 minute match. The time-cap prevented the possibility of snitches and seekers from entering the game.
The two schools fought a tough, back-and-forth battle in which the scoring deficit never grew larger than 20 points. RPI’s chasers speedily attacked Middlebury’s zone and boasted competitive length. As a result of their scrappiness. players from both teams collided several times in front of the hoops. Defensively, crucial blocks and turnovers were made on both ends. The game ended at 50–50.
“Because the classic is an unofficial tournament, at the end of the day, what we’re really all there for is to play Quidditch and have fun, and I think the ‘final’ embodied that spirit as well as a fully competitive game would have,” co-captain Abraham Beningson ’21 said.
“I would have liked to see how we would have fared against RPI, but we’ve had that opportunity at official tournaments recently and will have it again soon,” he added.
(09/26/19 10:01am)
The first-ranked Panthers downed the Hamilton College Continentals by a score of 5-1 at Kohn Field on Saturday, Sept. 21. The victory moves Middlebury to a 6-0 record and marks their 25th straight victory at home.
Offense and defense played solidly from beginning to end. The Panthers scored one goal for each of the first three quarters, and were on the verge of bringing Hamilton to a shutout until four minutes into the fourth quarter. After Hamilton tallied their only goal, Middlebury responded with two more.
Overall, the Panthers’ offense proved to be relentless throughout the game, having outshot Hamilton 15-2. Star midfielder Erin Nicholas ‘21 racked two goals and captain Marissa Baker ‘20 gained one assist.
(09/19/19 10:03am)
Cross country
By JORDAN HOWELL
The Middlebury cross country team competed in the Bates Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 14. The women finished in third place, while the men captured fourth place.
“The men's and women's cross country teams are excited now that the season is underway!” Talia Ruxin ’20 said. “It was awesome to lace up with the first-years this weekend, and we are feeling lots of positive energy.”
On the women’s side, Ruxin was able to capture seventh place with a time of 18:44.5, while Cassie Kearney ’22 came in 10th place with a time of 19:07.8. For the men, Quinlan McGaugh ’22 came in 10th place with a time of 26:34.4, while a time of 26:44.0 propelled Jack Litowitz ’20 to a 13th place finish.
“The Bates Invitational was a fun race and a great opportunity to run against some strong NESCAC competition early in the season,” McCaugh said.
Regarding the upcoming Aldrich Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 21, Litowitz was optimistic.
“A combination of the experience fresh off of a meet this past weekend, spiking up and running on our home course should allow the team to improve this week over last, and carry the positive momentum forward onto the bigger meets where it counts," he said.
Football
By LAUREN BOYD
The Panther football team kicked off their season with a 17–13 win against the Williams Ephs on Saturday, Sept. 14, scoring the game-winning touchdown with less than a minute on the clock.
The start of the second quarter opened up the scoring game. Carter Massengill ’20 put the first points of the game on the board, scoring a field goal from 25 yards out.
Later in the second quarter, the Panthers scored an 18–yard touchdown, gaining a 10–0 lead. The rest of the second quarter, however, was commanded by the Williams offense. Between the second and third quarters, the Ephs scored 13 unanswered points.
With just one minute and 30 seconds left in the game, the Panthers marched down the field behind Jernigan. A series of short passes and 10-yard gains led the Panthers to the 2-yard line, where Jernigan punched in the game-winning touchdown. Massengill tapped in the extra point, making the final score 17–13.
Men’s golf
By JACK KAGAN
The men’s golf team finished at the podium for this past weekend’s Duke Nelson Invitational. The Invitational took place at Middlebury’s Ralph Myhre Golf Course and featured 23 teams from around the region. After a strong start atop the standings at the end of day one, the Panthers finished the tournament in third place, just one stroke behind Williams.
Jordan Bessalel ’21 and co-captain Jeffrey Giguere ’20 shined on day one, coming in at sixth and third place respectively. Giguere finished out day two in first place by one stroke ahead of Williams’ Will Kannegieser. Giguere earned a combined score of 142. Neither Bessalel nor Giguere’s heroics were quite enough to lift the Panthers into second place as a team. New York University finished first.
After a strong showing, the Panthers will have little time to rest before heading down to their rivals’ turf in Williamstown for the Williams Fall Invitational.
Women’s golf
By MICHAEL SEGEL
The Panthers outdid last year’s performance at the St. Lawrence Invitational, this year coming in second place out of nine teams. On Sept. 7–8, five players from the women’s golf team came together to accomplish this feat. Their impressive performance can largely be attributed to the work of Blake Yaccino ’20, who finished third overall out of 47 participants. Classmate Chloe Levins ’20 wasn’t far behind, finishing in a tie for seventh overall.
Coming off the strong showing at the St. Lawrence Invitational, the women then competed in the Ann S. Batchelder Invitational on Sept. 14–15. They came in third overall behind Williams College and Wellesley College. Katie Murphy ’23 finished tied for second overall out of 42 golfers, shooting a two-over par 146 (74–72). Yaccino finished tied for fifth at 154 (76–78), while Levins finished tied for 18th with a 164 (84–80). Elizabeth Kenter ’23 finished tied for 27th, shooting a 169 (85–84), and Kayla Li ’23 finished in 29th with a 170 (85–85). The Panthers will be swinging back in action next week at the Mount Holyoke Invitational.
Men’s tennis
By JACK KAGAN
The men’s tennis team fell just short of divisional titles in four of four singles brackets this past weekend at the Middlebury Invitational on the Proctor Tennis Courts.
Though the squad is currently beginning a rebuilding process after losing its top two players to graduation, a bright future might not be so far away. The top singles flight saw unseeded Stan Morris ’22 blaze through to the finals, taking out the No. 3 and No. 2 seeds in the process.
Robby Ward ’23 also made a run to the finals in the B singles draw, knocking off No. 1 seed Brandeis sophomore Jeff Chen. David Vilys ’22 and Zach Hilty ’22 also made it to the finals in their respective C and D singles draws, and will look to use the momentum to propel themselves into a consistent starting role come spring time.
Surprisingly, the two doubles draws were devoid of Middlebury teams past the quarterfinals, likely owing to sets of entirely new doubles pairings.
The tournament featured teams such as Tufts University and Brandeis College, with whom the Panthers will have to contend if they want to stay at the top of DIII tennis.
Men’s soccer
By ERIK ARVIDSSON
After starting the NESCAC season with a scoreless double overtime tie, the Panthers traveled last weekend to Brunswick, Maine to take on the Bowdoin Polar Bears. For the second week in a row, the Panthers struggled connecting with the back of the net. The team finished with six shots on goal compared to Bowdoin’s 15 and neither were able to score. The game ended at 0–0.
The man of the match was goalkeeper Ryan Grady ’23. Grady made six saves to complete his second shutout of the year. The Panthers remain positive despite not scoring in two consecutive games.
“We have been doing all the right things,” Jack Spiridellis ’21 said. “We just need to put the ball into the back of the net, then we will win games.”
Up next, the Panthers played their home opener against Mt. St. Mary of New York on Sept. 17 (which occured after this issue was sent to print). The Panthers will round out the week with a home double-header this weekend against Hamilton on Saturday and Castleton on Sunday, Sept. 22.
Women’s tennis
By DAN MIGUEL ESPINOSA
The Middlebury women’s tennis team journeyed down Route 7 this past weekend for the Lindsay Morehouse Invitational at Williams College. The invitational followed a round-robin format in which the Panthers competed against three other teams in a full weekend of doubles and singles. No individual team was awarded champion.
On Friday, Sept. 13, three of four doubles pairs picked up victories against Skidmore. The following day, Middlebury swept RPI in three doubles matches, but only took two of three doubles matches against Williams. For singles, Middlebury swept RPI in all five contests.
Middlebury faced Skidmore again on Sunday for singles and won four of six matches. Against Williams, the Panthers won all three singles matches and won their only doubles contest.
The women will use this weekend to prepare for the ITA Regional Championships that kick off at home on Sept. 27.
Women’s soccer
By JENNY LANGERMAN
Women’s soccer had another successful week, winning both of this week’s games to put them at five total wins and zero losses.
The Panthers first faced SUNY Plattsburgh on the road. Despite solid play from their opponents, Middlebury was ultimately able to shut them out two-zip with goals from captain Jinx Charman ’20 and Leah Salzman ’21, and the help of strong defensive play.
Middlebury then hit the road once again to play the Bowdoin Polar Bears, having to put up a tougher fight in their second game of the week. The Bears got an early lead, scoring within the first eight minutes of play. The Panthers matched them with a goal from Salzman, but were unable to pull ahead until the very end. With just a minute and a half of game time left, captain Ellie Greenberg ’20 was able to hook one into the side of the net, securing the win.
The Panthers now have a week to regroup and prepare before their next match against conference-opponent, Hamilton College, on their home turf this Saturday, Sept. 21.
Volleyball
By HEATHER BOEHM
Middlebury Women’s Volleyball fell to an undefeated Clarkson on an unlucky Friday, Sept. 13, and split their weekend contests with a win over Potsdam and a loss to St. Lawrence on Saturday, Sept. 14.
In their first battle of the weekend against Clarkson, the Panthers came out expecting a war. Although they put some numbers on the board, they ultimately fell in straight sets to the 23rd-ranked team in the country. Gigi Alper ’20 led the Panther defense, picking up 13 digs for the night. Jane Nelson ’22 built on her teammates’ efforts and led the offense with six kills.
After a hard loss, Middlebury got back to work. The women triumphed over Potsdam with a decisive 3–0 victory. This time around it was Maggie Wise ’22, who took control of the Panther offense tallying 11 kills.
Although the Panthers were hungry for more, the women fell just short of a victory over St. Lawrence. Middlebury rolled through the first two sets before St. Lawrence stole the next two right back. Middlebury was then defeated by the Saints in the fifth set 15–12.
The Panthers will journey to Maine over the weekend, where they will compete against Colby on Friday, Sept. 20 and Bates on Saturday, Sept. 21.
Field hockey
By DAN MIGUEL ESPINOSA
Field hockey fared successfully on their Sept. 14–15 road trip, defeating ninth-ranked Bowdoin College and 18th-ranked Babson College, 1–0 and 2–0, respectively. The Panthers had difficulty stirring up scoring opportunities during the first half against the Bowdoin Polar Bears. But they gained momentum in the third quarter, outshooting the Polar Bears 3–0. Finally, the Panthers scored 30 seconds into the fourth quarter. The 1–0 score remained until the end of the game.
Against Babson, Middlebury struck early twice in the first quarter. The Panthers struggled scoring for the remainder of the game, but still made some spectacular stops.
Correction: A previous version of the cross country recap included outdated information and dates.
(09/19/19 10:00am)
Middlebury isn’t known for sending athletes to major professional sports leagues like the NFL, NBA, or MLB. Such is the case for all Division III athletic programs. However, if anyone were to wager on a potential big-league Panther, one should consider placing their bets on baseball standout Colby Morris ’19.
The right-handed pitcher just completed a season with the Milwaukee Milkmen of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball (AA). The Milkmen didn’t make the AA playoffs, but Morris’ legacy with Middlebury baseball remains outstanding.
His name is scattered throughout the program’s pitching records. Morris owns the most career wins in Middlebury history (18), is first in career innings pitched (256), career starts (39) and is second in career strikeouts (174). The right-hander earned the NESCAC Pitcher of the Year Award in 2018, as well as First-Team All Conference honors. His last season saw Morris win Second-Team honors.
These stats and accolades should be unsurprising; Morris had served as the team’s workhorse and go-to pitcher throughout his four-year tenure. His 2016 freshman campaign saw him pitch the most innings amongst all his teammates. The amount of responsibility shouldered by Morris early on in his collegiate career spoke to his coaches’ confidence in his ability to deliver.
His edge comes from his composure on the mound and a competitive pitching style. “I love pressure,” Morris said.
Morris’ most reliable pitch is the change-up. As he matured and grew stronger in college, his fastball gained more velocity, improving from 83–85 miles per hour as a first-year, to reaching 93 miles per hour after graduating.
Morris’ talent was noticed around the country. Hailing from the San Francisco area, Morris played in the local Golden State Collegiate Baseball League in the summer of 2016. The hiring of current Middlebury baseball coach Mike Leonard before the 2017 season allowed him to connect with other summer league coaches.
For Morris, Leonard is much more than a baseball resource.
“Coach Leonard and I are very close. He reminds me in a lot of ways of one of my older brothers,” Morris said. “We talk all the time, and I might even get on his nerves sometimes from all the questions I have but he has been extremely helpful to talk to this summer.”
The connections provided by Leonard surely paid off. The summer after his sophomore year, Morris signed a contract with the Seacoast Mavericks of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL) based in Portsmouth, N.H. The FCBL requires that 15 out of 30 players on each team have connections to New England, and the San Francisco-based Morris, having attended college in Vermont, was able to participate.
Playing in summer leagues is a different animal when compared to the NESCAC.
“NESCAC has a lot of skilled and smart players who scrap together at bat, don’t hit for power and play small ball,” Morris said. “In pro ball, the hitters try to do more damage at the plate and care more about their own numbers since their jobs are on the line. They’re also far more talented in general and are more capable of hitting the ball out of the park.”
Morris also acknowledged that playing baseball wasn’t how Middlebury athletes typically spent their summers. Such an experience proved valuable for Morris.
“Summer ball allowed me to play without the commitment of school and I got to play against better talent, improving before getting back to Vermont each year,” he said.
The summer after Morris’ junior year was more hectic. Coming off a career season in which he won NESCAC Pitcher of the Year, Morris signed a temporary, 30-day contract with the Green Bay Bullfrogs of the Northwoods League in Wisconsin. The pitcher then spent time in Seattle to train extensively after the contract expired.
But in the midst of training, Morris was contacted by the Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL), which was rare for DIII players such as himself. The Cape Cod League is amongst the most competitive summer collegiate leagues in the United States, since it showcases many MLB prospects. Some CCBL alumni include Hall of Famers Craig Biggio, Frank Thomas, Jeff Bagwell and Boston Red Sox legend Carlton Fisk.
Morris went on to sign with the Angels, contributing to their bullpen’s depth. Getting appearances in Cape Cod was difficult, because other pitchers had spent more time on the team and so had more opportunities to prove themselves. By season’s end, Morris made only one appearance for the Angels, throwing two innings and allowing one run.
“Cape Cod was one of the best experiences of my life,” Morris said.
To Morris’ disappointment, he didn’t get drafted by an MLB team, and signed a short-term contract with the Trois-Rivières Aigles in Quebec of the Canadian-American League just weeks after graduating.
After that contract expired, Morris signed with the Gary SouthShore Railcats of the AA league in Gary, Indiana. Talent-wise, the AA is similar to the upper levels of MLB minor league systems. Many of Morris’ teammates were on MLB minor league rosters, had played for MLB teams, or were just released by those teams. Unlike MLB farm systems, the AA is an independent league. Thus, teams prioritized winning rather than developing prospects.
Morris was released by the Railcats because his fastball velocity dropped to 88 miles per hour, despite throwing 3.2 scoreless innings in his last outing. The Railcats overused his arm, thanks to the AA’s “win-now” environment.
Once released, Morris walked over to the Railcats’ opponent that day, the Milwaukee Milkmen, and asked to perform a bullpen session. He was signed on the spot.
The Milkmen finished their last month and half of the season with Morris, and managed to return his fastball to 92 miles per hour. Morris was re-signed, and the recent graduate still has his future sights set high.
“I’m hoping and expecting to sign with an MLB team this offseason,” Morris said. “My long term goal is to make it to the major leagues, however, in the short term I just want to get into an MLB system to work my way up the ladder.”
Morris hopes to play winter ball in Australia as his next step.
“For the time being I’m just enjoying the ride and the adventure of living day by day,” Morris said.
(09/12/19 10:04am)
The 2019 Middlebury field hockey team returns to the hunt this September, seeking to replicate their success from last season as defending NCAA Champions. They are currently ranked No. 1 amongst all Division III Field Hockey teams.
Fortunately, the Panthers return most of their productive players from last season. Junior midfielder Erin Nicholas ’21, who earned Nescac Player of the Year in 2018, led last year’s team in goals (17), assists (11) and points (45). Should Nichloas continue her output from last year, the Panthers will have a lethal contributor on both ends of the field. Senior midfielder Marissa Baker ’20 should also make an impact this season after having been named First Team All-Nescac.
Lastly, one of the most important components to the Panthers’ success doesn’t score goals, attempt saves, or dish out passes; Coach Katharine DeLorenzo, the 2018 NESCAC Coach of the Year, looks to implement her expertise in bringing squads to championship form.
DeLorenzo emphasizes forgetting past successes and having a short-term perspective.
“Some of Coach DeLorenzo’s things are focusing on one game at a time, not talking about winning, and not talking about last season,” Nicholas said.
The Panthers’ offensive strategy follows a similar philosophy: the team makes adjustments and doesn’t cling onto what made them successful previously.
“Last year, we’d work the ball on the outside a lot. Now, we’re working to transfer through the midfield a lot more and really utilize our central players,” Nicholas said, when asked about what improvements the team was hoping to make.
Such adjustments appear to be working.
The Panthers began their season on a roll, having already shutout Wesleyan 7–0 on the road on Sept. 7. Their matchup the very next day, however, proved to be trickier. The Panthers produced just two goals against University of New England in the first three quarters. Thankfully, they gained momentum in the last quarter, ultimately emerging victorious, 5–1.
(09/12/19 10:00am)
Women’s tennis is back on the Proctor Courts after a successful fourth-place finish last Spring.
The women will battle in four tournaments this fall. Their season kicks off at Williams College for the Lindsay Morehouse Invitational on Sept. 13.
Turnover from last year was minimal, with only Christina Puccenell ’19 graduating, and three incoming freshmen joining this year’s squad. Juniors Emily Bian and Ann Martin Skelly will not be competing this semester because the two are studying abroad in Australia and Scotland respectively.
Despite their absences, plenty of experience will be guiding the Panthers thanks to the presence of five seniors.
Expect Heather Boehm ’20, the 2019 NESCAC Player of the Year and beloved Campus Sports Editor, to dominate singles and doubles. Katherine Hughes ’20, should also excel in singles and doubles when paired with Skylar Schossberger ’20.
Maddi Stow ’20 will be a force on both the singles and doubles end, and Catherine Blazye ’20 will hopefully be making a return to the court after a difficult year off due to an injury.
(04/11/19 9:58am)
While the length of tennis games are confined to sets and matches, its benefits last over the course of a lifetime. On Saturday, April 6, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) hosted an on-campus, one-day workshop open to girls in grades nine through twelve. The workshop, which is part of the USTA’s Women in Tennis Together series, was designed to give girls specialized tennis instruction and an opportunity to connect with female role models from the sport. Saturday marked the second consecutive year of Women in Tennis Together at Middlebury College. The first half of the workshop took place at the Nelson Recreation Center, while the second half took place at the Middlebury Indoor Tennis center.
The workshop began at 9 in the morning. After signing in, the girls met with players from Tennis on Campus, a volunteer student organization, as well as coaches and players from the Middlebury women’s tennis team. They also managed to spectate matches between two of the best in women’s tennis: a Middlebury squad ranked 5th in the country, and a Wesleyan squad ranked 6th. Around noon, they departed for the Middlebury Indoor Tennis center, where they ate lunch, practiced drills and played in matches. The girls concluded their day with discussions with female guest speakers, all whom had considerable experience playing and coaching tennis.
“When you’re out there [playing tennis], you really can’t focus on anything else, and as soon as you lose that focus, your game starts to slip,” said Erin Morrison, event organizer and also a programs and communications manager at the Addison Community Athletics Foundation. “It’s almost like therapy in the sense that when you’re out there, you’re just able to think about the game, and think about your partner.”
The event’s organizers, however, were thinking about things beyond tennis when considering the goals of the workshop.
“What I’m hoping that the girls take from [the workshop] is just how valuable community is, whether that be in sports or in other areas, and just seeing how valuable it can be in impacting their lives,” said Morrison.
“The skills [learned from this workshop] are bigger than tennis,” said event organizer Jeanne Husslen, who is also the athletic director of Burlington High School. “It’s networking, communicating and meeting kids from other programs, but then also being exposed to women in leadership, and how tennis has impacted their lives.”
“The girls can learn practice, goal setting, communication, dealing with emotions from joy and elation, to disappointment and failure, teamwork, discipline and preparation,” said Husslen, when asked about the benefits of playing tennis. “It’s a phenomenal platform for learning life skills.”
(11/01/18 9:52am)
Men’s golf ended its fall season on a high note, when it finished in third place among 23 teams at the New England Intercollegiate Golf Association Championship (NEIGA). The tournament took place from Saturday, Oct. 21 to Sunday, Oct. 22, and was held at the Captains Golf Course, a par-72 course in Brewster, Mass. Brewster, which is located on the bayside of Cape Cod, would have offered the Panthers a coastal retreat from the chilly and landlocked mountains of Vermont. But the weather on the first day was extremely far from ideal. The temperature hovered around the low 40s and was accompanied by wind gusts of up to 20 miles per hour.
The team’s performance was hot in spite of the cold temperatures. Middlebury’s third-place finish was the result of a two-day total of 618, just shy of first-place Babson’s 613 and second-place Williams’ 614. Rounding out the top five were Husson University, which totaled 627, and Nichols College with 628. The other NESCAC rivals that competed, Tufts and Bates, landed at seventh and 22nd, respectively.
The Panthers’ solid outing could be attributed to the strong individual performances of senior captains Reid Buzby and Philippe Morin, as well as junior David Packer. Buzby took home first-place-medalist honors, scoring 73 in the first round and 72 in the second. His overall total of 145 was just one above par. Morin finished in fourth place, which is remarkable considering that he was tied for 17th after the first round. He ultimately carded a total of 151. Packer, meanwhile, managed to tie for eighth place after scoring 154. He showed consistency throughout the tournament, scoring a 77 on both days. The other Panther golfers, Chris Thompson ’22 and David McDaniel ’19, tied for 75th and 106th, respectively.
The explanation behind Buzby’s success could be his ability to excel in difficult weather. “I knew going into the tournament the conditions were going to be really tough,” he said. “I usually perform better than most people in bad conditions, so I was really confident [that] I would have a good chance of winning if I stuck to my normal game.”
Regional ties also could have played a role in Buzby’s performance. “I’m from San Francisco and I play at a course out there by the ocean, so it gets really windy and cold at all times of the year,” he said. “I’ve gotten really comfortable playing in the wind and cold, while most people are playing in hot and sunny conditions over the summer.”
With men’s golf not returning to action until the spring, Buzby will no longer need to compete in harsh conditions, provided that winter doesn’t last into April. The team will now set its sights on the NESCAC Championship, which will take place at the Ralph Myhre Golf Course from Saturday, April 27 to Sunday, April 28, 2019. This comes after Middlebury finished first at the NESCAC qualifier in September, winning the right to host the championship.
“Individually, I am hoping to bring some of the momentum I had from these last few tournaments into the spring season, and get as many wins as I can during my last year,” Buzby said.
While for the next several months Ralph Myhre will lose all of its leaves, be covered in snow and experience less sunlight, one thing will remain constant: the hope that Middlebury golf will soon reign victorious.
(10/11/18 9:53am)
After coming short of victory in the prior weekend’s ITA Regional Championships, men’s tennis readjusted their focus and travelled south to Princeton, N.J. for the Farnsworth Invitational. The Invitational, hosted by Princeton University, was a change of scenery for the Panthers; they were the only Division III team in a field of 15 schools. Unlike in previous tournaments where players would compete in either a singles or doubles bracket, the Farnsworth Invitational followed a Davis Cup format, where each player competes in four doubles and singles matches.
Representing Middlebury on the weekend of Oct. 5–7 were just six players: Noah Farrell ’19, Peter Martin ’19, Adam Guo ’21, Andre Xiao ’21, Aleksander Samets ’20 and David Vilys ’22. NCAA Division III All-American Lubomir Cuba would sit out the invitational, as well as senior captain Cole Sutton. Other notable absences included junior Weston Brach and freshman Stanley Morris. Clearly, the Panthers’ full roster of weapons was not displayed at Princeton.
The Panthers still managed to piece together a solid outing. The Farrell-Martin doubles pair posted a 3–1 record over the weekend, while Xiao-Samets and Guo-Vilys both went 2–2. For singles, Farrell, Guo and Vilys each won three matches. Martin won two matches, while Samets would tally a victory in just one. As the only Division III team in the invitational, Middlebury managed to put up quite a fight.
One Panther, Guo, found himself needing to adjust his play style during the match. “Division I players make you pay for any short ball that you give them, so one thing that I was struggling with was keeping the ball deep [while I run],” Guo said. “Additionally, DI players have noticeably bigger serves, so one thing that I could have done better was keeping the ball deeper off the return.”
For Samets, competing at the NESCAC level isn’t very different from competing against Division I teams. “The level of play is very close, so we go into each match looking to compete hard and to win,” said Samets. “The real differences are a few Division-I-specific rules that we have to adjust to, like playing lets and no ad scoring.”
The small differences in competition, however, don’t take away from the thrill of beating a higher-level opponent. “It’s always great to mix in the Princeton tournament during the Fall, so being the only DIII team down there definitely makes the wins sweeter,” said Samets.
The Panthers return to Division III play on Oct. 12–14, when they look to build some momentum at the Tufts-Brandeis Invitational.
(10/04/18 9:54am)
The men’s golf team travelled south to Middlefield, CT to compete in the NESCAC Fall Qualifier hosted by Wesleyan University. The tournament took place at the Lyman Orchards Golf Club, a top-rated course in Connecticut and a popular family attraction known for its cultivation of apples and peaches.
This past weekend, however, Lyman Orchards also became a battleground on which 10 men’s golf squads, bearing the insignia of their respective New England liberal arts colleges, would duke it out for an opportunity to compete in, and possibly host, the four-team NESCAC Championship occurring this April.
The Panthers (587) emerged victorious from this scrap. They were followed by Trinity College (588) and Hamilton College (592), who finished second and third respectively. The red-hot Ephs of Williams College (596), who finished first in both the Ralph Myhre Invitational and the Williams Invitational, were nine shots behind Middlebury, landing in fifth place. The tournament host, Wesleyan University (641), placed ninth.
The Panther’s victory looked imminent after they were ranked third after the first round, having shot 293. The team, on their second day, maintained a consistent overall performance. They shot 294, which was low enough to push them into a first place finish. Evident by their one point lead over Trinity, their win was clearly a close contest.
Captain Reid Buzby ’19 (71-73) led the Panthers with an individual total score of 144, which was third overall. Just two shots behind him was Jordan Bessalel ’21 (72-74), who finished in a tie for fourth, and then Phin Choukas ’22 (75-73), who placed eighth. For 11th place, Kenneth Deiker ’22 (75-74) hit a total of 149, while David Packer ’20 (78-76) managed to land in a tie for 23rd.
Hopefully they can replicate this strong performance on April 27 and 28, when the NESCAC Championship comes to the Ralph Myhre Golf Course. But presently, golf will need to keep its focus for the upcoming Ekwanok Tournament, happening on Oct. 9 at Manchester, Vermont.
(10/04/18 9:51am)
Middlebury College hosted the 2018 ITA Division III Men’s New England Regional Tennis Championship from Sept. 28 to 30. The Proctor Tennis courts, busy from Friday 9:00 a.m to Sunday 1:00 p.m, saw 20 Division III teams compete in either a singles or doubles match. The ITA championship format consisted of one singles bracket and one doubles bracket. 64 players competed in singles, while 32 pairs participated in doubles.
The championship comprised of NESCAC rivals, like Williams, Amherst, and Bowdoin, who were no strangers to Middlebury’s courts. Also in attendance were non-NESCAC schools with fairly competitive tennis programs, like Brandeis and MIT. Brandeis, in fact, captured first place in one singles bracket, and in two doubles brackets at the Middlebury Invitational on Sept. 15 and 16.
The Panthers certainly fought hard to assert dominance on their own courts. However, they fell short of achieving their goal of emerging victorious in either the singles or doubles brackets.
Captain Lubomir Cuba ’19, a two-time All-American and 2017 NESCAC Player of the Year, would find himself busy in both the singles and doubles tournaments. Cuba, in the singles bracket, would advance as far as the quarterfinals, defeating Wheaton’s Tracy, Babson’s Mendiola, and Williams’ Taylor, before falling to Williams’ Arturo Kam. For doubles, Cuba would find more success when paired with Nate Eazor ’21. The Cuba-Eazor pair managed to advance as far as the championship round, but would lose to Bowdoin’s Jerry Jiang and Justin Wang, 6-3, 7-5.
On the singles draw, Captain Noah Farrell ’19 would also battle his way to the quarterfinals round, powering through Emerson’s Lin, Bowdoin’s Wang, and Wesleyan’s Anker. Farrell would lose to Tufts’ Sorkin, 6-3 and 7-5. Other players like Nate Eazor ’21 and Stanley Morris ’22 would go as far as the round of 16, while Adam Guo ’21 and Andre Xiao ’21 would advance to just the second round.
For the doubles draw, Farrell and Peter Martin ’19 would fall to the eventual doubles champions, Bowdoin’s Jiang-Wang pair, in the quarterfinals.
Despite the missed opportunity to capture victory at home, the Panthers will have another chance to show their dominance in New Jersey, at the Farmsworth Invitational hosted by Princeton. The Invitational will take place Oct. 5 to 7.
(09/27/18 10:00am)
The men’s golf team travelled south down Route 7 last weekend for the Williams Fall Invitational, hosted by NESCAC rival, Williams College.
The tournament took place at the scenic Taconic Golf Club, a par-71 course located adjacent to Williams’ campus. With the temperature hovering around the low sixties, the weather was ideal for a late September match.
A narrative was also in play for the Panthers. The Ephs had won our very own Duke Nelson Invitational at the Ralph Myhre Golf Course the weekend before, so the team was poised to exact revenge. Perhaps the Panthers would make a comeback similar to Tiger Woods’ that weekend, who earned his first PGA Tour Victory in five years.
Middlebury, unfortunately, would finish seventh out of the 20 teams that competed. Williams would continue its hot streak, placing first in its own tournament. Following Williams were Husson University and Trinity College, who fell second and third, respectively.
Williams scored 588 over the course of two rounds, which was 20 over par. Husson was 37 shots behind, scoring a total of 605, while Trinity was two points back and hit 607. Middlebury, a combined 50 shots over par for the weekend, landed a total of 618.
After the first round on Saturday, the Panthers shot 313 and were positioned ninth. Their score improved on Sunday, when they hit 305 and managed to finish seventh overall. The trend for the men’s golf team this year has been improvement from the first to second round; in the Ralph Myhre Tournament last weekend, its score decreased on the second day.
Leading the Panthers’ efforts were captain Reid Buzby ’19 and David Packer ’20. At 153, both men tied for 16th place with regards to individual scores.
“I felt that my ability to keep the ball in play off the tee, allowing me to try to hit my second shot close to the pin, was the strongest part of my game,” said Packer. “Rarely did I find myself having to punch out from behind a tree.”
Phin Choukas ’22 tied for 32nd at 156, and Jordan Bessalel ’21, just a shot behind Choukas, was tied for 37th at 157. Chris Thompson ’22, was tied for 65th at 163.
The Williams team had three golfers place individually in the top ten, which unsurprisingly explained their success. Their best player, Sam Goldenring, was two shots below par at 140, and finished first individually.
The Panthers will expect more opportunities to compete against the Ephs on Sept. 29 and 30, when they travel to Middlefield, Connecticut for the NESCAC Championship Qualifier.