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(09/24/20 10:00am)
Students woke up with renewed energy and excitement on Sept. 17 as the college officially began Phase Two of its gradual reopening, continuing along the steady trajectory toward greater freedoms for students. While many groups of students ventured into town, many of the school’s club sports teams got to work.
Middlebury College is home to 21 club teams, which allow opportunities for students to participate in athletics in a less structured environment compared to varsity sports. These clubs have a rich history at the college and even include a few prolific national champions – namely Quidditch, women’s water polo and men’s ultimate frisbee – and their activity this semester is especially important because of the restricted lives of much of the student population.
“Clubs are active, and it’s really important they’re active because of all the things we can’t do this fall,” said Doug Connelly, the director of outdoor programs and club sports. “All the teams that have wanted to have been able to organize and start practice this week. We’re making sure everyone is working in groups of 10, always with masks on and keeping social distancing rules in effect.”
Due to the college’s temporary hiring freeze, many club team coaches have been unable to return to their seasonal positions this fall. Connelly has therefore taken over the role of supervising most practices along with the help of Rich Connell, the former full-time head coach of the club crew team. Together, Connelly and Connell have been overseeing practices, but as Phase Two begins, a few clubs plan to operate more autonomously.
Regardless of the phase, coaching or student participation, this semester will be different for every club team. Women’s ultimate frisbee, a nationally competitive team of around 45 members, has been meeting since Phase One, but practices look unlike anything the team has done before.
“It’s been a challenge to work things this semester so far because there are a lot of social-distancing and shared equipment rules in place,” captain Brooke Laird ’22 said. “Ultimate is considered a high contact sport, and passing discs to each other is considered shared equipment, so we’re more limited in what we can do.”
Under normal circumstances, both the women’s and the men’s team would practice at the same time and scrimmage after workouts. This season, players are required to bring their own discs and practices are increasingly focused on conditioning and fitness. The biggest challenge, according to Laird, has been recruiting new members to the team and introducing them to the community.
“We had some time at the Activities Fair, and we’ve been able to do small in-person meetups, but this semester we have to be very intentional in how we set up practices and introduce players to the sport and the community,” Laird said. “The emphasis this fall will be [on] having fun and being chill, and we’re all pretty excited to have the opportunity to play at all.”
Other high-contact sports, such as men’s rugby and women’s water polo, have faced similar challenges with their seasons.
“Without a vaccine, you just can’t play rugby like you normally could,” said Nathaniel Klein ’21, captain of men’s rugby. “The good thing is there's so much more to the sport than just running into each other — we’ve been having strength and conditioning practices, and recruiting this semester has actually been higher than average.”
“Everything about water polo this fall will be different,” said Jenna Kotcher ’21.5 of the women’s water polo team. Because of the high-contact nature of their sport, the 2019 Division III Club National Champions will face many unique challenges this season. This, combined with the fact that their coach will not be able to return this season and the inability of the team to have pool time until Phase Three, means the primary focus of the team will be building community and staying fit for the next season.
Water polo’s recruitment is focused around the fall season and running workshops for interested new players, but these will take a hit this fall. Kotcher is hopeful that word of mouth can stand in for a semester.
While teams like ultimate frisbee, water polo and rugby face their fair share of challenges this semester alongside many varsity sports, some club sports face the additional obstacle of having to leave campus to access their facilities. The Middlebury club sailing and crew teams both have facilities off-campus and were unable to use them until the start of Phase Two.
“The whole setup of our practices is different this fall,” said Mollie Ockene ’21, a member of the sailing team. “Before we could leave, we did a lot of dryland fitness workouts, but normally this is the best time of year to be on the water.” Now that the club can get out, social distancing rules will regulate how sailors operate in boats and use shared equipment.
The crew team faced a similar situation, according to captain Dan Krugman ’21. “We’re doing what we can, and thankfully there has been a huge amount of positive energy from the team this fall,” Krugman said.
Like sailing, crew practices were on land during Phase One and involved some erging and cycling. Like rugby, recruiting yielded a higher-than-average incoming class of rowers. “One of the big attractions about crew, and any club sport really, is the balance of social and athletic commitment, and we got lucky this fall that a lot of folks were really interested,” Krugman said.
Like many varsity teams this semester, competitions will look very different (or nonexistent) for most club sports. There is still the possibility for intrateam scrimmaging among certain teams, but that constitutes the extent of any foreseeable post-season.
As the fall continues to progress, club sports will become better adapted to the strange and harsh circumstances of this semester. The remarkable resilience of every team speaks to the enthusiasm of club athletes and their sense of community. “We’re lucky to be here and have this opportunity this fall,” Krugman said.
(04/30/20 9:59am)
In light of the NCAA announcement on March 12 cancelling all remaining winter and spring sports championships due to the evolving Covid-19 health threat, the collegiate sports governing body has extended eligibility for Division III spring sports athletes. This means Middlebury spring athletes who want to participate in their four seasons of collegiate athletics will have the chance to return to campus to compete for another year, or enroll in another Division III school after graduation.
“This will ultimately provide additional opportunity for Division III student-athletes to realize their four years of athletic eligibility,” said Tori Murden McClure, chair of the NCAA DIII Administrative Committee in a press release.
Under normal circumstances, a Division III student-athlete has 10 semesters to participate in four seasons of one sport. A semester counts if a student-athlete is both participating in academics and competing for their sport. The recent DIII committee decision makes it so that the spring 2020 semester will not count toward the 10 semesters or four seasons for any spring athlete.
“I think it was the right thing to do for the NCAA to grant the extra year of eligibility for all spring student-athletes, given the circumstances,” said Middlebury’s Director of Athletics Erin Quinn in an email correspondence with The Campus.
Middlebury does not have a history of students remaining on campus after graduation to fulfill athletic eligibility, or even of graduates continuing to compete while pursuing further postgraduate education. “I think under normal circumstances people mostly use their eligibility as an undergrad, and if they miss a year due to injury, they graduate and move on with their plans, whatever they may be,” Quinn said.
The cancellation of the spring season has affected the NESCAC in a variety of other ways. In addition to all-conference championships being cancelled, in-person recruiting has been restricted until June 15, and this date is likely to change again based on national health standings. Coaches are only allowed to communicate with recruits via email, phone, social media and witten mediums, for obvious reasons.
The NCAA effected a similar set of adjustments for Division I schools, taking into account spring student-athlete eligibility and recruiting eligibility. In contrast to Division III schools, Division I schools will have greater flexibility in self-applying extensions for individual student-athletes. The NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics), which includes 251 schools, also canceled remaining winter and spring championships for the spring 2020 semester.
If you are a Middlebury spring sport student-athlete and are considering continuing your athletic participation after graduation, The Campus would love to hear your story. Shoot us an email at campus@middlebury.edu.
(04/16/20 10:01am)
Spring was going to be exciting this year. Anyone walking around campus could feel it; the warm days were arriving early, election results were headline news and spring sports were getting ready to match the recently completed stellar fall and winter seasons.
None were more excited than Catherine Blazye '20, a captain on the women’s tennis team from London, England. She had finally recovered from a brutal viral infection that kept her from playing all but one doubles match her junior year, and could not wait to return to the courts and fight towards a potential NCAA bid with her team during her final season.
Then, that — along with senior spring and a traditional graduation ceremony — was taken by the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the world.
“At first I was in disbelief,” said Blazye, recalling the dramatic twists of that fateful day on March 10, when the student body received news of the cancellation of in-person classes and the transition to remote learning. “I remember the header of that email [sent by Professor Hector Vila a few hours before the official message from President Patton] was ‘Spring Sports Cancelled,’ and I was like, ‘Oh no.’”
Blazye is not only a senior, athlete, international student, but an older sister as well — her younger brother James is a freshman at Middlebury. Suddenly, she found herself juggling the responsibilities of all of these identities at once. “I didn’t know whether I should come home, or whether I was meant to stay in the U.S.,” Blazye said. “None of us knew what this meant, or what remote learning would look like in terms of whether or not we’d be coming back.”
Fortunately, Blazye has found strength and support in her team. “I think we came together really well,” said Blazye. “We were just trying to stay hopeful and positive, and maybe we would come back later in the season.” Blayze said that the team had one final, emotional practice that night. “That’s when it hit me, like this is my last practice, probably,” she said.
Tennis has had a huge impact on Blazye’s Middlebury experience. “For me, [my teammates] were my family,” she said. “I don’t know if I would have come across some of them if not for tennis, and I’m so glad I did. We would literally do anything to win for each other on that court”
Blayze recalled that, during her battle with a viral infection last year, there were practices when she did not want to get up from the bench or could not lift her racket. “You just carry on, because you’re like ‘we can do this’” she said.
Losing that team aspect is something Blazye reiterated as being the toughest part of her early retirement. “At least I was still around last year, and as much as it felt so far away to be fit, last year I’d always had that in sight,” said Blazye from her lost season in 2019. “I basically lived in that training room, and so much of me wanted to go out there this year and play a match and go see all of our hard work. This year is different because — because I’m not going back.”
Spending a season fighting injury made sure Blazye was no stranger to overcoming challenges. “There was so much uncertainty in recovery, I was taking things day-by-day for months,” Blayze reflected. The unpredictability of that struggle was certainly made easier by her teammates and coach, Racheal Kahan. Now, that care and encouragement is an ocean and a five-hour time difference away, as Blayze is back home and quarantined with family in the United Kingdom.
“I’m still trying to keep in shape, just without the tennis part of it,” she said. The team Zooms every other week to keep in touch, and Blazye still has a role to play as a senior captain. “I’m very aware of my position now, letting the juniors take the lead and helping out where I can. We’re still very much a team, and we’re still sticking together during the tough situations.”
Everything still seems surreal to Blayze. “I still feel like I’m gonna get up in a week and go back to Midd and it will all start again,” she said. Blayze recalls joking with her teammates about retiring from tennis — but now, it’s become a reality for her and other seniors on the team. The silver lining is that although their college careers might be over, playing tennis can be a life-long commitment. “I don’t think you ever do retire from tennis, fortunately,” Blazye said.
Although disappointed, Blayze is putting things in perspective. “This is an international crisis, and we have to do what we can to help out,” she said. “Thinking about things like this always helps me put things into perspective and deal with the uncertainty.”
The worldwide shutdown, however, does not seem to be dissuading Blazye from approaching life any differently than she ever has. “I don't think anything could’ve prepared anyone for this,” she said. “I think it will just make everyone realize and appreciate their desk to do work at, and their home to return to, and I hope it will make everyone appreciate being around such special people as well.”
After all, she does have a point. One of the great lessons sports teaches us is to persevere despite setbacks, and Catherine Blazye has embodied that lesson well. Hopefully we can all take a page from her playbook.
(11/01/17 5:35pm)
The women’s team concluded its fall season at the Middlebury Invitational Women’s Tennis Tournament from Friday to Sunday, Oct. 20 to 22, on Proctor Tennis courts and in the Nelson Recreational Center. The Panthers competed against Williams, Case Western Reserve, and Brandeis in a form of hidden duals.
Middlebury faced Case Western Reserve in doubles matches on Friday, where the team of Katherine Hughes ’20 and Skylar Schossberger ’20 defeated the team of Nithya Kanagasegar and Madeleine Paolucci 8–6.
On Saturday Middlebury competed in doubles and singles matches. In doubles against Brandeis, all three Middlebury pairs edged out their competition. Hughes and Schossberger defeated the team of Sabrina Ross Neergaard and Keren Khromchenko 8–3, while Catherine Blayze ’20 and Molly Paradies ’19 claimed a victory over Michele Lehat and Lauren Bertsch 8–5. The team of Ann Martin Skelly ’21 and Emily Bian ’21 triumphed over Nina Cepeda and Rachel Zubrinsky in a score of 8–4.
In the singles matches against Williams, the Panthers claimed two victories. Heather Boehm ’20 soundly defeated Leah Bush 6–4, 6–1, and Schossberger picked up a 6–3, 7–5 victory over Sasha Cayward. The Ephs claimed the other four singles victories, ultimately beating the Panthers 4–2.
Saturday afternoon featured singles matches against Brandeis, and the Panthers could not be stopped. Middlebury won all five matches, with Boehm defeating Ross Neergaard 6–1, 6–4, and Hughes claiming a victory over Khromchenko 7–6 (5), 5–7, 10-2. Schossberger cruised past Lehat 6–0, 6–3, while Paradies defeated Bertsch 6–1, 6–0. Bian rounded out the day with a 6–3, 6–0 victory over Zubrinsky.
On Sunday, the Panthers competed against Williams in doubles matches and Case Western Reserve in singles. The team of Hughes and Schossberger defeated Chloe Henderson and Rachel Cross 8–5, while Boehm and Paradies claimed a victory over Bush and Emily Zheng in a score of 9–8(6). So, while Williams defeated the Middlebury in singles, the Panthers had the upper hand in doubles, winning two out of three matches against the Ephs.
In singles against Spartans, Hughes took down Kanagasegar 6–2, 7–5, Boehm cruised past Paolucci 6–2, 6–1, Paradies edged out Cepeda 6–0, 6–3, and Bian finished the weekend with a victory over Peyton Young in a score of 7–5, 2–6, 10–6.
Overall, Middlebury won 17 out of 25 matches in its last tournament of the fall season, and every Panther that competed won at least one match.
(10/18/17 11:22pm)
The men’s and women’s teams continued their fall seasons last weekend, playing from Friday to Sunday, Oct. 13 to 15. This weekend completes the men’s fall season, but the women are looking on to the annual Middlebury Invitational here at Procter Tennis courts next weekend.
The men’s team competed at the MIT Invitational at the duPont Tennis Courts and the J.B. Carr Tennis Bubble, amongst 64 participants in the main singles draw and 32 pairs in the doubles bracket.
The Panthers had multiple strong plays in the singles main draw. William de Quant ’18, the No. 3 seed, advanced to the final for the second-straight year, and Kyle Schlanger ’18 played strongly to make it to the semifinal.
De Quant claimed five victories over the course of the tournament, defeating Jayson Fung of Amherst 6–2, 4–6, 6–4 in the first round and then Jackson Kogan of Brandeis 7–5, 6–4 in the round of 32. He soundly defeated Bowdoin’s Gil Roddy 6–3, 6–3 and MIT’s Charles Deng 6–4, 6–0 to advance to the semifinal. There he went up against teammate Schlanger, whom he edged out 6–2, 6–4 to proceed to the final. In the end, he fell after a fight to Williams’ Austin Barr 6–3, 5–7, 6–0.
Schlanger started his tournament well with a victory over MIT’s Victor Cheng (6–1, 6–2), and continued playing strong against Ananth Raghavan of Williams (7–5, 6–1) in the round of 32. Schlanger went head to head with teammate Noah Farrell ’19 in the round of 16, edging him out 6–3, 0–6, 6–2. He blew through the quarterfinal with a 6–1, 6–0 win over No. 7 seed Andrew Finkelman of Wesleyan before finishing his run against de Quant in the semifinal.
Farrell, the No. 2 seed, and Nate Eazor ’21 both returned home with two straight-set victories in the main draw. Farrell soundly defeated Justin Patel of Bowdoin 6–2, 6–0 in the first round and Nikhil Das of Brandeis 6–1, 7–5 in the second round. Eazor first cruised past the No. 4 seed, MIT’s Tyler Barr 6–3, 6–4 and then Danny Coran of Tufts 6–2, 6–4.
Timo van der Geest claimed four victories to win the backdraw title, making short work of Ethan Hillis of Amherst in the final with a score of 6–3, 6–4. In addition to the singles draw, four Panther doubles teams competed in the main doubles draw. All dropped their opening-round match.
Meanwhile, the women’s team went up against three Division I opponents in the Harvard Fall Scramble at the Beren Tennis Center. Harvard, Rhode Island, Seton Hall, and Middlebury competed in a form of hidden duals, consisting of three doubles and six to seven singles per round.
On Friday, the Panthers faced Seton Hall. The team of Heather Boehm ’20 and Molly Paradies ’19 grabbed a 6–1 win over Anniek Jansen and Krista Cerpina. Boehm prevailed in her singles match as well, making a comeback and defeating Melody Tall 3–6, 6–2, 6–4. Teammate Maddi Stow ’20 triumphed over Jansen with a score of 6–1, 6–0, and Emily Bian ’21 took a victory over Krista Cerpina with a score of 6–4, 2–6, 3–0. The Panthers eventually lost the day 4–3.
The Panthers faced Rhode Island on Saturday, and won all seven of their matches. The doubles team of Katherine Hughes ’20 and Skylar Schossberger ’20 won 6–2 over Rachel Smilansky and Halah Davis. Ann Martin Skelly ’21 and Stow defeated Mihaela Codreanu and Paige Alshon 6–2, and Bian and Paradies grabbed a victory 6–4 over Ariel Haber and Nicole Legler.
In singles play, Boehm defeated Codreanu in an intense game 6–4, 2–6, 10–2, while Hughes claimed a victory over Smilansky (7–6, 6–4). Paradies won her match against Haber 6–2, 6–3, and Schossberger edged out Davis in 6–3, 7–6. Stow eased past Alshon 6–1, 6–0, and Skelley cruised to a win against Legler 6–2, 6–0. The Panthers won the day 7–0.
The final day faced Harvard, with the doubles team of Hughes and Schossberger picking up the sole win in a 6–1 victory over Irene Lu and Lexi Milunovich.
The women’s team will return to action at home this Friday to Sunday, Oct. 20 to 22, when it hosts the Middlebury Invitational in its final tournament of the fall season.