RECORD BREAKERS: Field hockey wins fourth consecutive NCAA DIII National Championship
Before this season, no NCAA DIII field hockey team had ever won four straight national championships.
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Before this season, no NCAA DIII field hockey team had ever won four straight national championships.
The past two weekends, the bleachers have overflowed at Peter Kohn field. Fans flocked to the field, in rain and shine, as the field hockey team took on opponents first in the NESCAC Championship and then in the NCAA Tournament.
On Saturday, women's golf concluded its season at the Ralph Myhre Golf Course in Middlebury. Only individual scores were recorded in the match against Hamilton, although the Panthers still managed an impressive showing. Katie Murphy ’23 led the way for the Panthers, finishing in second place with a score of 80––just one stroke behind the leader. Kayla Li ’23 followed Murphy, tying for third after shooting an 82 on the day. Jacqueline Slinkard ’24 rounded out the top three spots for the Panthers, carding an 83 and tying for fifth place. Playing in her final collegiate match, senior captain Erika Nakagawa ’21 expressed her pleasure in finishing the season on a high note, but also the sadness of competing in her last match. “I was pretty emotional on the 18th tee box,” Nakagawa said. “I’m going to miss playing with my team so much.”
Men’s golf closed out its short season in style this weekend, hosting Hamilton at the Ralph Myhre Golf Course. Unlike previous meets, only individual tallies were counted on Saturday. Hogan Beazley ’23 placed first over 18 holes, scoring a 71. John Mikus ’21 and Colin McCaigue ’24 tied in second with 73 strokes each, ensuring an all-Panther top-3. Jordan Bessalel ’21 followed Mikus and McCaigue by two strokes, tying with Hamilton’s Billy Geach and Sam Vogel. Derek Ban ’24 drove home a solid score of 78 to finish in ninth, followed by a large pack of Continentals. Porter Bowman ’21.5 rounded out the field of 16 with a score of 85. The contest allowed the Panthers to compete for individual glory after a successful team season, in which they captured the program’s ninth NESCAC title. Editor’s Note: Porter Bowman ’21.5 is the Senior Opinion Editor for The Campus.
In their second dual meet of the season, women’s track and field reigned victorious over Hamilton College, 102–69. Out of 18 total events, Middlebury placed first in 14, winning every event they participated in. In the short distance races, Eva Kaiden ’23 placed first in the 100m dash (13.04) for the second week in a row, while Michelle Louis ’24 also took first in the 200m dash (25.87). Gretchen McGrath ’21.5 also climbed atop the leaderboard, winning the 400m dash (59.17). Saturday also marked senior day for the Panthers, honoring McGrath, Simone Ameer ’21.5, Lauren Boyd ’21, Kate Holly ’21, Kai Milici ’21, Chloe Smith ’21, Victoria Toth ’21 and Emma Walsh ’21. “Our senior class has been such great role models and leaders especially under the circumstances of Covid and having a big team,” McGrath, who will graduate next February, claimed. “I believe we’ve done an awesome job creating this healthy culture of support and care; the entire team knows everyone is there for everyone else.” In the distance races, Katelyn Paese ’22 finished far ahead of the pack in the 800m (2:18.98), while Smith prevailed in the 5000m (18:53.91). Cassie Kearney ’22 also set the Dragone Field record in the 1500m (4:34.09), previously held by Catherine Beck from Tufts University in 2007 (4:35.28). “I hadn’t run the 1500m since freshman year, but I just wanted to go for it,” Kearney delighted. “I’ve been training so hard all throughout the winter, and I feel like I'm the strongest I've ever been as a runner — so I knew I could lay it all out there.” In the 4x100m relay, Middlebury’s team consisting of Liza Toll ’24, Kaiden, Jackie Topping ’22 and Joely Virzi ’24 edged Hamilton by four seconds (50.34). The Panthers also won the 4x400m relay with a squad of Ashley Raynor ’24, Kearney, McGrath and Louis, crossing the finish line in 4:08.13. In the field events, Cady Barns ’22 was a two-event winner for the second straight week, leaping to wins in the long jump (5.41m) and the triple jump (11.63). Eliza Broughton ’22 similarly impressed in the 3000m steeplechase (11:52.27), while Walsh was Middlebury’s lone victorious thrower in the javelin (30.90m). Women’s track and field will look to stay hot next weekend at Williams College, with action beginning at 11 a.m.
Women’s softball (4–10) went head-to-head against Amherst this weekend, playing two games on Saturday and one on Sunday. Falling 2–7, 4–5, and 10–11 respectively, the Panthers walked away without a victory. The Panthers played at home for both games on Saturday, celebrating seniors Kaylee Gumm ’21, Melanie Mandell ’21 and Emily Moore ’21 in their final season as Panthers. In the opening game, Middlebury was not on the board until the fifth inning, when a lead-off double by Gumm was batted in by Moore. In spite of this, Amherst scored a run every inning, precluding a Middlebury comeback. In the second game, Gumm distinguished herself with a two-run homer in the fourth inning, tying the game at 3–3. But Amherst regained the lead in the fifth inning and never looked back, winning 4–5. In the weekend’s final match on Sunday, Middlebury staged a comeback during the top of the seventh inning, scoring five runs and foiling a 10–5 deficit. The Panthers hit a season-high 16 hits in Sunday’s fixture but ultimately fell to Amherst 10–11. Women’s softball will continue their season this weekend, facing Hamilton for two home games on Saturday, May 8.
In their first competition since March 7, 2020, Middlebury women’s track and field dominated in their season opener, beating Union College 97–58. Middlebury finished first in 14 of 18 events. Eva Kaiden ’23 had a big day for the Panthers, placing first in the 100-meter dash (13.03) and the 200m dash (26.92) — as well as the 4x100m relay (50.85), where she was joined by Liza Toll ’24, Jackie Topping ’22 and Joely Virzi ’24. “I haven’t run the 4x100 relay since my senior year of high school,” Kaiden said. “Just being out on the track and doing real handoffs felt really nice.” Middlebury also won the 4x400m relay (4:07.67) by eight seconds, a team consisting of Dana Glackin ’22, Michelle Louie ’24, Ashley Raynor ’24 and Gretchen McGrath ’21. Cady Barns ’22 also had a solid day in the field, winning both the long jump (5.32m) and the triple jump (11.36m). Both were personal records for Barns. “I was at home last semester, working and training, hoping we’d have an outdoor season,” Barns said. “I think that served me well because I feel really fresh coming into the season.” Mary Scott Robinson ’24 dominated in the field events, winning both the hammer throw (38.76m) and the shot put (12.12). Her shot put distance broke the Middlebury record set by Helene Rowland ’20 in 2017 (11.95m). “Recruiting her, I knew she was a good thrower and that she’d do well for us eventually,” head coach Martin Beatty said. “I didn’t know she would do this at the first meet!” In addition to those who competed at Dragone Field on Saturday, nine Panthers traveled to Tufts to compete in longer distance events against Connecticut College, Wesleyan University, Tufts University and Trinity College. At Tufts, Cassie Kearney ’22 and Nicole Johnson ’22 finished first (2:11.81) and second (2:13.66), respectively, in the 800m. Eliza Broughton ’22 also finished sixth in the 3000m steeplechase. Middlebury will host Hamilton College this Saturday, May 8, at Dragone Field with the action starting at 12 p.m.
Men’s track and field swiftly defeated Union College at home on Saturday, winning 13 out of 16 events en route to a 93–53 victory. In the field events, Max Memeger ’22 narrowly beat Union’s Dante Scott by two centimeters in the Long Jump. The men also dominated the Hammer Throw, with Daniel Brey ’22 (44.86), Nathaniel Klein ’21 (42.90) and James Caprio ’21 (41.24) capturing the first three spots, respectively. The 4x100 meter race was a rookie-heavy event, topped with a photo finish. Nadji Ngbokoli ’24 started the race, going toe-to-toe with Dante Scott before handing it off to Matthew Durst ’21. After racing the straight, Durst passed the baton to Finn Warner ’24 to take it around the second turn, finishing with Aaron Tobias ’24 nudging ahead of Union’s Andrew Fox by two tenths of a second for the win. With the victory, the 4x100m squad now has their eyes set on a bigger goal: the school record.
Women’s tennis (4–2) extended its winning streak to three on Sunday, defeating Williams, 5–4. The win marks the third time in two weeks that the Panthers have won a match 5–4, with the other two victories coming against Amherst (2-2) and Skidmore (5-1). Co-captains Emily Bian ’21 and Ann Martin Skelly ’21 were also honored during senior day on Sunday. The Panthers automatically jumped out to a 2–0 lead on Sunday, since Williams had an insufficient number of players on their roster. A doubles win from Sami Remis ’24 and Amy Delman ’24, followed by singles wins by Kavina Amin ’24 and Gena Huang ’24 sealed the deal for the Panthers. Once again, the rookie class compiled another impressive showing, a theme all season for the Panthers. Notably, Huang tallied her fourth straight singles win on Sunday, improving her overall record to 5–1 on the season. The rookie from Bath, Ontario has been on a roll this year, punctuated by her game-winning point against Skidmore on April 25. “Feeding off my teammates energy is something that really motivates me on the court,” Huang said. “I never really expected to do this well in my freshman year––it’s definitely been surprising.” The Panthers face Williams (1–3) again this Saturday, marking their final contest of the semester. The match will be played in Williamstown, with the start time slated for 1 p.m.
Men’s baseball (2–6) concluded its regular season this past weekend, splitting a double-header with division leader Amherst College (8–3). Sitting at the bottom of the NESCAC West Division, Middlebury will miss out on the playoffs, with only the top team from each division — Amherst and Tufts (9-2) — playing in a single three-game series to determine the league champion. In the first match, the Panthers played a competitive game but fell short, losing 8–5. Middlebury jumped out to a quick two-run lead in the first inning, capped by a solo home run from Lucas Cai ’24. Henry Gustavson ’24 started on the mound for Middlebury and put in a solid effort, striking out three and giving up four runs. He would leave the game after the fourth inning with the Panthers down 3–4. Amherst tallied two runs in each of the next two innings to give the Mammoths a five-run lead going into the last inning. Middlebury was able to put the game in striking distance with RBI singles from Baker Angstman ’24 and Jack Torpey ’24. But with the tying run at the plate, Evan Hunter ’24 could not quite repeat his heroics from the week before, grounding out to the shortstop to end the game. The Panthers continued their resilient play in the second game, completing the comeback this time to finish the season with a win. Andrew Gatland ’23 was on the mound for Middlebury and delivered his best performance of the season, giving up just one run off of one hit and two walks while striking out two. He attributed his good outing to the stellar defensive play of his teammates. “I felt like I pitched well and that my pitches were working well, but I have to give a lot of credit to the defense,” Gatland said. “They were making all the outs for me and it felt like we really put everything together in this game.” Cai would give the Panthers the lead with an RBI single in the following inning before Amherts scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth, giving the Mammoths a 4–2 lead going into the final inning. But the Panthers fought back yet again. Andrew Ashley ’24 delivered a sufficient RBI groundout, leaving a runner on third with only one out. Middlebury came down to its final out, but a timely error by the Amherst right fielder saved the game, tying it at four apiece. After a quick 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the seventh, a walk and a sacrifice bunt in the top of the eighth put a runner in scoring position for Sammy Smith ’24 who delivered with the RBI single that would give the Panthers the lead. “I took it as an opportunity to see how relaxed I could be in a situation like that,” Smith said when asked about his approach to the at-bat. “I just let all the work I put in the offseason come into play then and not really think about the situation.” Charlie Kutz ’24 was nearly perfect in relief for the Panthers, striking out four and giving up only one hit in just over two full innings of relief. He picked up the win and earned the save.
Men’s golf staged a come-from-behind win this weekend to earn the program’s ninth NESCAC title and its first since 2016. Entering the weekend behind both Tufts and Trinity on points, the Panthers clawed their way back to first with an impressive score of 304 on the day, leaving the Jumbos and Bantams in their wake. Captain Jordan Bessalel ’21 and Hogan Beazley ’23 led the team in the second round, each scoring 75s and tying for fourth place individually. Captain John Mikus ’21 followed close behind in ninth with a 76, while Colin McCaigue ’24 notched a 78 and Porter Bowman ’21.5 scored an 83. Trinity College finished three strokes back on the day, with Tufts and Hamilton rounding out the top four. The Panthers, scoring a combined score of 607, ultimately edged out Trinity and Tufts by a single stroke. Men’s golf has now won eight NESCAC titles since the turn of the century, making them the most successful team in the division over that period. The team concludes their successful season at the Ralph Myhre Golf Course on Saturday, May 8, with the Middlebury Spring Invitational. Editor’s Note: Porter Bowman ’21.5 is the senior opinion editor for The Campus.
Women’s golf completed the second round of the 2021 NESCAC Women’s Golf Championship on May 1 at Ledges Golf Club in South Hadley, Mass. The Panthers scored 347 in the second round, landing them in fourth overall with a combined score of 684. Williams finished first with 628, followed by host team Amherst, with 649, and then Hamilton with 654. Although this was the second time the Panthers played at Ledges this season, some players had difficulty improving their scores. “The course made us think more about course management,” said Lizzie Kenter ’23, who characterized the course as being short and slightly awkward. With a second round score of 82, Katie Murphy ’23 tied for ninth overall on the day. Following her was Kayla Li ’23 who carded an 84, good for a tie for 11th overall. Kenter finished 16th overall with an 86 in her second round. This week, the women’s golf team completes their season with a tournament at Ralph Myhre Golf Course on Saturday, May 8.
This year, 1,041 students completed the third annual Middlebury Zeitgeist survey. This represents 43% of degree-seeking undergraduate students, according to the Spring 2021 Enrollment profile, a compilation of demographic data collected by the Registrar's Office this spring. The 903 on-campus learners in the sample size represent roughly 45% of the student population on campus this semester !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}}))}(); Participants in Zeitgeist 2021 were divided roughly equally among classes. The class of 2024 had the highest number of participants, with 208 respondents. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}}))}(); This year’s survey allowed students to select all racial groups they identify with, meaning that some students are counted more than once in analyses that break down responses by race. Seventy-one percent of respondents identified as white, compared to 59% of domestic student respondents who identified as white in the Spring 2021 Student Enrollment profile — though the student profile separates international students into a distinct racial and ethnic category. The second-largest group of respondents — at 12.6% — was students who identified as Asian, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander. About 7% of respondents identified as Hispanic or Latinx, and about 2% of respondents identified as Black or African American, while 5.4% of respondents identified as biracial or multiracial. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}}))}(); Respondents were also given the option to indicate multiple gender identities in this year’s survey. Nearly 56% of respondents identified as cisgender female, while only 36% of respondents identified as cisgender male. The remaining respondents identified as nonbinary (nearly 5%), transgender male or female (0.85% combined), or chose not to respond to the question. The Spring 2021 Enrollment profile, which used a binary classification of gender, reported that 53.4% of degree-seeking students were women and 46.6% were men. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}}))}(); Nearly 40% of Zeitgeist survey participants are on need-based financial aid, and just under 9% of respondents are first-generation college students. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}}))}(); There was also an uptick in the number of queer respondents — students who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer or questioning — at about one-third of respondents, compared to 28% from last year’s survey.!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}}))}(); Nearly one in three respondents hail from New England states. One in five students are from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, or the D.C. area. Twelve percent of respondents are from the South, 12% are from Pacific states, 9% from the Midwest and 5% are from the Great Lakes region. Nearly 8% of respondents selected “International” as where they are from. More than half of respondents consider their hometowns to be suburban. Twenty-eight percent are from urban hometowns and 18% are from rural areas, results that are consistent with last year’s Zeitgeist.!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}}))}(); More than half of respondents (52%) attended public high schools, and a third of respondents attended private/parochial day schools. Nine percent attended boarding schools, and 5% attended a charter/magnet school. These demographics are roughly consistent with last year’s results. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}}))}(); !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}}))}(); Fifteen percent of respondents were varsity athletes. Notably, nearly 40% of all varsity athletes respondents attended private/parochial schools, compared to 31% of non-athletes. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}}))}(); Ten percent of this year’s respondents reported having one or two parents who attended Middlebury College. The class of 2024.5 had the highest proportion of legacy or double legacy students, at 15% in total. Differently-Abled Students Nearly 13% of participants identify or have identified themselves as differently-abled. According to the Disability Resource Center (DRC), one in every six students at Middlebury contacted the DRC for a form of disability-related accommodation during the 2019–20 academic year. Major Groups of Respondents Nearly 20% of respondents have yet to declare their major(s). The most popular majors among respondents are Economics (8%) and Environmental Studies (Joint Majors) (8%), followed closely by Neuroscience (6%) and Political Science (5.5%). About one in four students indicated that they have a second major. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}}))}(); On-campus learners are overrepresented in Zeitgeist results. Eighty-seven percent of Zeitgeist respondents were on-campus students, 7% were remote learners and 5% were taking the semester off. According to the Spring 2021 Enrollment profile, 436 students are studying remotely, comprising 18% of the student body. With 76 remote respondents, 17% of remote students participated in Zeitgeist. The Fall 2020 semester saw 2,210 on-campus learners, a figure that dropped to 1,998 students this spring, according to the Registrar.
The NESCAC Women’s Golf Championship commenced on April 24, with teams playing 18 holes in the first of two days of competition. After day one, Middlebury sits in fourth place out of five teams, though the top three teams are all within four strokes. For most of the Middlebury team, this weekend was their first time playing at Ledges Golf Club in South Hadley, Mass., which provided a challenge and tested their course management skills. Despite characterizing the course as “quirky, with a lot of dog legs,” senior captain Erika Nakagawa ’21 said that the team is excited to make a return to the course this weekend. Katie Murphy ’23 particularly impressed this weekend, shooting a 78 which tied her for first place. Following Murphy are Kayla Li ’23 in 15th place with an 84 and Lizzie Kenter ’23 in 16th place with an 86. Hoping to build off of these strong performances, the team looks to surge up the leaderboard during the second round on Saturday, May 1, which entails another 18 holes.
The NESCAC celebrated its 50th anniversary as the Men’s Golf Championship kicked off this weekend at the Ledges Country Club in South Hadley, Massachusetts. For the eight out of 11 participating NESCAC schools, the competition offers a chance to earn the first trophy in nearly two years. Tufts claimed a narrow lead through the opening 18 holes on Sunday, hitting a cumulative 300 strokes for a score of 12 over par. Trinity sits in second — just one stroke back of the leaders — while Middlebury is in third with 303 strokes. The Panthers have a healthy lead over the rest of the field, with fourth-place Hamilton 10 strokes back. Incumbent champions Williams are in fifth place after the opening weekend, with Wesleyan, Bates and Amherst rounding out the rear. Jordan Bessalel ’21 led the Panthers in the first day of competition, currently tied for second overall by matching par. Meanwhile, Hogan Beazley ’23 sits fifth overall through the first round. “We put ourselves in a good position for the final round next weekend,” Bessalel said. “We are excited for the opportunity to chase down the teams ahead of us.” Although the team was hoping to post slightly lower scores through the opening round, Bessalel praised his team for their concentration and strong mentality: “The guys did a great job of grinding out every single shot.” Colin McCaigue ’24 continued a strong start to his Middlebury career with a 76, with John Mikus ’21 scoring an 80 and Porter Bowman ’21.5 tallying a 90. The conference championship resumes next weekend on Sunday, May 2, at the same location. Editor’s Note: Porter Bowman ’21.5 is the senior opinion editor for The Campus.
Women’s softball (4–7) traveled to Hamilton (6–5) this Saturday for three games against the Continentals, winning the first contest but dropping the next two. The Panthers took an early lead in the first game with scores from Sophie Bolinger ’22 and Noelle Ruschil ’22. The Panthers had an impressive five-run fourth inning and eventually won, 8–5. “The biggest thing for the team has been adjusting to real games after having not played for so many months,” Chloe McNamara ’23 said. “The more comfortable and loose we play with each other, the better we do.” In the second outing, Middlebury held a 3–2 lead until the fifth inning when Hamilton had a three-run drive, securing their 5–3 win over the Panthers. The Continentals took an early 5–1 lead in the final game of the day, but Middlebury closed the gap to one off back-to-back doubles from Emily Moore ’21 and Ruschil, followed by a two-run homer from Sophia Marlino ’22. Marlino scored again in the sixth, but the Continentals ended on top, 6–5. Middlebury will return home on Saturday, May 1 for a double-header against Amherst (6–5) at 2 p.m.