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(04/18/19 9:57am)
Junya Iwata ’19 plays badminton and studies psychology. He is not sure about his post-college plans yet. To an extent, he is an ordinary Middlebury student.
But when Iwata plays Chopin, the angels sing over Vermont.
Iwata’s senior piano recital, “The Finale,” took place in the Robison Concert Hall at the Mahaney Center for the Arts on the evening of Saturday, April 13 from 8-9 p.m. A crowd of almost 70 friends and community members came to see the performance.
Sporting a crimson shirt and black slacks, Iwata took the stage to much applause. The pianist then sat down and began with “Ballade, L. 70” by Claude Debussy (1862-1918).
Playing impressionist music, and in particular Debussy, is sometimes tricky. There are swarms of enigmatic pedal schemes and painstaking dynamics to deal with, as well as digitally demanding key signatures and scales. A piece like “Ballade, L. 70” can be quite tricky.
Iwata dominated the piece. He allowed the melody to sing clearly but also brought out the underlying jazziness of Debussy that would go on to influence Bill Evans. Iwata, a psychology major also explored the intellectual complexity of Debussy’s music.
“I get so much into music that I lose thought about the real world,” mused Iwata. “The more artistic a piece is, the more it can give me a different worldview.”
Next up was the “Piano Sonata in A Major, D. 664” by the Austrian composer Franz Schubert (1797-1828). The energy Iwata used for Debussy’s clarity was reassigned to a Romantic whirlwind of grand scales, mountainous runs and daring chords. Iwata so effectively channeled the Austrian energy of Schubert’s music that one would not have been entirely surprised if mid-performance Maria Von Trapp jumped out of the piano’s soundboard, making happy circles around Robison Hall.
Things took a bleak (but beautiful) turn when Iwata played the second movement of the “Sonata.”
“I feel myself the most unfortunate, the most miserable being in the world,” wrote Schubert in March 1825 after a bout of a venereal disease. One could hear the composer’s underlying sadness when Iwata played the second movement. Even the sections that paid homage to church hymnals seemed a little mournful.
Towards the middle of the Schubert Sonata, it became clear that “The Finale” was the work of a pianistic mastermind. One might have reasonably wondered, “How did Iwata become so good?”
Middlebury College Affiliate Artist Diana Fanning, Iwata’s piano instructor, has some answers.
[pullquote speaker="" photo="" align="center" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]Iwata calmly pulled five double-handed scales during this six-minute whirlwind of mischief, cooly complementing loud block chords with small, pavane-esque trills.[/pullquote]
“Junya is a very talented and serious musician,” she said. “However, music is a life-long study and there is always more to learn. A famous piano pedagogue once said that teachers are links in a chain of centuries of musical understanding.”
The final movement of the “Sonata”, an Allegro, went back to the first movement’s levity but ramped up the pyrotechnics. Iwata calmly pulled five double-handed scales during this six-minute whirlwind of mischief, cooly complementing loud block chords with small, pavane-esque trills. Night may have fallen on the Mahaney Arts Center when Iwata finished the concert’s first half, but the “Sonata” left Robison Hall bright and sunny for the five-minute intermission.
Vincent Falardeau ’22 was impressed by the recital’s first half. “I feel like all the keys sang together in perfection.”
After the intermission, Iwata came out and played “Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat Major, Op. 61” by Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849).
Chopin has always been an influence on Iwata. One of his earliest memories is of his mother playing the composer’s “Minute Waltz,”. Later, Chopin would become the most popular composer in Iwata’s repertoire.
“The way [Vladimir] Ashkenazy plays resembles most the way I play Chopin,” said Iwata. “[Artur] Rubinstein is too harsh.”
The above is critical in dissecting Iwata’s artistry. A Rubinstein interpretation of the Polonaise-Fantaisie would have been pinpoint accurate, but perhaps a tad icy (“too harsh”). The pianist instead paid homage to Ashkenazy by using a bolder, more epic dynamic range. Iwata played a work written for just the solo piano, but he executed it like he was conducting the Vienna Philharmonic. This “go-big-or-go-home” interpretation of Chopin worked brilliantly. “[The Polonaise-Fantaisie] was very somber, but throughout the piece you heard light,” reflected Claire Moy ’22.
Moy’s analysis was dead on. The Polonaise-Fantaisie constantly fluxed from pastoral joie de vivre to downright Armageddon — one moment things were George Eliot; the next, T.S. Eliot. Iwata played the last lines with unbridled passion, his quick fingers spiraling across the keyboard.
After the Chopin, a standing ovation lauded Iwata.
“Phenomenal!” roared Allan Lei ’21. An encore ended the evening with a dash of jazz: the pianist chose Prelude No. 1 in B-flat Major by George Gershwin (1898-1937). In under three minutes, Iwata’s playing transported the rural Vermont audience to a 1920s Manhattan teeming with car horns, traffic lights and skyscrapers.
Middlebury resident Steve Butterfield left Iwata’s recital with a grin on his face: “You know how great the weather was today? The concert was just as great.”
(04/18/19 9:55am)
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After a successful mid-week game against Springfield College, where Middlebury won 15-7, the Panthers tried to ride that momentum into their NESCAC showdown against Trinity on Saturday, April 13. With their highest attendance of the season and a number of Midd alumni coming out to show their support, the Panthers proved how good they can be in a 22-6 triumph over the Bantams. They now hold an even 4-4 record in NESCAC play and remain in the middle of the pack going into the final weekend of play.
Whether it was the surprisingly beautiful weather or the excitement of alumni weekend, Middlebury came out of the gate firing on all cylinders. At the 12:48 mark of the first, Tyler Forbes, leading scorer of the team, found the back of the net on an outstanding shot that earned a loud cheer from the 367 people in attendance. From then on, the Panthers did not stop. Goals from six different Panthers, including three from Forbes, gave Midd a very comfortable 8-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. This was easily their best start to a game and largest lead of the season.
Trinity did not get their first goal up on the board until the 10:41 mark of the second, coming from a man-up situation. Although Middlebury was limited to just two goals, they still held a commanding 10-3 lead going into half. In the third, the scoring appeared to be pretty back and forth, with goals coming from four different Panther players again. The combination of stifling defense and a well-balanced offense was key to Midd’s success throughout the entirety of the game.
In the fourth quarter, even though the game was practically over already, Middlebury never let up. Again, they rallied off eight straight goals and the defense stood their ground. The final score was 22-6.
Tyler Forbes led the scoring with five goals, while juniors Chase Goree and A.J. Kucinski, had four of their own. Sophomore Ryan Feldman, played big minutes and had two assists on the day. In goal, Tyler Bass certainly had one of the best performances of the year. In 52:48 minutes, Bass had 12 saves on 18 attempts. He has moved to 2-0 on the year behind the net.
Although this win was big for the Panthers, their upcoming schedule will prove just how strong they really are. On Wednesday, April 17 Midd travels to Plattsburgh St. to play a non-conference match. This weekend, they will travel to Medford, MA to take on the No. 4 Tufts Jumbos (11-1), arguably their biggest matchup of the year.
(04/18/19 9:54am)
The baseball team (15-8, 3-3) capped the week with a 2-2 record, unable to hold off the Williams College Ephs (3-3, 16-5) in the final game of the week, dropping the rubber match of the series 5-4 in extra innings on Saturday, April 13.
Strong pitching resulted in a midweek 12-2 win for the Panthers on Forbes Field versus Northern Vermont University (10-17, 5-3) on Thursday, April 11.
Leading off the inning, sophomore first baseman Ryan Hanrahan got things rolling in the bottom of the second with a single. First-year right fielder Alec Ritch reached base on a single and first-year shortstop Andrew Gough delivered a two-run double to left center to give Middlebury the lead.
Northern Vermont responded in the top of the third, tying the game up at 2-2, but the Panthers restored a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the inning. The Hornets were unable to respond the rest of the game with the Panthers plating two more runs in the fourth inning, two in the fifth, one in the sixth, and finally two in the seventh.
Gough led the team, going three-for-five with five RBIs and junior left fielder stole two bases. First-year pitcher Jackson Atwood started on the mound for the Panthers, going four innings with four strikeouts. First-year Sam Grace received his second career win on one inning of work, facing four and striking out one.
According to first-year outfielder Jack Stolper, the team was able to adjust well.
“A lot of our success comes from our approach at the plate,” Stolper said. “When we change our approach from hitting fly balls to hitting hard ground balls and line drives, we score and drive in more runs. When we try and lift the ball too much in the air, we tend to fly out a lot more and make it much easier on the defense.”
In a three-game series versus NESCAC West opponent, the Panthers dropped down to second place in the conference after going 1-2 on the weekend. Middlebury dropped the first game 2-1 on Friday, April 12 before splitting a double-header with a 10-0 win and a 5-4 loss in 10 innings at the nightcap on Saturday, April 13.
In Game one, the Ephs jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second, after a scoreless first inning from both squads. The Panthers got on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth when sophomore center fielder Henry Strmecki lead off with a double down the left-field alley. Junior second baseman was walked to put a man on first and second and junior third baseman Hayden Smith hit a sacrifice bunt to advance runners to scoring position. Junior first baseman Kevin Woodring cut the deficit to 2-1 with an RBI single.
The Panthers struggled to match the performance of senior starting pitcher Colby Morris, who suffered his first loss of the season, after facing 29 batters and striking out a season-high eight and only surrendering one earned run. Sophomore George Goldstein added two innings of scoreless relief.
In Game two, the Ephs were unable to put up a run over nine innings. Middlebury broke out with an early 2-0 lead in the top of the third. The Panthers added five runs in the fifth, to bring the lead to 7-0. Senior designated hitter Sam Graf drove in a runner on an RBI double to left center. An Ephs error allowed a run for Middlebury, along with a two run homerun from Woodring.
First-year pitcher Alex Price threw six innings of one-hit relief to earn the win over Williams, striking out two batters.
The Panthers dropped Game three to the fourth ranked NESCAC West Ephs in walk-off fashion, 5-4, to close the series at Williams.
Middlebury trailed 3-0 after the first but took a 4-3 lead after the fourth inning. Junior catcher Gray Goolsby finished three-for-five with three stolen bases and a run scored and Han went two-for-five with a pair of doubles, two stolen bases and two RBIs.
With his 42nd career stolen base, Han became Middlebury’s all-time leader in stolen bases. Han also hit .412 last week for the Panthers and surpassed 100 career hits.
Senior pitcher Colin Waters took the mound in the first six innings, striking out seven. Sophomore Bobby Sullivan took his first loss of the season with two innings pitched and three strikeouts.
In Game three, Middlebury achieved a season-best nine stolen bases, with 90 on the season, a new school record.
Most recently, Middlebury traveled to face Division I Dartmouth College (11-19, 5-7) out of the Ivy League and won 15-7. They will follow this win with another midweek matchup versus Plattsburgh State (7-15, 3-9) on Wed., April 17 at home. Finally, the Panthers will face top-seeded NESCAC West opponent, Amherst College (14-8, 5-4) starting Friday, April 19.
“We are going into the rest of NESCAC play confident,” Stolper said. “We need to play our game and start driving the ball on the ground or on a line. We have been making it too easy on our defenders by hitting too many balls in the air. A big thing for us going into NESCAC play is to challenge defenses by putting balls hard and in play.”
(04/18/19 9:53am)
The Middlebury track and field team continued its dominance during the Silfen Invitational on Friday, April 12 and Saturday, April 13. The men came in second place, and the women came in first.
Nathan Hill ’20 said, “I thought the team performed really well this weekend. Everyone seemed to meet or exceed expectations and momentum is definitely moving in the right direction as we approach NESCACs.”
The men finished with a total of 85.5 points, while Worcester Polytechnic Institute won with 97.5 points. The Panthers had several crucial performances at this meet. Nick Hendrix ’20 captured fourth in the 100 meter dash with a time of 11.05. Hill finished in a time of 1:53.53 to score second in the 800 meter run. Jon Perlman ’19 came in first in the 1500 meter run, finishing with a time of 3:53.44. A time of 57.21 allowed Jonathan Fisher ’20 to come in second in the 400 meter hurdles. Theo Henderson ’20 participated in the 3000 meter steeplechase and finished with a time of 9:19.96 to get third place. It is also important to mention that the Middlebury “A” team finished in second place in the 4x400 meter relay. This team was composed of Arden Coleman ’20, William Robertson ’21, Josh Howard ’19 and Jimmy Martinez ’19. Minhaj Rahman ’19 also netted first place in the hammer throw event with a throw of 57.39 meters.
The women finished with a grand total of 116 points. Point earners included Alex Cook ’20 who participated in the 200 meter dash and finished third with a time of 26.45. In the 800 meter run, Meg Wilson ’20 was able to finish with a time of 2:15.48 which got her second place. Abigail Nadler ’19 netted first place in the 1500 meter run by finishing with a time of 4:35.22. Rory Kelly ’20 came in first in the 5000 meter run with a time of 17.22.29. Kate MacCary ’19 captured a first place spot in the 10000 meter run with a time of 36:12.06.
Of her first place finish, MacCary said, “I am very happy with [the] time and effort I put forth in the race this past Friday night. This race was actually my first-ever 10k on the track, and I’m excited that I was able to have a strong debut in the event. [It] was wonderful to have the support of my teammates for the entire 36-plus minute race. Given that I am novice in the 10k, I was not at all expecting to go below 36:30.”
“My teammates who I do a majority of training with — Abigail Nadler and Rory Kelly — also had phenomenal performances in the 1500m run and the 5k respectively,” further mentioned MacCary. “It was awesome to have our strong senior women training group pick up event wins in the 1500, 5k and 10k races. I am so grateful we can train together in the coming weeks to chase after our goals and improve in our signature events.”
The Middlebury “A” team finished with a time of 3:57.41 to get second place in the 4x400 meter relay. This team was composed of Lucy Lang ’19, Ava O’Mara ’21, Julia Munz ’22 and Gretchen McGrath ’21. It is also important to mention that Rebecca Gorman ’20 came in third in the javelin throw event, Simone Ameer ’21 came in fourth in the triple jump event and Cook came in first in the long jump event.
The two upcoming meets are the Larry Ellis Invitational on Friday, April 19 and the Williams Invitational on Saturday, April 20. Even with these meets ahead, the minds of the track and field team members are also on the quickly arriving NESCACs.
Hill mentioned, “NESCACs only comes to our home track once every 11 years, so there is so much excitement surrounding the event. We are all looking forward to the chance to compete in front of our friends, family and Middlebury community.”
“This upcoming weekend will be a tune-up for many team members and a chance for teammates to put forth a qualifying time for the conference championship and the DIII New England Championship,” MacCary said. “We will prepare for this coming weekend and the fast-approaching championship season by focusing on having strong practices, as well as recovering well from these workouts with proper sleep and recovery modalities. We will also look to strengthen our bonds and team dynamics to make sure we can arrive at these meets as the most cohesive and supportive squad we can possibly be. Exciting things are on the horizon for track and field.”
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The Middlebury women’s tennis team wrapped up one of the most monumental weekends in Panther history on Sunday, knocking off top ranked Emory (6-3) to hand them their first loss of the season. The Panthers also edged sixth ranked Wesleyan (5-4) on Saturday to boot, taking over their hold on the No. 5 national ranking, and cruised past Connecticut College 9-0 on Sunday to top off an impressive trio of victories.
Play began on Saturday inside the Nelson Recreation Center, where the Panthers grabbed two doubles points and three singles points during their match against Wesleyan. At the No. 2 doubles position, the junior duo of Katherine Hughes and Skylar Schossberger secured an 8-2 victory over Venia Yeung and Polina Kiseleva, while the top squad of Heather Boehm ’20 and Ann Martin Skelly ’21 posted an 8-2 victory against Victoria Yu and Kristina Yu.
“At number one doubles, Skelly and I were pretty nervous,” Boehm said. “We are usually a No. 3 or No. 2 doubles team, and this was completely unexpected for us. But we really capitalized on the opportunity, executed all of our plays that we have been working on for the past few months and saw some huge success.” Boehm also noted that “the brutal morning work outs” seemed to pay off on the courts this weekend, as the team was fitter than ever.
During singles play, Boehm eased past Victoria Yu 6-2,6-0, while senior Christina Puccinelli triumphed over Kristina Yu 7-6(5), 6-3 at the third spot. At the fifth spot, Maddi Stow ’20 secured the team’s 4-3 lead with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Alissa Nakamoto.
“We have a saying that ‘we want to win with all 13 of us (including our coaches),’ and we did that in all three of our matches this weekend,” Boehm added. “Whether players were on court or cheering from the sidelines, every single member contributed to our wins over top teams in the country.”
On Sunday against Emory, during what was arguably MWT’s “biggest win ever,” according to Boehm, the Panthers took all three points during doubles play. At the No. 2 spot, Hughes and Schossberger continued their winning streak as they clinched an 8-2 win over Emma Cartledge and Daniela Lopez. Boem and Skelly defeated Ysabel Gonzales-Rico and Defne Olcay in the top spot, while the No. 3 powerhouse duo of Puccinelli and Stow edged Christina Watson and Stephanie Taylor 8-7 (9).
In singles, at the No. 4 spot, Schossberger only dropped one game, beating Lauren Yoon 6-0, 6-1, while Puccinelli clinched a 6-4, 6-3 win against Olcay in the third spot. Boehm solidified the team’s 6-1 lead with a 6-1,6-4 victory over Lopez at the No. 2 spot. The Eagles secured wins at the No. 1, No. 5, and No. 6 spots, but the Panthers posted three consecutive victories to make the final score of the match 6-3. With Emory knocked out of the top seed and Middlebury now ranked fifth, this historic win will propel the Panthers past a significant obstacle on their road to the national championship.
To top the weekend off, the Panthers blanked Connecticut College, dropping only seven games in total during doubles play and achieving straight set wins in each of the singles matches. In doubles, the top tandem of Boehm and Skelly won 8-1 against Mariah Warren and Brooke Scully, while Emily Bian ’21 and Nora Dahl ’22 secured an 8-2 victory against Allison Falvey and Stephanie Simon in the third flight. Puccinelli and Stow defeated Meredith Kenny and Skylar Morgan 8-4 in the second pot.
In singles, Stow swung past Rachel Weiss 6-0, 6-0 at the No. 4 spot, while Hughes blanked Simon at the second spot, and Schossberger cruised past Scully 6-2, 6-0 at the third spot. In the fifth flight, Bian clinched a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Morgan, while Boehm posted a 6-1, 6-2 victory against Emily Migliorini in the top position. First year Ruhi Kamdar was the final scorer for the panthers, triumphing over Paige Braithwaite 6-1, 6-2 at the bottom of the singles lineup.
Coming off of such a successful weekend, maintaining humility will certainly be a key factor in the Panthers’ success. “We still understand that we need to take this season one match at a time,” Puccinelli said. “We will be playing tough teams every weekend from now until the NCAA tournament and we’re not going to underestimate a single one of them. We respect every team we play against and we need to take every match seriously if we’re going to have a chance of going all the way this season.”
Boehm also noted the importance of team trust when it comes to maintaining composure during high-stakes matches like those of this weekend. “We know that if we look to our left and right on the courts, whoever is playing next to us will do whatever they can to find a win,” she said.
The Middlebury women’s tennis team will return to action this Saturday when they host No.7 Tufts at 10:00am. On this current trajectory, it seems there is little that can stand in the Panthers’ way.
(04/11/19 9:59am)
Fresh out of three wins over spring break, the Middlebury women’s lacrosse team has not looked back, securing two more wins this week as they head into the second half of the season. With a dominating 9-1 record, the team has continued to develop their skills and competitive edge.
Over spring break, the Panthers journeyed to Maine, Maryland and Pennsylvania, playing against nationally-ranked teams: Bowdoin (ranked 14th), Salisbury (ranked fourth) and York (ranked eighth). The team swept all three games. Against Bowdoin, five goals scored by Jane Earley ’22 in the first half lifted the Panthers past the Polar Bears, with a score of 21-18. Goalies Julia Keith ’20 and Kate Furber ’19 closed out the game with three saves each. Emily Barnard ’20, Emma McDonagh ’19 and Casey O’Neill ’19 were also among the game’s top scorers. Against Salisbury, after rounding out the first half 6-5, Barnard’s three tallies in the second half pushed the team to a 11-6 win. York brought the heat, but the Panthers rose to the occasion and narrowly defeated the Spartans 7-6. Keith earned a whopping 11 saves, a career high for the junior. The match against York harkened back to the NCAA quarterfinals last season, where Middlebury triumphed 11-10. Returning to campus at the end of break for alumni weekend, the team edged Amherst by two, 11-9. After wrapping up the first period 6-4, the Panthers got down to business. Jenna McNicholas ’19 and Barnard’s three back-to-back goals allowed the Panthers to top the Mammoths, who were able to close the scoring gap towards the second half.
Senior captain Sara DiCenso commented on the team’s success over spring break. “We learned that we can be dangerous against teams that play both man and backer defense,” she said. “Also, we really honed our defense throughout the week and came up with some amazing stops in each game.” However, the team will continue to build on certain skills in their road to NCAAs. “We were happy with our performance but know there is always room to improve, especially when it comes to raising our shooting percentage and turning the ball over fewer times,” she said.
At a home game against MIT last Thursday, the Panthers swept their opponents 20-2, scoring 13 goals in a row in the first half. Lily Riseberg ’22 quickly put the team on the board with an unassisted goal 22 seconds after the first whistle. Bringing out many players on the team’s first-year squad, Erica Barr ’22 scored the first two goals of her Middlebury career and Madeline Riordan ’22 added another four to her tally. Sophie MacKeigan ’22 collected three ground balls.
The Panthers hit the road this past weekend for a NESCAC match against Colby. Scoring eight goals in the first half, including four by Erin Nicholas ’21, the Panthers defeated the Mules 14-5. Earley increased their total by four, while Hope Robertson ’22 netted her first goal.
The team will face a doubleheader this weekend after playing Plymouth State, competing against Trinity and Hamilton on the road.
(04/11/19 9:56am)
The Middlebury baseball team (13-6, 2-1) improved to 13-6 on the season after splitting a double-header with Tufts University (15-4, 2-1) on Saturday, April 6, and picking up a win versus Plymouth State University (9-11, 2-3) on Sunday, April 7.
With no conference matchups this past week, the Panther remain on top of the NESCAC West at a 2-1 conference record.
In its first matchup against Tufts, who rank second in the NESCAC East, Middlebury suffered a 4-3 loss in eight innings.
According to senior catcher Phil Bernstein, the Panthers played great baseball all weekend, despite the loss.
“We were excited to play Tufts who is always a threat to win the NESCAC,” Bernstein said. “Although we lost the first game in extra innings, we played really well and made not just the routine plays, but the championship level ones: outfielders throwing runners out at the plate, two-strike hits to knock in base runners, and pitching out of jams.”
The Jumbos broke out with a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. The Panthers went scoreless until the third inning, and finally took a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth when junior shortstop Brooks Carroll was walked with one out. Sophomore designated hitter Jake Dianno reached base on a single. Both stole bases to get into scoring position and senior right-fielder Sam Graf singled down right field to score two runs. With his 38th career stolen base, Carroll moved into third place in program history.
With the game tied up in the bottom of the sixth, the Jumbos closed out the opener with a sac-fly in the bottom of the eight.
Senior pitcher Colby Morris tossed six innings for the Panthers, only allowing three earned runs with four strikeouts.
“It’s always tough to lose a game where you play that well, but we responded in the second game by putting a lot of runs on the scoreboard and maintaining our lead throughout the game,” Bernstein said.
In the second game of the double-header, Middlebury went up 4-0 by scoring in each of the first three innings. Junior third baseman Hayden Smith began the lead with a single to drive in a run, Bernstein added an RBI single in the second, and sophomore center fielder Henry Stremecki hit a homerun in the third.
The Panthers added insurance with another run in the ninth with a walk to Stremecki, who stole base twice. Stremecki was eventually brought home on a sacrifice fly by Smith.
Junior pitcher Andrew Martinson relieved senior Conor Himstead to strike out one in one inning of work to earn the win, setting up sophomore Bobby Sullivan for his first career save with one punchout of his own.
With a quick turnaround after the doubleheader with Tufts, the Panthers were back on the field hours later for its first home game of the season. According to Bernstein, head coach Mike Leonard stressed the importance of winning their weekends and the team was hungry for a third win.
“We came out loose for our first home game of the season and backed it up with stellar pitching performances and by hitting the ball all over the yard,” Bernstein said. “We put big numbers on the scoreboard and expanded that lead every inning. It was good to end the weekend on that high note.”
In the 15-6 victory, Bernstein finished 3-for-4 with three doubles and three RBIs. Carroll reached base twice and scored two runs; junior first baseman Alad Guild and junior designated hitter Kevin Woodring each went two-for-two.
Sophomore pitcher Michael Farinelli received the win after hurling a strong six innings, surrendering one earned run with eight strikeouts. Coming off Tommy-John surgery in his first game back, junior pitcher Spencer Shores relieved Farinelli, throwing a scoreless seventh inning.
The Panthers will face Northern Vermont University (7-15, 2-2) at 4 p.m. on Wed., April 10 at home, and Williams College (13-3, 1-2) in a NESCAC West three-game series starting at 4 pm. on Friday, April 12.
“Going into our weekend with Williams, we’re trying to play the same brand of baseball we’ve played all season,” Bernstein said. “We’re going to be aggressive in every facet of the game and take advantage of their mistakes. We have an extremely talented group of guys so if we can just continue to play loose and trust our preparation, I think some good things will be in store for us.”
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Although it feels like the indoor track season ended only recently, the team is already several meets into the outdoor season. On Saturday, April 6, the team participated in the Amherst Spring Fling with impressive results.
On the team’s performance at this meet, Noah Wagner-Carlberg ’19 said, “Overall this weekend was a very exciting one for Midd Track and Field. The Amherst Spring Fling saw a lot of remarkable performances from our athletes, indicative of our growth over the course of the season and of the work we put in over spring break in San Diego. Most notably we saw terrific marks from both male and female athletes in nearly every field event, including season’s bests and personal bests.”
The women were able to capture second place in a total field of seven teams by obtaining 90 points. There were many crucial contributors to these points. Lucy Lang ’19 came in first in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:19.86. Emily Bulczynski ’22 achieved second place in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:08.28. In the pole vault event, Kreager Taber ’19, Molly Colwell ’20, and Leah Granger ’22 were able to get first, second, and fourth respectively. Taber vaulted 3.40 meters, Colwell 3.19 meters, and Granger 2.80 meters. In the long jump event, Alex Cook ’20 jumped 5.51 meters, Simone Ameer ’21 jumped 5.31 meters, and Jackie Topping ’22 jumped 5.26 meters. They captured the first three places in the event. It is also important to note that Helene Rowland ’20 placed first in shot put, Emily Ray ’20 came in first in the discus throw, and Rebecca Gorman ’20 ranked first in the javelin throw.
The men were able to get second place in a total field of six teams with 100.50 points. Key contributors included Nick Hendrix ’20 in 200 meter dash where a time of 22.01 pushed him to first place. Jonathan Fisher ’20 got a time of 56.87 to get first in the 400-meter hurdle. The “A” team, composed of Wagner-Carlberg, Hendrix, Matthew Durst ’21, Conor Banky ’19 and Henry Tatum ’21, captured second in the 4x100 relay. In high jump, Fisher and Francis Price ’22 were able to capture third place and a tie for fourth in this event respectively. Nathaniel Klein ’21, Zack Sieb ’21 and James Caprio ’21 obtained the first three places in shot put. Klein threw 14.65 meters, Sieb threw 13.25 meters, and Caprio threw 12.63 meters. Sieb and Caprio also happened to get the first two places respectively in the discus throw. Minhaj Rahman ’19 participated in the hammer throw and placed first with a throw of 55.75 meters.
Fisher mentioned, “I was happy to get a few good jumps in, and I’m proud of my teammate Tim DeLorenzo for clearing 6’0.75” in his first collegiate outdoor meet. The 400 hurdles are always a difficult event, and I’ve had some trouble getting my feet under me after coming back from abroad. I feel like this race was definitely a step in the right direction and gives me momentum going into next week’s meet.”
During this early part of the season, the Panthers have to make sure to work hard to prepare for the later championship meets.
“As with any year of Midd Track and Field, NESCACs is by far the most anticipated competition of the season, and there is already a lot of hype surrounding the event this year,” Wagner-Carlberg mentioned.
Ray adds, “We always want to win NESCACs, but this year the men are looking to keep their title, while the women’s team wants to come out stronger than ever and beat Tufts and Williams at NESCACs. We’re hosting NESCACs this year at Middlebury, so we’re even more determined to have fun and push ourselves to compete at the highest level.”
With the team continuing to strive towards their goals, they will next compete at the Silfen Invitational on both Friday, April 12 and Saturday April 13.
“A lot of the team did not compete in Amherst, so we’re excited to prepare for the Silfen Invitational at Connecticut College,” said Ray. “It’s looking like a big meet with a lot of good competitors, which will be good preparation in the month before NESCACs.”
Fisher adds, “The Silfen Invitational at Conn College is shaping up to be an intense meet. It will feature many of the top NESCAC teams, who will be looking to get some good times and distances for the bigger meets coming up in 3-4 weeks. It should be a good preview for the NESCAC championship meet at Middlebury on April 27. Hopefully we’ll be able to continue our hot streak and put together more impressive performances.”
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The Middlebury men’s lacrosse team traveled to Baltimore, MD this past weekend to play in the Mustang Classic. After suffering a 12-6 loss to conference foe, Wesleyan Cardinals, the Panthers rebounded and defeated nationally ranked Dickinson 16-11.
After a 9-2 deficit in the first half of the Wesleyan game, Middlebury tried to surmount a comeback in the latter half of the game. Tyler Forbes ’22 scored quickly at the 12:32 mark to gain some Middlebury momentum. However, the Cardinals’ strong offense responded with two goals in a span of four minutes. Again, the Panthers stayed strong and were able to rattle off three unanswered goals coming from Frank Cosolito ’20 and two from Chase Goree ’20. Down five scores at the start of the fourth quarter, the team was shut down by great goaltending and stifling defense from Wesleyan. Middlebury struggled to get shots the entire game, firing only 17 and scoring six. Forbes and Goree led the team in scoring with two goals a piece. Charles Midgley ’19 played all 60 minutes in goal, saving 17 of the 29 shots coming from Wesleyan.
Despite the loss to start the weekend, Middlebury came out very strong and motivated in the Saturday match-up against Dickinson. To no surprise, the Panthers came out red-hot, scoring the game’s first four goals. AJ Kucinski ’20 tallied two and the other contributions came again from Cosolito and Forbes. After Dickinson responded with three of their own, Forbes and Alderik vanderHeyde ’21 netted each of their own, putting the Panthers up 6-4 at the half.
Just like the start of the game, Middlebury came out shooting in the second half and scored three within the half’s first four minutes. Senior captain Jack Gould scored a beautiful goal at the 13:14 mark, netting one far out and with pace. The goalie had no chance. Dickinson responded with three straight goals of their own yet still remained behind in a 11-7 contest.
At the start of the fourth, Dickinson made it quite a game by closing the gap to just one goal. However, the hot offense of the Panthers picked up and they responded with three of their own, two coming from Forbes. With seven minutes to go in the game, the teams traded goals but Middlebury came out on top 16-11. They never trailed in the game.
Forbes led the team in scoring with five, culminating to a total of 16 goals on the year. Jack Hoelzer ’21 fed the ball and tallied two assists on the day. Again, Midgley played all sixty minutes in goal, this time tallying nine saves on 20 shots.
Men’s lacrosse holds a 2-3 record to begin the year. Their next contest will come against Bowdoin on Saturday, March 23. This is their first home game of the year, and they look to remain in the middle of the pact in the NESCAC conference.
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This weekend, the Middlebury Softball team had its season opener and won all four games they played. They managed to pull off the wins despite having double headers both Saturday and Sunday against New Rochelle and Drew. On Saturday, the Panthers set off the season right, scoring in every single inning. They swept the floor against New Rochelle, clearing the opener at 11-0. They carried that success onto the second game, where they brought it home at 13-3.
The Panthers brought the fire again against Drew, ending the first game in seven innings at 8-2 and the second game in five innings at 11-0. Rookie Noelle Ruschil ’22 and Sara Tobias ’22 electrified us all with back to back homers in the fourth inning of the first game against Drew. “Starting off undefeated properly shows the effort put in during the offseason,” said Ruschil ’22, when asked how she felt about the teams success.
Over the weekend, two players earned NESCAC honors. Sophia Marlino ’22 and Irene Margiotta ’19 were awarded Player of the Week and Pitcher of the week, respectively. Marlino ended her first four college games with a batting average of .643 and driving in 11 runs and scoring in nine times. Rookie Marlino also impressed with three home runs. With seven-eighths of the season still remaining, the Panthers managed to get 26 percent of last season’s runs. The girls are hungry for a killer season. “I’m very excited to continue the season with them and to keep doing what we’re doing,” said Ruschill ’22. The Panthers travel to Florida next week, where they’ll compete against non-Northeast schools such as Oberlin College and Carleton.
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