Search Results

Screen-Shot-2019-03-13-at-8.18.00-PM-475x316

Men’s Tennis Begins National Title Defense with Two Shutout Wins

The defending Division III National Champion Panthers got back in action on Saturday for the first time this spring against Hamilton and No. 26 Skidmore.  Despite their championship run last spring, the Panthers did lose a considerable amount of firepower to graduation. All three seniors were integral pieces of the lineup all season long. #3 William de Quant finished with an impressive 95-27 career total, while #4 Kyle Schlanger totaled a 69-23 record. Timo van der Geest went 19-11 playing at several different positions in singles, along with a 26-13 doubles record.  The Panthers did add some depth in first-years David Vilys, a 4-star from Naples, Florida, Stanley Morris, a 3-star recruit out of Santa Monica, and Zach Hilty, a 2-star out of San Luis Obispo, California. This 10th-ranked recruiting class will certainly be called upon to fill the hole in the lineup left by the seniors, particularly Schlanger and de Quant. Things certainly looked positive for the No. 2 ranked Panthers this Saturday as they took on Skidmore in Saratoga Springs. Middlebury swept the doubles competition easily, starting off with a win at #3 from Aleksandr Samets ’20 and Andre Xiao ’21 in one of their first doubles showings as Panthers. Doubles specialist Peter Martin ’19 teamed up with fellow senior captain Noah Farrell for an easy 8-4 victory. Veteran standout Lubo Cuba ’19 and sophomore Nate Eazor finished the session with a perfect 8-0 win.  The singles corps quickly followed suit. In an impressive showing, not a single player dropped a set to his opponent. Morris recorded his first dual match win as a Panther in a win over Skidmore’s Travis Leaf at the #3 spot. Xiao slotted in at the #4 spot for just the second time in his career and also recorded an easy victory. Also getting some new experience in the singles lineup was Adam Guo ’21, who dominated his opponent 6-0, 6-1. Eazor, Farrell and Cuba all resumed similar singles positions as last year as the Panthers cruised to victory.  That same day the Middlebury men returned from Saratoga to host Hamilton at the Nelson Recreation Center. It was the same exact story for the strong Middlebury contingent, as the Panthers swept the competition without dropping a set.  This weekend, Middlebury will face sharper competition. In two home matches on March 16 and 17, the Panthers will take on No. 10 Brandeis and No. 33 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. On Saturday, Middlebury will take on a Brandeis team with a bit of a new look. After losing no seniors, the Judges welcomed a first-year class ranked seventh in the nation. A team that finished last season at No. 21, they’ve already recorded wins against #11 Pomona-Pitzer and several top-30 programs. With their first two wins under their belt, the Panthers have a week to prepare to defend their home courts and their national ranking.

Men’s Lacrosse Gets Over Hump and Captures First Win of Season

Following a tough road loss to Bates to open up the season, the Middlebury Men’s Lacrosse team traveled to New London, Connecticut to take on Conn. College this past weekend. The Panthers earned their first win of the season, with a clutch 16-9 victory that will steer them in the right direction for contests ahead.  Middlebury came out hot from the start, taking an early 3-0 lead with the goals coming in a 1:38 time span at the start of the first. Sophomore Eric Jeremiah got things going not only for the team, but also for himself as he netted his first of the season. After a Camel’s goal coming at the 6:17 mark of the first, Tyler Forbes ’22 kept his hot streak going, scoring two stifling shots from the left side to put the Panthers up 5-1. Conn. College rebounded with a last second goal to close out the first quarter but still remained far behind.  The second quarter included a lot of back-and-forth action. While the Camels were able to come within two scores of the Panthers, Forbes struck again to end the opposing team’s momentum and get the Panthers back on track. After contributions from seniors Nick Peterson and Jack Gould, who both scored to end out the half, the Panthers maintained a 9-5 lead. With quality defense and a save by senior Charles Midgley, Middlebury outscored the Camels 4-0 in the third quarter. Scoring came from four different contributors, both in the early minutes and closing minutes of the third. With a commanding 13-6 lead heading into the fourth, the Panthers continued to press on. Gould opened up the fourth with a goal at the 9:52 mark, increasing the Panthers lead. After a late push from the Camels, who tallied the next two goals, the Panthers were able to seize back momentum and really put the game out of reach. Trading goals in the final five minutes, Chase Goree ’20 ended all scoring with an unassisted netter to end the game. Middlebury showed its roster depth in this game, with contributions coming from a large number of players. Forbes kept his streak alive by tallying five goals in the contest, culminating to a team-leading nine goals for the season. Goree, led the squad with four assists, while also netting two goals. Goalie Midgley, played outstandingly, saving 11 of 19 shots in 54 minutes played.  The Panthers enter the weekend with a 1-2 (1-1 NESCAC) record and remain in the middle of the pack in the NESCAC conference. Traveling to St. Lawrence for a non-conference game on Tuesday, March 12, the Panthers fell to the Saints 3-9, with Jack Sheehan ’22 and A.J. Kucinski ’20 scoring two and one goals respectively. They will travel to St. Lawrence to play a non-conference game on Tuesday, March 12. Over the weekend, the Panthers head to Baltimore, MD to play in the Mustang Classic. They will take on nationally ranked and conference foe, #7 Wesleyan Cardinals, as well as non-conference opponent, #8 Dickinson.

Men’s Lacrosse Pounced by Bates

After a long and cold pre-season, Middlebury men’s lacrosse finally began their campaign for the 2019 season. NESCAC conference play started the first weekend of March, as Middlebury drove up to Lewiston, ME to take on Bates. Despite early success, Middlebury was unable to keep up with Bates’ fast-paced offense and lost 17-10, ending their three year streak of opening day wins.  Despite the loss, the team showed many signs of hope as the majority of their goals came from the younger players. The Panthers were able to grab onto an early 2-1 lead after first-year Tyler Forbes scored twice in the opening minutes -- his first ever collegiate goals. He later went on to tally 4 goals in the game, quite an accomplishment for his rookie debut. After Bates was able to tie the game back up at 2, Middlebury went on a run to close out the first quarter. They scored three in a row to take a comfortable 5-2 lead. Bates then went on the attack. The Panthers failed to gain momentum in the second quarter and limped into halftime down 6-5, being shut out in the second.  With the Panthers being within just one score of the 25th ranked team in the nation at halftime, confidence and hopes remained high in the locker room. Although the Bobcats scored the first goal of the second half, Middlebury’s Aldrerik van der Heyde ’21 responded at the 8:30 mark. After the trade of goals, Bates again went on the offensive and scored a commanding 5 straight. Despite a beautiful shot by sophomore Will Brossman for the Panthers, the score entering the 4th quarter was held by the opponent 13-7.  The Panthers closed the gap to 4 after goals by van der Heyde and Forbes but the home team was able to quickly shut any hopes of a Middlebury comeback, tallying the final 3 goals. Middlebury senior Charles Midgley tallied 7 saves on 20 shot attempts. In addition, junior Jake Madnick garnered 5 ground balls, alongside Zeke Emerson ’20 who had 4 ground balls.  Despite the loss, Middlebury has a long and exciting season ahead of them. They saw contributions from every class in their season opener and look to continue to grow as a team as they play up to their potential. Middlebury will travel to Connecticut College next Saturday, March 9, to take on another NESCAC opponent. The Panthers will not host their first game on Youngman Field until March 23, when they take on the Bowdoin Polar Bears.

Women’s Squash Competes in CSAs

The women’s squash season came to an end with a resilient finish two weekends ago at the CSA Team Championships. This past weekend, a few Panthers were selected to compete in the CSA Individual Championships in Providence, Rhode Island. Co-captains, Beatrijs Kuijpers ’19, Alexa Comai ’19 and a first year, Ideal Dowling ’22, were among the many talented players competing for a title. Comai unfortunately dropped her first match against George Washington but quickly rebounded and took the win in the next round over Cornell in the consolation quarterfinals (11-6, 7-11, 11-7, 13-11). In her last match, Comai battled before losing in five games against Virginia (10-12, 11-8, 4-11, 11-6, 13-11), ending her season with a 13-9 record.  Next up was Kuijpers, who made an amazing run and advanced all the way to the main draw quarter finals before being edged out by Yale’s Aishwarya Battacharya (15-13, 11-6, 11-4). In the first round, she tallied a win for Middlebury by defeating Brown in three games (13-11, 11-9, 11-7). This concluded her season with a 10-10 record and a successful career as a collegiate athlete.  Finally, Dowling’s first time competing at the CSA Individual Championships proved to be a rather challenging experience. Pitted against University of Pennsylvania’s Jamila Turner in the round of 16, Dowling fell 11-6, 11-8, 11-8. In the consolation round, the first-year Panther lost a tough battle to Drexel in four games and brought her first season to an end with a 9-12 mark. Given Dowling’s freshman status, one could only expect her to improve throughout the rest of her Panther career.

Ski Teams Pick Up Third At Sunday River

This past weekend, the Middlebury alpine and nordic ski teams returned to action for the first time since their historic carnival win on Feb. 16, finishing third out of fourteen teams at the EISA Championships hosted by Bates. The squad’s two biggest rivals, Dartmouth and the University of Vermont, stole the first and second place spots, getting a taste of revenge following last weekend’s narrow defeat by the Panthers at the Middlebury Carnival.   Alpine competition took place at Sunday River with harsh conditions chipping away at the Panthers’ overall speed. Nordic competition took place at Black Mountain in Rumford. While Middlebury usually finishes just a few points behind their fiercest competitors, the Panthers’ combined ski teams came out of the EISA Championships with 758 points, losing to Dartmouth (973) by a hefty 215 points and to the University of Vermont (965) by 207 points. Nevertheless, the team was able to deliver some promising results.  On the men’s side, the Panthers placed third outright in the slalom event. First-year standout Tim Gavett paced the team, completing his two runs in 1:52.98 to clinch the sixth overall spot. Next to finish for Middlebury was sophomore Justin Alkier, who was able to crack the top ten, placing ninth in 1:53.46. Senior Max Stamler was the final scorer for the Panthers in the slalom event, securing the 31st spot overall with a time of 1:59.38.  “This weekend’s conditions were extremely difficult and made it less likely for our entire team to be fast across the board because there was a lot more room for error,” Gavett said. “I think that our team has extremely high ceilings, and simply being able to ski fast and minimize mistakes will allow us to reach our potential and have the ability to consistently win carnivals.”  On the women’s side, sophomore Lucia Bailey once again proved her ability to consistently occupy top positions, crossing the line in 1:56.14 to place tenth overall. Senior Caroline Bartlett finished second for the Panthers in 1:56.47, which was good enough for 12th place. Rounding out the scoreboard for the women was sophomore Madison Lord, whose two-run time of 1:57.55 gave her a 16th place finish overall.   “In comparison to last week, I would say we didn’t perform our best due to challenging conditions,” Bailey said. “On a high note, we were able to punch some results in spite of the conditions. We ended the weekend qualifying a full team for NCAA championships!” The nordic ski performances were nothing short of impressive, with first-year Samuel Hodges achieving a career best in the 20K classic with a time of 53:27. In the same race, the men’s team placed second overall. Sam Wood ’19 finished first for the Panthers and fifth overall with a time of 53:08, and fellow captain Lewis Nottonson ’19 completed the course with a time of 53:26. In the 10K freestyle race the previous day, three racers placed in the top eight including Wood, Nottonson and Peter Wolter ’21. On the women’s side, junior captain Annika Landis led the team with a time of in the 45:55 in 15K classic and 13:47 in the 5K freestyle race. Following close behind Landis were Alex Lawson ’21 and Avery Ellis ’21, with Ellis skiing to the fastest 15K in her career at 46:24. Landis applauded Ellis’ performance, pulling her into the last qualifying spot for the NCAA championship race. Additionally, she praised their consistent placement  in the top three. “This consistency I think really speaks to the all around fitness of our team and our ability to dig deep and fight every weekend to give everything we can,” she said. The Panthers will return to the slopes stronger than ever for the NCAA championships on March 6 hosted by the University of Vermont in Stowe, where they are anticipated to finish as one of the top teams. Middlebury has qualified a full team of 12 skiers for the first time since 2008, making the team one of six schools to earn this feat.  Landis has ambitious goals going into the weekend. “I think that Middlebury has the capability to earn the highest points of Eastern schools at NCAAs, especially if we bring the same determination, focus and energy to Stowe that we brought to Midd Carnival,” she said. “Additionally, it is a team goal to have an All-American skier (top 10) for men and women, alpine and nordic.”

Indoor Track Teams Crack the Top Five in Boston

 The track and field teams put forth a strong performance when they competed in the Division III New England Championships on Friday, Feb. 22 and Saturday, Feb. 23.  The men got fifth place in a total field of twenty-three teams, while the women got fourth place in a total field of twenty-six teams.   “DIII New England’s was a great start to the postseason for both the women’s and men’s teams,” Rory Kelly ’19 said, when asked about the outcome of the meet. “Some of the team is shifting their focus to the outdoor season with our first meet less than a month away. Others are looking to get in another fast race to either improve their times against some strong competition or to qualify for nationals. While individuals on the team have different goals during this period at the end of indoor and before outdoor, we still remain a very cohesive team and support each other.” The men’s squad ended their meet with 64 points, with MIT finishing first, Tufts in second, WPI in third, and Southern Maine in fourth.  Jimmy Martinez ’19 came in fifth in the 200 meter dash with a time of 22.50.  Jon Perlman ’19 captured first place in the one mile run with a time of 4:10.82.  In the 3000 meter run, Will Meyer ’20 got third place with a time of 8:34.36.  Harrison Knowlton ’19 secured fourth in the 5000 meter run with a time of 15:13.40.   The Panthers also did well in their relays, since the “A” team got first in the 4X400 meter relay with a time of 3:21.94.  This team was composed of Martinez, Arden Coleman ’20, William Robertson ’21, and Matthew Durst ’21.  In the 4000 meter DMR, the “A” team also captured first with a time of 10:10.99.  This team was comprised of Meyer, Coleman, Perlman and Nathan Hill ’20.  Other crucial contributors were John Natalone ’19 in the pole vault event, Nathaniel Klein ’21 in the shot put event and Minhaj Rahman ’19 in the weight throw event.    “This being a championship meet, there was very strong competition, so it was incredible to be able to win the mile and DMR,” said Perlman. “Our team put a lot of emphasis on doing well at this meet and I think across the board we performed really well.” The women’s squad finished with 57 points, and placed fourth overall. Ahead of them were Williams, who came in first, MIT and Tufts. Ava O’Mara ’21 and Lucy Lang ’19 both did well in the 600 meter run, getting fourth and fifth place respectively.  O’Mara had a time of 1:37.64, while Lang had a time of 1:38.56.  In the 800 meter run, Cassie Kearney ’22 came in second place with a time of 2:13.36.  Behind her were Meg Wilson ’20 in fifth place with a time of 2:15.97 and Anna Willig ’20 in seventh place with a time of 2:17.61.   “I felt really great and surprised about my performance in the open 800 race,” said Kearney.  “I didn’t do indoor track in high school, so this sport is new to me and I’m not used to running throughout the winter. I thought that how I did this past weekend really showed how my hard training has paid off over the past few months and I definitely realized the potential I have going further into the postseason.” Katelyn Pease ’22 had a time of 2:59.20 which got her sixth place in the 1000 meter run, while Tasha Greene ’21 had a time of 5:02.24 which got her fifth place in the one mile run.  Kelly came in second in the 3000 meter run as she had a time of 9:47.28.    It is also important to mention that the “A” team came in third in the DMR with a time of 11:54.82.  This team was composed of Kearney, Kelly, Abigail Nadler ’19 and Gretchen McGrath ’21. On her performance in the 3000 meter run, Kelly said, “I was very excited by my 3k on Saturday. It was a challenging race and it was truly my teammates cheering me on every lap that got me through. They were critical to my successful performance.” Perlman concluded by saying, “At this point in the season, we just need to make sure we’re feeling rested and ready to compete. We’re still hoping to get a few more qualifiers for NCAAs.” Next week, on Saturday, March 2, the Panthers will be competing in the Tufts Last Chance Meet in order to get more qualifiers.  After that comes the biggest meet of the indoor season, the NCAA Championships.

Middlebury Reacts To Patriots’ Super Bowl Victory

Three months after the Red Sox’s World Series victory, the New England Patriots have pulled off their own version of ‘Beat LA.’ The Patriots took home a record-tying sixth Super Bowl title against the Los Angeles Rams in a fraught defensive battle that was the lowest-scoring Super Bowl ever. The 13-3 victory was a defensive masterpiece for the Patriots, as a high-powered Rams offense that had scored the second-most points in the league that season was completely neutralized. Ironically, despite the low score, it was the Patriots’ largest margin of victory in a Super Bowl. The key moment from the slow-moving game was hard to pin down in comparison to the nail-biters of past Super Bowls, but Stephon Gilmore’s game-sealing interception, Jason McCourty’s incredible breakup of a possibly game-changing touchdown pass, Rob Gronkowski’s huge catch on the only Patriots’ touchdown drive, and Julian Edelman’s MVP performance will take their rightful places in New England lore. In a season when many analysts and pundits believed that the Patriots’ reign was coming to an end, they defied the narrative to win it all again. In the aftermath, Patriots fans around the country and at Middlebury revelled in the triumph with exultation and vindication for their unflagging faith in the team. Omar Frometa Jr. ’21 was one of those feeling vindication, as he remarked, “It was nice just seeing everyone eat their own words. We were underdogs until we were champions.” There were plenty of words to be eaten, as the Chargers, Chiefs, and Rams, all of which were given a better chance to win the Super Bowl than the Patriots at the start of the playoffs, were dispatched. Another fan, Corinne McGillicuddy ’19, found satisfaction in the reassertion of New England’s dominance after the Patriots’ loss to the Eagles last year. “I’m just proud,” she said. “I think that the team of Brady and Belichick is just like an empire, and everyone needs to be reminded of that, so another Super Bowl title is really helpful. Boston sports are just reigning on top.” Indeed, this gives the greater Boston area its 12th major sports title in the last 18 years. Some wait times at the mail center have lasted longer than Boston’s latest title ‘drought,’ which stretched from the end of the World Series in October to February 3. However, the joy of Patriots fans is not the only post-LIII emotion to be found on campus. From other quarters come frustration and disgust. The unbelievable dominance of New England’s dynastic 18-year run — nine Super Bowl appearances, 16 division titles, and 13 AFC championship games — has left many from other parts of the country beyond weary. Nick Wagg ’22, a Chiefs fan, said, “I’m sick of Tom Brady winning championships, and I think it’s ruining the NFL.”  He believed that the Patriots dynasty would soon meet its end. “Don’t sleep on the Chiefs,” said Wagg. His words met with approving nods from the others around him, presumably fellow fans still waiting for the moment when their favored team could take the throne from New England. Asking this group of fans for their Super Bowl picks for next year yielded a variety of answers: Chiefs, Colts, Saints, Rams. Notably, there was no mention of the Patriots. Perhaps the next season will be when such fans are finally right about the Patriots’ decline. Perhaps not, and trying to push Tom Brady and Bill Belichick off the stage only makes them dig their heels in harder. But if there’s anything that those who can’t stand New England any longer should learn from this season, it’s that not believing in the Patriots is always a dangerous move.

First-Seeded Men’s Basketball Bows Out Early

The Middlebury men’s basketball yteam, ranked 25th overall, fell to Tufts this past Saturday in the NESCAC quarterfinals at home, Saturday, Feb. 16. The Panthers were seeded first in the NESCAC and remain hopeful for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament after the NESCAC tournament comes to a close.  A back-and-forth game from start to finish, Tufts had its biggest lead over the Panthers with seven minutes remaining in the first half, 26-21. The first half alone had eight lead changes and six ties, one tie produced from a free throw from Eric McCord ’19 with five minutes to spare on the clock to make the game 27-27. Middlebury then edged Tufts by a point with 17 seconds in the first half on the clock, with a layup by Hilal Dahleh ’19 that made the game 39-38.  Tufts scored a three-pointer right as the buzzer sounded before the half, leaving the game 41-39 as both teams broke for halftime.  Middlebury came out hot on the court in the second half and held a 72-67 lead over Tufts with five and a half minutes remaining in the game. The Jumbos, ranked eighth in the NESCAC, closed the game with 18 points, holding Middlebury to only four. Tufts pulled off the victory 85-76. Eric McCord, co-captain of the Panthers, led the team and the game in points and rebounds, 19 and 10, respectively. Jack Farrell ’21 put up 13 points and four assists.  As Middlebury waits for its opportunity at an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, Tufts will advance to the NESCAC semifinals. With an impressive 18-7 record, Middlebury—the top-ranked team in the NESCAC entering the postseason—will anxiously await the NCAA decision.  

Women’s Hockey Upset by NESCAC Foe Williams

The Middlebury women’s hockey team played a crucial home-and-away series against Williams to close out the NESCAC regular season. Going into the first game, the Panthers and the Ephs were tied for first place and vying for the top seed in the NESCAC tournament. Late into the second period, Williams’ Maghan Halloran sent a shot from the circle past junior goalie Lin Han. With twenty seconds left in the middle frame, however, the Panthers tied it up as first-year Jenna Letterie scored her ninth goal of the season. The Ephs would score a goal midway through the third period, with the game ending 2-1 as Williams goalie Chloe Heiting closed out multiple Panther power plays. In the regular-season finale, Williams rose above Middlebury again, securing the victory with a heartbreaking overtime goal. The Ephs opened scoring in the first period, slipping the puck through Han’s five hole. In the third period, junior Sidney Porter got the Panthers on the board off an assist from sophomore Ellie Barney. Just under two minutes into the overtime period, Williams’ Avery Dunn found the back of the net from low inside the slot.  The loss secured the second seed for the Panthers in the NESCAC tournament. A rescheduled game against Plattsburgh State on Tuesday, Feb. 19 was the last game for the Panthers before tournament play begins. The two teams have not met since the NCAA quarterfinal last March, where the Cardinals came out on top. Plattsburgh opened scoring early in the second period, getting the puck past sophomore goalie Anna Goldstein. They scored again with 13 minutes remaining in the third. Junior Anna Zumwinkle buried a goal with five minutes left, cutting the deficit to one. However, Plattsburgh sealed the victory with an empty net goal to end the game 3-1. Middlebury (9-5-2) begins NESCAC tournament play on Saturday, Feb. 23, when they face seventh-ranked Connecticut College (6-7-3). The Panthers, who have won the past three conference titles, hope to shake off the current four-game losing streak. In this season’s matchups against the Camels, the Panthers have skated to a 3-0 win and a tie.

Women’s Squash Captures Third Place in NESCAC

Following a third-place finish at NESCACs earlier this month, the women’s squash team finally had a weekend off after a long and well-fought three-day tournament hosted by Trinity. The Panthers, entering the tournament as the third seed, clinched out a 5-4 win over Bates in the first round. In the semifinals, Middlebury fell to Williams in a tough 6-3 loss but proceeded to blank Amherst 9-0 in the third-place playoff. The 14th-ranked Panthers look forward to the CSA Team Championships this February 22-24 at Trinity, hoping for a shot at winning the Kurtz Cup.  In their first victory over sixth-seeded Bates, the Panthers posted a narrow victory of 5-4. In the quarterfinal, Bates started with a 1-0 lead, but the Panthers followed close behind and rattled off three wins for a 3-1 advantage. Mira Chugh ’20 defeated Katie Bull at No. 9 (11-6, 13-15, 11-2, 11-7), while Alexa Comai ’19 won in the third spot (11-8, 9-11, 11-9, 12-10) and Natasha Lowitt ’20 was victorious against Molly Brooks at No. 8 (12-10, 11-6, 11-1). The Bobcats leveled the playing field at 3-3 with five-game triumphs at No. 5 and No. 2. In the seventh position, Gwen Davis ’22 made it 4-3 with a three-game win over  Natalie Bachman (11-5, 11-5, 11-5). Virginia Schaus ’21 clinched the match with a three-game victory at No. 4 against Katie Manternach (11-5, 11-3, 11-0). Against the Ephs (14-9) in the semifinals, Williams moved out to a 2-0 advantage with victories at No. 3 and No. 6. Chugh ’20 made the score 2-1 with an impressive 11-7, 11-9, 6-11, 11-9 win over Adrienne Conza in the ninth slot. The Ephs regained their two-point advantage with a three-game victory at No. 2. Lowitt improved to 2-0 for the day, outlasting Alex Pear in five games at No. 8 (9-11, 15-13, 5-11, 11-5, 11-4). Williams clinched the match behind a five-game victory in the middle of the ladder, followed by a four-game triumph in the top spot. Davis tallied the third point for the Panthers, earning a five-game win at No. 7 against Kathryn Wright (8-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-4, 11-2). The Ephs recorded the last point, a five-game victory at No. 4, for the final 6-3 score. In their sweep over the Mammoths, the Panthers only gave up five games for their 9-0 victory. Chugh tallied the first point with a win at No. 9, followed by Anne Glassie ’20 at No. 6, Comai at No.3, and Ideal Dowling ’22 at No. 2. For the match-clinching fifth point, Natasha Lowitt fought for an 11-3, 3-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-5 victory against Margaret Werner in the eight position.  With this past weekend to recover from a long and strenuous NESCAC tournament, the women’s squash team will head into the CSA Team Championships fresh and ready to go. 

Nari Shakti: Women Power

When the U.S. Department of State was looking for a field hockey delegation to lead a sports envoy program in Jharkhand, India, there was an overwhelming need in the region for strong female role models. Through a serendipitous connection from Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Baishakhi Taylor, Middlebury field hockey head coach Katharine DeLorenzo jumped at the opportunity. “Their greatest advocates need to be themselves,” she said in an interview following the trip, drawing attention to the Middlebury delegation’s role in building relationships through the program and fostering female empowerment. From Saturday, Nov. 24 through  Sunday, Dec. 2, 2018, DeLorenzo, assistant coaches Rachel Palumbo and Lauren Schweppe ’18 and field hockey alums Lauren Greer ’13, Alyssa DiMaio ’15, Anna Kenyon ’16 and Audrey Quirk ’18 led a week-long field hockey residential program in Ranchi, the capital of the Indian state of Jharkhand. Working with the U.S. State Department, the Indian consulate and the India-based anti-trafficking NGO Shakti Vahini, the East India Field Hockey Project coached 106 women aged 14 to 17 from tribal regions who were at high risk for human trafficking. Considering the hardships the young women endure throughout their lives in an impoverished and sexist society, Palumbo said that field hockey was their only true outlet; the young women would often play with sticks or other materials they could find. “I almost hesitate to say that we taught field hockey,” she said. “They’re tireless.” Throughout daily workshops, drills, scrimmages, seminar groups and time spent off the field, the delegation focused on giving the young women tools and skills they could take with them beyond the camp and pass on to their peers. “We wanted to show them that their dreams were valid and something they can attain,” Schweppe said. Making a positive impact on their lives was a priority for DeLorenzo. “Those dreams were going to sit there and stay dreams until we kept this going,” she said. Coming into the program, the coaches realized that their goals for the young women were more than teaching them the skills of the game; the program also focused on creating an expanded vision for themselves of their own future. One of the strategies was to reiterate that the young women could rise up in the societal ranks. “They absolutely matter, and they don’t hear that enough,” Palumbo said.  Shakti Vahini was an integral part of the planning and execution of the program, selecting individuals with the highest social standing — ones the rest of the tribe would look up to — and providing interpreters to assist the Middlebury group. Another goal of the trip was to raise awareness for human trafficking, which is at the core of Shakti Vahini’s mission statement. The organization strives for a “just, free and equitable society” through its various public advocacy campaigns and programs. “Nari Shakti,” or “women power,” was a phrase the Middlebury coaches used often throughout the program. Reiterating these two words (often as a chant before beginning an activity) was a key strategy to ensure that every girl feels cared for, loved and empowered, since many of the young women did not have parents or siblings to rely on. “Everyone matters. They matter. I don’t think they’ve ever said those words in their life,” Palumbo said. Through the drills and lessons on the field, the coaches employed strategies similar to coaching Middlebury athletes back in Vermont. “We definitely took the Middlebury way,” Schweppe said. The young women’s backgrounds in field hockey took the form of mostly unstructured games, as many of them have never had any formal training. “It definitely taught us the value of simplicity. We’ve been a team that has embraced that pretty well,” DeLorenzo added. For DeLorenzo, her first trip to Asia enabled her and the other coaches to try to change the worldview of the athletes they coached. “These young women can develop a different perspective on how they fit into the world,” she said, as tribal traditions often influenced the young women’s future goals. Out of 106 young women in the program, only one said she aspired to be an engineer; the rest believed they would grow up to be policewomen (a powerful position for women in the region) or professional hockey players. Palumbo said that despite the cultural differences and language barrier, field hockey united the coaches and players. “As soon as the whistle blew, I [was] comfortable and they were comfortable too,” she said. Following the program, the Middlebury delegation went to watch the Hockey World Cup in Bhubaneswar, the capital of the Indian state of Odisha. In a Middlebury team dinner back on campus following the trip, the coaches showed their athletes the high level of competition present over the eight games they watched. “They cover the field,” Palumbo said. The Middlebury delegation hopes to continue this sports diplomacy program, and its contacts on the ground in India have started to continue connections with the young women from the camp this year. One of DeLorenzo’s highlights of the program was “witnessing such a throng of people in urban India working on behalf of these young women’s betterment. This was a drop-everything; no one was focused on anything else for seven days,” she said. “These girls have dreams in their hearts,” Palumbo said, referring to a conversation with one of the Indian facilitators of the program. “There’s so much that needs to be done.”

Indoor Track Sweeps on Home Turf

Members of the Middlebury track and field team have been giving it their all during the past few weeks as they begin to prepare for upcoming championship meets.  During the Middlebury Invitational on Friday, Jan. 25 and Saturday, Jan. 26, both the men and women placed first among the competition.  The Panthers then had great performances during the Tufts Cupid Challenge on Saturday, Feb. 2.  The most recent meet was the non-scoring Fastrack National Invitational in Staten Island, New York, where the team yet again did its best against top opponents. Gretchen McGrath ’21 stated, “I think that any time we get a chance to compete at a meet it helps us to get ready in a way that ordinary training doesn’t.  Even though the meet was “non-scoring,” we all were going 100 percent during the competition, which we don’t do in practice.... Meets also give us an opportunity to test ourselves and do our best under some pressure that can’t be simulated in practice.” At the Fastrack National Invitational, there were several standout performances by the men.  In separate 400-meter finals, Arden Coleman ’20 was able to achieve eighth place while Jimmy Martinez ’19 got third.  Coleman had a time of 50.47 ,and Martinez had a time of 48.69.  In the mile finals, Jon Perlman ’19 had a time of 4:13.69 and Will Meyer ’20 had a time of 4:19.31.  They got fourth and ninth place, respectively.  In a separate mile finals, Theo Henderson ’20 placed eighth with a time of 4:22.36.  Minhaj Rahman ’19 also continued his strong season as he placed first in the weight-throw finals with a throw of 18.63 meters. There were also some equally great performances by the women.  In the 400-meter finals, McGrath had a time of 59.83, which got her fourth place, and Lucy Lang ’19 had a time of 1:00.80, which got her ninth place.  Katelyn Pease ’22 came in fourth in the 800-meter finals with a time of 2:19.45.  In the same race, Emily Bulczynski ’22 had a time of 2:21.45, which allowed her to capture 11th place.  The women were also able to get fourth in the 4x400 relay as Lang, McGrath, Julia Munz ’22 and Ava O’Mara ’21 led the way with a time of 4:01.83.  In another strong performance, Cady Barns ’22 placed first in the triple-jump finals with a jump of 10.39 meters. The team’s upcoming meet will be the Middlebury Team Challenge on Saturday, Feb. 16.  This meet will be further preparation, as the Division III New England Championships are right around the corner. McGrath echoed this when she said, “It’s our last opportunity in individual events to improve to the point where we feel confident heading into New Englands the following weekend.... Relays ... give us a chance to synchronize working on handoffs and that kind of stuff.  It’ll be a good last meet here at home to get excited before New Englands.” If the team continues on its current trajectory, it should be able to do very well during the next couple of weeks.

Green Against Gray: A Portrait of Winter Agriculture

Vermont’s winter weather is often harsh and unpredictable, but this doesn’t stop farmers throughout the state and nation from braving the conditions to produce crops year-round. “We don’t ever stop producing,” said Justin Rich, owner of Burnt Rock Farm. Located in Huntington, Vt., Rich’s farm primarily produces storage crops, along with a few summer varieties. “We mostly grow potatoes, winter squash, sweet potatoes and onions,” Rich explained. “In the summertime, we grow some tomatoes and spinach as well.” Burnt Rock Farm, which has been operating for nine years, began producing winter varieties out of necessity as Rich’s other commitments during the summer months left him with little growing time.  “When I started this farm, I was managing another farm, so I didn’t have much time,” Rich said. “I couldn’t go to farmers’ markets or start a CSA or anything, so I started growing storage crops, because I had more time in the winter.” While Rich had no time to focus on a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), Denver farmer Yosef Camire did exactly that. After moving to the outskirts of the city to raise his family on a homestead, an over-seeded vegetable garden paved the way for his organic CSA, now the largest in El Paso County. “We basically made a farm that was too big for us, so we sold the extras and had a small, teeny CSA with about twelve members,” Camire said. “The response was overwhelming: the right place at the right time. So we doubled the year after that, and the year after that we doubled again and now we’ve doubled about four times since we’ve started, in 2014.” In 2019, Camire plans on harvesting around 100,000 pounds of handcrafted food. “This year, we’re going to grow around eighty different crop varieties,” he said. “We don’t use any tractors, we don’t till and we don’t use any chemicals or pesticides or anything synthetic. All we use is stuff we can make on the farm.” Like Camire, farmer Will Stevens believes consumers are after a product that is produced locally and grown sustainably. “It comes down to providing good-quality food for people at affordable prices,” Stevens said. As the co-founder of Golden Russet Farm, Stevens, like Camire, has seen his farm expand since its conception in the early 1980s. “We started the farm because it seemed like it was a good thing to do,” Stevens said. “It seemed as if there was a need for this type of thing and we wanted to be a part of it. It was pretty serendipitous, really — we were given the opportunity to grow some vegetables on a neighbor’s property and sell things at the Burlington Farmers’ Market, and it just grew from there.” Though Golden Russet Farm does not produce winter crops, the winter months remain a busy time for Stevens and his family. “Right now, my wife and daughter are sitting down, coming up with the plans for the cut flower production,” Stevens said. “That includes ordering seeds, spacing, deciding where we’re going to plant things, what dates we’re going to plant them, et cetera. We do a lot of work in January so we can easily implement what we’re going to grow later in the year.” In addition to planning the upcoming season, Stevens allocates a portion of his winter to the business side of his farm. “We also spend a lot of time tying up the book work from the previous season, doing all the tax filings, reporting and the maintenance stuff that didn’t get done during the growing season,” he said. Rich, whose growing season continues into the winter, attested to doing much of the same during winter months. “I spend all my time at my desk in the wintertime, ordering and crop planning and bookkeeping,” Rich said. In addition to winter activities akin to Stevens’, Rich keeps busy with the growth and harvest of winter crops. “In the wintertime it’s all cold weather crops,” Rich explained. “Growing is way different. It’s much more difficult. You have shorter days, so you have less time to work, and in the morning and afternoon you have opening and closing procedures which take an hour and a half to two hours both in the morning and in the afternoon.” Camire also commiserated with the difficulty of growing winter crops, which he does without the use of a greenhouse. “Diseases are more prominent in winter,” Camire said. “You can’t reseed, and if you do, you won’t get anything for six months. The timing has to be perfect: the crops have to be three quarters mature by the time Nov. 15 comes around, which is the ten-hour day. Nov. 13 was our ten-hour day. You have to make sure your crops are three-quarters grown by then because they keep growing throughout the winter, but very, very slowly, and it all depends on the winter.” To add to the hostility of winter growing, Camire’s refusal to use greenhouse technology has made farming during Colorado’s winter months a gamble. “This year we are having a very cold winter. It’s the coldest on record, so our selection really stinks,” he said. “We’ve lost some crops.” These risks are foreign to Dave Hartshorn, co-owner of Green Mountain Harvest Hydroponics, a greenhouse situated on Hartshorn’s organic farm in Waitsfield, Vt. “In the hydroponic, we have a protected environment where we can grow anything we want in the winters of Vermont,” Hartshorn said. Hartshorn realizes that the greenhouse is particularly helpful in a place with rapid weather fluctuation. “Last week, we were fifteen below, yesterday we were fifty above, and tomorrow we’ll be back below zero. In the summer we are in the nineties a lot,” he said. “Because of recent new technologies, however, anything can be grown in Vermont because we have the ability to create any environment in the world in a greenhouse setting.” While Hartshorn’s winter harvest of basil and watercress is wildly different from Stevens’ off-season winters, Rich’s storage crop production and Camire’s homestead all four men share the lessons farming has taught them. “From a learning perspective, agriculture has a lot to offer,” Stevens said. “If you take a systems approach, you’re taking a seed and putting it in the ground and nurturing it and turning it into something that’s useful. That’s powerful. When folks come to work here, they get a lot of life lessons from experiencing what it takes to get from a little seed to a case full of a product that is going to be enjoyed by people.” Hartshorn agreed: “Farming is everything. It’s math, science, chemistry, research, social interaction with people, marketing, financial, everything you can think of that you can incorporate into one occupation.”

Record Number of Applicants Seek Admission to Class of 2023

Middlebury received a record number of applications during the 2018-2019 admissions cycle, with 9,750 students vying for a spot in the Class of 2023. The applicant pool increased by 5.6 percent compared to last year’s 9,230. With an increase of 13.9 percent, the number of applicants who identify as students of color also reached a new high. Over the past 10 years, Middlebury’s applicant rates have increased by about 34 percent, according to Dean of Admissions Greg Buckles. Within that same 10 years, the college has seen a 99 percent increase in students of color, and a 75 percent increase in international students. “Using an incremental, thoughtful, and responsible approach, we want to grow the pool to reach any potential candidate for whom a Middlebury education might be a good fit,” Buckles said. In a news release, Director of Admissions Nicole Curvin attributed this year’s growth in part to recruitment by Middlebury’s staff in the South and the West, where growth in applicants was particularly strong. Applicants rose by 16 percent in the South, and 10 percent in the West. The applicants hail from across the country, with most admitted students coming from New York. Other pipeline states include California, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Illinois. International applicants were up 10 percent this year. The six countries with the most applicants were led by China, with 628, followed by Pakistan, India, South Korea, Vietnam and Kenya. Other NESCAC schools, such as Bowdoin, also saw an uptick in applications. Bowdoin received a total of 9,300 applications this year, an increase over its record of 9,081 for the Class of 2022. [pullquote speaker="Greg Buckles" photo="" align="center" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]We are trying to pay more attention to students who may fall outside what some may consider traditional norms or mainstream types of Middlebury profiles.[/pullquote] For the first binding early decision round, Middlebury said it admitted 297 of the 654 applicants this December. A quarter of early admits were students of color. The second round of early applicants and regular decision applicants will receive their decisions in mid-February and March 23, respectively. The college is looking to continue the development of a diverse and balanced community in the Class of 2023. “We are trying to pay more attention to students who may fall outside what some may consider traditional norms or mainstream types of Middlebury profiles,” Buckles said. Looking to the future, Buckles believes the college will focus on reaching international applicants, as well as tackling affordability. “Middlebury will want to continue to be accessible to anyone who is qualified and admitted regardless of ability to pay,” said Buckles, who is leaving the college at the end of the academic year to take a job at the Lawrenceville School in New Jersey. The admissions team is busy reviewing applications for next year’s class, which they expect to total between 610 and 630 students in the fall and another 100 to 110 in February. The projected class size of about 700 is consistent with previous years. Last year’s overall acceptance rate was 18.4 percent, down from 19.7 percent the year before.

Men’s Squash Finds a Spot on the Podium

The Middlebury men’s squash team earned third place in the NESCAC Championships. Hosted by the Panthers in the Bostwick Family Squash Center, the weekend was claimed by No. 2 Trinity, who now holds a 14-2 record. Middlebury reached the semifinals by picking up a win over 24th-ranked Tufts on  Saturday, Feb. 2 before returning to the courts the same day to fall to 18th-ranked Williams. The squad swept Tufts in a swift 9-0 victory with only three matches requiring more than three games. Back at it against Williams, the team suffered a close 5-4 loss. Middlebury posed wins in the second and third positions by juniors Jacob Ellen and William Cembalest, as well as in the sixth and ninth spots by first-year Teddy Best and sophomore Alex Merrill, respectively. Unlike the match against Tufts, this battle only saw one three-game match. Both Best and Cembalest fought through their five-game matches to claim points for Midd.  The team returned to the Bostwick Family Squash Center this past Saturday, Feb. 9, to challenge 19th-ranked MIT. The first two points were won by a five-game comeback from Cembalest and then another five-game victory by Best. The Panthers then edged the Engineers further by claiming yet another two five-game wins, this time from sophomore Wiatt Hinton and junior Jacob Ellen. Sophomore John Epley clinched the match at No. 7 in a four-game win to round out the match at 5-4 and secure a 13-5 record for the Panthers. Following this excitement, the team will travel to the CSA Team Championships hosted by Yale from Friday to Sunday, Feb. 15-17.

Facing Low Wages, Some Employees Forced to Seek Work Elsewhere

As the college continues its process of workforce planning and prepares to review its compensation policies, issues surrounding staff compensation garner renewed attention. For years, members of the college community have called for changes to the staff pay structure, particularly around low-wage positions. They remain concerned over the ability of staff to afford the costs of living in and around Middlebury, and the inability of departments that rely on these positions to fill job openings. Staff pay follows a multi-tiered scale organized under two wage structures. Structure A applies to most staff positions, while structure B applies to jobs with competitive market conditions and comes with higher hourly wages. Both contain four career bands: administrator, management, specialist, and operations. These bands are then divided into levels based on the amount of responsibilities associated with the job. At each level, staff can be paid within a certain range, broken up into three with minimum and maximum values shown for every third. Jobs are categorized into one of these levels and compensated accordingly. For example, a floor crew custodian is paid at an Operations Level 2 (OP2) rate, with a minimum of $11.00 per hour in the lower third and a maximum of $15.58 per hour in the upper third. Approximately 15 percent of staff, including custodians and dining hall servers, are paid at the OP1 and OP2 levels, the lowest of the bands. As the costs of living increases, many of these employees are finding it increasingly difficult to work at the college. “I do think that the pay is low. I really do,” said a member of the custodial team. “It’s not keeping up with the cost of living, so a lot of people here work two jobs. It’s tough. Really tough,” he said. All employees quoted in this article wished to remain anonymous for fear of retribution.  In a report published last year, the National Low Income Housing Coalition showed that a resident of Addison County would have had to earn an average of at least $19.63 per hour or work close to two full-time jobs at minimum wage to afford rent and utilities. The county is now the fifth most expensive in the state of Vermont. [pullquote speaker="" photo="" align="center" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]Nobody wants to come here, and when they do come here, they don’t stay.[/pullquote] The experiences of staff members reflect the figure. “With rent and food, it’s hard to live here on the pay,” a second custodian said. In response to these concerns, the administration has often cited generous benefits packages the college provides to full-time employees. With good insurance, retirement plans and even subsidized education for children, working at the college remains an attractive option compared to similar jobs in town. It’s a benefit that many members see as a critical part of their livelihoods. “My friends in construction, they’re getting paid more. But they don’t have good insurance,” said a member of the facilities staff. “Several years ago, I had a medical issue, and that was a big deal.” Others say that benefits are not enough. Staff earning close to minimum wage may be working from paycheck to paycheck — where money today means the difference between paying the phone bill or not. “Your first year, you get five weeks time off. The health insurance is top-notch. But if you’re making 12 or 13 bucks an hour, what good does time off do?” asked a second member of the facilities department. “[Time off] is useless because you can’t afford to go anywhere,” said the first custodian. “Might as well work.” The level of pay is not only affecting the living conditions of staff, but also contributes to a shortage in certain departments on campus. Managers have struggled to fill open slots, with nine openings left unfilled in custodial positions. It is a jarring change for college staff used to getting the help they need in order to fulfill the various demands of the expansive campus. A third employee in facilities recounted his first few years working at the college a decade ago, when custodial positions would be highly sought after.  “We would put out a help-wanted ad for floor crew and there will be 10, 12 job applicants,” he said. “You had to beg to get an interview here. And now you can’t drag ‘em in here,” the first custodial worker said.“Nobody wants to come here, and when they do come here, they don’t stay.” Staff members speak of friends who have chosen to work in similar jobs in the state, foregoing better benefits for a slightly higher base pay. Listings for custodial positions in school districts around Burlington or Essex can start at $15 per hour with benefits, attracting people who in years past may have chosen to work at the college. Even jobs closer to home, including crew positions at Dunkin’ Donuts and cashier positions at the Natural Foods Co-op are paying wages close to what the college offers — around $12 per hour. Broader trends outside of the college’s control have also exacerbated the issue. Low unemployment rates across the United States have led to a tight labor market where employers struggle to fill entry-level positions. At the end of last year, the unemployment rate in Addison County stood at 2.3 percent, one of the lowest since the Department of Labor began recording the data in Vermont. Even when departments are able to hire, however, staff turnover remains an issue. Employees are discouraged by a perception that the administration fails to adequately reward good performance — a 2017 staff survey revealed that only 27 percent of faculty and staff were satisfied with the college’s recognition and awards programs. Over the past five years, pay raises have hovered around two percent across the board, with few opportunities for merit-based rewards in lower-wage positions. “I came in at the entry level, and now I’m at the top of the wage band. But it’s much harder for people to do that now,” said the first facilities employee, who has worked at the college for 25 years. The first custodial worker shared the same sentiment. “If you screw off and I work hard, we get the same raise,” he said. The administration, for its part, has responded to these concerns by launching a review of performance management processes, hoping to wrap up by the fall of 2020. Still, many remain unconvinced that conditions will improve. “This used to be a great place to work. It still is, it still is," said the first custodial worker. "But it’s too bad." For full staff issue coverage, click here.

Women’s Hockey Splits Polar Bear Weekend

The Middlebury women’s hockey team battled the Bowdoin Polar Bears in a fierce NESCAC double header on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 18 and 19. Saturday’s game began with a scoreless first period, though the Panthers had the shot advantage 11-6. In the second period, Middlebury opened scoring with just under five minutes off the clock. Sophomore Ellie Barney tipped a shot from junior defenseman Anna Zumwinkle behind the Bowdoin goalie for her second goal of the season. The Polar Bears evened the score as Angelina Joyce took a shot from her own rebound and sent it past junior goaltender Lin Han. The goal ended a scoreless streak for the Middlebury defense that had lasted 155:58. In the third period, Middlebury scored early, less than two minutes in, as sophomore Morgan Griffin forced a turnover in the offensive zone and sent the puck to the back of the Bowdoin net. First-year Jenna Letterie added the insurance goal 10 minutes later with a tap in off another Zumwinkle shot. On Sunday, an unbeaten streak of nine games ended for the Panthers as an overtime goal lifted Bowdoin to victory. Once again, the first period ended with zeros on the scoreboard, despite Middlebury sending some tough shots toward Bowdoin goalie Kerri St. Denis. Middlebury held the shots advantage 13-3 as the second period opened, but the Polar Bears scored first. Taking advantage of a power play opportunity, Bowdoin’s Miranda Bell sent a shot past sophomore Anna Goldstein. Middlebury tied the game up with 2:48 remaining in the second. Sophomore Madie Leidt sent a breakaway pass from the Panthers’ blue line up to Letterie, who rifled a shot top-shelf over St. Denis’ shoulder. The third period was also scoreless, though a point-blank shot from Middlebury’s Katherine Jackson ’19 was denied by St. Denis with just under four minutes remaining. In overtime, Bowdoin had the only two shots and scored with only 32 seconds remaining to secure the win. Bell sent a puck into traffic in front of the net that rebounded and got past Goldstein. Middlebury had the distinct shot advantage at 38-14, but Bowdoin’s St. Denis stood tall all game and only let one through. Middlebury’s next challenge comes in a two-game home set against Hamilton on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 25 and 26. The Panthers, ranked first in the NESCAC, should expect a fight against the Continentals, who rank second and have won their past two games.

Swimming & Diving Defeats Union by 100+ Points

On the road last Saturday, the swimming and diving teams conquered Union by an overwhelming 194-87 on the women’s side and 190-76 on the men’s side.  The women’s team beat Union to the wall in 11 out of the 15 events that day. The 200 medley relay quartet of Frances Vandermeer ’20, Erin Kelly ’21, Maddie McKean ’22 and Audrey Hsi ’22 started the meet with a winning time of 1:52.73. The four competitors also collected individual wins in their respective events. Vandermeer claimed the 100 backstroke (1:00.41) and 100 freestyle (55.27). In the 100 breastroke, Kelly triumphed with a 1:11.38. Hsi sprinted to first in the 50 freestyle, swimming 25.74. Finally, McKean flew through the 100 butterfly to win in 1:00.94.  Other top scoring finishes came from Jessica Lipton ’20 in the 200 butterfly (2:18.16), Hannah Wander ’22 in the 200 breaststroke (2:35.12), Georgia Houde ’20 in the 500 freestyle (5:23.73), and Grace Stimson ’19 in the 200 individual medley (2:14.79).  To end the successful day, the 200 free relay squad of Courtney Gantt ’22, Erin Kelly, Audrey Kelly ’21 and McKean stopped the clock at 1:42.58, beating Union by several seconds.   The men’s side saw similar results, dominating 12 out of the 15 events. The 200-meter medley relay team of Brendan Leech ’19, Bryan Chang ’22, Will Pannos ’20 and Jake Gaughan ’22 won in 1:40.75, immediately putting Middlebury ahead of the Dutchmen. From there, the Panthers kept building momentum.  Morgan Matsuda ’19 totaled three wins in the 200 freestyle (1:47.89), 200 breaststroke (2:13.79), and 200 individual medley (2:02.33), while Corey Jalbert ’21 out-touched the rest of the pool in both the 50 free (22.30) and 100 free (49.44).  Four other swimmers also claimed their individual events: Leech in the 100 backstroke (54.56), Cody Kim ’22 in the 100 breaststroke (1:02.07), Kevin Santoro ’21 in the 200 backstroke (2:01.80) and Aska Matsuda ’22 in the 500 free (4:53.01). Diver Mike Chirico ’20 was victorious in the three-meter event, scoring 270.98 points.  The 200 free relay team of Keegan Pando ’21, Alex Corda ’20, Leech and Gaughan earned the final points of the day, capping off the meet with a 1:29.72 win.   Before the championship season begins, the Panthers look to secure a couple more wins and fine tune technique. “We’re trying to mimic races in practice and make ourselves feel fast,” Leech said.  “We’re really hoping to move up at the end-of-season NESCAC meet. Looking ahead, we’re really focused on getting strong times to feel good about heading into NESCACs. We have a very large class of first-years who have been working hard all season, and we’re excited to see what we can do at the end of the season,” he continued.  The Panthers return to the Natatorium this weekend, where they will host Hamilton and Williams in their final dual meets of the season.

Despite Losses, Women’s Basketball Holds Impressive Record

The Middlebury women’s basketball team has improved to a 13-2 record, losing only one of those battles to conference competition. Though both losses have come in recent games, the overall successful start to the season will propel the Panthers into championship season. Forward Vanessa Young ’20 acknowledges that the team has had great success so far, but were let down by the two losses. Young sees these losses as stepping stones going further into the season: “We’ve definitely had a really successful season so far. Although we dropped two games — Westfield St. and Tufts — we’re using those games as good learning experiences to continue to improve upon all the hard work we’ve done.”  It will take a lot of perseverance to move past the loss to fellow conference-rival Tufts. Last year, Middlebury landed fourth in the NESCAC rankings, behind Amherst, Bowdoin and Tufts. All three powerhouses made it into the NCAA tournament — something the Panthers hope to achieve this year. Accomplishing that goal entails strong intra-conference games. The Panthers know they must compete well against other NESCAC teams, especially Bowdoin and Amherst. Learning from the loss to Tufts, as well as Westfield State, is the next step in ensuring a successful season.  With a deep bench, talented offense, and skilled defense, Young sees potential in her squad, as do the rest of her teammates.  “We’ve seen that our defense wins us games, so we are definitely going to work harder to lock that down, especially 1 v 1 defense, in order to finish out our season strong,” Young said. “We know that we’re capable of achieving a lot this year, and are looking forward to getting it done!” Their impressive record should not be overlooked. Thirteen wins to a minimal two losses is a great start to head into the later parts of the season. Additionally, the squad beat three other NESCAC teams: Connecticut College (49-44), Wesleyan (69-57) and Bates (70-58).  The next big game will be against Williams this Saturday, which will be a testament to the team’s hard work and further NESCAC play. Starting in February, the Panthers will face both Bowdoin and Amherst. This gives Middlebury plenty of time to smooth out their play and finish the regular season with strength.