Athletics > Weekly Lyon > 2002-03 > January 20, 2003
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Men's Basketball (12-2, 1-1) Opens NEWMAC Home Play with 73-49 Win over WPI
Ranked fifth in New England in the latest NCAA Division III Northeast Regional poll, the Wheaton College men's basketball team recorded a 1-1 mark last week. The Lyons dropped an 86-73 decision to Clark in their New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) opener Tuesday, but rebounded at home with a 73-49 triumph over conference foe WPI.
Opening league play on Tuesday, Clark avenged last year's tournament semifinal round loss to the Lyons. Down five points at the intermission, Clark exploded for 56 second-half points to defeat Wheaton. The Blue and White held the upper hand in the opening half, as sophomore Mike Stanton (Lynnfield, MA/Brewster Academy) spearheaded a 9-1 run five minutes into the contest. The Lyons led by as many as 16 points in the first stanza, but a 16-5 Cougar run to end the half cut the lead to five points heading into the locker room.
The Cougars controlled the second half, outscoring the Lyons, 56-38 while shooting 19-of-34 (.559) from the field. Clark tied the game at 37 points three minutes into the second stanza. The next four minutes featured five lead changes and three ties, but the hosts took the lead for good with 13 minutes remaining. The Cougars keyed a 28-16 run over a ten-minute span to help capture their first conference win of the season. Stanton led three Wheaton players in double-figure scoring with 22 points (8-12 FG, 5-8 3-pt FG), while junior Scott Mahan (Bridgewater, MA/Cardinal Spellman) recorded his sixth double-double of the season with 21 points (7-10 FG, 7-8 FT) and a game-high 11 rebounds. Senior captain Jarett Lewis (Detroit, MI/South Kent School) added 10 points in the loss.
Against WPI on Saturday, Mahan recorded his seventh double-double of the season, posting game-high totals of 17 points (4-9 FG, 9-10 FT), 16 rebounds and two blocks, leading Wheaton to its first conference victory of the season. Taking advantage of WPI shooting woes in the first half, the Lyons opened an early advantage with a 7-0 run to start the game. Held scoreless through the first 5:24 and converting on only two field goals through the first ten minutes of play, the Engineers shot a mere 6-of-28 (.214) in the opening half and were outrebounded, 27-7. Despite seeing WPI struggle offensively, the Blue and White failed to take full advantage, turning the ball over 16 times in the opening stanza. The Engineers battled back, trimming a 13-point lead down to six points with 3:15 remaining in the half. The Lyons answered with an 11-0 run to close the stanza and lead 32-15 at the break. Mahan and sophomore Mark Ledwell (Charlemont, MA/Mohawk Trail Regional) led Wheaton in that spurt with five points each.
Trailing by 17 points to start the second half, WPI pulled to within 12 points two minutes into the frame, but that's as close as the Engineers would get as Wheaton used a 12-2 run over a 4:15 span to open a comfortable 25-point lead. The Lyons hit on 22-of-49 (.449) shots in the game and outrebounded the Engineers, 46-21, as Wheaton held WPI to a season-low 49 points. Ledwell had a career day for the Lyons, recording career-high's of 11 points (4-4 FG, 3-3 FT) and six rebounds. Sophomore Josean Vega (Pawtucket, RI/St. Raphael's) and junior Frankie Whall (Roslindale, MA/Cheshire Academy) chipped in 13 points apiece, while freshman Sean Kelly (Providence, RI/Wheeler School) added seven assists.
Stanton Earns NEWMAC Co-Player of the Week
Stanton earned NEWMAC Co-Player of the Week for the week ending on Sunday, January 12. Averaging 18.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocked shots, he helped lead Wheaton to a 3-0 week with non-conference wins over Emerson, Mount Ida and Fitchburg State. Against Emerson on Tuesday, Stanton scored 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting to go along with four rebounds, two assists and one block in an 82-68 victory. At Mount Ida on Thursday, he netted 10 points with four boards, two blocks and a steal. The highlight of the week took place Saturday afternoon versus Fitchburg State, as the 6-5 junior had a monster day, recording career-high totals of 27 points, six three-point field goals made, five steals and three blocks in helping Wheaton defeat the Falcons, 82-68. For the game, he shot 8-of-16 (.500) from the field, 6-of-11 (.545) from three-point range and 5-of-6 (.833) from the foul line.
Women's Basketball (3-7) Plays in Suspended Game with Connecticut College
Due to a power outage in the Eastern Connecticut region, Tuesday night's game between the Wheaton College women's basketball team and Connecticut College was suspended. The Lyons currently lead the game 58-54 with 1:47 remaining. No information on when the game will resume is available at this time. In its only recorded game of the week, Wheaton suffered a 60-54 non-conference setback against Albertus Magnus on Thursday in Emerson Gymnasium.
The Lyons had a two-point halftime advantage over Albertus but couldn't hang on Thursday night, as the Falcons pulled out the six-point victory. The first half was a seesaw battle between Wheaton and Albertus, as the two teams witnessed five ties and three lead changes. Knotted at 11 points apiece with 9:23 to play, an Erin Stodder (Alna, ME/Lincoln Academy) three-point basket and Jessica Arment (Lee, MA/Lee) lay-up helped propel Wheaton to a 16-11 advantage with 7:31 to play. The Lyons pushed their lead out to as many as six points at 24-18, thanks to Kerry Deshefy's (Clinton, CT/The Morgan School) shot from three-point land with 3:24 on the clock. The Falcons outscored Wheaton, 8-4 the rest of the way, cutting their deficit to 28-26 at the half.
A slow start to the second half cost Wheaton early, as the hosts were held to two points through the first six minutes of the stanza. Trailing 33-30, Wheaton's Vanessa Savas (Belmont, MA/Belmont) pulled the Lyons to within one point with 14 minutes to play. The Blue and White eventually tied the contest at 41 points apiece with 8:48 remaining, but an ensuing 9-0 run over a three-minute span by the Falcons put the game away for good. Wheaton narrowed the margin to five points with 4:20 to go, but Albertus followed with five straight points to push the lead back to double figures. Savas led the Lyons with a season-high 17 points (7-11 FG) and career-best 15 rebounds. Arment also posted a season and team-high tying 17 points (6-11 FG) with four rebounds and three assists. Deshefy dished out a game-best six assists in the loss.
Men's (2-4) and Women's Swimming (4-4) Sweep UMass-Dartmouth, Split Against Trinity
The Wheaton College men's and women's swimming & diving teams opened their second semester schedule on a high note Tuesday night, as the Lyons swept UMass-Dartmouth in Balfour Natatorium. On the women's side, Wheaton nipped the Corsairs, 119-117 in a meet that came down to the final relay event while the men captured a decisive 118-92 victory. On Saturday in a dual meet with Trinity, the Wheaton men won their second consecutive meet of the season with a dramatic 117-111 victory over the Bantams while the women fell to Trinity, 145-94.
Capturing eight individual events on the night, the men easily outdistanced themselves from the Corsairs on Tuesday. Junior Patrick Sagui (Westwood, MA/Westwood) started the string of wins for the Lyons, claiming victory in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:00.07. A one-two finish in the 200-yard individual medley then bolstered the Blue and White, as junior co-captain Chris Hurley (Belfast, ME/Belfast Area) and senior co-captain Chris Peterson (Ashland, MA/Ashland) registered times of 2:10.16 and 2:18.43, respectively. Hurley was also victorious in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 57.98.
Freshman Charles Sawyer (Brooklyn, NY/Beacon School) followed with the first of his two victories on the platform, scoring 189.05 points in the one-meter diving event. He later posted a winning score of 147.15 in the three-meter dive. First-year John Kuckens (West Hartford, CT/Hall) recorded the first of two victories in the 100-yard freestyle. Later in the 500-yard free, Kuckens had a personal-best time of 5:25.01 in the win. Sophomore Chris Klinkow (Hollis, NH/Hollis-Brookline) rounded out the eight individual victories with a triumph in the 100-yard butterfly. In the final event of the meet, Klinkow, Sagui, Hurley and Kuckens posted the fastest time in the 400-yard freestyle relay, finishing with a time of 3:32.14.
Ironically, the women's meet came down to the final race, the 400-yard freestyle relay. Trailing 113-106, the Lyons needed the top mark followed by a second or third place finish to capture the victory. Wheaton earned the best mark, thanks to senior co-captain Meghan Sidoti (Middletown, CT/Middletown), junior Katie Levine (Needham, MA/Needham) and freshmen Lauren Pcholinski (Old Saybrook, CT/Old Saybrook) and Cassie Bannell (Farmington, CT/Farmington), winning the 400 free in a time of 3:55.03.
The Blue and White then clinched the victory when the relay team, comprised of junior Jenna Gustafson (New Hartford, CT/St. Paul Catholic), sophomores Nicole Bassaleh (Mansfield, MA/Mansfield) and Blake Worrall (Duxbury, MA/Duxbury) and first-year Alexandra Cheney (Santa Monica, CA/Marymount) finished third overall, giving the Lyons the needed points to capture the team win.
Trailing 107-106 against Trinity and heading into the 200-yard freestyle relay, the Wheaton men nipped the Bantams by 1.12 seconds to capture the six-point victory. Hurley, Sagui, Klinkow and Kuckens comprised the winning relay team for the Lyons. Hurley and Kuckens also led the men with multiple-event victories on the day. Hurley captured the 100-yard individual medley with a time of 58.72 and then recorded a victory in the 200-yard backstroke in 2:05.79. Kuckens posted a solid meet with a pair of wins in freestyle events, including the 200 free in 1:57.39 and 500 free in 5:20.64. Wheaton recorded seven individual victories on the day, including a clean sweep in the diving events. Peterson was victorious in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:29.40, while sophomore Aaron Beaulieu (Freeport, ME/Freeport) and Sawyer had top scores in the one and three-meter dive events.
On the women's side, Worrall and Bannell were the lone individual winners for Wheaton. Worrall was the top finisher in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 58.43, while Bannell placed first in the 50-yard free in 26.49. Worrall, Bannell, Levine and Bassaleh also sided for a victory in the 200-yard freestyle relay. The foursome finished with a time of 1:45.66.
Men's and Women's Track Teams Compete at Greater Boston Track Club Invitational
The Wheaton College men's and women's track & field teams continued their successful 2003 seasons at the Greater Boston Track Club (GBTC) Invitational Sunday afternoon, as the Lyons turned in solid performances at Harvard University's Gordon Indoor Track Facility. No team scores were kept at the meet.
The highlight of the meet for the Lyons came on the women's side, as Wheaton's 4x440-yard relay notched an NCAA Division III national meet automatic qualifying time of 3:52.62, which was .12 of a second faster than Division I Seton Hall University. The foursome consisted of juniors Amber James (Woodbury, MN/Woodbury) and Vernick Smith (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson), sophomore Tessa Donoghue (Springfield, MA/Cathedral) and first-year Oly Wirtz (Fitchburg, MA/Fitchburg). Wheaton's second relay squad also knocked off Seton Hall's second relay team with a fifth-place finish in a time of 4:05.51.
Donoghue and seniors Kristen Cullen (Stoneham, MA/Stoneham) and Kerry Teamey (Klamath Falls, OR/Henley) posted national meet provisional qualifying standards in the high jump, 60-meter hurdles and pole vault events, respectively. Donoghue cleared 5' 5" in the high jump, which was good enough for third place, while Cullen collected a third-place finish in the hurdles with a time of 9.16. Teamey vaulted 10' 11 3/4" and placed second overall. In the 4x220-yard relay, the Lyons' squad, comprised of Cullen, junior Kim Spence (Barrington, NH/Dover), sophomore Jessica Allegra (Easthampton, CT/Easthampton) and first-year Lindsey Walker (Warwick, RI/Toll Gate), finished second overall in 1:49.71.
Rounding out the list of strong performances was sophomore Kathrine Wallace (Glenmoore, PA/The Hill School) in the high jump and freshman Noelle Battista (Warwick, RI/Toll Gate) in the pole vault. Wallace finished fourth behind Donoghue, while Battista was third after Teamey. Other top five finishes came from senior Jana Bromell (Spencer, MA/David Prouty) in the shot put, Donoghue in the long jump, Kordzeil in the 60-meter hurdles and Spence in the 800-meter run.
For the men, sophomore Dan Olson (Voorheesville, NY/Albany Academy) followed up last week's provisional qualifying high jump with yet another, this time clearing 6' 10 1/4" en route to capturing the individual title. In the long jump, junior Tyrone McClain (New Haven, CT/Hillhouse) finished sixth with a mark of 19' 9 1/2". Classmate Erik Benson (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug) placed 13th in the 200-meter dash in 23.01, while sophomore Adam Walker (Westfield, NJ/Westfield) posted a 12th-place finish in the 400-meter dash with a time of 51.24.
Tracksters James, Williams-Judge and Benson All Tabbed ECAC Athletes of the Week
Wheaton indoor track and field standouts, James, Aquila Williams-Judge (Boston, MA/Scituate) and Benson were all tabbed Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Athletes of the Week for the week ending on Sunday, January 12. James and Benson earned the honor on the track, while Williams-Judge was awarded the accolade for her field accomplishments.
James, a junior and last year's NCAA Division III National Track Athlete of the Year, and Williams-Judge, a highly-touted freshman, both turned in solid performances for the Lyons, helping to lead the Blue and White to a first-place triumph among 29 competing teams at the 34th Annual Dartmouth Relays in Hanover, New Hampshire on Sunday, January 12.
James posted NCAA national meet provisional qualifying times in the 55 and 400-meter dash events. She finished as the top collegiate runner in the 400-meter dash with a time of 57.51 seconds and placed third overall in the 55-meter dash with a time of 7.30 seconds. James also played a role in Wheaton's winning 4x400-meter relay team, as the Lyons finished the event with a provisional qualifying time of 3:59.72.
Williams-Judge made her collegiate debut a memorable one, finishing as the top collegiate competitor in the pentathlon with a school record 3330 points. She also gained an automatic qualification to the championship meet at DePauw University in mid-March by winning the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 8.12 seconds. Williams-Judge capped her day by leaping 37' 3" in the triple jump, giving her a provisional qualifying mark in the event.
Benson, an All-American in the 400-meter dash, made the most of his junior year debut at the Dartmouth Relays. He landed a victory in the 400-meter event with an NCAA Division III national meet provisional qualifying time of 49.28 seconds. Benson helped lead the Wheaton men to a sixth-place finish among the 28 competing teams. The Lyons posted 21 points on the afternoon.
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