Athletics > Weekly Lyon > 2002-03 > March 24, 2003
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Women's Track Makes History With Fifth Consecutive NCAA Division III National Championship, Men Finish in a Tie for 10th Overall
The Wheaton women's indoor track and field team won their fifth consecutive NCAA Division III National Championship at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, while the college's men's team finished in a tie for 10th overall. The women's victory puts Wheaton in a tie with Louisiana State University for the second-longest winning streak in NCAA women's indoor track and field history.
Wheaton's victory came in the final event of the meet, the 4x400-meter relay. The Lyons posted the fastest time in NCAA Division III history with a blistering mark of 3:45.01, a full six seconds faster than second-place finisher Lehman College. Wheaton finished the meet with 54 points. The Blue and White's championship 4x400-meter relay team, which consisted of senior Jana Bromell (Spencer, MA/David Prouty), juniors Amber James (Woodbury, MN/Woodbury) and Vernick Smith (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson) and freshman Aquila Williams-Judge (Boston, MA/Scituate), boasted two athletes who also won individual championships.
Williams-Judge jump-started Wheaton's race to the championship with an outstanding leap in the long jump. Her 19' 2" jump outdistanced the next closest competitor by more than four inches. Williams-Judge continued her winning ways in the 55-meter hurdles, finishing first in 7.99, which set a new DePauw Indoor Tennis and Track Center. Senior Noreen Kordzeil (Chittenango, NY/Chittenango), also scored points in that event, finishing sixth in 8.43. Meanwhile, Amber James continued her national dominance in the 400-meter dash. She turned in the fastest performance in the event this year in NCAA Division III competition while earning a first-place finish in 55.47. Close on her heels was Smith, who took second place in 56.24. The Lyons also scored points in the 55-meter dash, with Williams-Judge finishing seventh in 7.27 and James eighth in 7.29.
The Wheaton men finished with 12 points in a four-way tie for 10th with Muhlenberg, Monmouth and Keene State. Sophomore Dan Olson (Voorheesville, NY/Albany Academy) won the high jump with a leap of 7' 1 3/4", which represented the best performance of the season in the NCAA Division III as well as a DePauw center record. Junior Erik Benson (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug) scored points in the 400-meter dash with a time of 49.6 in the finals heat.
Synchronized Swimming Places Third at ECAC Championship, Finishes Ninth Overall at the United States Collegiate Championship
The Wheaton College synchronized swimming team took third place overall at the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championship held at the College of William & Mary. Posting 71 points, Wheaton only trailed Canisius College's 105 points and Keuka College's 78 points. The Lyons then went onto finish ninth overall among the 23-competing schools at the United States Collegiate Championship held at the University of Arizona.
At the ECAC event in the solo competition, junior Beth Percy (St. Louis, MO/Parkway West) placed fifth overall with 85.000 points. Joining Percy in the duet routine was senior co-captain Jamie Sallier (St. Louis, MO/Ladue Horton Watkins), as the tandem combined efforts for a fourth place standing, while senior Emily Padow (Richmond, VA/The Steward School) and sophomore Jamie Olken (Brighton, NY/Brighton) finished with the sixth highest point total overall. Sallier along with senior co-captain Elizabeth Maga (Dayton, OH/Chaminade-Julienne) and sophomore Blair Feldman (Tucson, AZ/Green Fields Country Day School) stood fourth in the trio portion of the meet, while Padow, Olken and first-year Jocelyn Phillips (Belmont, MA/Belmont) placed sixth. In the team event, the squad comprised of Feldman, Maga, Olken, Padow, Percy, Phillips and Sallier finished fourth behind teams from Canisius and Keuka. In figures, Percy placed sixth in the A technical category, Phillips and Olken third and fourth, respectively in the C category and junior Aimee Sears (Norwell, MA/Thayer Academy) second in the D category.
In Tucson, Arizona, the Lyons wrapped up their 2003 season by scoring 31 points at the national competition. Ohio State won its fourth consecutive crown and 23rd in the 27-year existence of the championship with 94.5 points. Percy took top honors for the Lyons, as she was named to the All-Collegiate team as the top NCAA Division III swimmer. Percy also was named to the Synchronized Swimming All-Academic team along with Feldman, Phillips and senior Kerri Moran (Hanson, MA/Whitman-Hanson Regional). Percy paced Wheaton with a seventh place finish in the solo competition with 86.834 points. Percy also teamed with Feldman and Sallier to finish 11th in the trio competition. In the team competition, Sallier, Percy, Feldman, Phillips, Maga, Padow and Olken finished 14th overall.
Baseball (5-3) Opens Season with Four Consecutive Victories in Homestead, Florida
The Wheaton College baseball team, ranked sixth nationally according to the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), started off its 2003 season with four straight victories in Homestead Florida. The Lyons defeated Bowdoin, 9-6, Springfield, 5-4 in 17 innings, Albright (PA), 14-0 and William Patterson (NJ), 3-0 in the first four days of the trip. Wheaton finished its spring training trip with a 6-3 loss to Marian (WI), a 5-2 victory over Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and a pair of losses to Wesleyan, 4-3 and Ramapo (NJ), 8-7 in 11 innings.
Against Bowdoin, junior Tim Ziakas (Roxbury, NJ/Roxbury) and sophomore Keith Cooper (Swampscott, MA/The Pingree School) each had three hits on the day, while senior co-captain Mike Hunsinger (Fall River, MA/Durfee) picked up his first win of the year as Wheaton dropped the Polar Bears on Sunday. Wheaton used five runs in the first and three in the second to put away Bowdoin early. Cooper was 3-for-4 with a double, two walks and a run scored, while Ziakas went 3-for-6 with two runs scored and a stolen base to highlight the Wheaton offense. Hunsinger tossed seven innings, striking out two and walking one in picking up the win. Junior Trevor Alexander (Wilton, ME/Mt. Blue) pitched two scoreless innings of relief to close the door on the Polar Bears.
In a game for the ages with Springfield, junior Jeff Ambrosini (New Ipswich, NH/Mascenic) doubled home freshman Rafael Castillo (Queens, NY/Christ the King) with the winning run in the 17th inning to end the longest game in school history, 5-4. The win marked the 12th consecutive time Wheaton has defeated Springfield dating back to March of 2000. The Pride took a 4-3 lead into the top of the eighth, until junior John Ablondi (Westford, MA/Westford Academy) hit a solo home run in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game at four runs apiece. Both teams had opportunities to win the game in the extra frames, however it wouldn't be until the 17th that anyone took advantage. Junior Jesse Woods (Reading, MA/Reading) walked in the bottom half of the inning. Advancing to second on a walk by freshman John Lister (Limington, ME/Westbrook), Castillo was called to pinch run for Woods. In the next at bat, Ambrosini doubled home Castillo to end the game. Alexander picked up the win on the mound, going 1.1 innings with two strikeouts. Freshman Joe White (Bedford, NH/Manchester West) pitched 6.2 innings of relief with six strikeouts to keep Springfield at bay in the extra innings.
Against Albright, Wheaton used three runs in the second, fifth and sixth innings and four in the fourth to cruise to the 14-0 triumph on Tuesday. Sophomore Rob Cipolla (South Windsor, CT/Kingswood-Oxford) went 3-for-4 with three doubles and four RBI to pace the Wheaton offense. Cooper, Ziakas, senior Brett Edmunds (Wolfeboro, NH/Kingswood Regional) and freshman Mark Brown (Chelmsford, MA/Chelmsford) all added two hits, with Copper recording four RBI. Sophomore Matt Ponte (Fairhaven, MA/Fairhaven) picked up the win, going six innings with nine strikeouts while giving up only one hit.
The Lyons used three unearned runs in the fifth inning to defeat William Patterson at Lynn University in Boca Raton on Wednesday. In the fifth, a grounder back to the mound off the bat of Cooper looked like a sure out until the Pioneer pitcher sailed it over the first baseman's head. Castillo, Edmunds and freshman Mike Miller (Abington, MA/Abington) scored on the error to give Wheaton its fourth consecutive win. First-year Bryan Duplissie (East Swanzey, NH/Monadnock) took the win in his first career start, going the distance by striking out nine and yielding only five hits.
On Friday, Wheaton suffered its first defeat of the season, dropping a 6-3 decision to Marian. Spotting Marian a 6-0 lead through five innings, the Lyons tried to climb back into the game, scoring two runs in the sixth and one in the seventh. Cipolla was 1-for-4 on the day with a home run and an RBI, while Woods went 1-for-2 with a double. Lister added a hit and an RBI in the loss. Freshman Chris Martin (Marshfield, MA/Marshfield) took the defeat for Wheaton, tossing four innings while giving up four earned runs with five strikeouts.
Later that day, Wheaton bounced back to defeat Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. Cooper and Ablondi each had three hits and an RBI, with Cooper adding a double. Cipolla was 1-for-3 with two RBI. Hunsinger picked up his second win of the year, going seven innings, striking out five and giving up only one earned run. Junior Matt Parlato (Bethlehem, CT/Nonnewaug) picked up the save, striking out one in an inning of work.
On Saturday, Cooper and Cipolla each had two hits but it wasn‚t enough as Wesleyan added one run in the ninth to defeat Wheaton by a single run. Alexander took the loss, giving up two hits and a run in the ninth. Sophomore Jon Jackson (Ipswich, MA/Hamilton-Wenham) and first-year Mark DeMasse (Reading, MA/Reading) each threw three innings.
In the final game of the trip, the Lyons sprinted to a 5-0 lead after five innings but could not hold off Ramapo as the Blue and White lost in extra innings on Sunday. Senior Scott Beattie (Springvale, ME/Sanford) and Edmunds led Wheaton offensively, going 3-for-6 and 2-for-5, respectively. Beattie recorded two doubles and an RBI, while Edmunds produced one double in the loss. On the mound, White took the defeat, going two-thirds of an inning and giving up one run in the 11th. Ponte started the game, going 7.2 innings, giving up seven earned runs and striking out seven.
Men's Lacrosse (0-3) Drops Pair of Games to Dickinson and Colorado College
The Wheaton College men's lacrosse team dropped a pair of games in Colorado over the week, as the Lyons fell to Dickinson (PA), 11-4 at Colorado College in Colorado Springs on Monday and host Colorado College, 13-7 on Thursday.
On Monday, Dickinson used a 3-0 scoring advantage in the second quarter to open a five goal lead at the intermission en route to an 11-4 victory over the Lyons. Despite staying even with the Red Devils in shots on goal with 37 a piece, Wheaton was unable to keep up on the ground as Dickinson held a 28-16 advantage in ground balls. Junior Chris Milligan (Madison, CT/Daniel Hand) had two goals for the Lyons, while senior J.J. Velez (Brooklyn, NY/South Kent School) and Zak Putnam (Cape Elizabeth, ME/Cape Elizabeth) added the other two tallies. Junior goalkeeper Bryant Denny (Fair Haven, NJ/Rumson-Fair Haven) stopped 12 shots in the loss.
Against Colorado College, the Tigers outscored Wheaton, 5-2 in the first quarter and held off the Lyons at Washburn Field. Originally scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, the game was postponed until Thursday due to a massive snowstorm that hit eastern Colorado during the week. CC outshot Wheaton, 43-36 and held a 26-22 advantage in ground balls. Offensively for the Blue and White, Putnam, junior Evan Carbotti (Newport, RI/Portsmouth Abbey) and senior Zach Hurd (Bath, ME/Hyde School) each recorded two goals, while sophomore Rory Browne (Pittsburgh, PA/Sewickley Academy) added two assists. Defensively, Denny stopped 20 shots in the cage for Wheaton.
Softball (10-2) Wins 10 of 12 Contests on Spring Trip in Fort Myers, Florida
The Wheaton College softball team, ranked 14th in the country according to the latest USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) poll, had a tremendous start to its 2003 season in Fort Myers, Florida. The Lyons won 10 of their opening 12 contests on the week, including victories over nationally-ranked Bethany (WV), 5-3, Pine Manor, 6-2, Nichols, 11-0 in six innings, Worcester State, 7-1, Wisconsin-Stevens Point, 4-0, Plymouth State, 3-0 in eight innings, Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 6-5, Richard Stockton (NJ), 2-1, Suffolk, 11-1 and Keene State, 6-1. The lone losses came to Division II Northern Colorado, 8-0 in five innings and Messiah, 8-3.
Wheaton spotted Bethany, ranked ninth by the NFCA, three runs before coming from behind to clinch the 5-3 win in Cape Coral. The Lyons tied the game at three runs apiece in the top of the fifth on an RBI single from senior co-captain Maren Schrader (Canby, OR/Canby). Wheaton took the lead for good in the top of the sixth on an RBI single by junior Carmella Ranieri (Framingham, MA/Framingham). Ranieri would later score on a sacrifice bunt by junior Brianna Shawah (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock Township). Ranieri and Schrader led Wheaton offensively, with Ranieri going 3-for-3 with a run scored, an RBI and two stolen bases and Schrader 3-for-4 with two stolen bases and an RBI. On the mound, junior Jackie Demling (Norwood, MA/Norwood) struggled early, giving up three earned runs in the first, but settled down to pick up the complete game victory, striking out 11 batters.
The Lyons used four runs in the fifth inning to pull away from Pine Manor in the second game on Saturday. Tied at two in the fifth, Wheaton got the ball rolling when Gina Jacques (Augusta, ME/Hebron Academy) hit a one-out double. Jacques scored on a Pine Manor error off the bat of sophomore Jessica Foster (Sidney, ME/Messalonskee) in the next at bat. Ranieri then walked, followed by a bunt single from Schrader. Sophomore Maggie Spaziano (Norton, MA/Norton) then drew an RBI walk, followed by an RBI single from Sarah Malloy (Cumberland, RI/Cumberland) and an RBI sacrifice from sophomore Jennifer Nelligan (Brockton, MA/Brockton). Nelligan picked up the win on the mound, pitching five innings, striking out four and giving up two earned runs.
Freshman Brittany Ames (Conway, NH/Kennett) made her collegiate debut a memorable one, as she picked up the complete game victory, striking out five and giving up three hits in the 11-0 victory over Nichols on Sunday. Offensively, Sarah Malloy was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, while Jacques and Shawah each had a three-run double in the win.
Against Division II Northern Colorado on Sunday night, the Lyons could only muster two hits over five innings, as Wheaton suffered its first loss. After playing flawless defense over the first three games, the Blue and White were plagued by six errors in the game. Demling took the loss, striking out six and giving up only two earned runs. The two Lyon hits came from Schrader and senior co-captain Rachael Powers (Quincy, MA/North Quincy).
Against Worcester State on Monday, the Lyons used a six-run sixth inning to pull away from the Lancers. Nelligan picked up the complete game victory, giving up one earned run, striking out five and scattering seven hits. Offensively, Ranieri was 2-of-3 with a double and two RBI. Ames and sophomore Kate Malloy (Cumberland, RI/Cumberland) each had an RBI in the game, with Ames collecting two hits on the morning.
The Lyons used sixth-inning heroics again later in the day, as the Blue and White scored three runs in the sixth to defeat Wisconsin-Stevens Point Monday afternoon. Demling was stellar on the mound, striking out 10 batters in the complete game shutout. Ranieri and Schrader each went 2-for-3, while Ames collected two RBI.
Scoreless through seven innings with Plymouth State, the Lyons overcame 16 strikeouts by Panther pitching and plated three runs in the top of the eighth inning to defeat the Panthers, 3-0 in Cape Coral. Shawah, on base as the tiebreaker in the eighth, scored on a Ranieri single and Ranieri followed her home on a single from Schrader. Nelligan sacrificed Schrader home for the third Lyon run. Demling picked up the win, giving up only four hits on the morning while striking out three batters.
In the second game of the day, the Lyons held off a late rally by Wisconsin-Oshkosh to hold on for the 6-5 win. First-year Amy Rowbottom (Norridgewock, ME/Skowhegan Area) picked up the win in her first collegiate start, giving up three hits and three runs in six innings. Offensively, Schrader had three hits, two runs scored and a stolen base. Jacques was 2-for-2 with three RBI, while Ames went 2-for-4 and junior Amanda Dow-Allen (Greenfield, MA/Stoneleigh-Burnham) 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI.
On Wednesday, Demling recorded a career-high 15 strikeouts with only three hits and one earned run in seven innings to lead Wheaton to a 2-1 victory over Richard Stockton in Cape Coral. Offensively, Wheaton managed only three hits in the game, with single runs in the second and sixth. In the sixth, Schrader led the inning with a single followed by a steal at second. She then advanced to third on a fielder's choice off the bat of freshman Amy Cravenho (Taunton, MA/Taunton). Safe at first on the fielder's choice, Cravenho made it to second after a walk to Jacques. From there, Foster drew a bases loaded walk to bring home Schrader with the winning run. Schrader, Sarah Malloy and Foster were the three players with hits for the Lyons.
The Blue and White struggled to keep pace with Messiah, as every Falcon hitter had a hit in the 8-3 win over the Lyons. Nelligan took the loss for Wheaton, giving up five earned runs in six innings of work. Foster led the Lyon bats, going 2-for-3 with a double, RBI, stolen base and run scored. Junior Lori Hill (Chestnut Hill, MA/Newton North) had a triple, while Nelligan and Sarah Malloy recorded a double in the loss.
The Lyons bounced back from Wednesday's loss by scoring five runs in the fourth and seventh innings en route to an 11-1 win over Suffolk on Thursday in Fort Myers. Four Lyons collected multiple hits, led by Jacques who also had two RBI. Nelligan (2-4, RBI), Ranieri (2-4, RBI) and Schrader (2-4) rounded out the multiple hitters for Wheaton. Ames picked up her second win, giving up only one hit and striking out five in six innings.
In the final game of the trip, Wheaton took advantage of five Keene State errors to defeat the Owls, 6-1. The Lyons used three runs in the third and two in the fourth to pull away for the win. Nelligan was 2-for-4 with a triple and four RBI, while Powers, making her return after injuring her ankle against Northern Colorado Sunday, was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
Men's Tennis (6-0) Off to Best Start in 14-Year History of Program
The Wheaton College men's tennis team is off to its best start in the 14-year history of the program, as the Lyons racked up four wins in their spring trip in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Wheaton downed Colby-Sawyer, 5-2, Concordia (WI), 6-0, Dickinson (PA), 5-2 and Maryville (TN), 6-1.
Wheaton started its spring trip with a bang, scoring the convincing win over Colby-Sawyer on Sunday. Despite dropping the number one and two singles matches, the Blue and White rallied with straight-set victories in the three through six spots. Highlighting those wins was junior Ian Peck (Mount Vernon, NH/Souhegan) and freshman Nick Potter (Concord, NH/Concord), who scored 6-1, 6-0 and 6-0, 6-1 wins, respectively in the four and five spots. In doubles, Wheaton took all three matches, as the team of junior Scott Longmire (Belmont, MA/Belmont) and freshman Matt Sheers (Beacon, NY/Beacon) took the number one match, 8-5. Junior Adam Wright (West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield) and Potter won 8-2 at second doubles, while Peck and freshman Jeff Selesnick (Concord, NH/Concord) captured an 8-4 victory in the third doubles position.
On Monday evening, Wheaton cruised to a 6-0 win over Concordia. Sheers, Wright, Peck and Potter all scored straight-set victories, while Longmire won 10-8 in the tie-breaker set at second singles. Freshman Mike Moss (Needham, MA/Needham) saw his collegiate debut cut short as his match at six singles was called during the second set. He won the first set, 6-1. In doubles, Wright and Potter won 8-0 in the second spot, while Peck and Selesnick took third doubles, 8-1.
Sheers, Wright and Potter all scored straight-set victories in the one, three and five spots, respectively, while Longmire went the distance in the second slot (6-1, 1-6, 6-3) as the Blue and White defeated Dickinson Tuesday afternoon. Wheaton used victories from Sheers and Longmire (8-4) in the top spot and Wright and Potter (8-5) at the second position to take the doubles point.
Wheaton was nearly perfect on Wednesday, as the Lyons took the second through six singles matches in straight sets and victories in all three doubles matches en route to a 6-1 win over Maryville. Potter and junior Brooks Cutright (Ipswich, MA/Ipswich) won their matches 6-0, 6-0 at the fifth and sixth spots, respectively. Peck and Selesnick were perfect in an 8-0 win at third doubles.
Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Opens Season at Florida State Relays
The Wheaton College women's outdoor track and field team traveled with the men to Tallahassee, Florida to compete in the Florida State Relays. The women posted two NCAA Division III national meet automatic qualifying marks as well as one provisional mark over the weekend, while the men added one automatic qualifying mark. No team scores were kept in the meet.
The lone victory came on the men's side, as Olson followed up last weekend's national championship performance in the high jump with an automatic qualifying leap of 6' 10 3/4". Also posting an impressive mark for the men was Benson, who came in second in the 400-meter dash with a time of 48.83. Freshman Justin Jin (Seoul, South Korea/Newton South [MA]) came in 13th in the long jump with a leap of 19' 8 3/4". The men's 4x100-meter relay team just missed a provisional standard, as Benson was joined by juniors Tyrone McClain (New Haven, CT/Hillhouse) and Lance Wagner (Beverly, MA/Beverly) and freshman Ajay Sisodia (Andover, MA/Andover). The foursome placed sixth overall in 42.39.
For the women, Amber James posted two NCAA Division III national meet automatic qualifying marks in the 200 and 400-meter dashes. James finished second in the 400-meter dash with a time of 54.56, and fifth in the 200M event with a time of 24.51. Registering a sixth place finish in the 800-meter run was Spence, who finished the race in 2:18.97. Setting a provisional qualifying mark in the 4x100-meter relay was the quartet of Amber James, Smith, Aspen James and sophomore Jessica Allegra (East Hampton, CT/East Hampton). Completing the relay in 48.08, the Wheaton squad finished in seventh place overall.
This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 1/30/07.
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