The Sports Page
Spring break did little to slow down Vassar's sports teams during the month of March.
Baseball
The men have faced stiff competition this spring, with tough extra-inning losses to Cazenovia College and Drew University. But a commanding 9-0 win over Westfield State University and a second win over St. Lawrence University have them hopeful of getting the season back on track.
Basketball
D3Hoops.com named sophomore Cydni Matsuoka to the All-East Region Second Team. Freshman Colleen O’Connell was named the All-East Region Rookie of the Year. The honors come after the ladies helped lead Vassar to its most successful season in program history, with an 18-10 record, a second-straight Liberty League Championship, and a second NCAA Tournament appearance. On the men’s side, freshmen Johnny Mrlik and Alex Snyder were named to the Liberty League All-Rookie Team.
Fencing
The men won the epee title at the NEIFC Championship. Senior Nick Johnson (pictured) followed up that team performance with a 6th place finish at the NCAA Northeast Regional Championships, qualifying him for the NCAA Fencing Championships. There he finished 13th overall, one spot away from honorable mention All-America status. The women were equally impressive at the NEIFC Championship, placing as the top team in the epee competition and tying Dartmouth University and Boston College in the foil competition.
Field Hockey
The women ranked first in the nation in cumulative team grade point average as rated by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association.
RugbyThe men trampled Molloy College 59-17 to open spring play. The women also dominated, with a 56-0 win over Boston College.
Golf
The women opened their season by winning the Myrtle Beach Shootout hosted by McDaniel College. Sophomore Paloma Jimenez (pictured) shot a tournament low of 85 strokes. The Brewers now look ahead to the Vassar Invitational at Dutchess Country Club later this month.
Squash
Freshman Michael Sankovich received All-Liberty League Honorable Mention recognition in end-of-season awards, as voted on by league coaches.
Tennis
The women are on a roll, winning six out of the last seven matches, including consecutive 9-0 sweeps of St. Lawrence University and the Rochester Institute of Technology. The men also won their last two matches with 9-0 sweeps of St. Lawrence and RIT.
Lacrosse
With a convincing 12-4 season-opening win over New York Maritime, the men started off strong. A number of tight games since have yielded difficult losses, including one to nationally-ranked and undefeated Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The women stand 2-2 on the season, with losses to St. John Fisher and SUNY Oneonta and victories over Bridgewater State and Wittenberg University.
Volleyball
The No. 11-ranked men’s team swept No. 8 MIT in its final match at the Endicott Invitational. The win improved the Brewers' season record to 14-8, putting them in great position headed into April, with hopes of earning a bid to the inaugural NCAA Division III men’s volleyball championship.
Track and Field
After a fruitful spring training session and the Willie Williams Classic in Arizona, the men opened their season with a strong performance at the Monmouth College Season Opener in New Jersey. Senior Justin Rupert placed 5th overall in the 5,000 meters, earning him a spot in the ECAC Championship. Not to be outdone at Monmouth, on the women’s side, junior Kelly Holmes (pictured) also qualified for the ECAC Championship in the 5,000 meters with a 3rd place finish. She is also an ECAC qualifier in the 800 meter event.
For more results, and the latest from Vassar Athletics, visit the website.
Compiled by Peter Bronski with Shane Donahue
All images courtesy Stockton Photo, Inc.