Women
The women’s tennis team protected its perfect NESCAC record and No. 1 ranking with two victories over high-quality competition this past weekend. After losing their top spot in the ITA’s national rankings at the end of March, the Jeffs’ strong play over the past two weeks re-earned them their No. 1 ranking, but also provided their opponents, Colby and Williams, with an incentive to play spoiler. Yet the Jeffs handily dealt with both teams, dismissing Colby 7-2 on Saturday before defeating their archrivals by the same score the following afternoon.
The magical moments keep coming for the red-hot men’s lacrosse team, which is putting together a season to remember. The No. 10 Jeffs pulled out two thrilling comeback wins last week, earning 7-6 victories over Springfield and Colby. Channeling their inner Houdini, the Jeffs faced early 3-0 deficits in both games, but battled back and scored clutch goals in last-minute situations. The surging Jeffs (11-1 overall, 6-1 NESCAC)have not lost since a season-opening defeat to No 1. Tufts on Mar. 12.
Less than two weeks after competing in the NCAA Championships, senior Kendra Stern, Div. III National Swimmer of the Year, qualified for the Olympic Trials. Early next summer, Stern will compete in three events in an attempt to qualify for the 2012 Olympic games.
The baseball team had another successful series last weekend, sweeping three games from Hamilton in a relatively lopsided fashion.
With the return of dynamic forward Jae Heo ’14 after a two-year hiatus, the men’s soccer team appears primed for a NESCAC title run this season. The addition of Heo, plus a talented returning core from last season, should make Amherst one of the teams to beat in the conference.
After a close bid for the NESCAC title last season, the women’s soccer team is hoping this will be their year. Senior captain Allison Dorey explained that “last season, our hard work did not translate to the results which we wanted. Although we made it to the NESCAC finals and had impressive wins throughout the season,” she continued, “we are looking to do better this year.”
The third time was the charm for the men’s tennis team, as the Jeffs captured their first NCAA title with a convincing 5-2 victory over Emory Univ. in the national finals this May after runner-up finishes in both 2009 and 2010.
The win over Emory capped a remarkable, record-breaking season for the Jeffs. Earlier in the spring, Amherst won its first NESCAC title since 1992, going undefeated against conference opponents. The Jeffs completed the season with a 38-1 record, with the only loss coming against No. 2 Claremont during the team’s California spring break trip in March.
