Men’s Cross Country
The men’s cross country team enjoyed a successful season, highlighted by a fourth-place finish in the NESCAC championship and a second-place finish at the NCAA Division III regionals. The team also made its first appearance at the NCAA Division III championships since 2009, placing ninth overall at the national meet.
Standouts from the year include Dan Crowley ’16, Mohamed Hussein ’18 and Greg Turissini ’15, who all earned second team All-NESCAC honors.
Hussein capped off his stellar first-year campaign, placing 23rd overall at the national meet in a field of 280 runners. He finished just seconds before Turissini, who placed 36th overall.
Romey Sklar ’15 also performed well on the national stage, placing 74th in the field, while Raymond Meijer ’17 enjoyed another strong year finishing in a time of 25:28.7 at the meet.
The team will graduate four seniors, including Turissini and Sklar, and will look to ride the successes of Hussein and other underclassmen next fall.
Women’s Cross Country
Placing 11th at the NCAA Division III championships, the women’s cross country team ran to an impressive 2015 campaign. The team took third at the NESCAC championship meet and fourth overall at the NCAA Division III regionals.
Savanna Gornisiewicz ’17 continued to shine and was named first team All-NESCAC. She placed 23rd overall at the national meet.
Lexi Sinclair ’16 also continued to contribute for the Jeffs and was named to the All-NESCAC second team.
First-year Nicky Roberts had a breakout year, finishing 41st at the Division III championships and posting a 14th-place finish at NCAA regionals.
In addition to its impressive year of running, the team was recognized for its achievements in the classroom, earning U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic honors for its 3.31 average team GPA.
Women’s Golf
The women’s golf team competed in numerous tournaments throughout its fall season, and highlighted by earning third place at the Middlebury College Invitational.
Jamie Gracie ’17 continued to dazzle after a standout campaign in her first year, leading the Jeffs in each tournament. At the Middlebury invite, she placed fourth overall in a field of 57 golfers.
First-year Zoe Wong consistently placed second amongst competing Jeffs, highlighting her breakout season with a 10th-place finish in her college debut at the NYU Invitational and an eighth-place finish at the Mount Holyoke Invitational.
Men’s Golf
The men’s golf team competed throughout the region during their fall 2014 campaign. Despite faltering in their early tournaments, the team ended the season with a 13th-place finish at the ECAC championships.
Various Jeffs had impressive performances for Amherst throughout the season, including consistent play from Dan Langa ’18, James Line ’16 and senior captain Jarvis Sill.
Sill led the team at the ECAC Division III New England Championships, tying for 14th overall at the tournament.
Field Hockey
Starting the season ranked 10th nationally, the Amherst field hockey team posted a 12-4 record this year. The team’s run featured an impressive 10-game winning streak in the middle of the season. They advanced to the NESCAC quarterfinals before narrowly falling to Tufts by a 1-0 score.
Crucial wins on the year included a regular season victory over rival Tufts, another close contest which Amherst won 2-1.
Three players earned All-NESCAC honors for the Jeffs. Madeline Tank ’15 was named to the first team, while Annie Turnbull ’16 and Emily Horwitz ’17 earned second team laurels.
The threesome was also honored with All-Region recognition in addition to Elizabeth Turnbull ’18 and Annika Nygren ’16 who were named to the second team.
Horwitz established herself in net this season, starting as goalie in the majority of the Jeffs’ contests. She posted a .888 save percentage and a 10-2 record that included five shutouts.
The team graduates five seniors, but will maintain a core group of skilled players and looks to rebound in the 2015 season.
Football
The Amherst football team wowed in its second season on newly renovated Pratt Field, going undefeated en route to the NESCAC title, its fifth in program history.
While the majority of the Jeffs’ wins were decisive, one close contest against Wesleyan back on Saturday, Oct. 18 proved to be one of the team’s most important victories. The game went into overtime before Amherst ultimately prevailed by a score of 33-30. The win came thanks to a clutch performance from senior kick Phillip Nwosu making the game-tying and game-winning field goals.
Nwosu earned various accolades on the year, including being honored with All-New England Team as well as First Team All-NESCAC laurels.
Chris Tamasi ’15 joined Nwosu on the All-New England team an honor received in addition to his various NESCAC recognitions.
The team capped its undefeated season by downing rival Williams on homecoming day. Senior quarterback Max Lippe threw two touchdown passes in the game to lead the Jeffs and finish his season with a NESCAC title.
The team also received the 2014 ECAC Team of Distinction Award for its impressive run.
Men’s Soccer
Winning numerous closely contested matches at the end of its season, the men’s soccer team advanced all the way to the third round of the NCAA Division III tournament. The team posted a 14-1-6 overall record.
The team saw the majority of its games decided by two goals or less, consistently battling down to the wire.
Highlights from the season include a 4-1 victory over Williams. The win avenged a 2013 loss to the Ephs that eliminated Amherst from the NCAA tournament.
Three Jeffs earned All-NESCAC recognition for their performances. Nico Pascual-Leone ’16 found his way onto the first team, while Gabriel Wirz ’15 and Thomas Bull ’16 earned second team honors. Pascual-Leone led the team in goals, assists and points and was named NESCAC player of the week on Sept. 22.
Six seniors see their careers come to a close, but the Jeffs will return to action in the fall looking to make it back to the later rounds of the NCAA tournament.
Women’s Soccer
The women’s soccer team posted a 12-5-1 record along with a 7-3 conference record this year.
The team earned a bid to the NCAA Division III tournament, downing New York University in the first round before falling in penalty kicks to Nazareth after a double overtime contest.
Maya Jackson-Gibson ’15 earned First Team All-NESCAC honors for her stalwart defensive play. Mel Stier ’15 and Holly Burwick ’16 were selected to the All-Conference second team.
Goalkeeper Burwick had another dominant season in net, posting a .882 saves percentage and seven shutouts on the year.
Hannah Guzzi ’18 also had an impressive first-year campaign, making a name for herself by leading the Jeffs with 10 goals on the season.
Rachael Abernethy ’16 followed up a breakout sophomore year with an impressive junior campaign. She scored seven goals and added two assists, contributing 16 points this season.
With the graduation of seven seniors, the Jeffs look to take advantage of this young leadership in the quest for another successful season in the fall.
Volleyball
The Amherst volleyball team continues to improve, posting a 21-7 record during its 2014 run. The team advanced to the NESCAC semi-finals after defeating Connecticut College in the first round of action.
The team went on a tear in October, winning seven consecutive matches, a streak highlighted by four NESCAC victories.
Maggie Danner ’17 picked up where she left off last year, contributing a team-high 307 kills this season and earning her second consecutive First Team All-NESCAC selection.
Katie Warshaw ’16 was nominated to the second team, amassing a team best 505 digs, a number that also placed her at second in the league. She also averaged a conference best 5.43 digs per set.
Marialexa Natsis ’18 wasted no time in her first year of college volleyball, being named NESCAC Co-Rookie of the Year. She led Amherst with 50 total blocks.
With just one senior graduating, the Jeffs return many experienced players and hope to make another postseason run in the fall.
