Another champion disgraced.
Doesnʼt that phrase sound familiar? The 2004 New England Patriots come to mind first: outside of New England, popular opinion holds this team as a bunch of worthless cheaters after “Spygate” came to light.
Then, thereʼs Reggie Bush, who had to forfeit his 2005 Heisman Trophy because he received benefits from USC that were “improper” by the NCAAʼs definition.
In 2011, the Jeffs overcame a slow start and made their mark in NESCAC play, going 18-3 after returning from their Florida trip. Capturing the Little Three title and earning the top spot in the conference tournament, the Amherst team posted its highest overall win total since 1999. Still, postseason success proved elusive; two tough losses to Bowdoin quickly knocked the Jeffs out of contention for the NESCAC crown, and they did not receive a selection to compete in the Div. III National Championships.
The 18th-ranked Lady Jeffs traveled to Harvard Univ. this past weekend, competing in the C Division of Nationals and hoping to capture the Walker Cup. Seeded second in their division, the Jeffs opened up play against Tufts Univ. on Friday, cruising to a 9-0 win. Not dropping a single game against the Jumbos, the women advanced to the semifinals of the competition, meeting third-seeded George Washington Univ. and losing a heartbreaker to the 19th-ranked (overall) Colonials.
After dropping into the consolation bracket of the CSA National Team Championships, the men’s squash team won its final two games of the season to capture the Summers’ Cup (C-Division) consolation prize.
In the opening match of the Jeffs’ tournament, Amherst fell to No. 23-ranked Colby Mules by a score of 2-7. At the Pioneer Valley Invitational earlier in the season (Jan. 22), the Jeffs had squeaked past the Mules, 5-4.
Feb. 3, 2008. As America watched, the New York Giants accomplished the unthinkable. Making the vaunted Patriots offense — the same offense that had put together the best season in NFL history — look decidedly average, the Giants defense gave Eli Manning, then regarded as overrated, a chance late in the fourth quarter. The rest is history. The biggest pro sports upset in recent memory left quite a psychological mark on a — dare I admit it? — entitled Boston fan base fresh off three championships in four years.
While an 8-1 loss to No. 12 Middlebury evoked shades of a similarly feeble performance earlier in the season, the men’s squash team managed to put together a solid weekend of play, finishing 3-1 and earning fifth place at the NESCAC Championships.
Despite losing its first four January matches, the men’s squash team managed to win its final four in impressive fashion.
The Jeffs began interterm action by dropping back-to-back contests to second-ranked Yale and 19th-ranked Bates, and their slide continued the following week against two more tough opponents, No. 14 Middlebury and No. 13 Brown.
