Replicating the start of last season, the Amherst women’s cross country team took first place at the Smith Invitational on Saturday. In the 196-runner field, the Jeffs’ top seven finishers were all in the top-25, securing Amherst’s first place finish with 42 points. Rounding out the top three were Conn. College (84) and Wellesley (100).
The 2014 U.S. Open held some unbelievable competition for both the men and women. This year’s high-quality matches included a historic victory for Serena Williams, as she claimed her 18th Grand Slam title. Only three other women in the history of tennis have won more tennis major titles: Margaret Court (24), Steffi Graf (22) and Helen Wills Moody (19).
Success isn’t uncommon for Amherst athletics. The college has brought home 10 Div. III national championships over the past 15 years and countless number of NESCAC titles. Just last year, the men’s tennis team won both the conference and national championship, while the men’s basketball team returned to the Final Four for the second straight year. Despite all these accomplishments, many athletes, at some point in their collegiate careers, have grappled with the fact that they are competing in Div. III and not Div. I.
The Amherst men’s soccer team went to overtime in both of the squad’s first two matches of the 2014 season. On Tuesday, Sept. 2, in the season opener on the road against the New England College Pilgrims, the Jeffs prevailed in a 2-1 overtime grind. This past Sunday, the Jeffs tied the Middlebury Panthers, 1-1, to kick off NESCAC conference play, bringing Amherst’s record to 1-0-1 (0-0-1 in NESCAC play) to start off the season.
A goal resulting from a Jessy Hale free kick lifted the Amherst College women’s soccer team to a 1-0 upset victory over the third-ranked Panthers of Middlebury College (1-1) in Sunday’s season opener.
The Amherst field hockey team opened its season on Wednesday, Sept. 3 with a decisive 7-0 victory over Connecticut College. Several Jeffs tallied points to lift 10th-ranked Amherst over the unranked Camels.
For the second-straight year, Amherst’s volleyball kicked off its season at the Springfield Invitational and claimed second place in the tournament.
The Firedogs opened the tournament with a game against host Springfield College on Friday night. In a hard-fought, five-set battle, the Pride prevailed 24-26, 27-25, 26-28, 25-18, 15-11.
