The Amherst women’s golf team returns for a year of changes beginning with its new head coach, Elizabeth Davis. Davis comes to the Pioneer Valley with ample enthusiasm and prodigious playing experience. A 2015 graduate of the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor (UMHB), she helped lead the team to a 2013 NCAA Division III national team championship. Off the field, Davis finished at UMHB with a Master’s degree in Sports Administration.
After sending two runners to the NCAA Division III National Championship race last season, the Amherst women’s cross country team is looking to build on that success and grow stronger as a program for its 2016 season. The young squad graduated three members of the class of 2016 and welcomed seven first-years to the class of 2020.
It was tied 1-1 when double overtime ended, and while regular season games can end in a tie, this one could not. It was the second round of NCAA’s, and there had to be a winner. The game would be decided by penalty kicks, one of the tensest situations in soccer. And in the painfully close shoot-out, the Amherst women’s soccer team lost, ending their 2015 season.
With 20 returning athletes and a promising group of first-years, the Amherst men’s cross country team is looking forward to a very successful year. Under the guidance of head coach Ned Nedeau and assistant coach Luke Maher, the purple and white seek a third straight top-10 finish at nationals.
After its third place finish at the 2016 NESCAC championships, the Amherst men’s golf team returns to the course for the fall 2016 season with fresh talent looking to jumpstart a record-breaking year. In a pivotal move by the program, the men’s golf team will be doubling in size for its 2016-2017 season. Losing two members of the class of 2016, Patrick Arena and James Line, brought the squad down to six returning players, but they will be adding seven new first-years to round out the team at an impressive 13.
The Amherst field hockey team enters the 2016 season with 17 returning players after graduating five seniors, including second team All-American midfielder Annie Turnbull ’16. The purple and white finished the 2015 season 12-5 overall and 6-4 in the perennially competitive NESCAC. Under the leadership of tri-captains Katie Paolano ’16, Annika Nygren ’16 and Turnbull, the Amherst women advanced to the semifinal of the NESCAC tournament where they fell to ultimate NESCAC champion Bowdoin.
Amherst has long sported a proud football tradition dating back to the days of legendary head coach, Jim Ostendarp. Yet not even the famed “Darp” could match the feat achieved by last year’s purple and white, which became the first in the program’s history to put together back to back perfect seasons. As such, the purple and white enter this season riding high expectations and seeking an unheard-of third consecutive 8-0 season.
