The post-season excitement continues for the Cardinals this weekend, as several of the university’s teams prepare for action. All of the teams head on the road, either with away playoff games or championships of New England or the NESCAC.
Men’s swimming is one of two squads heading to Maine, as the team prepares for the NESCAC Championships this Friday through Sunday. Prospects for the team are good, especially Ben Byers ’07 in distance freestyle events, but the whole team is excited for the opportunity.
“We are very excited for the upcoming NESCAC Championships,” said head coach Mary Bolich. “The team has had many outstanding meets and performances up to this point, and we look forward to swimming fast and swimming well individually and as a team.”
The women’s basketball squad also heads to Maine, as they match-up against the Bates Bobcats in the second round of the NESCAC Tournament. The Bobcats have eliminated the Cardinals in last year’s semi-final, so the team looks to even the score.
“We have played Wesleyan twice and they have defeated us twice,” said Bates head coach Jim Murphy. “The Wesleyan team plays skillfully, intelligently, aggressively, and unselfishly. They are one of the best defensive teams not only in NESCAC but in the country. We certainly have tremendous respect for the Wesleyan team and will have to play our best game of the season in order to have a chance at the end.”
In women’s ice hockey action, third seed Williams (12-4 NESCAC, 14-8 overall) will host the sixth-seeded Cardinals (6-9-1 NESCAC, 9-14-1 overall). Williams, ranked 7th nationally in the latest USCHO.com poll, has defeated the Cardinals in the first round of each of the past two post-season tournaments.
The indoor track team is excited about some individual’s chances at the New England Open Championships at Boston University. The distance runners are lead by Erin Smith ’06 and Ellen Davis ’07 in the 5000-meter run for the women, and the men’s distance medley relay hopes to break an indoor track university record. Jenna Flateman ’04 and Esther Schlegel ’04 represent the women in the sprints and hurdle events, and Pat Moffett ’04 will race in the men’s 55-meter hurdles. Both Flateman and Moffett have a legitimate shot at taking first in their respective races. In the field events, the Cardinals are represented by Mshangwe Crawford ’04 in the men’s triple jump, Kristy Williams ’06 in the women’s twenty-pound weight throw, and Jen Brown ’04 in the in the women’s pentathlon. The team is excited for the prospects of a continued success in the post-season.
“Overall, I feel that our student/athletes will perform well in this very competitive regional track meet,” said coach Walter Curry. “It’s an outstanding accomplishment to compete against the best track athletes from Division I, II, and III like our kids are doing this weekend. The track and field staff is very proud of them.”
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