Author: Nicholas Keating

The men’s and women’s tennis teams both wrapped up their fall seasons in the past two weeks, bringing an end to both squads’ successful campaigns. The teams began to dominate as the season moved forward, with the women’s team ranked No. 1 in Division III at the conclusion of the fall, and the men finishing at Nov. 6.

The men ended their season by hosting the first-ever Wesleyan Invitational, as they took on No. 3 Middlebury, No. 5 Amherst, No. 7 Bowdoin, No. 8 Brandeis University, No. 17 Tufts, and No. 34 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute over a two-day span. Princeton Carter ’20 and Noah Lilienthal ’22 had an impressive weekend, playing some of their best matches together of the fall. They ended as the runner-up in the tournament’s doubles bracket, something their coach Mike Fried was very happy with.

“It was great to see Noah and Prince finish the fall with another solid doubles result,” Fried told Wesleyan Athletics. “It is always tough to lose in the finals, but that does not take away from their strong run.”

Zach Lieb ’22 and Zach Fleischman ’21 also had an exciting weekend, opening competition with a victory over Middlebury tandem Adam Guo and Aleks Samets. In the second round, the duo held their own against one of the top doubles teams in the region, Brandeis’ David Aizenberg and Anupreeth Coramulta, but the Judges were ultimately able to edge out the Wesleyan pair.

The women’s team finished its season with an impressive performance at the ITA Cup in Rome, Ga. This was the third-straight year that the women’s tennis team has qualified for the ITA Cup, as all of its players earned a spot by finishing as finalists in the ITA Regional Championship.

The Cardinals shined on the national stage, with all six women competitors earning All-American honors. The New England Regional Champion duo Sophie Henderson ’22 and Kristina Yu ’22 finished runner-up in the doubles competition, eventually falling to Claremont Mudd Scripps in the title match. The other Wesleyan tandem, Caitlyn Ferrante ’23 and Venia Yeung ’22, advanced all the way to the semifinal match, but lost to the same CMS team as Henderson and Yu.

In the singles bracket, Serim Jin ’23 had an impressive run, advancing to the semifinals before a tough defeat to CMS’ All-American senior Catherine Allen. Katie Fleischman ’23 took down No. 1-seeded Danna Taylor of Carnegie Mellon in a three-set opening round battle, but eventually fell in the semifinals to conclude an impressive fall for the Red and Black.

“What got me through the match was my teammates,” Fleischman told The Argus. “After splitting sets, my teammates were there supporting and cheering me on throughout the whole third set. Their energy radiated off on to me, and It helped me to stay focused and energized throughout the match.”

Fried, too, seemed more than satisfied with the team’s performance.

“It was awesome to have so many of our players not only qualify for the ITA Cup, but to play on the national stage,” he said. “Heading into the spring with six All-Americans and several others competing at this level is very exciting. I am proud of how we competed this fall and look forward to seeing where we are next spring.”

Both teams have now finished their fall seasons and look to improve upon their already successful formulas as they enter the winter. The men’s team is idle until March, when they head to Florida to face several nationally ranked squads during the team’s annual spring break trip. The defending National Champion women’s team will return to action in March, when they begin their dual-match schedule and title defense.

Nick Keating can be reached at nkeating@wesleyan.edu.

As we approach the second half of the semester, the men’s and women’s tennis teams are nearing the end of their fall season. But with two recent tournaments, the teams remain hot on the court even as the autumn air gets more frigid.

The men’s team concluded the month of September in Maine at the 2019 ITA Regional Championships, hosted by Colby. The tournament was chock-full of Red and Black victories, highlighted by a pair of singles semifinal appearances from Zach Fleischman ’21 and Noah Lilienthal ’22. 

Lilienthal, the Division III Rookie of the Year last season, has continued to play at a high level this fall. But it was Fleishman’s impressive performance, along with that of teammate Zach Lieb ’22, that was particularly encouraging.

“Fleischman and Lieb both had breakthrough tournament appearances, and their ability to join Lilienthal and compete among the best in the nation, is a huge boost of confidence for our team,” head coach Mike Fried told Wesleyan Athletics.

After several impressive performances at the MIT Invitational and complete domination at the ITA Regional Championships, the No.1 ranked women’s team headed to the three-day New England Women’s Intercollegiate Tennis Tournament (NEWITT) this past weekend.

The NEWITT, hosted by Smith College and Mount Holyoke College, is the oldest continuously run collegiate tennis tournament in the country. It features a unique format that challenges teams’ conventional strategies. The tournament has schools submit teams of two that compete first as a doubles team, and then split and each play a singles match against one of their doubles opponents. The duo that wins two of the three matches then advances to the next round.

The competition was stiff, featuring several nationally-ranked squads including No. 4 Middlebury, No. 6 Amherst, No. 9 MIT, No. 10 Brandeis, and No. 12 Tufts. The Cardinals had multiple impressive performances over the span of the weekend. Alexis Almy ’22 and Caitlyn Ferrante ’23, the No. 1 seeds of the A-flight of the tournament, impressed throughout the competition, handily defeating their first four opponents to advance to the tournament finals against an Amherst duo. Almy and Ferrante started off with an 8-4 victory in doubles but lost both singles matches in straight sets, coming up short of a title.

In the B flight, fourth-seeded first-years Sasha Gaeth and Caitlin Goldberg also battled their way to a finals appearance, taking on Amherst’s Calista Sha and Maddie Dewire. Gaeth and Goldberg fought ferociously but ultimately came up just short of a finals victory.

Despite the unique challenges the tournament creates, Fried was still satisfied with Wesleyan’s mental strength.

“[The team] did a good job focusing on the things we can control, which is a daily goal of ours,” Fried said.

After two finals appearances in the NEWITT, the team is looking up to continue their dominant play this fall.

“This gives us some nice momentum heading into the ITA Cup and I am excited to see where we go from here,” Fried said of the performance. 

The men’s team is back in action on Oct. 18 when they host the Wesleyan Invitational here in Middletown. The six women who qualified for the ITA Cup last month will fly from the nest to compete in Rome, Georgia for competition beginning on Oct. 17. First-years Serim Jin and Katie Fleischman will compete in the singles competition. Two duos—Ferrante with Venia Yeung ’22, and Sophia Henderson ’22 with Kristina Yu ’22—will play in the doubles competition. Both the Wesleyan Invitational and the ITA Cup will conclude the Red and Black’s fall season until they resume play in the spring.

Nick Keating can be reached at nkeating@wesleyan.edu.

The No. 1 Wesleyan Women’s Tennis Team, fresh off a Division III National Title, is back in action for the fall season. The Cardinals began their 2019–20 run just a couple of weeks ago as the team traveled to Cambridge to attend the MIT Invitational: an individual tournament alongside No. 6 Amherst, No. 9 MIT, and No. 12 Tufts.

Five first-year players made their debut in the tournament, and all five celebrated the first wins of their Wesleyan career. The Cards’ success started right on day one as multiple impressive performances propelled them to victory.

Caitlyn Ferrante ’23 put on an impressive showing, winning the tournament’s singles title. Ferrante came out of the gate on fire, winning her first two college matches with a 6–3, 6–2 victory over Seraphim Castelino of MIT and a 6–7, 6–4, 10–4 win against Maggie Owensby of Amherst.

Alexis Almy ’22, a key contributor to the Cardinals’ NCAA title last year, didn’t miss a beat, defeating All-American Camile Smukler of Amherst 6–4, 7–5 in her first match. In her second round, she fought back from down a set to beat Sara Fernandez of MIT 2–6, 6–1, 10–3.

Katie Fleischman ’23 was victorious over Anya Ramras of Amherst 6–1, 6–2 to record her first win with Wesleyan. In the opening round of the consolation bracket, Sasha Geath ’23 topped All-American Libby Rickeman of MIT 6–3, 6–3 and Serim Jin ’23 handily defeated Anna Lowy of Tufts 6–1, 6–1.

Also in the singles consolation bracket, sophomores Megan Tran and Kristina Yu both recorded dominant wins, as Tran dropped only one game and Yu cruised to a 6–0, 6–0 win.

On the doubles court, Yu and Ferrante recorded Wesleyan’s only win. The duo jumped out to a big start and had no trouble against MIT for an 8–0 win to advance to the quarterfinals.

Day two brought even more successes to the Cardinal team. Ferrante again set the bar high for the Cardinals with a big win over Jackie Bukzin of Amherst, as the first year topped the 2019 ITA Northeast Rookie of the Year 6–2, 7–6 to advance to the semifinals. In the semifinals, she took on first-year student Madeline Suk of Tufts, advancing to the finals with a 6–4, 6–1 win after a tight first set.

Almy began the day with a 7–6, 6–2 win over Sarah Pertsemlidis of MIT. In the semifinals, Almy took on Tufts’ Tilly Rigby. Despite a tough battle with several comeback pushes, she ultimately fell 6–3, 7–5, 6–4. In the consolation bracket, Yu fell to Amherst’s Smukler in three sets, while both Sasha Gaeth ’23 and Jin each won three set battles. Their resulting victories led them to the semifinals, where they were pinned against one another. In the matchup with birds of the same feather, Jin came out on top to advance to the consolation final. On the doubles side, Ferrante and Yu dominated Tufts 8–0, but their run was cut short in the semifinals as the tandem fell 8–3 to Amherst.

The Cardinals brought home some hardware on the third and final day of the tournament. In the singles main draw final, Ferrante bested Tufts’ Rigby, capping off her spectacular weekend with a 7–6(4), 6–4 victory to win the tournament. It was the second straight year a Wesleyan rookie took home the title—Yu took the crown last year. Jin took the consolation final over Amherst’s All-American Smukler 6–4, 1–6, 6–3, while Almy and Gaeth took the doubles consolation final with an 8–6 win over teammates Henderson and Tran.

After a weekend off from competition, the Cardinals traveled to Middlebury this past weekend for the ITA New England Championships, where the top players in the region competed for a spot in the ITA Oracle Cup the following week in Georgia. Wesleyan utterly dominated the affair: all six tournament finalists were Cardinals.

On the first day of competition, the Cardinals went 10–0 in singles play as all five players won their first and second-round matches. In the singles semifinals, Fleischman topped MIT’s Sarah Pertsemlidis 7–5, 7–6(4) in two tight sets, while Jin cruised to a 6–2, 6–2 victory over Amherst’s Camille Smukler to set up the all-Wesleyan finals. The championship match saw Jin top Fleischman 6–4, 6–0 to win the crown.

On the doubles court, Yeung and Caitlyn Ferrante cruised to an 8–2 victory over Bates, before topping Bowdoin 8–3 to advance to the semifinals. Meanwhile, Yu and Henderson battled two tight matches to also advance to the semifinals, both coming down to the tiebreak. In the first match, the duo won 8–7(5), before advancing the semifinals with an 8–7(4) victory. In the semifinals, Henderson and Yu advanced with an 8–6 win, while Yeung and Ferrante won 8–5 to solidify the all-Wesleyan final. In the title match, Yu and Henderson picked up the first set with a 6–4 victory, before Yeung and Ferrante won the second 6–3 to force a super tiebreak. The super tiebreak was hard-fought but eventually saw Yu and Henderson prevail with a 10–8 victory. Ultimately, six Cardinals qualified for the ITA cup in an extremely successful weekend for the team.

The Cardinals will return to action on Oct. 11 when they compete in the NEWITT Tournament hosted by Smith and Mount Holyoke. The ITA cup comes later that week, from Oct. 17 to 19.

Nick Keating can be reached at nkeating@wesleyan.edu.

The men’s tennis team is back this fall with a vengeance. After a tough defeat in the NCAA quarterfinals last spring to Middlebury, the Cardinals are ready to start anew in pursuit of a collegiate title.  

Last season’s quarterfinals defeat at the paws of the Panthers was not an easy one to swallow. After posting a 14–3 regular season record, Wesleyan was bested by Middlebury in the NESCAC semifinals. The Cards quickly recovered, though, handily defeating John Carroll University and Kenyon College in early NCAA matchups, marching towards the NCAA title. 

Despite some strong individual performances in the NCAA tournament, the Cardinals once again fell to Midd in a close quarterfinals matchup. Wesleyan earned the first victory of the day when Princeton Carter ’20 and Jonathan Holtzman ’20 picked up an 8–2 victory over Middlebury’s Noah Farrell and Alex Vanezis at second doubles. Wesleyan even increased its lead to 2–0 in the top-slot as Noah Lilienthal ’22 and Adrian Roji ’21 topped Panther duo Lubomir Cuba and Peter Martin. The momentum for the Cardinals was short lived, though, as Middlebury took over the match and won the remaining five faceoffs. The win advanced the Vermont team to the semifinals, where it eventually lost to Emory University, the 2019 NCAA Champion.

Despite all their success last year, the Cardinals are hungry for more in the 2019-20 season. No seniors graduated with the class of 2019, so the team will be returning its core talent from last season’s quarterfinal run. As Holtzman does not return for a final season, Carter will be the lone senior atop the roster, looking to lead the team both on the court and off. Andrew Finkelman ’21 and Lilienthal will look to dominate the year’s matchups once again. Zach Fleischman ’21, Ali Mooraj ’21, and Marcus Sweeney ’21, along with Roji and Finkelman, complete a junior class bursting with ambition and looking to make some key contributions this season. The sophomores this year—Peter Anker, Max Lee, Zach Lieb, and Lilienthal—will also bring some significant experience with them from last season’s postseason matches.The team has also added two first-years, Clay Gaieski and Brian Lee.

The men began their fall season this past weekend at Quinnipiac University, competing against the hosts as well as Fairfield University, Fordham University, Marist College, and the University of Connecticut. 

After a three-day tournament, Carter and Lilienthal finished as doubles champions in the A flight. Each member of the pair also made strides in the A singles competition: Carter dominating players from UCONN, Fairfield, Marist, and Quinnipiac, respectfully, before losing at the hands of a third Marist competitor in the finals. Lilienthal followed one step behind, dominating Fairfield and Fordham on Day 2 before a tough Day 3 loss to Marist.

In the B flight, Fleischman and Anker defeated Fairfield in the quarterfinals, while a fresh doubles team of Lieb and Gaieski fell to Quinnipiac. Anker and Lee continued their first days in the A flight singles draw, where they joined Carter in victory, each win highlighted by a super-tiebreaker.

Gaieski joined Lee in the B singles draw, where he once again fell, this time to Marist. Lee fared better in the singles flight, taking his first college victory against Quinnipiac in a super-tiebreaker. 

The men’s tennis team should be primed for a successful season. It is remarkable that the Cardinals did not graduate a single senior last season, allowing them to gain valuable experience that can be translated into success for this upcoming year. Head coach Mike Fried is returning for his eighth season.

“The level of tennis was very high for our first tournament of the year, and I thought we competed well across the board,” Fried said to Wesleyan Athletics.

Women’s tennis, which Fried also coaches, is coming off a historic season, winning a NESCAC title, as well as a national championship. Fried is likely looking for his men’s team to put together a similar performance, and having a coach prepared for the challenges of the postseason will certainly be a valuable asset. After last season, they have the experience necessary to do something great. It is now up to the team to go out and bring that title back to Middletown. 

The Cardinals will continue their season on Friday, Sept. 27, when they head to Colby College for the ITA New England Regional Championships.

Nicholas Keating can be reached at nkeating@wesleyan.edu.

Last season, Wesleyan women’s tennis took home the NCAA Division III National Title, the team’s first-ever national championship. Along the way, the Red and Black reached more than a few milestones, including winning the Little Three, taking home its first ever NESCAC Championship, and recording 20 wins—the most in team history.

The team shined because of the stars who carried it to the title. Venia Yeung ’22 made an incredible run to the NCAA singles final, earning All-NESCAC first team and All-American honors along the way to a 13-3 singles record. Sisters Victoria Yu ’19 and Kristina Yu ’22 advanced to the NCAA doubles quarterfinals, both also earning All-American and All-NESCAC first team honors while posting a 35-9 overall record.

It may not be a surprise to learn that the team has their eyes on another National Championship.

However, the task will not be an easy one. Every team in the nation has their eyes on Wesleyan, hoping to dethrone the Cardinals from their lofty position on the leaderboard.

Head coach Mike Fried emphasized that, although the Cardinals are perched on top at the moment, there are plenty of competitors with the necessary firepower to knock them down a peg.

“There are at least 10 teams that are also playing on a National Championship level,” noted Fried.

No matter what, the Red and Black are prepared for any challenge. A few key returners are ready to make a significant impact once again this season.

Sophomore Alexis Almy, who made an immediate contribution last year, pulled off a come-from-behind victory in both of her singles sets in last year’s semifinals to clinch the match and send the team to the national championship. Polina Kiseleva ’21 also played a pivotal role in the Cards’ success last year, mashing opponents on the way to a 15-1 record. The national championship match came down to the wire, but Kiseleva performed wonderfully, winning the third and final set of her match to bring the trophy home for the team.

Sophomore Megan Tran and juniors Daniela Alvarez and Alissa Nakamoto will round out the roster for the team, looking to contribute to another historic run for the Red and Black.

Saying that last year’s team was young is an understatement—nearly the entire team was comprised entirely of first years and sophomores. Aside from the elder Yu sister, the team will return every member of its National Championship team. Adding to this wealth of athletic ability, is none other than the number-one–ranked DIII recruiting class in the nation. The team added the No. 77 ranked Serim Jin, No. 83 ranked Caitlyn Ferrante, No. 88 Katie Fleischman, No. 125 Sasha Gaeth, and No. 172 Caitlin Goldberg. In addition, the team also welcomes Sophie Henderson, a sophomore transfer from DI Georgetown University. It’s simply an astoundingly deep team, and one that Fried, entering his eighth season as head coach, has high hopes for.

“[The team is] well positioned to make another title run this spring,” said Fried.

It will all come down the team’s preparation and hard work, which must continue into the next year if the Cardinals seek a repeat on the big stage. This fall season, although not nearly as long as the spring season, will be an important part of determining the team’s standing among its competitors.

Last year, the Cardinals saw some success early, springing forward with a championship mindset following the Yu sisters’ victory at the ITA New England Doubles Tournament in the fall. If the team plays to its potential, don’t be surprised to see some new trophies brought home this year.

The Cardinals begin the fall portion of their schedule at the MIT Invitational on the weekend of September 13. The team will then compete in the ITA Regional Championships, Sept. 27 to 29, before finishing the 2019 season at the NEWITT Tournament.

Nick Keating can be reached at nkeating@wesleyan.edu.

Men’s swimming competed in the NESCAC Championships this past weekend, finishing the four-day meet in 11th place of the 11 teams. The Red and Black traveled to chilly Middlebury for the event. Williams took the top honor, its 17th NESCAC title, with 1,822 points, while Tufts was close behind with 1,775.5 points. Amherst rounded out the top three with 1,506 points.

Many Cardinals set personal bests in the meet. On the first day, one Wesleyan relay team (Jeffrey Haegelin ’22, Jared Christopher ’22, Max Wimer ’19, and Nicolas Moran ’21) touched the wall in 7:19.90 which was good for 11th place overall. The other team, composed of Andrew Schwartz ’20, Garrett Kaufmann ’21, Julian DeMann ’22, and Evan Sullivan ’21, clocked in at 7:35.70. Williams won the lone event of the day, the 800-yard freestyle relay, clocking in at 6:34.03. The time was a NESCAC, meet, and pool record, as well as an NCAA B-cut consideration time.

On the second day of competition, six Cardinals set personal bests. Sophomore Nicolas Moran made it into the pre-consolation final in the evening session, finishing the race in just 23.94. The 200-yard freestyle relay (Eren Kiris ’19, Wimer, Kaufmann, and Schwartz) clocked in at 1:30.88, earning another 11th-place finish.

Junior Alan Huh recorded a personal best in the 50-yard breaststroke with a time of 29.65. In the 50-yard butterfly, Haegelin touched the wall in 25.26, placing 32nd in the preliminary round. Haegelin also recorded a personal best time in the 200-yard butterfly, finishing in 1:59.39. Schwartz clocked in at 26.85 in the 50-yard butterfly, recording a personal best mark. Christopher finished in 5:01.46 in the 500-yard free, earning 39th place.

DeMann and sophomore Joel Groves tied their personal best time in the 50-yard free, clocking in at 24.80 and 25.62, respectively. Groves recorded 197.10 points off the 1-meter board. During the 100-yard butterfly time trial, Sullivan recorded a personal best time, touching the wall in 58.32. The 400-yard medley relay composed of Kiris, Huh, Moran, and Haegelin clocked in at 3:49.28, which was good for 11th place.

The third day of action saw many Cardinals battle for positions on the leaderboard. Christopher came in 20th place in the 1000-yard freestyle, recording a personal best time of 10:02.89. This time was nearly 10 seconds faster than his previous personal record. The 200-yard medley relay team composed of Kaufmann, Huh, Moran, and Kiris raced to an 11th place finish, touching the wall in 1:39.17. Haegelin recorded a personal best time in the 100-yard butterfly, clocking in at 52.84. Kiris also recorded a personal best time in the 100-yard backstroke, clocking in at 57.52.

Personal records continued to shatter on the final day of competition, with a few outstanding performances across the board (and pool). In the 200-yard butterfly, Haegelin broke the two-minute mark, clocking in at 1:57.65. The time was a personal best for Haegelin. Groves and Charlie Vogel ’21 dove to personal best scores off the 3-meter board, with marks of 184.65 points and 159.85 points, respectively. Christopher recorded a personal best time in the 1,650-yard freestyle, clocking in at 17:18.10. Personal best times came from Kaufmann (49.87), Kiris (51.15), DeMann (51.87), and Isaac Thorman ’21 (52.78) in the 100-yard freestyle. Huh and Sullivan recorded personal records in the 200-yard breaststroke, finishing in 2:16.53 and 2:23.83, respectively.

The Sunday evening events ended the team’s 2018-2019 season, closing out an overall disappointing effort since November. The men’s team has recorded no victories this season, both against competitive NESCAC teams or in matchups outside the conference. The NESCAC Championship concludes the Red and Black competition, with no members of the team advancing to the NCAA Championship next month.

Nicholas Keating can be reached at nkeating@wesleyan.edu.

This past weekend, Wesleyan hosted the women’s NESCAC Swimming and Diving Championship. After a tough meet at the start of February with losses to Conn. College, United States Coast Guard Academy, and Fairfield University, the women’s team recovered in time for a strong finish to the season.

The team came in sixth place in the 2019 championship with 899 points, earning its best finish at the conference meet in school history. Williams took home the crown for the sixth-straight year (1,873 points), Tufts earned runner-up (1,439.5 points), while Amherst finished third (1,322 points).

On the first day of competition, the Cardinals were already breaking records. The first relay team for Wesleyan, composed of Hannah O’Halloran ’20, Caroline Murphy ’20, Mengmeng Gibbs ’22, and Sophia Antonio ’19, set a new varsity record for Wesleyan and established an NCAA B-cut consideration time, clocking in at 7:36.64, good enough for sixth place.

On the second day of competition, even more of the Red and Black excelled. Defending NESCAC Champion and 2018 All-American Murphy won the 50-yard backstroke with a time of 25.37, setting a NESCAC meet record, as well as a new conference record. This was Murphy’s third-straight NESCAC crown in the 50-yard back event. In the 50-yard breast championship final, Gibbs garnered All-NESCAC honors when she placed third with a time of 29.52. The 400-yard medley relay (Murphy, Gibbs, Grace Middleton ’20 and O’Halloran) earned All-NESCAC laurels with a runner-up finish, clocking in at 3:48.07. Devon Cooper ’19 advanced to the championship final in the 1-meter diving, placing eighth overall with 344.80 points.

The third day of the championships saw Murphy earn her second NESCAC crown of the weekend, coming in first place in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 54.99, one full second faster than her winning time from 2017-18. This was Murphy’s second-straight NESCAC title in the event. Wesleyan’s 200-yard medley relay team (Murphy, Gibbs, Maela Whitcomb ’19, and O’Halloran) earned runner-up honors with a time of 1:43.86, less than one second behind Williams. First year Rachel Townsend placed tenth in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:07.17.

The Cardinals did not slow down on the final day of competition. The 400-yard freestyle relay (Murphy, O’Halloran, Antonio, and Middleton) came in third place, clocking in at 3:27.07 to earn an NCAA B-Cut time, as well as All-NESCAC laurels. O’Halloran finished fourth in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:02.99. At the conclusion of the four-day competition, head coach Peter Solomon was honored as the 2019 Women’s Swimming & Diving NESCAC Co-Coach of the Year.

The men’s team has not yet competed in the NESCAC Championships, concluding the regular season on February 1 with losses to Coast Guard, Conn. College, and Fairfield, totaling 147 points in the meet. Prior to the meet, head coach Peter Solomon honored the team’s three seniors—Eren Kiris, Phon Leeswadtrakul, and Max Wimer. In the meet, a few Cardinals had notable performances. First year Jeffrey Haegelin came in sixth place in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:00.24 and earned sixth in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 54.47. Off the 3-meter board, Joel Groves ’21 came in fifth with 95.85 points, while Charlie Vogel ’21 earned sixth with 71.90 points. Groves came in fourth off the 1-meter board with 117.20 points, while Vogel earned fifth with 95.75 points. The men’s team returns to action on Friday, Feb. 21 for the NESCAC Championship meet hosted by Middlebury College.

Nicholas Keating can be reached at nkeating@wesleyan.edu.

We are now past the halfway point in both the men’s and women’s swim and dive seasons, and the competition is really starting to heat up. Over the break, the men’s team struggled with numerous losses, while the women’s team gained momentum, winning four consecutive meets before a tough loss to a league rival.

In the first meet of 2019, the men were ousted by NESCAC competitor Hamilton 158-113. The Cardinals were led by diver Brandon Pearson ’19 and swimmer Nicolas Moran ’21, who both posted a pair of first-place finishes in their respective events. Moran picked up a pair of first-place finishes in the 25-yard fly (11.31) and the 50-yard fly (25.07), while clocking in at 24.17 in the 50-yard free, which was earned third place. Wesleyan swept the 1-meter and 3-meter events off the diving boards, with Pearson earning first off the 1-meter with a mark of 248.63, followed by Joel Groves ’21 with a mark of 117.75. Pearson (230.76) and Groves (132.38) finished first and second, respectively, off the 3-meter board. Senior Eren Kiris earned his first collegiate win, coming in first in the 50-yard back with a time of 27.12.

After a week-long training trip in Florida, the men hit the water once again in a tri-meet against Roger Williams University and Springfield College, losing by scores of 227-57 and 218-71, respectively. In the meet, newcomer Jared Christopher ’22 snagged second in the 1,000-yard freestyle, clocking in at 10:19.77, while placing fourth in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5:04.65. Christopher also earned a fifth-place finish in the 200-yard IM with a time of 2:15.21. Fellow first-year Jeff Haegelin earned third place honors in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:05.11, while also placing third in the 100-yard butterfly (55.59).

The next two meets for the team were losses to Colby (163-107) and Bowdoin (230-63). Against the Mules, Wesleyan’s Christopher, Max Wimer ’19, and Andrew Schwartz ’20 earned first-, second-, and third-place finishes, respectively, in the 500-yard freestyle. Christopher also earned first-place honors in the 100-yard IM with a time of 1:00.79. Off the 1-meter board, diver Charlie Vogel ’21 came in first place with a mark of 106.45, while Groves earned second place with a mark of 94.30. Off the 3-meter board, Groves earned a second-place finish with a mark of 141.60, while Vogel came in fourth with a mark of 85.70. The three 200-yard freestyle relay teams earned first, second and third place.

The team had a tougher time scraping together points against the icy Bowdoin Polar Bears. The 400-yard freestyle relay team (Moran, Haegelin, Wimer and Phon Leewadtrakul ’19) came in second place, clocking in at 3:26.26. Second-place finishes included Christopher in the 1000-yard free (10:13.29), Schwartz in the 100-yard free (52.45), and Haegelin in the 500-yard free (5:10.79).

Fortunately, the women’s team had a handful of impressive performances over winter break.  The Cardinals started off the new year right with a 183-94 victory over rival Hamilton. Caroline Murphy ’20 and Mengmeng Gibbs ’22 once again led the team, proving victorious in all four of their events. Gibbs placed first in the 25-yard breast (14.25), 50-yard breast (31.90), and the 100-yard IM (1:02.37). Murphy was victorious in both of her individual races, posting times of 11.54 in the 25-yard free and 27.66 in the 50-yard back. First-year Rachel Townsend earned her first collegiate win, taking the top slot in the 25-yard fly with a time of 12.80. Townsend also came in second in the 50-yard breast (33.02) and third in the 50-yard fly (27.86). Hannah O’Halloran ’20 earned the top spot in the 200-yard free with a time of 2:01.55, while placing third in the 25-yard back (13.95) and the 50-yard back (29.35). Devon Cooper ’19 placed first off the 1-meter board with a mark of 221.92.

The following week-long training trip to Florida only seemed to help the team improve, as they swept their first meet back, defeating both Roger Williams (188-95) and Springfield (150-138). In the 1000-yard freestyle, Maela Whitcomb ’19 came in first place with a time of 11:14.60, five seconds ahead of the second-place finisher. Whitcomb also came in second in the 200-yard IM (2:16.01) and third in the 200-yard backstroke (2:14.44). Julia Dietz ’19 clocked in at 1:02.47 in the 100-yard backstroke, which was good for third place. O’Halloran earned first place honors in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:00.16 and also claimed the top spot in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5:25.20. The 200-yard freestyle relay team (Murphy, O’Halloran, Sophia Antonio ’19, and Grace Middleton ’20) came in first place with a time of 1:39.36.

The next weekend was an important one for the Cardinals and they handled the pressure well. In a 157-143 victory against Colby, the team recorded ten first-place finishes. Murphy earned first in the 50-yard backstroke with a time of 27.69, while Dietz came in second (28.93). Townsend earned first-place honors in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:11.37. The 400-yard medley relay team composed of Murphy, Gibbs, Whitcomb, and Middleton took first place with a time of 4:03.60. Off the 1-meter board, Cooper snagged the top spot with a mark of 198.20. Erin Angell ’19 came in third with a mark of 177.65, while first-year Talia Lanckton finished fourth (162.70). Wesleyan’s stellar performance was enough to thrust the team into legitimate NESCAC contention.

The next challenger, Bowdoin, ousted the Cardinals 178-117 in a tough match. Murphy won the 100-yard back (58.85) and the 100-yard free (54.99), while Gibbs claimed the 100-yard breast (1:09.04) and 200-yard back (2:29.41). Middleton earned first place for the Cardinals in the 50-yard free with a time of 25.35, with runner-up finishes from Kylie Han ’19 in the 100-yard breast (1:10.21), Middleton in the 100-yard free (55.09), and O’Halloran in the 200-yard back (2:09.58). Despite the loss, if the Cardinals can keep producing victories, they will be a concern for the rest of the NESCAC in the coming months.

Both the men’s and women’s teams return to action when they host the Coast Guard Academy, Connecticut College, and Fairfield University on Friday, Feb. 1 at 6:30 p.m.

Nick Keating can be reached at nkeating@wesleyan.edu.

This past weekend, both the men’s and women’s swim and dive teams competed in the Connecticut Cup here at Wesleyan. Across the board, many Cardinals put up brilliant performances, good enough for a third place finish for both squads.

For the women, Talia Lanckton ’22, Erin Angell ’19 and Sarah Goldman ’21 swept first, second and third, respectively, in both the one-meter and three-meter diving events. In the 1-meter, Lanckton recorded a mark of 186.10, with Angell close behind at 177.75 and Goldman at 154.15.

Mengmeng Gibbs ’22 had two individual first-place finishes, finishing the 100-yard breast with a time of 1:08.87 and the 50-yard breast in 31.58. All-American Caroline Murphy ’20 was the top-swimmer in the 500-yard back, clocking in at 28.32.

Hannah O’Halloran ’20 placed first in the 100-yard back with a time of 59.95, before placing second in the back (2:11.97). Rachel Townsend ’22 joined Murphy, O’Halloran and Gibbs on the 400-yard medley relay team which cruised to a first place finish with a time of 4:03.53.

On the men’s side, many Cardinals made a splash on the leaderboards. Nick Moran ’21 finished third in the 50-yard fly with a time of 24.39 and came in eighth in the 100-yard free with a time of 55.27.

Joel Groves ’21 placed fourth off the one-meter with a mark of 125.70, and fifth off the three-meter with a mark of 130.40. Brandon Pearson ’19 continued his dominance, achieving a pair of first-place finishes in both the one-meter and three-meter diving events. Off the one-meter board, Pearson recorded a mark of 222.20, while he had a mark of 222.30 off the three-meter board.

Pearson was on the fence about joining the team at the beginning of the school year, but he couldn’t stay away for long.

“While lifeguarding during [the team’s] captains’ practices, I realized how much I missed it and so the week before the season started I talked with the coaches and got back on the team, and have been loving it ever since,” Pearson said.

And what’s not to love about crushing the competition? In the team’s opening meet against Trinity and Bates, Pearson placed first in two events, registering a mark of 224.55 off the one-meter board and a mark of 204.80 off the three-meter board. He also won the one-meter dive with a mark of 199.87 in a loss to Amherst. But his success has not been without adversity.

“Because of some injuries and an extended period away from the sport, I haven’t been up to my full potential,” Pearson said of his recent performances. “I know we have some tough meets coming up and so I am more focusing on getting back to where I need to be so I can continue being the best athlete I know I can be.”

When asked about his goals for the season, Pearson was quite clear.

“I would like to make it to the NCAA Tournament again,” he said. “I went my freshman and sophomore seasons, and my sophomore year I actually placed 14th, so I would like to see how far I can take this season. I ended last year on a really rough note and I would like more than anything to end my diving career with something I can be proud of.”

Pearson, along with his fellow Cardinals, will get a chance to take down NESCAC rivals this weekend when both the men’s and women’s teams will host Tufts and Williams, as well as Worcester Polytechnic Institute, on Saturday, Dec. 8 at 1:00 p.m.

Nick Keating can be reached at nkeating@wesleyan.edu.

Women’s basketball is back with a vengeance. After going 17-8 during the regular season last year, the Cardinals are primed for success in 2018. Last year, the team advanced to the NESCAC Tournament semifinals for the first time since the 2007-08 season and the fifth time in school history. They eventually lost to perennial stalwart and No. 1 ranked Amherst. The team will sorely miss class of  ’18 grads Kadijah Mathews, Maeve Vitale, and Maddie Bledsoe, who helped the team lead their best campaign since 10 years prior. Last year, the Cardinals were seeded the highest in the NESCAC Tournament since 2007-2008 and also led the conference in rebounds, with 46.5 per game. They also finished second in scoring and assists with 68.5 points per game and 14.5 assists per game. The team has grown even more through this offseason. Senior forward Bledsoe absolutely dominated last season, leading the Cardinals both on the court and off. Unfortunately, Bledsoe graduated, but don’t count out the Cardinals just yet.

Bouncing back from tough losses is what makes a great team even better. In professional sports, teams that make it deep into the playoffs and lose are even more likely to come back the next season for revenge. Quite often we see a team suffer a heartbreaking loss that motivates them throughout the offseason to get back to where they were—and even further. Couple this desire to win with the experience gained from playoff basketball, and the Cardinals are a dangerous team to watch this winter. Further, the Red and Black have absolutely been working hard this offseason.

Emma Roush ’21, Heidi Scarth ’19 and Ava Tompkins ’19 will play integral roles this year, as the team needs someone to step up and recreate Bledsoe’s production from last season.

The highlight of last season was the Cardinals’ quarterfinal win over their major rival, Middlebury College. The Panthers hosted the Cards during regular season play last year, which resulted in a disappointing loss for Wesleyan. During the playoff game, the Panthers seemed to constantly be one shot from pulling away. Middlebury led Wesleyan in almost every statistical category: rebounds, turnovers, and free-throw percentage. But that was not enough. The Cards shot an impressive 46.3 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from beyond the arc, which proved to be just what they needed in order to win. The result was a thrilling victory, which will undoubtedly fuel the team this season.

And it is not just the upperclassmen who expect to lead the Cardinals through their revenge season.

The Little Three matchups promise entertainment and nail-biting finishes. The Cardinals host Williams on Friday, Jan. 4 and are at Amherst on Saturday, Jan. 12. But the Cardinals will really be looking for revenge when they host Amherst on Monday, Jan. 21 in Silloway Gymnasium.

At the helm for the Birds is head coach Kate Mullen, who is entering her 27th year as head coach of the program. While Mullen experienced a period of success between 2000-2009, her program struggled mightily from 2010 until last year. The 2017-2018 marked her first NESCAC semifinal appearance in 10 years.

After last year’s brief playoff run, the Cards think of themselves as an experienced team that’s ready to take back the Little Three. This year should yield some interesting, successful results.

Nick Keating can be reached at nkeating@wesleyan.edu.