The Hopkins women’s soccer team ended their storied run at the NCAA Division III National Championship this past weekend with a loss to the top-ranked, defending national champion, Messiah.
Although their season began with a loss, the future has been looking increasingly promising for the JHU men’s basketball team.
Starting the season in whirlwind fashion, the Lady Jays are already well underway into their 2012-2013 campaign in search of their first Centennial Conference championship. Despite their first bout of play, with an overall 2-3 result, Hopkins has been ranked 2nd in the conference in preseason polls behind powerhouse Haverford. The road to the championship will be paved by senior captains KaraLea Follmer, Sarah Higbee and the unstoppable force of Alex Vassila.
The Hopkins women’s cross country team made history on November 17 at the Division III NCAA National Championships in Terra Haute, Indiana. The team totaled an astounding 158 points to capture its first NCAA Division III Cross Country Title at the LaVerne Gibson Championship Course. They defeated the runner-up school, Wartburg, by 63 points, the greatest margin of victory in a women’s Division III championship race since 2002. The title is the first women’s national championship in not only cross country, but also in any women's sport in Hopkins history. And as if all of these incredible accomplishments weren’t enough to satisfy any championship team, three Blue Jay runners finished in the top-35 to achieve the status of All-American. Freshman Hannah Oneda led the Blue Jays down the stretch and finished in 10th place, while junior Holly Clarke and senior Annie Monagle finished 25th and 32nd respectively.
Although they’ve been overshadowed by the women’s cross country National Championship victory, the men’s team also proudly made Hopkins history, admittedly, in less dramatic fashion. The squad’s 20th-place finish at the NCAA Division III Men’s Cross Country National Championship in Terre Haute, IN on Saturday was a program best and reflects the depth and strong direction the Hopkins Cross Country program is headed. The Blue Jays accumulated 475 points for their first top-20 finish in program history as North Central University took the team title with 167 overall points. Calvin College and Haverford College tied for second place, scoring 188 points. Individually, Tim Nelson of University of Wisconsin-Stout led the race to win the individual title in 24:26. Junior Max Robinson burned the trail for the Jays, finishing 77th overall in 25:33. Robinson ran an extremely bold race, charging out with the front of the pack early, only to fall back towards the final stages of the course. “I took the race out hard to try and put myself in position to finish well,” exclaimed Robinson, adding, “but then I faded towards the end of the race.” Placing in the second slot for Hopkins was senior Josh Budman, in the final cross country race of his career. The senior poured every ounce of determination into the race, improving his time by a massive 49 second margin, finishing 105th in 25:45. Other stand-outs for the squad were Julian Saliani and Josh Baker who each cut roughly 30 seconds off their time from the Pre-National Meet. Saliani placed 113th overall in 25:46, while Baker slotted in at number 122 in 25:50. Hopkins’ overall top-five was topped with the 233rd place finish of freshman Schaffer Ochstein in 26:45. Head coach Bobby Van Allen emphatically praised his squad, “The guys ran an incredible race, we moved up six spots from our first time here last year in 2011.” (Courtesy of Hopkinssports.com) However proud the head coach might have been, Robinson flatly disagreed. “I think the team had an off day,” concluded the junior runner, adding, “finishing in the top 20 in the country was nice, but we could’ve definitely been in the top 15. Individuals like Josh Budman, Julian Saliani, and Josh Baker had great days, but I think we were capable of much more as a team.”
As most of us were gearing up for Thanksgiving break, the Hopkins wrestling team traveled to Springfield College to take part in the 16-team Doug Parker Invitational. The tournament invited some of the top teams in the country including #7 Centenary, #23 Roger Williams, #24 Springfield, and #27 Wesleyan. Despite facing these high ranking opponents, Hopkins competed competed well and proved their spot as one of the top DIII teams. In the 125 lb weight division, sophomore Paul Bewak competed against MIT’s Sam Shames. Shames pulled off the upset to take home first place, defeating Bewak 5-2. Despite the loss, the Greensburg, PA native earned the nation’s number one ranking in the most recent National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Individual Rankings. Bewak becomes the first Blue Jay wrestler to earn a number one ranking. Bewak steadily climbed to the top spot after beginning the season as the nation’s fifth wrestler. Prior to the tournament Bewak claimed a 9-3 overall record including being 9-2 against NCAA competition and 8-0 against NCAA Division III opponents. Bewak opened up the season with tight losses to Division I opponents Shane Young of West Virginia and Shane Gentry of Maryland, two of the top wrestlers in the nation in the 126 lb weight class. Despite the narrow losses Bewak responded well, claiming nine straight wins which included one pin, one technical fall, two major decisions, and five decisions. The winning streak was the second longest of his career, improving his lifetime record to 39-12. Bewak finished his freshman season with a 30-9 record. Last year as a freshman he earned All-American honors with a seventh-place finish at the 2012 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships. The surprise finish was the highest ever for a Hopkins wrestler. Bewak was one of two All-Americans and five Centennial Conference champions the Blue Jays claimed last season. The team’s success earned Hopkins their first ever conference trophy. Earning sixth place in the 133 lb weight class was junior Ray Yagloski. Despite battling hard, Yagloski ultimately lost the decision 16-4. In the 141 lb final was senior Paul Marcello and Springfield’s Joe Grippi. Grippi entered the season as the nation’s third ranked wrestler while Marcello held the eighth spot. The showdown was hard fought, but in the end Grippi was victorious winning 10-7. In the 165 lb weight division Hopkins' Christian Ostrowski took home fifth place for the Blue Jays. The freshman battled all day before reaching the matchup against MIT’s Ryan Madson. However, the two never faced off as Madson withdrew from the match with an injury. Heading home with a fifth place finish was freshman Kyle Spangler. Spangler dispatched Trinity’s William Youngblood 7-5 to earn the victory. Hopkins totaled 85.5 points trailing Centenary (166 points), Roger Williams (137.5), Springfield (128.5) and Wesleyan (128) in the team standings. With the finish it is clear Hopkins is not far away from making its mark on the national stage. Next up for Hopkins is the New Standard Corp. Invitational at York College (PA). The tournament will be another good test for the Blue Jays. Previous tournaments have hosted many of the nationally top ranked teams. The strong competition should once again prove useful as Hopkins continues to grow in this relatively young season. Both in this tournament, and the rest of the way, strong performances from Bewak and Marcello will continue to drive this team as Hopkins looks to improve on their season from last year.
Hopkins’s men's basketball team launched a powerful start to the young season, winning two of their first three contests. In the Centennial Conference this past week, the Blue Jays beat Haverford College convincingly by the score of 72-46. Much of the success this past weekend is attributed to sophomore Jimmy Hammer. Last year he exploded onto the Hopkins basketball scene, possessing a shooter’s touch and undeniable poise. His reputation precedes him; last week, Hammer stole the show by scoring five buckets from behind the arch, leading the team to victory. Hammer is impressive both on and off the court. He is an economics major who also has a passion for marketing, which has prompted him to take on leadership roles in marketing for Relay for Life and involvement in the American Marketing Association. On the court is truly where Hammer feels he belongs, “I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t play basketball,” says Hammer, who attributes his success and happiness in college to the team. Hammer is not one to brag and seems to be quite self-reflective about his game – constantly looking to improve his skills with each season. Looking back at his rookie year, he says that one of his proudest accomplishments was “the comeback to beat Dickinson in their gym when our team was down by ten with only a few minutes on the clock.” Hammer did his part in pacing the team to a nail biting victory with his back-to-back three-pointers. Not too shabby for a freshman, “it felt good to make those shots and to help us get the big win. It was our last game before a long winter break and we were able to go 3-0 in the conference.” In addition, Hammer views the team making it to the conference playoffs last year as another noteworthy triumph for the Blue Jays. The Jays also beat 15th ranked, St. Mary’s College (MD), last November in the semifinals of the Pride of Maryland Tournament. The Jays rallied to defeat St. Mary by just one point, with a final score of 67-66. Hammer remarks, “That was a huge win because it was in front of a great crowd at Hopkins and it was a come from behind victory. They came into the game as a top 25 team and we just battled with them all game. We weren’t as talented as they were, but we were able to fight them off and get the win.” Hammer views these past accomplishments, not as a reason to pat himself on the back, but as motivation to make the NCAA tournament this season. He shares the same goal as Coach Nelson, to yet again make the Conference tournament and then to advance to the NCAA tournament. He does not express any doubt that this will become a reality and says he looks forward to this future endeavor. This is all because he believes Hopkins basketball “has lots of talent” and “a lot of players returned from last years successful team.” He is extraordinarily optimistic about this season, asserting that the hot-out-the-gate start is a promising sign for things to come. This season, he plans on improving his overall game, including his defense, rebounding, and consistency in his shooting. Hammer emphatically claims that his life revolves around Hopkins basketball. He feels lucky to be on a team of “great guys” who are all his “best friends.” His time is spent with the team off the court, as well, and considers the team’s chemistry the mark of a “true team.” Not only has the basketball team become something that Hammer has grown impassioned about, but it has literally become the center of his universe and something he can never see giving up. “I am very lucky to have such a great group of guys surrounding me," Hammer exclaimed, "It makes going to practice and playing in games so much fun. We hang out outside of basketball, we study together, and support other teams and organizations in the Hopkins community.”
This past Monday, the Hopkins men’s and women’s swimming teams traveled to Rutgers University in Piscataway, NJ to compete in the Frank Elm Invitational. Both teams finished well despite being the only Division III team in a field of primarily Division I universities. The men’s team finished fourth out of nine schools with 1,144 points. West Chester University took the invitational title with 2,003 points. Senior Carter Gisriel led a group of five Blue Jays in the finals of the 50 Free, placing second with a time of 21.14. In the B Final, senior Tyler Woods placed second in 21.78 and sophomore Ed Pagano finished fourth with a time of 21.90. Senior Dylan Coggin placed third in the 100 Free of the A Final at 46.21. Woods won the B Final with a time of 47.37. Coggin earned a fourth-place finish in the A Final of the 200 Free with a time of 1:42.65. The 500 Free saw freshman Bill Gravley finish second in the B Final with a time of 4:43.90. Sophomore Dylan Davis swam to a third-place finish in the A Final of the 100 back, finishing at 50.78 for an NCAA provisional time. Davis then won the 200 back with a provisional time of 1:49.62 while freshman Justin Tang followed closely behind in second place. Sophomore Gideon Hou placed fourth in the A Final of the 100 breast with a provisional and career-best time of 57.74. Gisriel added another second-place finish, this time in the 100 Fly as he finished in 50.11 for a provisional time. In the B Final, Woods finished in second in 51.95 while Pagano placed third in 52.61. Hopkins placed three in the A Final of the 200 IM with Tang finishing in second at 1:52.59, the 10th fastest in school history. Tang followed that with a win in the 400 IM, finishing with a provisional time at 3:59.46. The time set a pool record and is the sixth fastest time in school history. The Blue Jays had an impressive run in the relays placing second in all five events. The team of Gisriel, Coggin, Woods, and Lordi combined for a time of 1:23.85 in the 200 Free Relay. In the 400 Free Relay, Coggin, Woods, Gisriel and Lordi finished in a provisional time of 3:05.06. In the 200 Medley Relay, Acquaviva, Hou, Gisriel and Lordi combined for a provisional time of 1:32.68. The Blue Jays did the same in the 400 Medley Relay. The women’s team placed fifth out of eleven schools. Villanova won the invitational with 1,737.5 total points. The Lady Blue Jays placed five swimmers in the finals of the 50 Free. Sophomore Ana Bogdanovski finished fourth, followed by freshman Megan Auzenbergs in sixth place. Senior Eleanor Gardner finished in seventh in the B Final with a time of 25.23, followed closely by freshman Sean McGrath in 25.38. Bogdanovski took home second place in the 100 Free with an NCAA provisional time of 51.31 in the A Final. Her prelim time of 51.27 is the fourth fastest time in school history. In the 200 Free, Hopkins had six swimmers in the finals, including two in the A Final. Bogdanovski and Rinsma both swam provisional times finishing in fifth and seventh place, respectively. Marcus also swam a provisional time with his third place finish in the B Final, clocking in at 1:53.69. In the 100 Back, sophomores Hannah Benn and Melinda Yau placed third and fourth, respectively in the B Final. Junior Taylor Kitayama earned a third-place finish in the A Final of the 200 Back with a time of 2:01.58, a provisional time and the fourth fastest time in program history. McGrath placed second in the B Final with a provisional time of 2:04.32. Sophomore Maggie Storm led the Blue Jays in the 100 and 200 Breast finishing in fifth in the B Final of both. Kitayama earned a third-place finish in the A Final of the 100 Fly with a provisional time of 56.14. Sophomore Sammi Fox just missed out on the school record in the 200 IM finals as she finished in third place with a time of 2:06.91. Kitayama followed her in sixth place as she finished in 2:07.85, a career best and also a provisional time. Fox then broke the longest-standing school record as she swam a time of 4:30.33 in the 400 IM, also a provisional time, to finish in fourth place in the B Final. Hopkins also turned in a strong performance in the relays, earning a podium finish in four of the five relays. The Blue Jays posted provisional times in each of the five relays. The team of Bogdanovski, Kitayama, Auzenbergs and McGrath swam a time of 1:36.42 to finish second in the 200 Free Relay. In the 400 Free, the Blue Jays also took home second place. Hopkins wrapped up the freestyle relays with a third-place finish in the 800 Free Relay. The Blue Jays took home third place as Kitayama, Fox, Holden and Bogdanovski swam a time of 3:55.51 in the 400 Medley Relay. Hopkins returns to action the weekend of Nov 30 at Gettysburg's Final Fall Fast Festival.
The Blue Jays hosted their second home playoff game in school history against Washington and Jefferson College and eventually collected their first ever home playoff win two weeks ago. Hopkins set the tone physically, knocking out both the number one and two ranked WJC quarterbacks en-route to a 42-10 victory.
The Hopkins men’s and women’s cross country teams reached new heights this year with their results this past Saturday at the 2012 NCAA Mid-East Regional Championship. On the men’s side, the Hopkins cross country team reached a program record with their third-place finish on Saturday morning. Hopkins finished with 110 points, 19 ahead of Dickinson (129), who had recently defeated the Blue Jays for second place at the Centennial Conference Championship two weeks ago. With 63 points, Haverford seized the regional title and placed three runners in the top 10. Carnegie Mellon took second (92 points), followed by Hopkins, Dickinson and Allegheny to round out the top five. On Sunday, Hopkins received an at large bid, securing their spot in the NCAA Championship on November 17 in Terre Haute, IN. Junior Max Robinson’s performance with a career-best seventh-place finish has automatically qualified him for the NCAA Championship. Earning a bronze medal at the Centennial Conference Championship just a few weeks earlier, Robinson crossed the line in 25:30.2. He is the first JHU runner to place in the top 10 at the regional since John Robinson won the event in 1991. Hopkins’ second through sixth finishers finished in a bunch, with just 19 seconds separating them. This fact pushed the men’s cross country team to its third-place finish as the Blue Jays had four runners finish before Dickinson’s third runner crossed the line. Placing 21st, 24th and 27th respectively, junior Julian Saliani, senior Josh Baker and sophomore Austin Stecklair finished closely together. Saliani earned all-region honors with a time of 26:04.5. Baker followed just one and a half seconds behind Saliani, as he crossed the line in 26:06.0 to place a career-best 24th and earn all-region accolades. Stecklair placed next for the Jays, as he landed in 27th place with a time of 26:13.2. His time has earned him all-region accolades for the second straight year, after finishing 34th as a freshman in 2011. Freshman Schaffer Ochstein, the 2012 Centennial Conference Rookie of the Year, rounded out Hopkins’ scorers with a time of 26:16.9, finishing in 31stplace. Senior Josh Budman placed 36th with a time of 26:23.5. Junior Andrew Carey wrapped up the field for Hopkins as he ran a time of 27:18.7 to placed 78th. While the Blue Jays had previously placed three on the NCAA All-Mid-East team in 2007 and 2011, Hopkins' five all-region selections are a program record. This also marks the third time since 2007 that Hopkins has had a freshman earn all-region honors. The second-ranked Lady Blue Jay’s cross country team captured its fifth consecutive NCAA Division III Mid-East Regional Championship title as freshman star Hannah Oneda cruised to her fifth win of the season. The victory secured the women’s team a sixth-straight appearance in the NCAA Championship. Finishing with 63 team points, Hopkins placed six runners in the top-25. This performance sets a program regional meet record. Haverford was seventeen points behind the Blue Jays with 79 points, while Dickinson finished third with 126 points. Oneda is just the second regional champion in Hopkins history, joining Cecilia Furlong who accomplished the feat in 2010. The rookie led a field of 346 runners to cross the tape in 21:34.7, six seconds ahead of second-place finisher Kristen Galligan of Washington & Jefferson. In addition to Oneda, five other runners earned All-Mid-East Region honors, as Holly Clarke (5th/22:17), Annie Monagle (11th/22:39), Lara Shegoski (22nd/23:05), Sophie Meehan (24th/23:14) and Frances Loeb (25th/23:18) joined Oneda. Junior standout Clarke provided insight into the Lady Blue Jay’s season and what lies ahead at the National Championships. “Our team is really young. Our best runner is a freshman right now. We have one senior, two juniors, and the rest are underclassman,” Clarke said. “I believe this shows how much we can improve this year and for years to come. Last year we finished 15th and Hannah Eckstein and I earned All-American honors and hoped to have a better showing. This year, I am confident that if we run the perfect race we can beat MIT.” Clarke also explained that the team has started to tapper in efforts to be rested and improve on last year’s showing. “The whole season we’ve been doing 60-70 mile weeks,” she said. “Now each day has been getting shorter and less rigorous as coach wants us to peak in Indiana. We now are doing 40 mile weeks.” Hopkins will fight for the national championship next weekend as it races against the best teams in the nation at the NCAA Division III National Championship Meet in Terre Haute, IN.
As the 2012 fall season comes to a close, every fall sports team must face the inevitable departure of their seniors. Not only does it create a difficult on-the-field situation, but graduating seniors leave irreplaceable voids as team leaders. For their teammates and coaches, the accomplishments of the seniors on the stat sheet helped earn wins for the Hopkins athletic program, but it is their leadership in the locker room and friendships with their teammates that will be missed most. For this issue, we shifted our column over to the seniors and their coaches to talk about their time at Hopkins and how athletics has impacted them the past four years. From the time they arrived at Homewood in 2009, a lot has changed for these student-athletes. Senior Amelia Thomas of the women’s volleyball team talked about the transition in roles from being an underclassman to becoming a leader of the team. “Since I arrived as a freshman my game has changed immensely,” Thomas said. “Not only am I playing at a much higher level of the game than I expected, I also am in a new position. Myself and the other seniors also took the reins of the future of the team after our coach from freshman year was not coming back. We worked as hard as we could to be the foundation for a new team.” Maggie Phillips, a senior captain for the field hockey team, shared her reflections. “Over my four years as a player, I learned a lot and developed into being a versatile player,” Phillips said. “The position you played on the field didn’t have to be your favorite or ‘most comfortable’ position; your role as a player was to play in the position that helped the most with the team’s success. As seniors, our underclassmen respected our roles as teammates and team leaders. Our senior class has remained a close unit throughout our four years here at JHU, which is one of the reasons we worked very well together as team leaders in our last year.” In maturing from young freshmen to team leaders, the seniors also developed close relationships with their teammates and coaches. Anne Monagle of the women’s cross country team discussed the closeness between her teammates. “The bond between teammates is one that is really unique. I would do anything for my teammates, and they would do anything for me,” Monagle said. “The people who I run with are some of my closest friends, and they have changed me for the better. I think that is what I will miss the most — that feeling you get post workout knowing that you and the girl next to you gave it everything you had.” Thomas mentioned not only her teammates, but also the entire athletic department. “I am so thankful for the relationships that I have developed with my teammates and others throughout the entire athletic department,” she said. “It’s a great environment of respect and camaraderie that I will truly miss. Again, not only with my teammates (who will always remain very close to me) but also others that you see every day, like Rev the security guard, and all of the facilities operators.” Every senior praised the role of their coaches in their development as not only athletes, but also individuals. Monagle talked about the importance of head coach Bobby Van Allen in her growth as a player. “Coach Van Allen has taught me the importance of goal setting. He's always emphasizing the need to set high standards for both the individual and the team, and then will help train you to reach those goals,” Monagle said. “The training can be often grueling but with that goal in the back of your mind, you're willing to handle it. He's taught me to be confident in myself when I step to the line and to let my love of running fuel the race. These are lessons I will absolutely take with me when I leave Hopkins — knowing I am capable of hitting a high standard and refusing to back down when things are tough.” In addition to the knowledge of on-the-field play imparted by their coaches, senior captain Brandon Sumpio of the men’s soccer team was quick to point out the impact head coach Craig Appleby had in his growth off the field as well. “The soccer program, like many of the athletic teams at Hopkins, serves a dual mandate. First, to develop their players athletic ability, but more importantly to establish those individuals as role models off the field,” Sumpio said. “Our Coach Appleby understands that during our four years at Homewood, he's job is also to prepare us for life after college and beyond. He believes that every one of our actions in life either underlines or erases what we say. And this message has really stuck and resonated in our program.” Over the course of four years, countless memories are created in a college environment. But oftentimes, it’s the memories with the team that stand out most. “Looking back at my time at Hopkins I can honestly say it would not have been as memorable of an experience without the athletic program,” Lumpio said. “After four years at Hopkins there are only a handful of nights out that I will remember, but if you ask any athlete here, they'll be able to tell you about every game and road trip. That’s because those game winning goals are made more special because of the individuals around you that you were able to celebrate them with.” For Phillips, she was able to pinpoint a specific game that stood out to her. “One of my favorite memories this season was beating Ursinus 3-1. The last time Hopkins beat them was back in 2003 during conference play. Many of our field hockey alumni came to watch the game, so it was an exciting win for both past players and the current team.” Over the course of their four years on campus for the seniors, the coaches have been a consistent presence, guiding when needed while also letting the players lead when appropriate. Head coach Matt Troy of the women’s volleyball team has built a powerhouse volleyball program since taking the reins in 2010. However, he credits much of the program’s success to his seniors. “I think the Seniors impact really started three years ago when they helped set the tone with where they wanted this program to go on and off the court,” Troy said. “They have demonstrated to the younger players what it means to play for Hopkins and the pride that they feel being a part of the program.” After the team’s loss to Richard Stockton in the first round of this year’s NCAA Tournament, bringing an end to the careers of these seniors, coach Troy shared his gratitude for the seniors. “During our post game meeting I thanked the seniors for all their hard work and dedication in helping take this program to its current level. Without their leadership I'm not sure if we would have gelled as quickly as we did last year to start this great run.” Head coach Leo Weil of the women’s soccer team mentioned the impact his seniors had on this current season. “Obviously, the seniors have had the most at stake this year, since it`s their last season,” Weil said. “One of our recurring themes was to make it a memorable season for the seniors. We`ve had our ups and downs, and a ton of injuries, but the team, under the leadership of the seniors, has never given up or gotten too down, and have turned the season into a memorable one.” He also noted how seniors Taylor Schulte and Meredith Maguire have become key contributors for the team. “[A]s a sophomore keeper, [Meredith] shared time with a junior,” Weild said. “She stepped in when we got to penalty kicks at Dickinson against Haverford in the Conference Tournament, and made some great saves. She also played extremely well in the final the next day, and the job was hers for the NCAA Tournament.” He went on to explain Taylor’s progression during her time on the team. “Taylor, who had always been a defender, was put into a new position as a holding midfielder her sophomore year, so we could get her on the field. I don`t think she was ever completely comfortable there, but did great,” he said. “Then as a junior, she was able to move back to where she was more comfortable. I think having to play out of her comfort zone as a sophomore helped her ‘grow up.’” For the seniors of the men’s water polo team, head coach Ted Bresnahan could not have been more proud of tri-captains Ross Schofield, Alex Whittam and Kielan Crow, and utility man Mike McCreery. “This is the best team we have ever had at Hopkins. What comes from this is every minor task needs the same intensity as every major task and with that failure will be ignored,” Bresnahan said. “The seniors grew up their freshman year when all three had major playing time and advanced to the semi-final in the longest game in Eastern Championship history against Fordham Univ. When we won in a third sudden death period.” With just a week or two to go before the fall season is officially over then, The News-Letter would like to offer congratulations to the fall sports seniors for a memorable four years on the field.
For the 2012-2013 Hopkins wrestling squad, history was accomplished even before the season started. On Nov. 1 the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) pegged the Blue Jays at number 18 in the DIII Preseason Rankings—the highest national ranking in school history entering the first weekend. The Blue Jays are led by the mighty 5-5, 125 pound sophomore, Paul Bewak. Bewak is coming off a remarkable freshman year campaign. Bewak posted a 30-9 record en route to an individual Centennial Conference title and later earned All-American honors for his seventh-place finish at the NCAA Championships, the highest finish of all time for a Blue Jay wrestler. The budding All-American is already off to a perfect start, going 4-0 this past weekend at the John Reese Duals at Wilkes University. The News-Letter caught up with the wrestling star to gage his mindset coming off such a dominant freshman year. Ultimately, it appears the best is yet to come.
The Hopkins women’s soccer team went into this past weekend looking to continue their streak of NCAA second round appearances to seven out of the past eight years. They didn’t just continue this streak; they dominated throughout the entirety of the weekend. The team was able to piece together two picture perfect wins this past weekend, steam-rolling Lancaster Bible 5-0 to reach the second round of the NCAA tournament before defeating Rowan in the second round 4-2 to reach the Sweet 16. With a victory in these two games the Blue Jays find themselves in a ideal position heading into the tougher fixtures of the tournament as they look to continue to ride their momentum straight into the Round of 16. Hopkins entered the weekend looking to build off of recent key victories that propelled them into the upper bracket of the tournament and as a very tough opponent to overmatch. On Saturday against Lancaster, it didn’t take the Jays long to show that they meant business as sophomore star Hannah Kronick charged past a Lancaster defender to find sophomore Sydney Teng uncovered in front of the net as she drilled a shot past the goalkeeper to give Hopkins the early 1-0 lead. The Blue Jays continued to dominate all aspects of the game, especially possession, making it extremely difficult for Lancaster to build or sustain any offensive attack. 112 seconds after the first goal was scored, Hopkins found the back of the net again as freshman Alaina Arthur volleyed a beautiful shot out of mid-air straight into the upper right corner of the goal. Not only was this goal crucial in giving Hopkins room to work with for the rest of the game, but also marked Arthur’s first career collegiate goal. It couldn’t have come at a more crucial time for the Jays as they now defended a 2-0 lead. The girls headed into the half with the two goal advantage and seemed quite confident going into the locker room. However, the team refused to get complacent as Kronick erupted out of the gates in the second half of the game. After gaining possession of the ball, Kronick dribbled passed two defenders on the left side and passed off the ball to junior Christina Convey. Convey immediately passed back, creating a nice opening for Kronick to fire the ball passed the diving Lancaster goalkeeper to give Hopkins a 3-0 lead. Teng connected for her second goal of the match during the 79th minute of the game after receiving a perfect pass from freshman Paula Swiercz. The goal gave Hopkins a commanding 4-0 lead and plenty of breathing room as the second half started to come to a close. However, the excitement was far from over in this one-sided affair. As the clock was winding down, Teng sparked excitement on the Hopkins sideline and for the entire Homewood Field crowd. She received a high, errant pass from Swiercz towards the middle of the box and in astonishing fashion, bicycle-kicked the ball into the back of the net and got up in uproarious excitement, celebrating the second hat trick ever scored by a Hopkins player in the NCAA tournament. “I’ve never pulled off a hat trick before, and to have my first one in the NCAA tournament made it that much more meaningful,” Teng said. “To cap it off with a bicycle kick was really just beyond my imagination and something I’ve been dreaming of for years. That being said, every single one of my goals came from a beautiful assist from my teammates, and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.” Along with this impressive milestone came an even more remarkable achievement: Kronick broke the Hopkins single season points record by recording her 54th point of the season by scoring the third goal of the game. “This achievement definitely means a lot to me, but none of it would’ve been possible without my teammates this year,” said Kronick. “We have all come together on the field this year, feeding off of each other, with many different people stepping up when needed and I think this was definitely a factor in helping me achieve that.” This achievement surpasses the previous record of 53 points in a single season that was met last year. Sparks flied as the Blue Jays dazzled their way to a 5-0 victory to advance to the next round of the NCAA tournament. Senior Meredith Maguire was excellent between the posts as she recorded six saves for the shutout. Hopkins looked poised on Saturday evening heading into Sunday’s big matchup against Rowan. Heading into Sunday’s matchup against Rowan, Hopkins had a career 4-1-1 record in the second round of the NCAA tournament, which boded well given the momentum they just gained from out-hustling and out-playing Lancaster the day before.
For the fourth straight year, the Hopkins Blue Jays football team is your Centennial Conference Champion. Following a 14-12 loss last week against Franklin & Marshall, the Blue Jays won sole possession of the title with a decisive 49-7 win over conference rival McDaniel College. The Blue Jays jumped to an early 21-0 lead in the first quarter, largely from the help of two Jonathan Rigaud rushing touchdowns. Riguad’s second touchdown was his 20th of the year, making him the second player in school history to reach this mark in a season. Hopkins went into the half with a comfortable 28-0 lead, with the other two touchdowns coming from freshman running back Brandon Cherry. The Blue Jays tallied up over 500 total offensive yards for the fifth time this season. Their rushing attack has been their bread and butter all year, as they racked up 309 yards. The addition of 215 yards passing was just too much for the Green Terror to handle. The defense proved strong again, forcing four sacks and two interceptions on the day. Senior linebacker Adam Schweyer recorded his 200th tackle of his career, with 201 tackles now to his credit. The defensive statistic that stood out the most was holding McDaniel to just 2 for 16 on third-down conversions. The Blue Jays' dominating performance on both sides of the ball, prove that they are a different team from a year ago. Their biggest wins have come with a balanced offense attack and solid, consistent defensive play. The Blue Jays have averaged 38.6 points per game while racking up 495 yards per game. Not to be outdone, the defense has been strong all season, allowing just 14.9 points per game and 272.4 yards per game. With their most recent win, Hopkins also earned the Centennial Conference’s automatic bid into the NCAA playoffs. This is the Blue Jays’ fourth appearance in the NCAA playoffs, and their third in just the last four years. During Sunday’s selection show, the Blue Jays received the news they would host the Washington & Jefferson College Presidents. This is the second time ever that Hopkins has hosted a home playoff game. The first was just last year, when the Blue Jays saw a promising 10-0 season end shortly with a devastating loss in the first round. There is no doubt that this loss has fueled the Jays this season as they have improved greatly on both sides of the ball. Washington & Jefferson enters the game 8-2 after winning the Athletic Conference championship last week against previously unbeaten Waynesburg College. This is the 22nd NCAA playoff appearance for the Presidents, including two finishes as the national runner-up in 1992 and 1994. Washington & Jefferson poses a balanced offensive attack similar to Hopkins, with a smart, efficient quarterback and powerful running game. Defensively it’s the same story; the Presidents don’t allow many yards or points and get to the quarterback. However, with the bitter taste of last year’s loss still lingering in the player’s mouths, look for the Blue Jays to come out with a strong performance. Coming off one of the best seasons ever for a Blue Jay, Rigaud scooped up the Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Year award. With Rigaud, and Matey passing for a yard short of 2,000 yards this season and a conference high 70% completion rate, the offense is high powered and they score relentlessly. In addition to the backfield, the Jays have weapons all over the field. Junior Dan Wodicka earned his third all-conference selection and has been Matey’s top target all year. Much of the offenses success would not be possible without the Blue Jays’ most unheralded about group: the offensive line. There were four all-conference selections on the O-line this season: junior Armand Jenifer, junior Ben Cranston, junior Vincenzo Bonaddio, and junior Kevin Quinn. This unit has provided incredible protection all year for the skill position players. The defensive side is the same story, led by Centennial Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Taylor Maciow. Maciow is backed by first team all-conference linebacker Adam Schweyer, and second team all-conference linebacker John Arena. The defense has made the game the Blue Jays play well rounded and strong going into the first round. The game is slated to start at 12 pm noon Saturday, November 12th. Come out and support your Blue Jays as the 2012 Centennial Conference Coach of the Year, Jim Margraff, looks to lead the Jays deep into the NCAA and grab their first national title.
After coming off a record setting season, the Hopkins women’s volleyball team entered Friday evening's first round match-up with high expectations. Unfortunately the Blue Jays season came to an abrupt end after a disappointing five set thriller. Hopkins was dispatched (25-19, 15-25, 25-21, 23-25, 14-16) by Richard Stockton College of New Jersey in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. From the onset, the Blue Jays were dominant as sophomore Megan Cohan tallied three kills and three blocks. Hopkins won a series of important rallies that were led by freshman Jasmine Warmington and sophomore Ellen Rogers to extend their lead to 17-13 in the first. The Blue Jays finished off the set with an incredible dig from Amelia Thomas to win 25-19. In the second set Richard Stockton rebounded, coming out on fire to take a 15-7 lead. Even two team timeouts taken by head coach Matt Troy could not suppress the Osprey’s run as they went on to win 25-15 with .636 hitting percentage. Richard Stockton carried the momentum into the third set taking a 15-8 lead to start. However, after a timeout the Blue Jays went on a clutch 8-0 run led by Rogers. She was a key contributor for Hopkins the entire match, tallying a career high 20 kills. The Blue Jays finished out the set 25-21 to take a 2-1 lead in the match. The fourth set was back and forth the whole way as the lead changed seven times. Unfortunately, Stockton’s Nicole Serekian was too much of a force, recording nine kills in the set to lead the Ospreys to a tense 25-23 fourth set win. Not only did the Blue Jays lose the set, but were forced to enter the fifth and final deciding set without their second leading hitter sophomore Katie Schwarz due to injury. The fifth set did not stop the back and forth play, as the Blue Jays traded the lead eight times. The Blue Jays seemed destined for victory as they held a 14-12 lead, but the Ospreys fired back with four straight points to win the match 16-14 and advance to NCAA’s Second Round. The Ospreys were led by Serekian and Stephanie Warner who each tallied 22 kills. The Blue Jays’ freshman Carolyn Zin and sophomore Mariel Metalios combined for 47 assists. Warmington added 14 kills for Hopkins. Nonetheless it seemed head coach Matt Troy was proud. "I think it was obvious in the match Hopkins gave it everything they had. Towards the end there was a lot of passion and I'm very pleased." Even with the loss Warmington and fellow freshman Gabi Rothman were able to express pride in their team’s ability to repeat as conference champs even after suffering some untimely losses. Warmington commented, “I’m so proud of my team for being able to fight regardless of the situation.” Though the loss is undoubtedly disappointing, Hopkins has a bright future. Earlier in the week, Warmington was named the Centennial Conference Player of the Year along with Rookie of the Year. “I’m so honored to be considered the Conference Player of the Tear. I hope to continue performing for my team in the years to come.” By leading the conference in total kills, kills per set and total points Warmington became only the third Blue Jay in history to win Conference Player of the Year. As the week progressed the awards continued to pile up for Warmington who became the first Blue Jay to receive the AVCA Division III Mid-Atlantic Region Freshman of the Year award and only the second player in conference history to win the award. She was also one of only two freshmen in the region to earn a spot on Mid Atlantic First Team. Warmington’s success could certainly be credited in her ability to learn quickly. “The most important thing I learned was that it doesn’t matter what game it is or what the score is, you have to give your team your all.” Warmington also credits much of her success to her team, stating, “The sport goes beyond the individual, you have to play for each other.” With such a regard for those around her, Warmington’s success is certain to continue in the coming years. Also joining Warmington on the All-Centennial Conference team are Thomas and Schwarz. Metalios and Rogers were also named to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-District Volleyball team. The pair became the first Hopkins volleyball players along with the first sophomores in school history to receive the award. Metalios is a public health major with a minor in global environmental global change who currently boasts a 3.80 GPA. The native of Huntington, NY is second on the team in assists and service aces. Rogers, a native of Macedonia, OH holds a 3.74 GPA as a double major in economics and international studies while also pursuing a minor in financial economics. Rogers led the team in blocks per set. Though the Blue Jays season ended with disappointment, Hopkins has a bright future to look towards. The team loses only three seniors while returning six sophomore and two freshmen who logged time in all five sets during Friday’s match. The frustrating loss already has the girls motivated for next year. Hopkins will certainly look to build on their success this season. Warmington simply stated “We want that title!” With such high aspirations and a limitless supply of talent, Hopkins looks primed for success in the coming seasons.
On November 2nd and 3rd, the Hopkins men’s and women’s swimming team competed in the Thomas Murphy Invitational at Loyola University. The men’s team brought their ‘A’ game, defeating Loyola 249-96 while also beating Marywood 281-65. The team swept all five relays, and came out victorious in 15 of the 20 total events.
As the final seconds ticked off the clock at Sponaugle-Williamson Field, the Hopkins sideline looked bewildered and shocked as the Blue Jays were handed their first loss of the season, a 14-12 heartbreaker against Franklin & Marshall. The win marked the first win F&M recorded against Hopkins since 2007 and brought the Jays’ 22 regular season winning streak to a close, as they were unable to build a lead against a tough F&M team. The win also snapped Hopkins' impressive 20-game Centennial Conference winning streak. Heading into the weekend, the Blue Jays were ranked ninth in the nation among Division III football, making this loss one of the biggest upsets of the season.
The 24th-ranked Blue Jays women’s soccer team stormed past Swarthmore in the Centennial Conference semifinal matchup 3-1 on Saturday, on the strength of two goals by junior Christina Convey and a goal by sophomore Hannah Kronick.
The question every hockey fan wants answered: will there be an NHL season this year? My take: no. Want to know why? Because, well, we’ve seen this before.
After finishing up the regular season with a seven game win streak, the Hopkins women’s volleyball team entered the conference tournament primed to take on Swarthmore College. However, any hopes for a normal week of practice were erased after Hurricane Sandy rolled through the region. Even with the aftermath of the hurricane, The Jays knew they needed to come in ready to play.
