On May 15, the Washington University men’s tennis team captured its first national championship after defeating Emory University 5-3 in Lewiston, Maine. The Golden Eagles suffered their second consecutive loss in the championship match while Wash. U. won the title in its first appearance in the title match. The Bears also avenged a loss to Emory in the UAA Championships final on April 27.

“We realized when last season was over that we would have a chance at the national championship this year. We had everyone returning from a team that made a run to the Elite Eight and recruits that we knew would help the team.We knew we’d be competing at the end of the year,” junior Chris Hoeland said.

Wash. U. jumped out to an early lead after doubles play, as the 18th ranked doubles team of juniors Charlie Cutler and Chris Hoeland won at first doubles 8-4, overcoming a 0-4 deficit. Sophomore John Watts and junior Nirmal Choradia win by the same margin at second doubles. The freshman duo of Isaac Stein and Max Woods fell 5-8 at third doubles to give Wash. U. a 2-1 lead heading into singles play.

Stein started singles play nicely for the Red and Green with a 6-3, 6-2 win at sixth singles to give the Bears a 3-1 lead in the race to five. Emory then evened the match with a 3-6, 4-6 win over Woods at fourth singles and a 6-4, 6-3 win by No. 20 Michael Goodwin over top-ranked Watts at first singles.

Wash. U. stormed back to take a 4-3 lead after Hoeland captured fifth singles with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 come from behind win while second and third singles were still early in the final set.

Sophomore Danny Levy clinched the win for Wash. U. with a come from behind win at third singles, taking the match 4-6, 6-4, 7-5.

“After my match finished, before I could even shake my opponents hand, I got mobbed by all of my teammates who ran out onto the court into a huge pile, and we started the celebration. I don’t think any of us had ever been nearly that excited before for any reason, so it was one of the best experiences and feelings of our lives,” Levy said.

“I was just like ‘Oh my god, we won, we did it!’ I couldn’t believe it. I mean, I could, but it was just like finally, all of this hard work has paid off. It was amazing,” Hoeland added.

The march to the title match began on campus for the fifth ranked Bears, and the team easily defeated Grinnell College and DePauw University 5-1 and 6-0 to advance to the Elite Eight on the campus of Bates College. In the Elite Eight, the Red and Green defeated No. 6 Gustavus Adolphus College 5-0 before winning for the second time this season against second ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 5-1.

Despite the magnitude of the NCAA tournament, the team stayed relatively loose throughout.

“We all have a great time hanging out with each other, so staying loose wasn’t a problem in Maine. Yet, at the same time, we were all aware of the gravity of the moment, and come match time, everybody took their responsibilities very seriously, and we managed to compete with a great deal of focus every match,” co-captain Mark Partridge said.

Not only was the team ecstatic to win the title, but the entire Washington University community was thrilled to have taken down Emory, the school’s biggest rival, though tensions between the two universities have subsided in recent years.

“It truly does. And it goes beyond us [this team]. Emory has had our number since we joined the UAA Conference in the late 80s. They have won conference ever single year on the women’s side and all but once on the men. Countless WU affiliates have congratulated our team on not only winning NCAA’s but also taking down a program rich in tennis history. It has been awesome telling the non-fiction tale time and time again of our run to the NCAA tournament title to our WU tennis alumni that have called or e-mailed us,” Head Coach Roger Follmer said on defeating Emory.

“We wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. We have a strong rivalry with that team, and with our contentious history, it was great to win a national title over them,” Hoeland added.

The team concluded a dominant year by Washington University athletics, a year that saw the volleyball team win its ninth national title and the men’s basketball and tennis teams bring home their first national championships, also the first and second by a male team at Wash. U. These titles, as well as NCAA tournament berths by both soccer teams, the women’s basketball, softball, track and field and tennis teams and a strong showing by both swimming and diving teams at the NCAA Championships have thrust Wash. U. to the top of the Director’s Cup standings. Wash. U. scored 899 points to take second, which is the highest finish in school history.

Related posts:

1. We are the Champions! Men’s tennis takes title
2. Tennis fares well at conference finals
3. Sophomore wins national tennis title

The post season appearance of Washington University’s softball came to a screeching halt as DePauw University and Coe College shut them out.

The Red and Green (25-15) came into the NCAA Tournament after edging No.1 DePauw 1-0 in its regular season finale. The victory on a sunny day in May ended the Tiger’s 37-game winning streak.

Wash. U., the 2008 UAA Conference Champion, was given a low seed in the Midwest Regional. “Coming off of last year’s season, no one knew what to expect from this team who had lost such a big part of their line-up,” freshman pitcher Claire Voris said. “But, I think this little group of 13 really surprised some people.”

The Bears had another closely contested game against Tri State University in the first round. Junior Kerry Kreitman hit the game winning RBI to score senior Karli Stander in the top of the third. The Bears put together three straight singles and capitalized on a fielding error to win the game. Freshman Claire Voris excelled in the pitcher’s circle, striking out eight.

The double elimination tournament brought the Bears face to face with the Tigers of DePauw in the second game. The offense was unable to strike at crucial moments, and Wash. U. fell 5-0 despite stranding nine runners throughout the game. “We would get a lead off single or double almost every inning, but we couldn’t get those key hits to score runs,” co-captain and junior Lindsay Cavarra said.

DePauw struck fast with three runs in the second off a fielding error. The Tigers finished off the Bears with two doubles to score two runs in the fifth.

Wash. U. had one last chance to stay in the tournament, but Coe College prevented the Bear’s offensive machine from getting ignited. With only three hits, the Red and Green could not overcome Coe’s early lead. Coe started to pull away by taking advantage of two Wash. U. errors in the bottom of the second to score two. The Kohawks added another run in the third before putting the game out of reach with a four run sixth inning that spelled doom for the Bears. Wash. U. fell 7-0 to take sixth in the Midwest Regional.

For seniors Karli Stander, Kaylyn Eash, Amy Vukovich, Krista Swip and Laura D’Andrea, this was their last time on the field in their collegiate career. D’Andrea had a single in her last collegiate at bat, but the team was unable to rally in the seventh.

“This season was one of my favorites because of how close our team was, and it will be hard replacing our five graduating seniors,” Cavarra said.

Next year will see the return of eight veterans. “I look forward to what I know we will accomplish in the future,” Voris said. “The outcome this season will only serve as motivation for next year.”

Related posts:

1. Softball: Bears take down Tigers
2. Softball set for St. Louis Invitational
3. Softball takes second at Hy-Vee Invitational

Senior Zach Feinstein doesn’t fit the image of a professional NBA player, but he’s officially part of the 2008 National Basketball Association draft.

The 5-foot-8-inch, 130 pound, applied mathematics and systems engineering major wasn’t part of the 2008 Division III men’s basketball national championship team. Feinstein hasn’t even played organized basketball since third grade. But he filled out the appropriate forms and can be picked up by any NBA team, including the New York Knicks.

To be eligible, Feinstein needed to be at least 19 and one NBA season had to have passed since his high school graduation. The senior also had to express his desire to enter the draft in writing at least 60 days before the draft to the NBA. “All included, it probably cost me at most $10 to do all of this, and that is because I used Hi-Tec Copy to fax the forms,” Feinstein said.

Feinstein, who is the webmaster of Washington University’s Intramural Sports website, took the process one step further by creating a site that explains the draft process and provides his qualifications and stats. The most common reaction to the news is either laughter or disbelief. “My parents think it is hilarious,” Feinstein said. “They never expected me to be famous because of sports.”

Senior Dan Braunstein suggested that Zach declare for the draft in 2007. “I just happened to suggest it to the one person with the foresight and wherewithal to create a humorous website chronicling the process,” Braunstein said. “Add that to his blissful ignorance of what he was getting into, and you have the Internet sensation that was Zach Feinstein.”

Feinstein’s website, draftfeinstein.com, has been visited hundreds of times, and a Facebook group supporting his efforts has over 500 members. His key stats include “Assists: I work alone,” “Steal: Like a Times Square Rolex,” “BLK-WHTE,” “Game-got none and “Rebound: Only to get over Sarah.” According to Feinstein, the information was a group effort with several close friends who completed the statistics after much brainstorming.

“I can’t choose a favorite, but I have gotten the best reactions over the Rebounding statistic,” Feinstein said. “That is still too painful to talk about at this time, though if Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell) from the movie wants to give me a call, I would be all for that.”

Multiple media outlets including NBC Sports, the Saint Louis Post-Dispatch and ESPN.com have written about Feinstein’s story. “The attention and positive support that Zach has received has gone far beyond what we ever could have imagined,” Braunstein said. “In a way, I feel bad for the other fifteen kids who went through with declaring as an ‘unknown individual.’ To his credit, Zach and his website have made it seem like he was the only one.”

Feinstein boasts many skills including a vast knowledge of basketball trivia, a team oriented attitude and strong work ethic. Feinstein is also more than willing to take the minimum salary to aid a team’s salary cap.

“It’s been a long time coming,” second year law student and close friend Joel Volotzky said. “His mental game was always there, but I think he had doubts if his physical game could match up. What you’re seeing now is a complete player, ready to enter the league.”

Feinstein will be researching structural dynamics in China this summer when the draft occurs in Madison Square Garden on June 26. “If I get picked I would definitely go. I would happily be paid to sit on the bench for 82 games,” Feinstein said. “You can’t get better seats than that.”

Related posts:

1. And With the First Selection in this Year’s Draft, the Turf Slugs Take…
2. New rumors of a military draft have some concerned
3. Evidence of a 2005 draft

Colors: Red & Green

Division: NCAA Division III

Conference: UAA (University Athletic Association)

Varsity Sports: 15 (baseball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, cross country, football, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, softball, swimming & diving, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, track & field, volleyball and women’s golf)

NCAA National Championships: 15 (Volleyball (9), Women’s Basketball (4), Men’s Basketball (1), Men’s Tennis (1)

2007-2008 National Championships: 3 (Volleyball, Men’s Basketball, Men’s Tennis)

UAA Championships: 124

Club Sports: 32 (badminton, baseball, crew, cycling, equestrian, fencing, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse (M), lacrosse(W), racquetball, rock climbing, roller hockey, rugby (M), rugby (W), running, sailing, soccer (M), soccer (W), softball, table tennis, tae kwon do, tennis, ultimate Frisbee (M), ultimate Frisbee (W), volleyball (M), volleyball (W), water polo (M), water polo (W), wrestling (M))

Intramurals:Kickball, Field Goal Kicking, Ultimate Frisbee, Volleyball, Football, Soccer, Badminton, Tennis,Racquetball, Billiards, Card Night, Golf, Arm Wrestling, 3-Point Shooting, Table Tennis, Basketball, Water Polo, Swimming, Sports Trivia Bowl, Track & Field, Home Run Derby, Cross Country

Notable Fan/Support Groups: Red Alert, Cheerleading, Jive Dance Team, Phi Delta Theta Bomb Squad

Related posts:

1. SCF funding
2. Around the WU: This weekend in sports
3. Five years of sports milestones

There are several ways to become involved inÿIM sports. Freshmen floors often formÿco-ed teams-though make sure to sign up early for the more popular sports like ultimate Frisbee. Fraternities, which freshmen can join after a semester, participate in the hugely popular points league while sororities also have a league of their own. Friends also can easily establish their own teams.

IM sports have a very loyal following. Eliana Hurwich-Reiss, who graduated in 2008, participated in four different IM sports annually. “You get to meet new people and do something that you love with friends,” she said.

IM sports can be far more out of the box than soccer and flag football. They also feature unique events like innertube water polo, arm wrestling and euchre. Students can also be trained as officials for the various competitions, positions which generally either pay or contribute to points in the points league.

Club sports provide a different type of competitive atmosphere. Many teams compete on an intercollegiate level, against schools ranging from Division I to Division III. Some of the teams have particularly strong records. Men’s roller hockey makes regular appearances at nationals as does women’s volleyball.

The Sports Club Federation serves as the governing body for most of Wash. U.’s club sports. “One thing that I like about Wash. U. is that you do not have to be a varsity athlete to be an athlete,” SCF president Hannah Cowan said. “SCF is not only run of the mill sports likeÿbaseball, soccer and volleyball, but sports like rock climbing and sailing.”

Thereÿwill be an opportunity during orientation to learn all about the various club sports teams on campus. Sign up for as many as you think you might be interested in; many teams love toÿteach newcomers and the vast majorityÿdo not cut.

Recreational sports very much have their place at Wash. U. “IM sports are one of my fondest memories of Wash. U.,” Hurwich-Reiss said. “I wish I could play them out of college.”ÿÿÿ
ÿ

For more information about IM sports, go to http://intramuralsports.wustl.edu. For more information about club sports, go to http://scf.wustl.edu.

Related posts:

1. Sports Club Federation denied block funding in SU elections
2. IM sports: where the action’s at
3. Just the Facts About Wash. U. Sports

Though not as notorious as New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles, St. Louis is a sports city. With successful professional teams in three of the four major U.S. sports, St. Louis is a great city for the sport enthusiast to spend his or her college years. Here is what St. Louis has to offer aside from Washington University athletics.

Hockey

Though in the lower echelon of teams now, the St. Louis Blues have been around since 1967 and were competitors for the Stanley Cup throughout much of the eighties and nineties. Tickets are easily obtainable, even for games against Western Conference powerhouses.

Baseball

The St. Louis Cardinals are one of the original professional baseball teams, though they debuted as the St. Louis Stockings. The Cards are second only to the Yankees in World Series won with 10, the last coming in 2006.

Though the team has left the original Busch Stadium for a newer version of the namesake, the new stadium is still a sight to see.

More open than its predecessor, the new stadium offers all of the modern amenities and is still a great place to watch a baseball game.

The Cardinals also feature one of the best players in the game, Albert Pujols, a career .333 hitter who has hit as many as 49 home runs in a single season. Rick Ankiel, the pitcher turned outfielder and feel-good story of the past year and a half, also patrols center field for the Cardinals.

Though the fans are always loud, Cubs-Cardinals games carry added significance with the huge rivalry between the two teams.

Football

Though they only moved to St. Louis in 1995, the Rams are beloved by the city, though they are currently struggling to compete with the elite in the NFL. The team brought home its only Superbowl in 1999 with Kurt Warner as the quarterback.

Now the team is led by Marc Bulger, one of the best passers in the league. His main target, Tori Holt, is a sure-fire hall-of -famer whose speed makes every pass play exciting.

Even though the team is struggling, the Edwards Jones Dome is always packed since the Rams play only eight home games a year. They host the Superbowl Champion New York Giants in week two of the 2008 season, a game sure to be packed with excitement.

College Basketball

With the hiring to Rick Majerus to begin the 2007-2008 campaign, the Saint Louis University Billikens competed for the Atlantic 10 conference title for a good part of last season and promise to do the same this year. Majerus led Utah to the national championship game, as well as an Elite Eight and Sweet Sixteen appearance. A coach willing to speak his mind, his presence is felt wherever he goes.

The 2009 Women’s Final Four will be held in St. Louis, so for all of those UConn, Tennessee, Rutgers, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina and LSU fans, you will have a good chance to see your team compete for the title.

Related posts:

1. An insider’s guide to the St. Louis sports scene
2. In a St. Louis state of mind: Why St. Louis fans are the best in baseball
3. An insider’s guide to the St. Louis sports scene

Men’s soccer reached the Sectional Finals of the NCAA Division III Championship, ending the year as the sixth-ranked team nationally. The women advanced to the first round of the NCAA Division III Championship and also won the UAA title.

Women’s Cross Country won the UAA title and finished third in the NCAA Championships, placing six All-Americans in the process.

The basketball season brought high hopes, with both the men’s and women’s teams grabbing the top rankings in national polls. The men were forced to overcome the loss of junior point guard Sean Wallis for the season, but the team contended for the UAA title before falling to the University of Chicago. The team earned a bid to the NCAA tournament and defeated the College of Wooster and Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill., downed Buena Vista University and Millsaps College at home and won the national title in Salem, Va. with wins against Hope College and defending-champion Amherst College. The win against Amherst brought Wash. U. its first men’s national title.

The women overcame the loss of junior All-American Jaimie McFarlin by contending for the UAA title until a loss to Chicago in the final game of the season, and the team lost in the NCAA Regional Finals to DePauw University.

Indoor track captured the third national title of the year, as senior All-American Morgen Leonard-Fleckman won the pole vault with a height cleared of 3.86 meters. The women finished third at the NCAA Indoor Championships out of 67 teams.

While most sports at Wash. U. are team sports, individual efforts have been recognized. Of these individuals, the seniors have competed for the last time and deserve special mention.

Troy Ruths of the men’s basketball team won the Jostens Trophy and has been the ESPN the Magazine College Division Academic All-American of the Year for the past two seasons. Ruths was first team all UAA his final three seasons at Wash. U. and was UAA Player of the Year two seasons ago.

From the cross country and track teams, Tricia Frisella garnered All-America citations the past three seasons, as did teammates Tyler Mulkin and Leonard-Fleckman. Angela Hartman and Kate Pentak have been named All-Americans.

Elie Zenner has been first team all UAA for the past two seasons and was named to the ESPN the Magazine College Division Academic All-America Third Team. He and Onyekachi Okoroafor were named to the 2007 NCAA Division III All South-Central Region First Team.

Caroline Sear was named to the 2007 NCAA Division III All South-Central Region First Team.

Swimmer Meredith Nordbrock has been named an All-America 21 times before this season began, and she added to that total this winter. Classmate and diver Priya Srikanth also added to her All-America tally this season. Srikanth was also named UAA Diver of the Year this season.

Spencer was named the UAA’s Most Valuable Player her junior year and third team All-America.

What is your best memory of Wash. U. sports?

Nordbrock: My best memory would have to be the friends that I have made over the years. Athletes tend to create special bonds. We see each other everyday, whether it’s in the pool, on the field or just in passing in the AC.

Sear: Two of the best games I have ever been part of: our 4-0 win over Emory my junior year and our 3-0 win over Denison in the second round of NCAAs. Both were great wins and great memories from Francis Field.

Dave Working: My sophomore year, my parents came to watch us play in the NCAA Regionals, which we were hosting. I had spent the previous nine months recovering from reconstructive surgery on my throwing shoulder after being told after my senior year of high school I might not ever throw a baseball again. My mom had spent the previous five months battling breast cancer, and her doctor let her come watch us in between chemo cycles. To our surprise, I got in our first game as a defensive replacement, so my parents got to watch me play. My mom tells me that watching me take the field again, after what I had been through, helped give her strength to continue her own treatment. To have helped my mom fight cancer, even by doing something as small as playing baseball, is something I will never forget.

Frisella: My best memory of Wash. U. sports was when our women’s team made it to nationals in cross country this year, and the guys came to cheer us on dressed in flannel shirts with mullets, blacked out teeth and extremely short jean cut offs.

Mike Elliot: My greatest sports memory would have to have been watching the men’s basketball team win the national championship on television. It was amazing to see those guys pull it together on the big stage.

What has been your greatest athletic accomplishment?

Spencer: Winning the national championship.

Zenner: My greatest accomplishment was succeeding as a three year captain in changing the culture of the team and pushing everyone to get the most out of themselves. To go from where we were when I first became captain to making the Elite Eight and coming within a goal of the Final Four means the world to me. Going to the All-American convention was pretty sick too.

Nordbrock: This year at nationals, two of my times were under the previous year’s national records. While I do not hold the title in either event, I swam faster than I ever thought possible.

Okoroafor: Being named Third Team All-American.

How have you changed as a player?

Spencer: I’d like to think over my four years that I developed into a smarter, more consistent hitter and passer.

Working: I am much stronger mentally than I was before I came here. I used to be worried about stats.

Sear: I became a more mature player but still a somewhat emotional and competitive player. I understand the position of goalkeeper and how it impacts the game and a team.

Nordbrock: I have become more confident in my abilities. Knowing that you can achieve your goals is half the battle.

Elliot: I appreciate the sport more. I appreciate the hard work and discipline it takes to play Division III. It’s been a blessing to pour so much into something I love deeply, and I’ve come to appreciate football that much more.

How will being a student athlete here help you in the future?

Nordbrock: Being a student athlete forces you to learn to prioritize and find balance in your life.Plus, employers love it on a résumé!

Zenner: I have developed my leadership skills to the point where I feel comfortable leading a group through positive, but forceful encouragement. I also had tight-knit relationships with an awesome group of guys who will be life-long friends.

Spencer: Time management skills an athlete develops are probably one of the most important skills to have for the future.

What will you miss the most?

Working: I will miss traveling with my teammates. There are few moments where teams bond more closely than when we’re exhausted, filthy, full of terrible food and laughing our minds out because someone just read off a hilarious answer to a loaded question.

Zenner: I will miss too much to say in one quote but mostly just working hard with a group of guys that loved soccer and wanted to win. Being unified by a single goal can be pretty inspiring.

Frisella: My teammates and the feeling of shared accomplishment after races. Our team dinners at Center Court, 100 minute long runs, theme run Friday, Oak Knoll park, post-race singing in the showers, playing mafia on bus rides, team break downs, cheering for Tim Meahl, water polo and camp week, summer newsletters, coach’s wisdom, UAA meets… I’ll even miss 5 a.m. shake out runs on race day.

What has Wash. U. meant to you?

Zenner: It’s not always easy to have a lot of school spirit here, but I was part of a team that was trying to put Wash. U. on the map for soccer and reach some of the heights other teams were reaching, and that makes me proud. Overall, Wash. U. has been a great place to spend four years, and my heart will always be behind the soccer team. I want nothing more than to see them continue to excel.

Working: I tell my friends that, as weird as it sounds, my freshman year of college seems longer ago than my senior year of high school. The changes that I’ve made as a student, an athlete and a person have been so vast that I would barely recognize the kid who stepped onto campus in 2004.

Sear: My time at Wash. U. has been four of the best years of my life. I have made friends through the soccer program that will be some of my best friends for life.

What advice would you give to incoming freshman?

Nordbrock: Enjoy your time here because it will fly by! Take any and every opportunity that is presented to you and run with it. Try not to sweat the little stuff because in the grand scheme of things, it probably won’t matter. It’s easy to get caught up in work and suddenly find yourself graduating, so slow down, take a look around you and enjoy every moment of it!

Okoroafor: Keep an open mind.

Sear: Enjoy you time, and always be grateful for the time you have. Leave everything on the field, trust your teammates and coaches on and off the field, procrastinate and leave papers to the last minute because it builds character and friendships in the library, beat up on Emory and not just in the box score.

Working: Despite what people say, the world after college is not “The Real World.” It’s all the real world. It’s your life, you’re in control of it, and don’t ever let anyone else convince you otherwise.

Elliot: Don’t quit. Put in the time, and the rewards will pay off. You don’t have to be the biggest or the fastest or the strongest, but if you have the will to succeed, you absolutely can.

Zenner: Don’t get down if things don’t go perfectly right from the start. It is a long four years, and if you work hard, it will all be worth it. But you have to earn your success.

Frisella: Don’t forget to have fun and soak it up; it’ll be over before you know it.

Spencer: It’s going to be hard and you’re going to feel like you can’t possibly do both school and sports, but stick with it. It gets easier, I promise.

Related posts:

1. Senior athletes say goodbye to Wash. U.
2. Goodbye, Seniors: Senior athletes reflect on their time at Wash. U.
3. A final goodbye to senior fall athletes

Maggie Grabow (cross country) named UAA Player of the Year

Brad Duesing (football) named UAA Player of the Year

John Woock (football) named Academic All-American

Charlotte Felber (women’s soccer) named UAA Player of the Year and Academic All-American

Collen Winter (volleyball) named UAA Player of the Year

Winter, Kara Liefer and Megan Houck (volleyball) named All-Americans

2005

Kelly Manning (women’s basketball) named UAA Player of the Year

Manning and Hallie Hutchens (women’s basketball) named All-American

Alex Antilla, Michael Slavik, David Stein, Eric Triebe, Ross Virmir and Cory Zimmerman (men’s swimming) named All-Americans

Allie Boettger, Tina Deneweth, Katie Hodges, Brianna Krull, Meredith Nordbrock and Jenny Scott (women’s swimming) named All-Americans

Nordbrock named UAA Swimmer of the Year and Rookie of the Year

Natalie Badowski, Lauren Ehret, Grabow, Dorothy Gregg, Katelin Gruber,Beth Herdon, Hallie Hutchens, Michelle McCully and Danielle Wadlington (track and field) named All-Americans

Badowski named Academic All-American

Andy Shields (baseball) named UAA Rookie of the Year

Ryan Corning (baseball named Academic All-American

Laurel Sagartz (softball) named UAA Player of the Year

Sagartz, Liz Swary and Amy Vukovich named All-Americans

Swary named Academic All-American Player of the Year

Ari Rosenthal (men’s tennis) named All-American

Herndon (cross country) named UAA Player of the Year

Herdon and Tyler Mulkin (cross country) named All-Americans

Duesing named UAA Player of the Year

Duesing and Joe Rizzo named All-Americans

Houck, Whitney Smith, Haleigh Spencer and Emilie Walk named All-Americans

2006

Manning named UAA Player of the Year

Manning and Danielle Beehler (women’s basketball) named All-Americans

Shanna-Lei Dacanay (women’s basketball) named UAA Rookie of the Year

Tyler Nading (basketball) named UAA Rookie of the Year

Troy Ruths (basketball) named Academic All-American

Slavik and Triebe (men’s swimming) win national titles in the 50-meter freestyle and 200-meter freestyle respectively

Antilla, Geoff Hart-Cooper, Kevin Lecky, Slavik, Triebe, Virmir and Zimmerman (men’s swimming) named All-Americans

Deneweth, Kim Jenkins, Kelly Kono, Kelly MacArthur, Nordbrock, Scott and Priya Srikanth (women’s swimming) named All-Americans

Morgen Leonard-Fleckman, Delaina Martin, Greg Reindl, Dave Skiba, Cameron Williams and Karl Zelik (track and field) named All-Americans

Sagartz named UAA Player of the Year and All-American

Laura D’Andrea (softball) named Academic All-American

Charlier Cutler and Rosenthal (men’s tennis) named All-Americans

Rosenthal named UAA Player of the Year

Carrie Preston (women’s tennis) named All-American

Herdon (cross country) named UAA Player of the Year

Herdon and Tricia Frisella (cross country) named All-Americans

Drew Wethington (football) named UAA Player of the Year and All-American

MeghanMarie Fowler-Finn (women’s soccer) named UAA Player of the Year, National Player of the Year and Academic All-American

Spencer (volleyball) named UAA Player of the Year

Smith, Walk, Audra Janak and Nikki Morrison (volleyball) named All-Americans

2007

Aaron Thompson (basketball) named UAA Rookie of the Year

Ruths named UAA Player of the Year, Academic All-American Player of the Year, and All-American

Men’s basketball makes first ever Final Four appearance

Alex Beyer, Perry Bullock, Brian Kushner, Lecky and Virmir (men’s swimming) named All-Americans

Beyer (men’s swimming) named UAA Rookie of the Year

Marin Hawk, Hodges, Kono, Jessie Lodewyk, Nordbrock and Srikanth (women’s swimming) named All-Americans
Srikanth named UAA Diver of the Year

Alli Alberts and Martin (track and field) named All-Americans

Badowski named Academic All-American

Shields named All-American

Softball qualifies for first-ever College World Series, finishing second overall

Sagartz named UAA Player of the year and Academic All-American

Sagartz and Carter Malouf named All-Americans

Cutler named UAA Player of the Year

John Watts (men’s tennis) wins national singles title, UAA Rookie of the Year and national Rookie of the Year

Cutler, Watts and Chris Hoeland (men’s tennis) named All-Americans

Frisella, Mulkin and Kate Pentak (cross country) named All-Americans

Men’s soccer advances to the Elite Eight

Onyi Okoroafor (men’s soccer) named All-American

Caryn Rosoff (women’s soccer) named UAA Player of the Year and All-American

Morrison, Janak and Erin Albers (volleyball) named All-Americans

Volleyball head coach Rich Luenemann named National Coach of the Year

2008

Ruths named Academic All-American Player of the Year, National Player of the Year and Jostens Trophy recipient

Mark Edwards (basketball) named National Coach of the Year

Alex Hoover (basketball) named UAA Rookie of the Year

Michael Flanagan, Beyer, David Chao, Kushner, Leckey and Bullock (men’s swimming) named All-Americans

Kono, Lodewyk, Hodges, Srikanth, Nordbrock, Liz Caravati, Kristen Mann and Claire Henderson (women’s swimming) named All-Americans

Srikanth named UAA Diver of the Year

Leonard-Fleckman wins national championship in the pole vault

Leonard-Fleckman, Wadlington, Sangeeta Hardy, Kelli Blake, Erika Wade and Taryn Surtees (track and field) named All-Americans

Leonard-Fleckman and Wadlington (track and field) named UAA Players of the Year

Ben Harmon (track and field) named UAA Rookie of the Year

Women’s golf becomes an official varsity sport

Related posts:

1. Just the Facts About Wash. U. Sports
2. A year in Washington University sports
3. Sports update

Related posts:

1. Multimedia: Bears win Elite Eight Match
2. Multimedia: Bears defeat LaGrange, 33-10
3. Multimedia: Track and field’s Twilight Invitational

Washington University men’s tennis, ranked second in the nation, cruised to the UAA title match only to fall to seventh-ranked Emory University 2-6 in the championship match. The team ends the season at 16-4 while Emory is now 15-6. Emory recorded its 29th consecutive title, last falling to Brandeis University in 1989.

“I thought we fought hard all weekend long. There was maybe a bit of a let-down in doubles today versus Emory. We were broken in all first service games, and we never fully recovered from that at number two and three doubles,” Head Coach Roger Follmer said.

The Bears began the tournament Friday against the eight seed University of Rochester and did not lose a set. Doubles play concluded with 8-0 shutouts at second and third doubles by junior Trevis Bowman and sophomore John Watts at second doubles and the freshman tandem of Isaac Stein and Max Woods at third doubles.

Junior Charlie Cutler and Chris Hoeland won at first doubles 8-5. The pair is ranked third in Division III.

Watts, sophomore Danny Levy, Woods, Hoeland, Stein, and sophomore Corey Yealy all cruised to straight set singles wins to end the match.

The Saturday semifinal match put Wash. U. against No. 21 University of Chicago, a match that the Bears won 5-0. Cutler/Hoeland, Watts/Bowman and Stein/Woods won 8-4, 8-2 and 8-0, respectively, to give Wash. U. an early lead. Wins by Cutler and Woods at second and fourth singles clinched the match and ended play for the day.

In the other semifinal, Emory dispatched No. 16 Carnegie Mellon University 5-0.

In the championship match, Levy and Hoeland earned the only victories for the Red and Green, winning at third and fifth singles 6-3, 6-3 and 6-3, 6-2, respectively.

Watts, ranked the best player in Division III, forced a third set after winning a second set tiebreaker but lost the final set by one service break.

Cutler and Woods also forced third sets, with Woods losing the third 5-7 and Culter losing 2-6.

In doubles, Cutler and Hoeland lost 9-7 in the only close doubles match.

“[Emory] will be a contender again no doubt for a national title next month, being a runner-up or champion each of the past five years. We too can play at such a standard to be in the hunt with further work and support,” Follmer said.

The NCAA Division III men’s tennis championship is set to begin on May 2 with early round play. Wash. U. will learn its location and first round opponent Monday night.

Related posts:

1. We are the Champions! Men’s tennis takes title
2. Men’s tennis finishes second in conference
3. Men’s tennis sweeps weekend