In case you missed it: Post-spring semester sports recap

| Senior Sports Editor

Track and Field

In the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at St. Lawrence University, then-senior Lucy Cheadle’s third career individual national title headlined a historic day for the Washington University women’s track and field team. The Bears captured five top-three finishes on their way to a third-place finish at the meet, their highest in school history.

Cheadle’s victory in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (10:25.32) was her second consecutive victory in the event. Along with her first place finish in the 5,000-meter during the 2015 indoor season, Cheadle became the first runner in school history to capture three individual national titles.

Then-sophomore Daisy Ogede also earned a pair of individual second place finishes in the 100-meter (11.71) and the 200-meter (24.07), both setting school records. Ogede also contributed to a third-place finish in the 1,600-meter relay (3:50.72) by teaming up with then-junior Emily Warner and then-sophomores Kelli Hancock and Rebecca Ridderhoff.

Then-senior Melissa Gilkey rounded off the top performances for the women with a third-place finish in the javelin. Her toss of 44.58 meters broke her own school record by more than 30 centimeters.

At the same meet, the men’s track and field team enjoyed a pair of All-America finishes on their way to a tie for 33rd place. Then-senior Drew Padgett raced to a third-place finish in the 5,000-meter with a time of 14:16.83. This was his second straight third-place finish in the NCAA outdoor 5,000-meter. Then-junior Josh Clark earned his seventh-place finish in the 1,500-meter (3:51.84). With his All-American performance, Clark joined teammate Padgett (2013-2014) and Tim Julien (1999-2000) as the only male runners to earn All-American honors in cross country, indoor and outdoor track in the same season.

Golf

The Washington University golf team provided a fitting send-off for former head coach Sean Curtis, who guided the Bears to a third place finish in the NCAA women’s golf championships in his final season at the helm. This finish was the best in the Bears’ seven-year history. At the El Campeon Golf Course at the Mission Inn Resort & Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla., the Red and Green shot a combined 1,285, only four strokes behind second-place Wittenberg University.

The Bears were led by a fifth-place finish by then-senior Olivia Lugar, who shot 22-over par (73-79-75-83) and a 15th-place finish by then-junior Connie Zhou who shot 32-over par (82-79-79-80). Curtis stepped down from the head coaching position after the 2015 season to take over as the full-time director of intramurals.

Softball

After cruising through the regular season with a .717 winning percentage and earning a berth to the NCAA tournament, the Washington University softball team (33-13) could not advance past the Midwest Regional round, dropping straight games against DePauw University and

No. 6 Trine University at DePauw Tigers field by scores of 9-5 and 8-3 respectively.

The Tigers got to then-junior ace Annie Pitkin (20-7) early, tagging her for five earned runs in two and a third innings. The Bears were able to take advantage of four DePauw errors, scoring three unearned runs while then-sophomore Hannah Mehrle and then-freshman Hera Tang added RBI’s for the Red and Green. The loss sent them to an elimination game against Trine.

Against the Thunder, the Bears were shelled for eight runs (four earned) on four long balls. In the third inning, Trine was able to capitalize on two errors to score five runs in the frame against Pitkin who was chased out of the game in the third for the second straight day. The Bears made up some ground in the bottom of the inning on a two-run homer by then-senior Adrienne White scoring Tang, who reached on a fielder’s choice a batter earlier. The long ball was White’s 12th of the season breaking the single-season school record set by Jamie Kressel in 2005 and 2007.

Baseball

Fresh off a win in the first round of the NCAA Midwest regional at Copeland Park, the Washington University baseball team (34-16) took on No. 20 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. With a chance to take on Coe College in the winner’s bracket on the line, the Bears held a 6-5 lead heading into the top of the ninth. After six innings of scoreless relief, then-sophomore Brad Margolin surrendered a run, allowing the Eagles to pull even. In the top of the 13th, La Crosse tallied four hits and two runs to pull ahead for good.

Later that day, the Bears squared off against No. 3-ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in a season-ending 3-0 loss. The Bears were unable to provide the big hit against the Warhawks, leaving seven runners on base. Then-junior Julian Clarke (5-3) suffered the loss after he allowed three runs against the defending national champions.

In the first game of the tournament, the Bears rode a three-hit complete game shutout by then-sophomore pitcher Scott Nelson (8-0) to a 2-0 victory over Concordia University Chicago, who carried a perfect game into the sixth inning. Then-seniors Chris Lowery and Brian Cizek added RBI hits to provide all the cushion that Nelson needed.

The Bears 34-win season matches the school record set in 2006.

Tennis

After suffering a 5-2 defeat against No. 1 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in the NCAA tournament semifinals in Mason, Ohio, the No. 5 Washington University men’s tennis team (22-6) recovered to top No. 8 University of Chicago in the third-place match the next day. Then-senior Kevin Chu

contributed a pair of wins at No. 2 doubles with then-freshman Jason Haugen and No. 6 singles, while then-junior Josh Coga and then-senior Tyler Kratky won their fifth match of the NCAA tournament at No. 3 doubles. Chu finished his career with 116 wins, good enough for 14th in school history.

Then-sophomore Jeremy Bush and then-senior Ross Putterman also advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA doubles draw before falling to a team from national runner-up Middlebury College in three sets (6-7, 7-6, 6-2). Putterman ended his career as eighth in school history with 154 wins.

Putterman and then-sophomore John Carswell would also compete in the singles round of the NCAA individual championships. Both lost in the first round in two sets and three sets respectively.

Meanwhile, the No. 11 Wash. U. women’s tennis team (18-6) fell in the NCAA second round in a 5-4 heartbreaker against host No. 12 Sewanee. With the score knotted at 4-4 apiece, then-senior Hanna Newstadt split the first two sets and battled off a match point in her No. 5 singles match before the Tigers were able to snatch the victory.

After the Bears enjoyed a first round bye, they jumped out early against Sewanee, winning 2 of three doubles matches. Sewanee was able to knot the match at 4-4 by winning 3-2 in singles before securing the victory.

Then-sophomore Rebecca Ho competed in the NCAA Women’s Tennis Individual Championships where she lost in three sets in the singles round of 32. Ho would also team up with then-junior Jamie Silverberg to compete in the doubles draw. The duo would lose in straight sets.

All rankings are as of season end.

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