Spring Sports Preview | Brewers ready for success in upcoming spring seasons

Lillian Reuman Guest Writer

As the weather gets warmer, Vassar’s spring sports teams have taken their practices outside, where they are training hard in prepartion for their competitions this season. Most teams have played some preliminary games, but the real tests are still to come. For a full schedule of upcoming games, matches and regattas, visit the Vassar Athletics Web site (athletics.vassar.edu).

Women’s Tennis

After a successful fall season, the women’s tennis team looks to defend the Liberty League title for the seventh consecutive year and qualify for the National Collegiate Athletic Conference (NCAA) Championship this spring for the sixth time in the last seven years.

“Our team members are showing constant improvement; and it will be exciting to put this action into our competition,” said Head Coach Kathy Campbell.

During their spring training trip to California, the team upended three top-25 schools and lost only to No. 8 Pomona College. Next weekend the team will compete in the Seven Sister Tournament at Wellesley College, another title that they have consistently won.

Men’s Tennis

Having already made history this fall when a doubles team of freshmen became Wilson/ITA Northeast Champions, the men’s tennis team is looking equally impressive this spring.

Currently ranked 10th in the Northeast, the team traveled to Orlando, Fla. over spring break, where they improved their record to 8-2.

“The team’s doing really, really well,” said Head Coach Ki Kroll. “We’re continually improving as we look for a strong finish in the season.”

Track and Field

Spring 2008 marks the inaugural NCAA varsity season for the men’s and women’s track and field program. “Overall, we are a small team compared to our competitors,” said Head Coach James McCowan, “but we are setting our sights high and are looking to run fast in the events we can fill.”

Over spring break, the team traveled to Tucson, Ariz. to train at the University of Arizona and to compete in the University of Arizona Willie Williams Classic. The teams will next compete at the Trinity College Invitational this weekend.

Women’s Rugby

Finishing second in the Northeast region out of 103 collegiate programs last fall, the women’s rugby team has advanced to the USA Rugby National Championship round of 16. They will be play in Albuquerque, New Mexico April 18-20.

“This will be our third appearance at nationals in six years. I’m very excited for the players,” said Head Coach Tony Brown.

The women will begin their season with a home face-off against Cornell University on March 29. Although seven starting players are spending the spring semester abroad, the team remains optimistic and is excited about the returns of scrumhalf Marlo Messer ’08 and center Bridget Meade ’09 from abroad.

Men’s Rugby

Falling to defending Division II champion Middlebury College in the National Rugby Union Championship in their final game of their fall season, the men’s rugby team is looking to come through with some big wins this spring.

Head Coach Brown said the key to future success will be giving “up-and-coming players game time so that the Fall 2008 team gets playing time as a unit.”

The men’s spring season will include a visit to Brown University and a local game against Marist College.

Rowing

After intense training and double sessions in De Land, Fla. during spring break, the men and women’s rowing teams are looking to build team unity while developing a strong novice group that can eventually transition to Varsity.

Head Coach Rodney Mott hopes that the men will push to be stronger in their smaller boat and that the women will rank in the top 15 nationally. He acknowledged that the task would be a challenge with the “limited depth on this year’s squads.”

Key regattas for the teams will be the Liberty League Regatta on April 27 and the New York State Regatta on May 3-4.

Baseball

With a strong freshman class, vital team cheistry and some early season wins, the baseball team has already started their season off strong.

After their first five games, the team’s record is 3-2 and for the first time in four years is above .500 this early in the season. After winning their season opener against Swarthmore College, the team traveled to Aruba over spring break and returned to campus to defeat Baruch in both games last weekend.

“We’re definitely young, but I think there’s a lot of promise,” said Head Coach Jon Martin. “As long as our pitchers keep throwing strikes and getting outs we’ll have a good year.”

Men’s Lacrosse

As a developing team with a lot of promising young talent, the men’s lacrosse team looks forward to meeting greater success in this year’s spring season. “We’re much more physical and playing team lacrosse now,” said Head Coach Joe Proud. “We want to cross over and be a competitive team in our league.”

Over the break the team had a close 11-10 win over Fontbonne University before traveling to to Baltimore, Md. for a series of spring training games. The team will begin their league season with a game versus St. Lawrence University this weekend.

Women’s Lacrosse

After a season that was perhaps the most successful in the program’s history last spring, the women’s lacrosse team has begun this season on the same track, winning their first three games.

With the loss of two graduated seniors, Head Coach Judy Finerghty is looking to the five freshmen who have added speed and tenacity to the team. The team hopes to again qualify for the post-season play.

In qualifying for Liberty Leagues, “it would mean that we have an opportunity to compete for a shot at the NCAA tournament which is the ultimate prize in college sports,” said Finerghty.

Their first obstacle will be this weekend as they begin league play with a game against William Smith College.

Women’s Golf

Last spring the women’s golf team made history when, for the first time, they qualified for the NCAA tournament. Although they suffered a tough fall season because of injuries and players abroad, the team is on the upswing and ready for competition.

Over the spring break the team trained at the PGA Village at Port St. Lucie where they practiced daily and played a match against Mt. Holyoke College. The team will continue their spring season by hosting the Vassar Invitational in mid-April.

Additional Reporting by Elizabeth Pacheco, Senior Editor