Swimming and diving
The men's and women's swimming and diving teams both completed rewarding seasons this winter, culminating in a strong showing at nationals where the men finished ninth and the women eighth.
The men finished their regular season slate with a perfect 9-0 record, including the team's first head-to-head win over Williams College since 1998. The Ephs did get some revenge at the NESCAC Championship meet, as they took home first place, narrowly edging out the Jeffs by a score of 1624.5 to 1551.0. But Amherst would end up having the last laugh. At the Div. III National Championship meet hosted by Emory University, the Jeffs' ninth-place result was the best of any team in the NESCAC and Amherst's best showing since 1970; Williams finished a disappointing 17th. Mike Pohorylo '04 led the way for Amherst, taking second place in the 200-yard breaststroke at Nationals. By the end of his spring break weekend, Pohorylo was a four-time All-American.
The women's swimming and diving team finished the regular season with an 8-2 mark, losing to Williams and Middlebury College, and took third at the NESCAC Championships behind the same two schools. But it was at Nationals that the already successful women's swim team found its groove.
The women took home eighth place at Nationals despite the fact that only four swimmers-Jill Wyrick '05, Michelle McCreary '05, Morgan Bayer '03 and Rebecca Stein '05-managed to place. And while the Jeffs did finish behind the Ephs, they finished well ahead of the Panthers of Middlebury, a source of great satisfaction to the team.
Bayer took home third place in the 200-yard butterfly, breaking the school record in the process, while Wyrick broke a school record herself following her fourth-place 200-yard individual medley swim. Wyrick later broke the school record in the 100-yard breaststroke.
Men's basketball
Entering the 2002-03 campaign with all five starters and most of the key reserves returning from the previous year's Sweet 16 team, expectations were high for the men's basketball team. While the Jeffs did manage to reach the Elite Eight this season, equaling the best performance in team history, the year ended on the sour note as Amherst was ousted by archrival, and eventual national champion, Williams. The Jeffs ended the season with a record of 24-5.
Amherst earned a place in the Elite Eight by defeating the University of Rochester (a Final Four team in 2002) in the Sweet 16 by a score of 74-68. But Williams was simply too good for Amherst in the following game, the fourth meeting of the two schools in one season. While the first three games were close, the Ephs took advantage of their home court advantage and dominated the Jeffs. Williams shot an unbelievable 10-12 from three-point range in the second half and cruised to a 91-75 victory. This loss marked the end of the collegiate careers of the Class of 2003, headlined by Steve Zieja, Pat Fitzsimons and Ryan Faulkner. This trio is arguably the best to ever play for Amherst's storied basketball program. Earlier in the year, while playing against Bates College, Zieja became the school's all-time leading scorer.
Zieja was named NESCAC Player of the Year while Fitzsimons and Adam Harper '04 were named Second-Team All-NESCAC. Harper was named Defensive Player of the Year as well.
Amherst finished on top of the NESCAC in the regular season, but was unable to secure its third-straight NESCAC Tournament crown as the team lost to Williams in the championship game. Amherst can take some solace in the fact that it was the only team to ever defeat Williams all season.
Women's basketball
For the second consecutive season, the talented women's basketball team struggled in conference play and failed to make the NESCAC Tournament. The Jeffs started the season with an eight-game winning streak, but only managed to win four of their last 16 games. Amherst finished the year with a 2-7 mark in the NESCAC.
One bright spot came late in the season, as junior guard Shannon Russell surpassed the 1,000 point plateau. Russell once again led the NESCAC in three-point baskets made per game and was named Second-Team All-NESCAC in recognition of her solid season.
The best team performance of the year came when Amherst bested an excellent Tufts University team, 63-40. The stifling Jeff defense held the Jumbos, who entered the game with a 13-2 record, to a 17.2 percent shooting percentage from the field for the entire game. Russell led all scorers with 17 points.
Men's hockey
The men's hockey team may have had an uneven season this winter, but it showed flashes of brilliance over the course of the year and has established itself as a team to watch during the 2003-04 campaign.
Sophomore sensation Beau Kretzman led the Jeffs in scoring for the second consecutive year with 19 goals and 14 assists while linemates Scott Aldrich '05 and Steve Nelson '06 emerged as legitimate scoring threats in their own right.
Head Coach Jack Arena '83 seems to have found his goalie of the future, a freshman netminder Sean Lynch, who dazzled upon assuming the starting role midway through the season.
Although they finished the year with a 7-13-5 record overall, the Jeffs put the pieces together late in the year as they went on a six-game winning streak, which included an exhilarating 4-3 win over Williams and a 1-1 tie with national powerhouse Middlebury. The streak was snapped by the Colby White Mules in the last game of the regular season as Colby defeated Amherst 5-0.
Unfortunately, the Jeffs drew the White Mules in the opening round of the Tournament. This time, Colby defeated Amherst 11-0.
Kretzman was named First-Team All-NESCAC at the end of the season after being snubbed in his rookie campaign. Although the Jeffs have much to look forward to next year, they will undoubtedly miss the members of the Class of 2003, especially captain Erich Schram.
Women's hockey
Despite an overall record of 3-17-4, the women's hockey team advanced to the postseason for the second consecutive year, where it was beaten by perennial hockey power Middlebury 9-0. It is important to remember that for the last couple of years, the women's hockey team has been competing with a depleted squad. Only 18 players are on the roster, which, combined with the injury problems the Jeffs had this year, puts a heavy burden on the players. No two people responded to the challenge better than senior co-captains Heidi Alexander and Danielle Williams.
Alexander, a four-year starter in goal for the Jeffs, has been the anchor of Amherst's defense, compiling an amazing 2875 saves during her career. Williams, meanwhile, has been steering the offense for the past four years. This year, for the second time in her career, she led Amherst in scoring. These two seniors will be missed by their teammates as much as any two graduating athletes.
Amherst's most impressive win this year came at home against Colby. Not only did the White Mules enter the game as a .500 team in conference play, but the Jeffs were forced to play with only three defenders due to injuries. But Alexander and company bore down and were able to skate away with a 2-0 win.
Squash
After finishing a solid campaign last year as the 11th team in the country, the women's squash team managed similar success this season, ultimately winding up as the 12th best team in the country. Competing in the "B" Division (for teams ranked ninth through 16th nationally) at the Howe Cup Nationals at the end of the season, Amherst defeated Vassar College before losing close matches to NESCAC rivals Bates and Colby.
At the tournament, senior co-captain Susanna Burke was presented the Wetzel Award, an annual award given to a senior who began her career at the collegiate level, while exhibiting outstanding technical growth, understanding the rules of squash and positive on-court poise and demeanor.
Another high point of the season came when Ashley Harmeling '05 reached the finals of the "B" Division of the Women's College Squash Association Individual Championships.
The men's squash team managed to secure a national ranking of eleventh at their season ending tournament. Playing in the Hoehn Division (again, for teams ranked ninth through 16th nationally) of the College Squash Association Team Championships, the Jeffs topped Bowdoin College 5-4 in the opening round before losing the subsequent match against Williams. Amherst closed out the competition with a 6-3 win over Hobart College.
Indoor track
The highlight of the indoor track season was the success of the women's distance medley relay (DMR). The DMR team, featuring Kate Hamill '03, Carter Hamill '05, Lyndsey Scott '06 and Jessamyn Conell-Price '06, qualified for Nationals in its last opportunity and made the most of their trip to the NCAA Indoor Track Championships in Indiana by finishing in seventh place with a school-record time of 11:58.58. Carter Hamill also earned All-American honors on her own by finishing sixth in the 5000-meter, an event she won outright last year.
The men did not send any runners to Nationals this year, but should have a good group back next season led by long distance runners John Stanton-Geddes '04 and Mike Page '05.