Last year the Jeffs entered and left the Howe Cup ranked 11th in the nation with the help of then senior co-captains Ashley Harmeling and Ali Gibbs. While these key players were the only losses to graduation, two other important players-junior Emily Zandy and more recently classmate Sarah Harper-were lost this season due to study abroad. These unfortunate losses have certainly contributed to the steady slide in national rank the Jeffs have experienced throughout the season. The Jeffs entered the final team tournament of the 2005-06 season ranked 17th.
The annual tournament hosts 29 teams divided into four divisions. As usual, the "A" Division was dominated by the Ivy League. Yale University took the title for the third-consecutive year, upsetting number-one seed Trinity College, 5-4. Harvard University took third place with Princeton University following at a close fourth. Bates College took the top of the "B" Division for ninth place, while Middlebury College, with whom the Jeffs have had two close 4-5 scrapes, took 14th.
Known as the Walker Cup, the "C" Division matched up the 17th through 24th ranked teams. The Jeffs, seeded 17th, started the tournament with the goal of defending their position at the top of the "C" Division. While climbing up the ladder was made impossible by the tournament's constraints, slipping down was a very real possibility for the Jeffs.
The Jeffs began play on Friday with a match against Wesleyan University. The two teams had competed at the Little Three Championships earlier this month, and the Jeffs had easily handled the Cardinals, 8-1.
This time, the results were nearly identical. Sophomore Di Kirkwood, the newly ordained number-six player for the Jeffs, had a close first game, 10-8. Fortunately, Kirkwood was able to pull through with a 9-1, 9-5 finish. Emily O'Brien '07, Libby Martin '08 and Abigail Mantica '07 were an unbeatable core playing at the two, three and four positions, respectively. Against their Cardinal opponents they did not allow more than five points in three games, with Martin and Mantica each sweeping a game and all three easily winning their matches. The Jeffs repeated their 8-1 victory, and entered the winner's bracket.
Franklin and Marshall College, who had defeated 21st-ranked Tufts University on Friday, was the Jeffs' competition on Saturday. Though she put up a tough fight, top player junior Caroline Shannon was unable to procure a game from her opponent, falling 9-4, 9-7, 10-8. O'Brien had a grueling match: After dropping her first two games 5-9, 2-9, it looked like she would share Shannon's fate. But O'Brien was able to turn the tables completely, taking the third game 9-5 and finishing off her opponent 9-2, 9-2. Unlike O'Brien, Kirkwood was able to take her first two matches 9-7, 9-6 but lost her third 6-9. Fortunately, she was able to hold off her opponent 9-3 in the fourth game to take her match. Senior co-captain Scotty Hanley was also able to add a win for the Jeffs, taking the first game in a close 10-8 and finishing 9-2, 9-5. The Jeffs squeaked their way into the final round of the Walker Cup by defeating Franklin and Marshall 5-4.
William Smith College-the Jeffs' final opponent-entered the Walker Cup ranked 18th, and defeated Mt. Holyoke College and Stanford University with ease. Another close match was contested in the number-one spot, as Shannon was able to win the first two games 9-4 before losing the third 9-5. The pivotal fourth game was Shannon's chance to close the deal, but it slipped through her hands 10-9, and she was unable to rebound, losing the final game 9-6. O'Brien, Martin and Mantica were all able to win their matches easily. O'Brien even blanked her opponent in the first game, and finished 9-6, 9-4. Mantica limited her opponent to three points or less in each of her three games, and Martin won 9-3, 9-5, 9-2.
However, these victories were not enough to propel Amherst to victory. Kirkwood battled after losing her first two games 1-9, 7-9 to win her third 9-7. Unfortunately, she was unable to sustain her momentum, and lost in the fourth 9-7. Playing at number seven, Hanley got off to a good start, 9-5, but proceeded to lose the subsequent three games 9-4, 9-3, 9-6. The Jeffs lost to William Smith 6-3, and ended the 2005-06 season ranked 18th in the nation.
"William Smith had a very deep roster which we may have been able to counter had we had our full team," said Mantica. "I'm still proud of the way our team competed."
The Jeffs will be playing in the CSA Individual Championships at Amherst this weekend to complete their season.