biggerpart - Elizabethtown College
Transcription
biggerpart - Elizabethtown College
THE WINNING TRADITION CONTINUES The Elizabethtown College Blue Jay Athletics program is highly-regarded nationwide for its long and storied history of success, both in athletic competition and academic excellence. What follows are the championships and distinctions garnered by Blue Jay athletic teams, athletes and coaches during the 2009–2010 academic year. CONFERENCE TEAM CHAMPIONS Men’s Cross Country – 10th in program history Women’s Cross Country – 3rd consecutive Women’s Tennis – 4th in last six years Women’s Lacrosse NCAA DIVISION III NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT PARTICIPATION Tyler Erdman, Wrestling, runner-up at 125 lbs. at the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships, two-time All-American Eric Reichert, Men’s Cross Country, All-American, finished 23rd out of 276 runners, NCAA Division III Championships Megan VanDenHengel, Women’s Cross Country, finished 100th out of 279 runners, NCAA Division III Championships Megan VanDenHengel, NCAA Division III Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Steeplechase qualifier, 18th in the Country; finished 12th Men’s Cross Country Team, finished 28th at NCAA Division III Championships Women’s Lacrosse, 2nd round (Sweet 16); IWLCA 18th Final National Ranking Women’s Tennis, 1st Round CONFERENCE INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS Tye Boyer, Wrestling, 149 lb. Champion, Metro Conference Evan Dearmitt, Mark Weber, Aaron Focht, Eric Reichert, Men’s Indoor Track & Field, 4x800 Meter Champions Wyatt Eaton, Men’s Indoor Track & Field, 200 Meter Champion Tyler Erdman, Wrestling, 125 lb. Champion, Metro Conference Aaron Focht, Kyle Grimm, Mark Weber, Russell Speiden, Men’s Indoor Track & Field, Distant Medley Relay Champions Kathryn Howser, Women’s Indoor Track & Field, 800 Meters Champion Kathryn Howser, Women’s Outdoor Track & Field, 800 Meters Champion Alena Marani, Flight 5 Singles Champion, MAC Women’s Tennis Individual Championships Colby Miller, Men’s Indoor Track & Field, 5,000 Meter and 10,000 Meter Champion Kristi Noeker, Flight 6 Singles Champion, MAC Women’s Tennis Individual Championships Taryn Shank, Women’s Indoor Track & Field, 5,000 Meters Champion Taryn Shank, Women’s Outdoor Track & Field, 5,000 and 10,000 Meters Champion Megan VanDenHengel, Women’s Cross Country Champion (1st), MAC Championships Megan VanDenHengel, Women’s Outdoor Track & Field, Steeplechase Champion (new MAC record) Brandon Walters, Kyle Grimm, Chris Niles, Luke Rotenberger, Men’s Indoor Track & Field, 4x400 Meter Champions MIDDLE ATLANTIC CONFERENCE (MAC) SCHOLAR-ATHLETE Megan VanDenHengel, Women’s Cross Country FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE Manrique Arrea, Men’s Tennis Ryan Barrett, Baseball Amy Bunting, Women’s Soccer Allison Burkhardt, Women’s Tennis Katie Caprinolo, Women’s Lacrosse Mike Church, Men’s Basketball Sarah Church, Softball Courtney Comstock, Softball Chris Day, Men’s Lacrosse Jon Day, Men’s Lacrosse Kayla Deats, Women’s Volleyball Julie Foster, Field Hockey Cameron Gettel, Men’s Soccer Taylor Helsel, Men’s Soccer Stephanie Kreis, Women’s Lacrosse Alexis Morris, Women’s Lacrosse Tony Pacella, Men’s Soccer Josh Riehl, Men’s Tennis Jess Russell, Women’s Tennis Caitlin Smith, Field Hockey Emily Swarr, Women’s Tennis Paige Tanner, Women’s Volleyball Aaron Weber, Men’s Lacrosse Laura Wingert, Women’s Soccer PLAYERS OF THE YEAR Stephanie Kreis, Women’s Lacrosse, MAC Player of the Year Colby Miller, Men’s Track & Field MAC, Athlete of the Year Megan VanDenHengel, Women’s Cross Country, MAC Runner of the Year Aaron Weber, Men’s Lacrosse, MAC Player of the Year CONFERENCE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR Tye Boyer, Wrestling, Co-Rookie of the Year Allison Burkhardt, Women’s Tennis Jenna Niedermayer, Women’s Indoor Track & Field CONFERENCE COACH OF THE YEAR Chris Straub, Men’s Cross Country, 8th time Brian Falk, Women’s Cross Country, 2nd straight year Eric Walker, Wrestling Dan Bechtold, Wrestling, Co-Assistant Coach of the Year Mike Faith, Women’s Lacrosse Matt Helsel, Women’s Tennis, 5th time MAC SPORTSMANSHIP AWARDS Meg Cassels, Women’s Lacrosse Sarah Church, Softball Rodney Francis, Baseball Bernadette Frawley, Women’s Track & Field Danielle Hopkins, Women’s Swimming Josh Houseal, Men’s Basketball Tim Katzaman, Men’s Indoor Track & Field Alena Marani, Women’s Tennis Shaun Martin, Men’s Swimming Luke Mitchell, Men’s Soccer Ellen Parr, Women’s Soccer Kaity Snyder, Women’s Basketball Brok Walker, Men’s Tennis REGIONAL AND NATIONAL HONORS Katie Caprinolo, Women’s Lacrosse, MVP, Middle Atlantic Conference Women’s Lacrosse Championships; IWLCA and women’s lacrosse.com third-team All-American; named to IWLCA North-South All-Star Game; one of 21 players named to the South Squad Katie Caprinolo, Sarah Cullinan and Alexis Morris, Women’s Lacrosse, Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association All-Metro Region First Team Selections Mike Church, Men’s Basketball, Second-Team All-Middle Atlantic Region Courtney Comstock, Softball, 3rd Team selection National Fast Pitch Coaches Association All-East Team Evan Dearmitt, Men’s Cross Country, All-Region performance finishing 23rd out of 350 runners (51 colleges) Kayla Deats, Women’s Volleyball, named to American Volleyball Coaches Association All-Mid-Atlantic Region Team Cameron Gettel, Men’s Soccer, 3rd Team, NSCAA All-Region Team Lindsay Palm, Women’s Volleyball Josh Riehl, Men’s Tennis Sam Heaps, Baseball, signed as a pitcher by the Normal CornBelters of the Independent Frontier League Taryn Shank, Women’s Cross Country Championships Taylor Helsel, Men’s Soccer, 3rd Team, NSCAA All-Region Team etownbluejays.com Stephanie Kreis, Women’s Lacrosse, named to IWLCA North-South All-Star Game; one of 21 players named to the South Squad Wrestling Team, ranked 20th in the latest Brute-Adidas National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division III Rankings Ryan McCafferty, Men’s Lacrosse, selected in the 6th round by the expansion Orlando Titans in the annual National Lacrosse League TEAM ACADEMIC DISTINCTIONS 112 Players with GPAs of 3.2 or higher in three sport seasons Elly McCarthy, Softball, 1st Team selection, National Fast Pitch Coaches Association All-East Team Fall Academic Honor Roll 41 Players with GPAs of 3.2 or higher Field Hockey – 11 Men’s Cross Country – 7 Men’s Soccer – 4 Women’s Cross Country – 8 Women’s Soccer – 6 Women’s Volleyball – 5 Alexis Morris, Women’s Lacrosse, IWLCA 3rd Team All-American, and women’s lacrosse.com All-Rookie Squad Tony Pacella, Men’s Soccer, 3rd Team, NSCAA All-Region Team Eric Reichert, Men’s Cross Country, All-Region performance finishing 4th out of 350 runners (51 colleges) Winter Academic Honor Roll 30 Players with GPAs of 3.2 or higher Men’s Basketball – 5 Men’s Indoor Track & Field – 10 Men’s Swimming – 2 Women’s Basketball – 6 Women’s Indoor Track & Field – 7 Jess Russell, Women’s Tennis, Co-MVP, Commonwealth Conference Women’s Tennis Championships Taryn Shank, Women’s Cross Country, All-Region performance finishing 19th out of 350 runners (53 schools) Emily Swarr, Women’s Tennis, Co-MVP, Commonwealth Conference Women’s Tennis Championships Spring Academic Honor Roll 41 Players with GPAs of 3.2 or higher Baseball – 2 Men’s Lacrosse – 6 Men’s Tennis – 3 Men’s Track & Field – 11 Softball – 4 Women’s Lacrosse – 5 Women’s Tennis – 2 Women’s Track & Field – 8 Megan VanDenHengel, Women’s Cross Country, All-Region performance finishing 8th out of 350 runners (53 schools) Aaron Weber, Men’s Lacrosse, Honorable Mention Division III All-American and USILA Scholar All-American Men’s Cross Country Team, 5th place finish at NCAA Division III Mideast Regional Championships out of 51 colleges and universities UNITED STATES INTERCOLLEGIATE LACROSSE ASSOCIATION (USILA) Aaron Weber, Scholar All-American Women’s Cross Country Team, 6th place finish at NCAA Division III Mideast Regional Championships out of 53 colleges and universities OTHER NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS Megan Byrnes, Women’s Lacrosse, 200 career points (3rd player in school history) Katie Caprinolo, Women’s Lacrosse, 100 career points (6th player in school history) Mike Church, Men’s Basketball, 1,000 points (29th with 1,068 pts) Sarah Church, Softball, 100 career hits (13th player in school history) Stephanie Kreis, Women’s Lacrosse, 200 career points (4th player in school history), 100 career points this season, (2nd player in school history) Emily Swarr, Women’s Tennis, 100 combined singles/doubles wins (5th player in school history) Paige Tanner, Women’s Softball, 100 career hits (12th player in school history) Aaron Weber, Men’s Lacrosse, 200 career goals (1st player in school history) Brok Walker, Men’s Tennis, 100 combined singles/doubles wins (1st player in school history) Coach Mike Faith, Women’s Lacrosse, named as Head Coach for the South Squad in the annual IWLCA North-South All-Star Game Coach Bob Schlosser, Men’s Basketball, 300 wins Coach Cliff Smith, Baseball, 100 wins Blue Jay Athletics finished the year 125th (of 432 NCAA Division III Athletic Programs) in the 2009–2010 NACDA Director’s Cup Standings. (Ranking is based on a program’s success in NCAA Championships, six teams qualified) Elizabethtown College hosted the Division III National Golf Championships in partnership with Hershey Country Club East and the Links Course. Dear Student-Athlete: Elizabethtown College provides its students with one of the top NCAA Division III intercollegiate athletic programs in the country. Whether the student is an athlete competing on a varsity team or a fan in the stands, he or she is going to enjoy some of the finest Division III competition found anywhere. The Blue Jay athletics program is conducted within the principles and policies of the NCAA Division III philosophy: • We seek to maintain an environment in which a student’s athletic activities are conducted as an integral part of the student-athlete’s educational experience. • No athletically related financial aid is awarded. • Student-athletes are not treated differently from other members of the student body. Season after season, Blue Jay student-athletes demonstrate how to successfully combine academics and athletics. This past year, 112 Blue Jay student-athletes, having earned a 3.2 or higher cumulative grade point average, were named to the Conference Academic Team. Our student-athletes are achievers—they have proven that in and out of the classroom. We are very proud of our Blue Jays, past and present! Sincerely, Nancy J. Latimore Director of Athletics and Physical Education The Elizabethtown College baseball team has piled up nearly 1,100 victories since its inaugural season of 1930. The program has enjoyed consistent success over the years, winning 11 conference championships and making 10 appearances in the NCAA Division III playoffs since 1983. In addition, the Blue Jays have appeared in the Commonwealth Conference playoffs every year since 1999 with four tournament wins and four runner-up finishes. Nine former Elizabethtown players have been selected in the Major League Baseball draft since its inception in 1965. The Blue Jays play their home games at Kevin Scott Boyd Stadium, completed in 2004 and named for the late former Elizabethtown first baseman (1996–98). The fully-enclosed field features a three-section seating area behind home plate, a press box, dugouts, a full scoreboard in right field and a batting cage. 2 etownbluejays.com Since 1979, the Elizabethtown College softball team has annually faced off with many of the top programs in the region and the country. The Blue Jays have brought home 449 victories in 32 years of varsity competition, and made 11 appearances in the conference playoffs over that time. Blue Jay success came in the late 1980s, when the squad claimed back-to-back Middle Atlantic Conference championships in 1987 and 1988, and made the program’s lone trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament in 1988. In addition, the team has made playoff appearances five of the last nine years, and as runner-up in 2003 and 2008. Several players have been recognized as All-Region team members, including pitcher Tammy McDonald ’88 (1986, 1988), catcher Kim Hampson ’94 (1993, 1994) and outfielder Kelli Thon ’07 (2006, 2007). Elizabethtown’s softball field, called “The Nest,” opened in 2001 and features dugouts, a permanent outfield fence and an electronic scoreboard, along with bleacher seating for spectators down each foul line. 3 etownbluejays.com From modest beginnings, the Elizabethtown College men’s basketball program has evolved into a perennial championship contender during its 82 seasons of competition. The Blue Jays needed 35 years to claim their first conference title (in 1963–64), but over the last two decades the squad has used its trademark flex offense and aggressive defense to pile up wins and championships, including three straight Commonwealth Conference titles in 2002, 2003 and 2004. The 2001–02 team is unquestionably the best squad in program history, ranking as high as fourth in the country and winning the school’s first conference championship since 1979. The winning didn’t stop with the conference playoffs, as several heartstopping victories in the NCAA Division III tournament led the Blue Jays all the way to the national title game, where a second-half lead slipped away in a loss to Otterbein to leave Elizabethtown at 29–3 and as national runner-up. Since Bob Schlosser came on as head coach in 1990, the Blue Jays have won over 300 games and made 15 appearances in the conference playoffs. Schlosser has also coached 10 of the 30 players who scored over 1,000 points in a Blue Jay uniform. 4 etownbluejays.com Over 900 wins, two NCAA Division III championships and a host of All-Americans have allowed Elizabethtown College’s women’s basketball team to lay claim as one of the storied programs in the history of the sport. In 1999, the Blue Jays became the first NCAA women’s basketball program at any level to win 800 games, and the squad reached the 900-win plateau in 2007. In the 20th century, no women’s college basketball team won more games than Elizabethtown College. Overseeing the program’s success has been Yvonne “Yonnie” Kauffman, who completed her 40th season on the bench in 2009–10 with 659 victories, seven conference championships and five trips to the national championship game. The Blue Jays won the NCAA Division III title in 1982 and 1989 and finished as runner-up in 1983 and 1984. The Blue Jays have been distinguished with seven different players accumulating a total of 11 All-America honors. Page Lutz ’84 was a three-time All-American, the 1984 National Player of the Year and was named to the NCAA Division III 25th Anniversary Team in 2006. Sherri Kinsey ’84 was also a three-time All-American and Jane Meyer ’86 was also a National Player of the Year. 5 etownbluejays.com I n the rich history of Elizabeth- town College athletics, only one program has won eight consecutive conference championships—the men’s cross country team. From 1999 to 2006, the Blue Jays dominated the conference meet and excelled regionally and nationally as well. Over that same time frame, the team finished in the top six at the NCAA Mideast Regional meet each year—winning in 2002 and taking second in 1999, 2001 and 2004—and made four trips to the NCAA Division III championships (1999, 2001, 2002, 2004) with a top finish of 14th in 2001. Since 1999, 20 different Blue Jay runners have been recognized as All-Region a total of 35 times, highlighted by Dustin Scott ’03 who won the regional individual championship in 2002. Furthermore, 25 different runners have competed at the NCAA Division III 6 etownbluejays.com championships at least once, with four earning All-America status with finishes in the top 35. In 2009, the Blue Jays returned to the top of the conference by winning the 10th MAC title in program history, and used a fifthplace finish at the regional meet to earn an at-large berth to the NCAA Division III championships for the fifth time. The team finished 28th at NCAAS in 2009. Eric Reichert ’11 became Elizabethtown’s fourth All-American in cross country with a 23rd-place finish. In 2004, the program won its first Middle Atlantic Conference championship. The success would continue as the Blue Jays followed up with three straight championships from 2007 through 2009. The Blue Jays also excelled on the regional and national levels as well, placing in the top four at the Mideast Regional meet from 2004 through 2008, and claiming 18 All-Region performances over a seven-year span. The squad qualified for the NCAA Division III Championships in 2004, 2006 and 2007 with a best finish of 19th, and had a streak of seven straight years with at least one representative in nationals starting in 2003. A total of 12 different runners have been recognized as All-Region, including four-time honoree Tiffany Kulp ’09. Kulp is also the only Blue Jay to have competed at nationals four times, running with the team in 2004, 2006 and 2007 and finishing in the top half of the field as an individual in 2008. Erin Fisher ’08 and Melissa St. Clair ’05 each earned All-America honors for the Blue Jays, with Fisher finishing 15th in 2007 after winning both the MAC and Mideast Region championships. 7 etownbluejays.com Since being reactivated as a varsity sport in 1988 following a 10-year absence, the Elizabethtown College golf team has enjoyed consistent success. The success started immediately as Greg Millen ’88 finished second in the MAC and 25th at the NCAA Division III championships in 1988. In 1995, the Blue Jays claimed their first individual MAC champion as Ben Smith ’98 won the conference crown. Finally, in 2008, Elizabethtown took its first Commonwealth Conference team championship and qualified for the NCAA Division III tournament for the first time, then repeated the feat in 2009. In 2010, Elizabethtown College hosted the NCAA Division III Men’s Golf Championships at the Hershey Country Club East Course and the Hershey Links. 8 etownbluejays.com The courses, which play host to regular-season tournaments in the fall and spring for the Blue Jays, received rave reviews from the competitors, spectators and coaches, while the tournament itself came down to the final shot of the final hole to determine the team champion in one of the closest finishes in the tournament’s history. Year in and year out, the field hockey team faces off with the strongest programs in Division III and proves that it belongs among the best. The Blue Jays are annually ranked in the coaches’ Top 20 poll and have made the Commonwealth Conference playoffs in each of the last five years and eight times in the last 10 seasons. In addition, the 2006 squad made the program’s first NCAA Division III tournament appearance since 1988. Success has been an enduring legacy of the field hockey program, highlighted by the 1961 squad that won all eight of its games without allowing a single goal. The 1975 team was the first to win a Middle Atlantic Conference championship while the 1981 Blue Jays finished fourth in the inaugural NCAA Division III tournament. Former head coach Yonnie Kauffman guided the Blue Jays for 33 seasons (1967–1983, 1985–2000) and earned 346 career wins while coaching seven All-Americans and 13 All-Region players. The program’s most-recent All-American selection is defender Tiffany Vogel ’09, who was named in 2008. A total of 14 former players are also enshrined in the Ira R. Herr Athletic Hall of Fame, along with the undefeated 1961 team. 9 etownbluejays.com S ince achieving varsity status in 2002, the Blue Jay men’s lacrosse team quickly became a premier program in the Middle Atlantic Conference and is emerging as a regional contender as well. The program has had a winning record in conference play in every season but one and has made six appearances in the MAC semifinals in the last seven years. Head coach Terry Corcoran, who arrived at Elizabethtown in 2006 as one of the winningest coaches in NCAA Division III history, has guided the Blue Jays to four playoff appearances in the last five years. The 2010 squad reached new heights when it claimed the program’s first-ever regular season conference title with a 10–1 league record. National recognition has come for the Blue Jays as well, with Frankie Puzzangara ’07 and Aaron Weber ’10 each earning honorable mention All-America honors. On a team level, the Blue Jays have earned a pair of NCAA Division III Statistical Championships, leading the nation in man-down defense in 2007 and in scoring defense in 2009. 10 etownbluejays.com Celebrating its 10th season of varsity competition in 2011, the Elizabethtown College women’s lacrosse team has become the dominant program in the Middle Atlantic Conference and is firmly positioned as a national contender as well. Since the 2007 season, the Blue Jays have compiled a gaudy 56–17 overall record and a staggering 40–1 mark against regular-season MAC opponents. Elizabethtown has finished undefeated in conference play in three of the last four years, including a magical 2010 season when the Blue Jays capped off yet another perfect season in the MAC with the program’s first-ever conference tournament championship and NCAA Division III tournament berth. Along the way, several Blue Jay players have been recognized as the conference, regional and national levels. Katie Foley ’09 was a three-time All-Region honoree who became the program’s first All-American in 2009, while Katie Caprinolo ’10 also earned All-America status in 2010. Anna Ford ’09 received the highest academic honor in the sport when she was named the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association Division III Scholar-Athlete in 2009. 11 etownbluejays.com For over 50 years, the Elizabethtown College men’s soccer team has been among the top small-college programs in the country, and has been recognized as one of the top five winningest programs among all three divisions. Along the way, the Blue Jays have claimed a pair of national championships (1960, 1989) and boasted 32 All-American players. The Blue Jays enjoyed a streak of 56 consecutive seasons without a losing record, and have made 35 appearances in national playoffs in 68 seasons of action. Since 2000, the Blue Jays have appeared in seven Commonwealth Conference championship matches and made two appearances in the NCAA Division III Tournament (2004, 2006), despite a challenging schedule that includes an annual rivalry game with conference foe Messiah College along with contests against other top regional teams. Tradition runs deep at Elizabethtown College, starting with the roll call of former Blue Jay greats who are members of the school’s Ira R. Herr Athletic Hall of Fame. Many former players have also entered the coaching ranks at the collegiate and high school levels, most prominently Skip Roderick ‘74 who has coached the team since 1983 and amassed 436 victories over 27 seasons. 12 etownbluejays.com After achieving varsity status in 1988, it took just three seasons for the women’s soccer team to finish with a 13–1–1 record. After a series of winning seasons, the Blue Jays claimed their first MAC title in 1996 and advanced all the way to the NCAA Division III Final Four in 1997. Overall, the Blue Jays have won four conference championships and made six trips to the national playoffs. In the program’s 22-year history, the Blue Jays have reached double figures in victories 15 times and won nine games on four other occasions. The squad has appeared in postseason play in 13 of the last 14 years and boasts three All-Americans as well as 34 All-Region selections all-time. Overall, the Blue Jays have had 65 first-team All-Conference picks and six conference Player of the Year honorees, including five in a row from 1995 to 1999. Current head coach Bob Scotten ’78 has guided the Blue Jays to the conference playoffs in each of his first two seasons on the sidelines. 13 etownbluejays.com The Elizabethtown College men’s swimming program, founded by Coach John Tulley in 1964, has developed into a consistent winner, both academically and athletically. In 1993, the Blue Jays finished with a perfect 17–0 record, setting the school record for wins in a season and becoming Elizabethtown’s first undefeated winter sports team since 1935. Six Elizabethtown swimmers have earned All-American status, including four during the 1970 season as Robert Sahms, David Anstine, Donald Schaeberle and James Gingerich earned the honors. David Parry was Elizabethtown’s first All-American selection in diving, earning the honor at the 1986 NCAA Division III championships and qualifying for nationals three times. The Blue Jays broke onto the national scene again in 2000–01 when Casey Moore ’04 participated in three events 14 etownbluejays.com at the NCAA Division III men’s championships, earning All-American honors in the 200 yard freestyle. Moore also qualified for the NCAA Championships in 2002 and in 2003. Since 1994, the Blue Jays have had five David B. Eavenson Award winners as the outstanding swimmer at the MAC championships—Mike Schlotterbeck ’95 (1994 and 1995), Moore (2001 and 2003) and Chris Miller ’09 (2007). The Elizabethtown College women’s swimming team gained varsity status in 1964, and enjoyed several solid seasons including six straight winning records to close out the 1970s. In 1988, the Blue Jays embarked on a streak of nine straight winning records which culminated in back-to-back Middle Atlantic Conference championships in 1998 and 1999 following runnerup finishes in 1996 and 1997. In addition to winning conference championships, the Blue Jays moved front and center on the national stage as Jackie Zimmerman ’99 began a run of success unmatched in the history of Elizabethtown College athletics. During her four-year career, Zimmerman was an All-American in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke each year for a total of eight All-American awards. Zimmerman also won the prestigious David B. Eavenson Award as the outstanding swimmer at the Middle Atlantic Conference championships in both 1996 and 1997, while in 2009 Gretchen Geiger ’09 became the third Blue Jays to be honored with the award. 15 etownbluejays.com S ince 1947, Elizabethtown College has compiled over 400 victories and an overall winning record in the ensuing 64 seasons. From 1968 to 1988 the team amassed 136 victories, while current coach Matt Helsel ’07 has completed nine seasons and claimed 90 victories along with the 2005 Commonwealth Conference team championship. In recent years, Mike Bailey ’89 set the program record for singles wins with 43 and Brok Walker ’10 shattered it after posting a 62–33 record in four seasons. The 2005 team became the first conference championship squad in program history, and the Blue Jays followed up with runner-up finishes in 2007, 2009 and 2010. Wieger Moen became the first Blue Jay to earn a MAC singles championship in 1998, followed by Greg Voshell ’05 and Josh Miller ’05 in 2005. Each year the team travels to Hilton Head, South Carolina, for training and competition. 16 etownbluejays.com Twomen’s he Elizabethtown College tennis team has enjoyed a sustained period of excellence that has resulted in six consecutive trips to the Commonwealth Conference finals and four championships (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010). Head coach Matt Helsel ’07 has guided the Blue Jays to a 98–33 record in his eight seasons as head coach, including a perfect 14–0 record in 2004. The women’s tennis program, in existence since 1961, enjoyed great success between 1970 and 1983. During that span, the Blue Jays compiled a stellar 108–24 record and had four undefeated seasons in a span of five years from 1973 through 1977. After nearly winning the MAC title in 1983, the Blue Jays finally broke through in 1993 as Kathy Montgomery guided the squad to an 11–1 record. Elizabethtown captured its second MAC crown in 1995, and has added four Commonwealth Conference championships since 2004. The Blue Jays’ success over the years has carried over to the national level, as Beckie Donecker ’82, a three-time All-American, won the first NCAA Division III singles championship in 1982 and teamed with Jen Haifley ’81 for the AIAW doubles title in 1981. Elizabethtown has had nine MAC singles champions and won five doubles crowns since 1994, notably in 2005 when Heather Lander ’07 and Kristy Trimbey ’06 won their respective flight championships in singles then teamed to win a doubles title as well. The team has enjoyed regional rankings each of the last seven years. 17 etownbluejays.com Elizabethtown College added the sports of men’s track & field during the 1998–99 academic year. From humble beginnings the Blue Jays have won six indoor and four outdoor Middle Atlantic Conference team championships. Elizabethtown has also had eight All-America performances in indoor track & field and 11 in outdoor track & field, including the 2007 indoor national champions in the pole vault by five-time All-American Kevin Clark ’08. In addition to national success, the Blue Jays have had 171 All-MAC athletes in the cross country and track & field combined. Remarkably, five Elizabethtown athletes were honored as All-Conference all four years of their careers in BOTH indoor and outdoor track & field. The Blue Jays have one of the top outdoor track & field facilities in the Middle Atlantic Conference, featuring an eightlane European layout with 90-meter straightaways and 110-meter turns, while all field events are centrally located on the infield. The Blue Jays hosted the three-day MAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships in both 2007 and 2009. 18 etownbluejays.com S tarting in 1998–99, it did not take long for the Elizabethtown College women’s track & field program to enjoy national success. In 2004, Carrie Kerna ’04 became the first Blue Jay to earn All-America honors as she took second in the high hurdles at both the indoor and outdoor NCAA Division III championships. Melissa St. Clair ’05 joined Kerna as an All-American at the 2004 indoor championships in the 5,000 meters, and was national runner-up in the 10,000 meters at the outdoor championships later that year en route to becoming a four-time All-American. Since 1998, the Blue Jays have had 171 All-MAC athletes in the cross country and track & field combined. The team claimed its first MAC Championship at the 2006 indoor meet. The women’s team finished as high as 13th at the NCAA Division III championships. The Blue Jays have one of the top outdoor track & field facilities in the Middle Atlantic Conference, featuring an eightlane European layout with 90-meter straightaways and 110-meter turns, while all field events are centrally located on the infield. The Blue Jays hosted the three-day MAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships in both 2007 and 2009. 19 etownbluejays.com The Elizabethtown College wrestling program has come a long way in just a few short years. After winning just one match in a four-year span from 2001 to 2005, the Blue Jays have returned to the level of success the program enjoyed throughout its history. From its beginnings in 1954, the Blue Jays thrived under the leadership of Ken Ober, who guided the program from 1964 to 1993 and led the program to 14 top-five finishes at the Middle Atlantic Conference championships in 29 years, including the 1980 MAC title. During that time, the Blue Jays also had NCAA championship qualifiers in 21 different seasons. Twelve different Blue Jay wrestlers have earned All-America 20 etownbluejays.com status, led by Eric Mast ’77 who won the NCAA Division III championship at 118 pounds in 1974 and 1977. Justin Barbush ’96 (1995 and 1996) and current wrestler Tyler Erdman ’12 (2009 and 2010) were also two-time All-Americans at Elizabethtown. The 2007 squad claimed the program’s first conference postseason championship and finished with a stellar 32–7 record, while the 2008 and 2009 teams made appearances in the league title match to extend the Blue Jays’ run of finals appearances to four in a row. Head coach Randall Kreider has orchestrated the renaissance of the volleyball program, inheriting a team that had five straight seasons with a losing record and turning it into a winner in just two years. In eight years on the sidelines, Kreider has tallied 168 wins and coached a trio of All-Americans, including middle hitter Kelly Downs ’08 who set program records for kills (1,532) and blocks (585) and was named the national Academic All-American of the Year in volleyball for 2007. Prior to the program’s current run of success, the Blue Jays were a perennial MAC contender throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, making 11 appearances in the conference playoffs and earning a berth to the 1986 NCAA Division III tournament on the strength of a school-record 45 victories. etownbluejays.com Clubs and Intramural Sports Elizabethtown College offers a variety of club and intramural sports. Among the club sports available are ice hockey, men’s volleyball, ultimate Frisbee and triathlon. Students also participate in a variety of intramural activities including soccer, volleyball, flag football, basketball, racquetball, water polo, badminton and softball. Interested students may also participate on the Elizabethtown College cheerleading squad. The cheerleaders attend most home basketball games and selected road contests. Vibrant • 1,900 students • 200-acre campus • New academic buildings for business, sciences • Offer Honors Program and several honor societies • 20 NCAA Division III athletic teams, plus intramural and club sports • 85 percent of students live on campus • 80+ clubs and organizations Proud •Named to President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for fourth consecutive year • Recognized by the Princeton Review as one of the Best Colleges in the Northeast • Member of the Leadership Consortium for the Association of American Colleges and Universities’ national initiative “Core Commitments: Educating Students for Personal and Social Responsibility” • Graduates include Fulbright, Rhodes and Goldwater scholars Strong • 19 departments, 53 majors, 80+ minors/ concentrations • Core curriculum emphasizing the arts, humanities and sciences to develop interpersonal communication, writing, creative thinking, and decision-making and problem-solving skills • 123 full-time faculty • 99 percent of full-time faculty hold doctorate or terminal degree in field • 12:1 student/faculty ratio • 25 students in average class • Study abroad at 53 sites in more than 25 countries • Short-term study in China, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, Thailand and Vietnam • Washington semester opportunity ...be a bigger part of the world at Elizabethtown College Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania www.etown.edu 10/10