One, two, skip a few, 99, 100

Kudos to Wes wrestling coach Drew Black, who earned his 100th career win in the red and black as the team flattened Coast Guard 33-9 on Sunday. Coach Black has been at Wesleyan since 1998 and led the team to a record 17 wins in 2001-02. He's also one of the nicest/coolest people I've ever met, and it's great to see him get the accolades he deserves.

It's also worth mentioning here that superstud 125-pounder/Fauver Frosh RA Dan Bloom '10 went 4-0 over the weekend, making him 25-1 on the year. Fellow stud Greg Hurd '10 won each of his four bouts at 174 pounds, raising his overall record to 25-2. Both are ranked 10th nationally in their respective weight classes. Well done, boys.

(Photo courtesy Brian Katten '79)

Physics won't help you with that

Happy 25th anniversary to the men's hockey team, which, on this day in 1974, defeated MIT 22-0 in good ol' Wesleyan Arena (as it was known at the time).

That's right. Not 2-0. Twenty-two to nothing.

Unfortunately, our records only go back to 1982, so I can't provide much information about that game. Obviously, though, the 22 goals is a team record that still stands today. That total ranks 4th on the Division III all-time list; Wes is also second on the list in goals scored in a shutout. Wes ran its record against MIT to 5-0-0 with that win, and the teams haven't met since.

Mmm...purple

Wes men's basketball, fresh off a 68-52 win against last year's NESCAC champion (Trinity), opens its home NESCAC schedule Friday night with a game against Williams. In lieu of some "rah-rah" nonsense, I'm just going to remind you what happened the last time Williams came to Silloway Gym...and the time before that...and the time before that...and the men's last home Little Three game. Be there.

Date: Friday, Jan. 23
Time: 7:30 PM
Place: Silloway Gym

Wish you were in Mexico?

Well, here's the next best thing. WeSquash (good one, Shona) is in the midst of a weeklong trip to Puerto Vallarta (through the 14th), and both teams have collaborated on a daily online trip log, including pictures. Check it out here.

VANQUISHED

...wow.

Entering tonight, Wes men's basketball had lost 16 in a row to Amherst (dating back to 2000-01) and 34 of its last 36 against the Lord Jeffs. Our new superstud head coach, Joe Reilly, came in 0-14 all-time against the 'Herst.

The Jeffs had made back-to-back appearances in the national title game--winning it all in '06-'07 but losing 90-69 to Washington-St. Louis last season--while Wes had gone 3-24 in NESCAC play over the past three seasons. How did we fare, you ask?

Wesleyan 72, Amherst 69.

Wes shot 51% as a team, including an 8-for-14 performance by hero Jeremy Kaminer '10. No doubt the most important of his 23 points were the last three, as he banked a 30-footer off the glass at the buzzer for the win. (Notably, he also hit a three at the buzzer to send last year's game against Eastern Connecticut into overtime.)

Wes trailed 38-34 at halftime but used a 22-5 run in the second to take a late 65-61 lead. Wes later led 69-64 with 30 seconds left, but Amherst tied it up with 6.7 remaining (helped in large part by a 3-man advantage), setting the stage for Kam's heroics. And for the conspiracy theorists out there, Wes has held its opponents to 69 points in its last two Little Three wins (80-69 at Williams in 2006-07 being the other).

The Lady Cards head up to LeFrak Mausoleum Gymnasium tomorrow for a 7:00 tip. Can they make it back-to-back? Stay tuned.

(Photo courtesy SteveMcLaughlinPhotography.com)

[EDIT] Finally got ahold of a video clip. See it here.

[/edit by Ben, 7:45 PM 1/7]

Communists vs. ... Fascists?

Whatever you want to call them, Amherst's men's hockey team comes to town this weekend in the second game of the season for both teams--and one of the season's biggest. For the underclassmen, the last time Amherst came to town was in the quarterfinals of the 2007 NESCAC Championship, when they took down Wes 2-0. You can read more about it here--and if reading that article doesn't provide enough incentive to go to the game, I don't know what does.

When Wes went to Amherst last season, there were 75 people at the game. Let's show Amherst how a real school supports its hockey team.

Date: Saturday, Nov. 22
Time: 3:00 PM
Place: Hockey rink (at Freeman)

Dethroned

Wes volleyball beat defending NESCAC champ Amherst 3-1 today--its second win over the Jeffs in as many meetings this season--to clinch the #2 seed in the NESCAC Championship, which begins next weekend. Wes also clinched a share of the Little Three title for the first time since 1992, when we won it outright, with the win. Wes takes on Bowdoin--which has lost its last 18 matches against the Cards--at Tufts on Friday. Whoo.

That's "fútbol" to you

Kudos to the women's soccer team, which clinched a spot in the NESCAC Championship for the first time in team history today. Wes will play at either Amherst or Williams in the first round on Nov. 2.

Wes has already reached its highest win total since 1997, when it went 6-7-1 for the second straight year (Wes is 6-5-1 in '08), and with games left at Eastern Conn. (Tuesday) and against Conn. Coll. (Halloween), the team looks like a solid bet to finish with a winning record for the first time since 1994 (12-4-1). Go Wes.

Liz Wheatley '09 Wins Wesleyan Invitational

Liz Wheatley '09 (right) came in first place at the Wesleyan Invitational last weekend, finishing the 5-kilometer course in 19 minutes, 28 seconds and bringing the team to a third-place finish. She was also named the NESCAC Performer of the Week, according to the Boston Globe:

"She was a kid who came here never having run cross-country in high school," said Wesleyan coach John Crooke, explaining the uneventful first two years of Wheatley's career. "Then she had some physical ailments her junior year. But she had a breakout spring, running the 1,500 and 3,000, so I expected good things this fall."

The physical ailments: tendinitis of the knee and Lyme disease all but wiped out her cross-country season last fall.

"I ran just a few races," Wheatley said, "and my times were pretty horrible. My knee was sore and I was tired all the time and my energy was sapped. Then I got tested and the diagnosis was that I had Lyme disease. So I stopped running and rested with the expectation that I would be OK to run in the spring. Right now, I'm probably in the best shape physically I've been in a long time."

And that's just fine with Crooke, who feels, with a healthy Wheatley and junior Ravenna Neville, his cocaptains, he now has the one-two punch to lift Wesleyan into the hunt for conference and regional titles.

Congratulations Liz, and the rest of the team.

Boston Globe: Wheatley races to first in Wesleyan Invitational

Wesleyan Football in Boston Globe

Andrus Field (along with the Wesleyan Cardinals) is featured in an article about New England college football in the Boston Globe. Apparently Andrus is the oldest college football field still in use, and Wesleyan is the only team in college football to have been undefeated against the powerhouse of Michigan:

Andrus Field (1881), Wesleyan University

This field is what it is, the oldest gridiron in college football. Oops, there we go, channeling Patriots coach Bill Belichick, Class of 1975 and king of the cryptic answer. Belichick's ties to Wesleyan are strong; his daughter graduated from here last year. Eric Mangini, the New York Jets coach and a Belichick disciple turned adversary, was an All-New England defensive lineman for the Cardinals.

The shout "Go Birds!" rings out as the Wesleyan squad charges onto Andrus Field, which is in the heart of the original 1831 campus surrounded by stately College Row and the Olin Memorial Library, in the central Connecticut city of Middletown. Wesleyan is hosting Hamilton College, which despite its location in Clinton, N.Y., is also a member of the New England Small College Athletic Conference. Hamilton fans have strung a "Go Continentals" banner across their side of the field, and their cheers match those of the home side, until you reach the end of the field.

Here some Wesleyan student-athletes lounge on the terrace below the library. Their catcalls and critiques of the officiating are enhanced by a bullhorn they trade back and forth. Hamilton drives deep into Cardinals' territory as the third quarter ends, and as the teams walk to the other end, the guy with the horn goads Hamilton, "You better go to the other end!"

Once there, Wesleyan holds firm. A defender jars the ball loose on what appears a sure touchdown catch, another catch is ruled out of bounds, and a Hamilton field-goal try clangs off the right upright and bounces away.

The Cardinals' momentum is short-lived, as Hamilton quickly regains the ball and connects for a 55-yard touchdown and an eventual 17-7 victory.

Wesleyan can take solace in its standing as the lone school to have an undefeated record against Michigan. The Big Ten power has the most all-time victories in college football, but it has an 0-1 record against the Cardinals, a 14-6 loss in 1883. Obviously, Michigan has been ducking them ever since.

Boston Globe: Big Game on Campus

Wes Football Players Featured in Boston Globe

Lane Kirshe '10 (right) and Dan Hulyk '11 (below) were featured in a Boston Globe article about promising collegiate athletes in New England:

Junior Lane Kirshe of Franklin, a two-way threat in the offensive backfield, is competing for a starting role with the Wesleyan University football team...

"Lane played quite a bit for us as the season progressed last year, and he wound up splitting starting time at tailback. He really looked good on a couple of screen passes and he's a solid blocker with no holes in his game," said Wesleyan coach Frank Hauser.

Kirshe's teammates include sophomore Dan Hulyk, a linebacker and former Milford High captain who played offensive and defensive line and linebacker in high school.

"Dan's a tough kid who worked hard and went through a learning experience as a freshman," Hauser said. "We're looking for him to step up because he showed a good run to the football at inside linebacker and he's adapting to pass coverages."

Boston Globe: Going the distance

GO WES!

Two Wes athletics-related announcements:

First, we're looking for people to do the commentary for the webcasts of the four home football games (Sept. 27 vs. Hamilton; Oct. 18 vs. Amherst; Oct. 25 vs. Bowdoin; and Nov. 8 vs. Trinity). We want one person to do the play-by-play and one to do color commentary. The pay is $25 per game. If you interested, contact Brian Katten '79, our Sports Information Director (bkatten@wes).

Also, the first athletics contest of the school year takes place tomorrow (Friday) night when the volleyball team hosts Williams. They somehow managed to beat us twice last season, so trust me when I say Wes is out for revenge this year. The match starts at 8:00 PM in Silloway Gym (at Freeman). Go Wes.

Run, Forrest, run!

Amby Burfoot '68, arguably the greatest runner in Wesleyan cross country/track history, was inducted into the National Distance Running Hall of Fame in Utica on July 12th. Burfoot, who was one of three 2008 inductees, won the Boston Marathon his senior year at Wes--the first collegian ever to win the Marathon and the first American to win since 1957. In all, he finished the Beantown race 15 times.

Burfoot is currently executive editor of Runner's World magazine; his most recent racing action came last Thanksgiving, when he finished first in the men's 60-69 age group (289th overall) at the Manchester (Conn.) Road Race, an event he has won nine times.

In light of the recent running-related alumni news, methinks it's time for some Pink Floyd...(lyrics begin around 2:27, for the uninformed).



Link: National Distance Running Hall of Fame Announces the Induction Class of 2008
Link: Manchester Road Race Results - 2007

Wes in Sports Illustrated

Bill Rodgers '70 , part of the inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame class, is the subject of an article in this week's Sports Illustrated as part of its annual "Where Are They Now?" feature. Rodgers, whose claim to fame is being the first man to win both the New York and Boston marathons in the same year (a feat he accomplished in 1978 and 1979; he's still the only person to do so twice), was diagnosed with prostate cancer last December but has made a full recovery. The article focuses primarily on his racing career; interestingly, though, there's no mention of Wes.

Full text of the article here.

Newsletter Digest

• Ellen Davis '07 named CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine third-team Academic All-American.

• Wesleyan Without Borders updates from Peru.

• Photos from inside Usdanistan.
  

• Long Lane Farm volunteers featured in the Mtown Press.

Yay Team!

All-around super dude Sam Grover '08 won the New England Division III championship yesterday in the triple jump, besting his team record by almost a foot with a jump of 48'4". Right now he is ranked second in the country in Division III. Yay Sam!

And Marcia Whitehead '08 did in fact beat that all-time hits record previously held by Debra-Ellen Glickstein '01 with 122 hits. But as a junior, she's got another season to add to the record! Go Marcia!

Baseball? OK!

From the CampusCam.

Get Broomballed

The last scheduled Broomball event of the year is going down tonight, 10-11:30pm on the rink at Freeman. First timers are welcome and as always participants must wear clean shoes with no salt on the soles. You know what happens when you put salt on ice.

Think broomball is weaksauce? Try this tidbit from the Wikipedia article on Broomball on for size:

"Recent research indicates that a sport known as knattleikr was played in Iceland in the 18th century that was similar to broomball. The sport was almost considered warfare, with the occasional death not uncommon, and games could involve whole villages and lasted up to fourteen days"

Convinced? Then go. Or join the US Broomball Association. Or get some obscene broomball equipment. Or something.

Date: Sunday, February 25th
Time: 10:00pm - 11:30pm
Location: Freeman Spurrier-Snyder Rink (no salt on shoes)

OMG, like, there are other machines besides the elliptical?!

If you're anything like me, you might be intimidated to venture across the invisible boy/girl line at Freeman that cuts across the cardio machines on one side and the weight machines on the other. It's a phenomenon that prompts dozens of girls upon hearing about it to scream at you and say "NO! THAT'S NOT TRUE BECAUSE I LIFT WEIGHTS!"

Yeah. Ok, clear that out of the way. Yes, you lift weights. Congratulations.

Anyway, Wesleyan Wrestling coach Drew Black wants to encourage everyone at Wesleyan to use the facilities to their full capacity. He made a site that will show you how to use every machine in the gym and also what muscles it works.

“This new site is for the entire Wesleyan community,” Black says. “Our fitness center is one of the most used facilities on campus and I want everyone to have a tool and resource they can turn to for information on how to reach their strength and fitness goals whether you are a varsity athlete, a recreational athlete, a lifetime fitness enthusiast, or someone who is recovering from an injury.”

It might be a useful resource in breaking down the invisible wall.