Athletics News

Swarthmore men's soccer has been brought back to life by sixth-year head coach Eric Wagner and the current senior class-owners of a 36-18-6 record with three CC playoff appearances and ECAC Tournament berths. Visitors to Clothier Field find out the hard way just what makes Wagner's squads so successful (Swarthmore is 24-5-5 at home in the last three years). His intensity and attention to detail are evident in the players' challenge for every pass and free ball. The Swarthmore soccer players are intellectually gifted by nature and Wagner parlays that rare double into a team that commits few errors in front of the net. The 2007 Garnet are deep in numbers and talent at each position, giving Wagner the ability to pressure opponents with the fresh legs of a hungry team.

All-Region back Brenday Grady leads the Swarthmore defense.

The Swarthmore backline is led by senior captain Brendan Grady (San Jose, Calif. / Bellarmine College Prep), an All-Region selection in 2006, juniors Jeff Kushner (Norristown, Pa. / Methacton) and Rory Stackpole (Sanford, Maine / Sanford). Grady brings tactical speed and keen anticipation to surprise many a Centennial forward who ventures into the Garnet box. Kushner is the stout front among the defenders, continuing the hard-nosed tradition laid by 2005 All-Region center back Alex Elkins '06 (the first-year captain also tallied his first career goal vs. McDaniel in 2006). Stackpole has made 13 starts in two seasons on the outside and junior Christopher Szeto (Chapel Hill, N.C. / East Chapel Hill), looks to continue his successful transition after playing the majority of his career in the midfield. Look for senior Darren Johnson (Lexington, Va. / Rockbridge County) to also play a bigger role in the defensive scheme in 2007.

Senior Ryan Sutcliffe (Milford, Del. / Milford) will get several starts between the goal posts after registering a 0.59 save percentage (among the best in school history) last season. Sutcliffe, in his first year as the starter, recorded six shutouts and was honored as the Centennial Conference Player of the Week on Sept. 5. Nipping at Sutcliffe's heels is local product Zach Weimar '10 (Rutledge, Pa. / Friends Central), who appeared in 10 games (three starts) last season.

The Garnet midfield is bursting with talent in 2007, led by seniors Pat Christmas (Chapel Hill, N.C. / East Chapel Hill), J.P. Faunes (Austin, Tex. / LBJ), Michael Bonesteel (Clifton Park, N.Y. / LaSalle Institute) and Andrew Macurdy (Lumberton, N.J. / Rancocas Valley). Christmas has worn the captain's armband each of the last two years, starting every game in his three-year career (60 total). Following the 2006 season, the three-time captain was an All-Region selection and became just the second Swarthmore player named first-team All-Centennial (Christmas was Honorable Mention in 2005). Faunes is a top set-up man for Swarthmore, having accumulated six assists in the past two seasons while Macurdy brings strong ball handling skills to the midfield. Bonesteel's nose for the ball (team-high 14 goals in three seasons) gives Wagner the option of playing the New York-native on the outside or up top. Bonesteel, the Centennial Conference Player of the Week on Oct. 30, will be joined by speedsters Evan Nesterak '09 (Parker, Colo. / Ponderosa)   and Dylan Langley '10 (Honolulu, Hawaii / Iolani School).

The big question surrounding the 2007 Garnet is their ability to put the ball in the net. It's been 12 years since a Swarthmore male scored 10 goals in a single season-the last was David Lane '97 who notched 10 scores in 1995. The top scoring threat amongst the stable of Garnet forwards is junior forward Yoi Tibbetts (Sandwich, Mass. / Sandwich). Tibbets broke out in 2006, tying with classmate Stu Leon (Wrentham, Mass. / King Philip Regional) for the team-lead in goals (five) and points (11), notching a career-high five goals on just 19 shots. Leon, an All-Centennial honorable mention selection in 2006, made 16 starts, tallying three game-winners, including the deciding score with 45 seconds left in overtime to give Swarthmore a 1-0 win over Eastern in the Garnet Classic on Sept. 5 - Leon was named All-Tournament for the second straight year.

Stu Leon '09 has scored a team-best 11 goals the past two seasons.

Another junior, Ladulé Lako Lo Sarah (Davis, Calif. / Claremont), has shown flashes of offensive brilliance (team-high seven assists the last two seasons) and should continue to produce after a strong spring season. Sophomore Andrés Freire (Philadelphia, Pa. / Central) is one of the faster players on the roster, and after appearing in 17 games last year, provides Wagner with another pawn in the Swarthmore offensive attack.

The Garnet open up the 2007 schedule with the 10th-annual Garnet Alumni Classic, gracing the Clothier pitch on Sept. 1 at 7:00 p.m. against Delaware Valley. After facing the Merchant Marine Academy on Sept. 2, Swarthmore will be on the road for four matches, including a trip to Saratoga Springs, N.Y. where the team will take on Skidmore and Montclair State. A large test looms once the Garnet return to campus- nationally-ranked defending Centennial champion Johns Hopkins comes to campus for a 7:00 p.m. match on Sept. 15. Swarthmore's Centennial schedule sets up favorably in 2007 as the other two playoff teams from 2006, Gettysburg and Franklin & Marshall, will have to come to campus to meet the Garnet.

The Swarthmore women's soccer took the college soccer scene by surprise in 2006, making the biggest improvement in all of Division III. The Garnet ran off a nine-game swing while setting a school record for wins (15), winning a Centennial playoff game and ECAC game for the first time in program history. With all four All-Centennial players returning in 2007 and another talented first-year crop, third-year head coach Todd Anckaitis looks to continue the Swarthmore soccer resurgence with the school's first Centennial soccer title and a subsequent NCAA Tournament appearance.

The defense set the tone for Swarthmore women's soccer in 2006, putting together a scoreless streak of 417:56 at the season's onset and allowing just three goals in 11 games at home.

Lauren Walker '09 led the Centennial Conference in goals-against average in 2006.

The Garnet backline features red-headed bullet Cait Mullarkey '09 (Wilmington, Del. / Ursuline), a two-time first team All-Centennial selection and 2006 All-Region honoree. Mullarkey is arguably the top athlete in all of the Centennial Conference, capturing the gold in the indoor 800-meter race and a bronze in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the CC Outdoor Championship.

If you are lucky enough to get past Mullarkey, the challenge now becomes of getting a ball past junior goalkeeper Lauren Walker (Fallston, Mary. / The Hotchkiss School), another talented multi-sport Swarthmore athlete (two-year starter in centerfield for the softball program). Walker put together a 385:17 scoreless streak of her own in 2006, sandwiching three shutouts around a mid-season hand injury. Walker finished the 2006 season with the top goals-against average (0.326) in the conference with -13th in all of Division III - and was second with six shutouts.  Additionally, she ranked 25th in the country and led the conference with a save percentage of .893.  For her efforts, Walker was named Centennial Conference Defensive Player of the Week and E.C.A.C. Goalkeeper of the Week on Sept. 15 and was an All-CC Honorable Mention selection at the conclusion of the season. Senior Kristen Traband (Swarthmore, Pa. / Ridley), a two-year team captain and member of the Swarthmore basketball team, brings valuable leadership to the Garnet while serving as a backup to Walker. Sophomore Eileen Earl (Redmond, Wash. / Inglemoor) was a steady defender as a freshman, starting all 21 games, and should provide a calm presence as the Garnet turn to a collection of promising freshmen to help overcome the loss of two-year starting center back Alexa Bensimohn (Allentown, Pa. / Moravian) to a knee injury.

Every so often an athlete makes a dramatic splash, days after unpacking their life at a college dorm. Garnet sophomore forward Katie Kanuka (Oakville, Ontario, Canada / Holy Trinity Catholic) was making residence in a new country in 2006, let alone the life-changing experience of enrolling in college. Kanuka's first-year fireworks electrified the muggy fall nights at Clothier Field, leading the Centennial Conference in points (35), goals (17) and game-winning scores (nine), earning first-team All-Centennial and third-team All Mid-East Region. The goals came at the most opportune time and the Swarthmore fans had one of those feelings - almost like anticipating the World War II air horn firewarning known to wake the dead ghosts in the Crum - that Kanuka needed just one opportunity and she would cash in. Senior captain Danielle Tocchet (West Point, N.Y. / James I. O'Neill) is another viable scoring threat for Swarthmore (team-leading eight goals in 2005) using a knack for keeping defenders off the ball to finish up top.

Taylor Rhodes '10 (Redlands, Calif. / Redlands East Valley) is a valuable commodity for Anckaitis, providing the versatility to help on the attack or move back to aid the defense. Look for forwards Melinda Petre '08 (Clarksville, Mary. / Atholton) and Caitlin O'Neil '10 (Del Mar, Calif. / The Bishop's School) to provide depth on the frontline.

The Garnet midfield is a young, but talented group, led by sophomores Maggie DeLorme (Lusby, Mary. / Patuxent) and Julia Luongo (Tallahassee, Fla. / Leon). DeLorme (15 starts, five assists in 2006) is seemingly everywhere, showing a penchant for getting to balls in the air well before other players. DeLorme plays a fearless brand of soccer that drew the attention from the coaches in the Centennial, receiving Honorable Mention recognition. As good as DeLorme is in the air, Luongo matches that skill level on the ground. The ball attaches to her feet like Velcro, and combining with exemplary instincts and anticipation, allow her to create plenty of scoring chances for the fleet Garnet forwards. Luongo started 20 games during her freshman campaign, tying DeLorme for second on the team with five assists. Sophomores Monica Cody (Torrance, Calif. / Marymount) and Lizbeeth Lopez (Sacramento, Calif. / West Campus) will provide Anckaitis with many options in the midfield.

The 2007 Swarthmore slate is full of challenges, getting kicked off with the annual Swat Kick Classic on Sept. 1-2. The Garnet take to the pitch for the first time on Saturday, Sept. 1 at 12:00 p.m. against Catholic (Swarthmore has won 11 consecutive season-opening matches) and follow up the next day vs. Neumann at 12:00 p.m.. Nationally-renowned Grinnell visits Clothier Field on Sept. 7 and the Garnet open up the 2007 Centennial slate by hosting Dickinson on Sept. 15. The marquee game on the schedule takes place on October 3 when 2006 Centennial champion Johns Hopkins comes to campus for a re-match of the 2006 Centennial Championship.

Read Here for information on the 2011 class of Garnet soccer players.

Centennial Conference Pre-Season Poll

Team (1^st place votes)

1. Johns Hopkins (9)

2. Swarthmore (1)

3. Gettysburg

4. Muhlenberg

5. Ursinus (1)

6. Dickinson

7. Haverford

8. Franklin & Marshall

9. McDaniel

10. Bryn Mawr

11. Washington

Following the 2006 season with an overall record of 12-13, the Garnet look forward to returning the Centennial Conference playoffs with a strong core of veterans. Each member of the 2007 Swarthmore volleyball team will be asked to step up and fill the void left by the graduation of outside hitter Erica George '07. George left campus as the best volleyball player in school history, standing as the only Swarthmore player to earn All-Centennial three times while establishing school records for kills (1,151) and digs (1,477).

The Centennial coaches hold little hope for the Garnet in 2007, ranking the team seventh in the pre-season poll with 42 points. A clear-cut favorite is not evident though, defending Centennial champion Haverford was picked to repeat in 2007 with 94 points, but is followed closely by Franklin & Marshall (91 points) and Gettysburg (83).

Libero Erin Heaney '09 is on pace to break the school's digs mark.

Sixth-year head coach Harleigh Leach, who directed the Garnet to the 2005 Centennial Conference playoffs (the first in school history), thinks otherwise and will look to captains Katherine Gold '08 (Cherry Hill, N.J. / Cherry Hill East) and Erin Heaney '09 (Buffalo, N.Y. / City Honors) to lead this year's team. Gold, a middle blocker, totaled 154 kills and was second on the team with 0.79 blocks per game in 2006 (eighth in the Centennial). Heaney, the team's libero and vocal leader, is on pace to break George's dig record after collecting a career-high 414 digs last season (4.4 per game, good for top-10 in the Centennial).

Junior outside hitter Jen Wang (Palo Alto, Calif. / Henry Gunn) is the top returning offensive force for Swarthmore, having been named All-Centennial as a freshman in 2005.

Jen Wang '09 made All-Centennial as a freshman.

Wang led the team with 45 aces in 2006, finishing second in points (254), kills (191) and digs (325) and will become the focus of the offense now that George has departed. Sophomore Johanna Bond (Pittsford, N.Y. / Pittsford-Sutherland) provides a spark off the bench, having posted 70 kills and 147 digs in her first season.

Two returning seniors, Karen Berk (Havertown, Pa. / Haverford) and Vanessa Wells (Chicago, Ill. / Lincoln Park) should continue to bring a dominant force at the net for Swarthmore. Berk, a two-time All-Centennial basketball player, led the Conference in blocks (133) and blocks per game (1.45) last season, while listing third on the team with 170 kills. She will add to her school record for career blocks (349), climbing higher up the Centennial all-time rankings (currently tenth). Wells had a break-through season in 2006, using her impressive reach to total career-highs with 169 kills and 68 blocks.

Sophomore setter Kearney Bangs (Kingston, Wash. / North Kitsap) returns to run the offense after a freshman campaign where she finished fifth in the Centennial with 8.67 assists per game. Classmate Monica Joshi (Woodbridge, Va. / Washington International School) will provide added depth in the backcourt as a defensive specialist.

The Garnet begin the 2007 season in upstate New York at the Red Dragon Classic hosted by SUNY-Cortland on Aug. 31-Sept. 1. Swarthmore will host Marymount and Neumann in their first home contest - at tri-match scheduled for Sept. 8. The team hosts the annual Garnet Classic on Sept. 15-16 and will begin the Centennial portion of the schedule with a home match vs. Dickinson on Sept. 19.

Centennial Pre-season Poll

School (1st-place votes)

After finishing the 2006 season with an overall record of 9-8, the 2007 Swarthmore field hockey team is prepared to challenge for the 2007 Centennial Conference championship.  The Garnet were picked to finish seventh in the annual Centennial coaches' preseason poll.  See complete poll

With only two seniors returning to the squad, forward Abigail Fischer (Sudbury, Mass. / Lincoln-Sudbury) and defender Rachel Turner (Summit, N. J. / Summit) the Garnet hopes rest on a talented group of young athletes. Since losing eight remarkable seniors, including All-Region midfielder Summer Spicer '07, from last season the team welcomes a strong freshmen class to help fill the large void.

Abbie Fischer '08 is the top returning scorer.

The 2006 offensive leader in three categories, Fischer finished the season with 20 points on nine goals with two assists. The senior listed in a tie for 13th in the Centennial in points and hopes to get offensive help from Alex Gilbert-Bono '10 (Wellesley, Mass. / St. Mark's), Abbe Muller '09 (West Hartford, Conn. / Conard) and Hoa Pham '10 (East Lansdowne, Pa. / Penn Wood).

Midfielder Ashley Gunter '09 (Crisfield, Mary. / Worcester Prep) returns as the major force on the Garnet offensive attack after finishing second on the team with eight goals in 2006 and making the top-15 in the Centennial with 1.06 points per game.  Sarah Reynolds '09 (Potomac, Mary. / Holton-Arms), Natalie Stone '09 (Philadelphia, Pa. / Friends Select) and Joslyn Young '10 (Ann Arbor, MI / Community) all saw significant time in 2006 and will be looked to provide Gunter with support in 2007.

Defender Anna Baeth '09 (Frederick, Mary. / Frederick) had a breakout season in 2006, earning second-team All-Centennial. After starting in all 17 games for Swarthmore in 2006, Baeth will again be asked to anchor a Garnet defense that let in just 1.61 goals per game in 2006, good for third-best in the Centennial. Fellow returning defensive contributors  Turner, Jordan Schmidt '09 (Houston, Tex. / St. John's School) and Maryanne Tomazic '10 (Freehold, NJ / Freehold) will also called upon to aid sophomore goalie Gina Grubb '10 (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Oakland Catholic) on the back line.

2007 will mark the final season on the sidelines for Swarthmore head coach and alum Kelly Wilcox '97. Wilcox has been at the helm of the field hockey program for the past five seasons, posting an overall record of 39-47 and 17-32 in the Centennial Conference with the Garnet. She has accepted the position of Assistant Director of Student Life and Academic Advisor in the Dean's Office at the College. The Swarthmore hockey players look to send Wilcox off with a successful 2007 season, starting the season on the road at Centennial Conference rival Bryn Mawr on September 1, and then kicking off the home slate on September 8 against Neumann 12:00 p.m.

After finishing sixth out of 41 teams at the 2006 NCAA III Mid-East Regionals, the Swarthmore women's cross country team plans to reach new heights in 2007.  The Centennial Conference coaches give the Garnet a fighting chance, listing the Swarthmore women fourth in the annual pre-season poll.

Head coach Peter Carroll welcomes back a pair of national-caliber runners in Nyika Corbett '10 (Myrtle Point, Ore. / Myrtle Point) and Emma Stanley '09 (Fogelsville, Pa. / Parkland) back for the 2007 season. Corbett is one of the Centennial Conference's top runners, having become the first Swarthmore freshman to earn a spot at the NCAA national championship meet at the conclusion of the 2006 season. She finished 59th overall at the national meet, capping an impressive freshman season where she was named All Mid-East Region and first-team All-Freshman Mid-East Region, first-team All-Centennial, and All-Tournament at the 2006 Seven Sisters Championship.

Stanley continued to add to her sparkling running career, earning All Mid-East Region and All-Centennial first team for the second consecutive year.  The junior finished 13th at the Mid-East Regional and was the region's alternate selection for the NCAA Championship meet.

The lone returning senior Melina Healey (New York, N.Y. / Fieldston) and William & Mary transfer Ashley Davies '09 (Hunterdon Central) combine with Kathy Feeney '09 (Staatsburg, N.Y. / FDR), Faith Pampel '09 (Little Silver, N.J. / Red Bank Regional), Bess Ritter '09 (Quaker Hill, Conn. / Waterford) to provide depth for the Garnet.  Other returning runners include Lauren DeLuca '10 (Audubon, Pa. / Kennedy-Kendrick), Chloe Noonan '10 (Austin, Texas / St. Stephen's Episcopal) and Bettina Tam '10.

To kick off their season, the Garnet travel to the Delaware Valley Invitational starting at 10:30 a.m. The team will return home on September 8th for the annual Alumni Meet set to begin at 12:00 p.m.

CENTENNIAL CONFERENCE PRE-SEASON POLL

 As the start of 2007 season nears, the runners on the Swarthmore men's cross country team look to pass their fourth-place finish at the 2006 Centennial Conference Championship and collect a conference championship. The 2007 Centennial pre-season poll, voted on the conference coaches, echoes last season's results, listing the Garnet men fourth.

Head coach Peter Carroll, entering his ninth year, turns to a collection of veterans to replace departed All-Region and All-Centennial runner Vernon Chaplin '07. Carroll has Erik Saka '09 (Quincy, Ill./ Quincy) and Jonathan Shoop '08 (Incline Village, Nev. / Incline) leading this year's collection of Garnet harriers. Saka, who began the year as the team's nominal fourth runner, improved throughout 2006 earning All-Mid East Region (finishing 34th) and second-team All-Centennial. Shoop was also named to the All-Centennial Conference second team, finishing 11th at the championship one position ahead of Saka.

Ross Weller '08 is one of the top returning Swarthmore harriers.

Ross Weller '08 (McConnellsburg, Pa. /Mercersburg Academy) just missed All-CC accolades, running 16th at the conference meet and has made major strides in lowering his distance times, earning a Centennial bronze medal in the steeplechase at the outdoor track & field championships.

A young pack of runners gives the Garnet plenty of depth and the belief that a successful fall is right around the bend. Dan Hodson '09 (Trumbull, Conn. /Fairfield Prep), who finished 35th at the DeSales Invitational, and Micah Katz '08 (Stevens Point, Wis. /Stevens Point Area) will go a long way towards helping the team place higher in the rankings. Other retuning runners include Patrick Kolodogy '09 (Toledo, Ohio /St. Francis de Sales), Jaymes Columbo '10 (Lake Ariel, Pa. /Western Wayne), David Riccardi '10 (Syracuse, N.Y. / Westhill), Chris Sawyer '10 (Millburn, N.J. / Millburn), Tyler Stivala '10 (Verona, N.J. / Verona), Jonnie Tompkins '10 (Swarthmore, Pa. / Strath Haven) and Andrew Van Buren '10 (Hudson, Ohio / Western Reserve Academy).

Running in their first meet on September 1st, the Garnet will travel to the Delaware Valley Invitational starting at 10:30 a.m. The team will return home on September 8th for the annual Alumni Meet set to begin at 12:00.

CENTENNIAL CONFERENCE PRE-SEASON POLL

IWLCA Academic Honor Roll (pdf)
IWLCA Scholar Teams (pdf)

SWARTHMORE, Pa. - The Swarthmore women's lacrosse team was selected as one of the International Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Honor Squads following the 2007 season. Four Garnet team members - Paige Gentry, Lindsay Roth, Abigail Fischer, and Susannah Blair - were also selected for the Division III Academic Honor Roll.

The IWLCA honored 96 teams who have achieved high academic standing with their designation as honor squads after achieving a team grade point average higher than 3.0. To earn a listing on the Academic Honor Roll, a student-athlete must hold a GPA of 3.4 or higher.

Roth, a senior captain, finished the season second on the team in goals (27) while finishing fourth in total points (32), even though she suffered a debilitating ankle injury. Roth, an English literature major, was a three-time member of the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll and all-centennial conference team. Roth completed her college career eighth all-time at Swarthmore with 127 goals and ninth with 153 points.

Gentry, a senior captain, started 15 games for Swarthmore and was fifth on the team with 33 ground balls. Gentry, a defender, also was second on the team in caused turnovers (18) and made the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll for the third consecutive year.

Fischer, a rising senior, started sixteen games for the Garnet. As a defender, she caused 11 turnovers and was fourth in the team in groundballs (35). Fischer, the leading scorer of the Swarthmore field hockey team, scored her first career lacrosse goal on March 13 versus the University of Dallas.

Blair, a rising senior, started 16 games in goal, posting a 9-6 winning record. Blair recorded 89 saves this year, shutting out Cedar Crest on March 24th. A three-year starter, Blair also played an integral part in the historical 2006 season, in which the team finished with a program record of fourteen wins.

The Swarthmore women's lacrosse team ended their season with an 11-7 record, taking third place in the Seven Sisters Tournament, finishing one spot out of the Centennial playoffs.

SWARTHMORE, Pa. - Swarthmore field hockey head coach Kelly Wilcox '97 has accepted the position of Assistant Director of Student Life and Academic Advisor in the Dean's Office at the College. Wilcox will coach the field hockey team through the 2007 season and then make the full transition to her permanent home in Parrish Hall.

"Swarthmore Athletics will be very hard to leave - it has been a central part of my life since I stepped on campus in 1993," said Wilcox. "I am extremely excited at this unique opportunity to draw upon so many of my interests and skills and to impact the campus on a greater level. I will have an opportunity to mentor, advise and coach so many Swarthmore students in the years to come as well as play an integral role in examining and enhancing student life in general."

Wilcox began work in the Dean's Office this past spring, serving as a member of S.M.A.R.T. (Sexual Misconduct Advisors & Resource Team) and Eating Disorder support group. She became certified as a life coach two years ago, in addition to working with students on campus, has presented life coaching workshops for the Wellness Group, faculty, Dean's Staff and the Athletics Department. Wilcox has been an active member of the Wellness Group on campus for three years and continues to work with the Student Wellness Group.

"We are absolutely thrilled to have Kelly joining us in the Dean's Office," said Jim Larimore, Swarthmore's Dean of Students. "Kelly's experience as a coach and student-athlete at the College provide her with a unique understanding of the student experience. As an educator, mentor and colleague, she has had a positive impact on campus life and I am confident that she will excel in her new role."

Wilcox has been at the helm of the Swarthmore College field hockey program for the past five seasons, posting an overall record of 39-47 and 17-32 in the Centennial. She coached seven All-Centennial players, including midfielder Summer Spicer '07, who was named second-team All-Region by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFCHA) this past season. ""My involvement with the hockey and lacrosse programs has been truly wonderful, said Wilcox. "I feel honored to have coached so many amazing and talented athletes and to have been involved in their academic and athletics endeavors."

In 2000 and 2005, Wilcox organized a training trip to England for the field hockey team, traveling to London, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Oxford, and Chester, while playing four exhibition games at local clubs. She is the site director in the World Camp Field Hockey camp making a three-week stop at Clothier Field, bringing 700 young hockey players together with an international coaching staff each of the last four years. Wilcox was also the driving force behind a spring field hockey league for local high school players, as well as a summer league featuring local adult players, each of the past three years.

"During her tenure as head coach, Kelly laid the foundation for a competitive hockey program, worked to bring a premier field hockey camp to the College, made significant contributions to the physical education and wellness programs," said Adam Hertz, Director of Athletics at Swarthmore. "She truly represented Swarthmore Athletics in the highest regard and I look forward to watching her grow and prosper in her new position."

As a student-athlete at Swarthmore, Wilcox earned All-American honors in both field hockey and lacrosse. Wilcox holds several school and conference field hockey records as a goalkeeper and was a member of two Centennial Conference championship hockey teams. Before switching to the goalkeeper position in her junior year, Wilcox earned All-Conference honors as a midfielder. In her senior year, she captained not only the hockey squad during the school's first NCAA Tournament bid but also the lacrosse squad. Following graduation, Wilcox coached and played in England and Wales for two years. Upon returning from Europe, she served as the full-time intern for the field hockey and lacrosse programs. During this time, she also coached and presented at camps and clinics along the East Coast and throughout Europe.

Wilcox recently earned a master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania in psychological services and will begin work on a doctorate in higher education administration this fall.

2007 AVCA ACADEMIC RELEASE (pdf)

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Swarthmore volleyball team was one of 307 schools to earn the Game Plan/AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2006-2007 season, given by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA).

The award, initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors collegiate and high school teams that displayed excellence in the classroom by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade-point average on a 4.0 scale and a 4.10 cumulative team GPA on a 5.0 scale during the school year.

Swarthmore is one of 53 Division III women's programs to earn this honor; it is the second year in a row and third time in four years that head coach Harleigh Leach's team has earned this distinction (the first coming in 2003-2004). Swarthmore was the lone school representing the Centennial Conference on the list.

The 307 schools receiving the honor eclipses the previous record of 305 schools awarded during the 2003-2004 season. National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I set a single-season record for number of collegiate schools at any division receiving the award with 56 in 06-07 and NCAA Division III (53) surpassed its previous high mark of 48 set in '03-'04.

Recipients of the award range from NCAA Division I institutions to high school girls' and boys' teams. The college ranks produced 167 programs that met the requirements for the award in 2006-2007.

"The AVCA is again privileged to present the GamePlan/AVCA Team Academic Award to these outstanding institutions," AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer said. "We congratulate the student-athletes for their hard work in the classroom and thank our coaches for instilling this dedication in the young women and men of our sport."

The Garnet finished the 2006 season with an overall record of 12-13 (3-7 in the Centennial).

COMPLETE ITA ALL-AMERICA TEAMS

SWARTHMORE, Pa. -- Recent Swarthmore graduates Sonya Reynolds and Sara Sargent received All-America honors in doubles tennis, earning the distinction from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) as announced on June 28.  Reynolds was also tabbed as All-America in singles' play for the second time in her career--her first selection came in 2005.

Reynolds, who graduated from the College in June, established a record of 18-7 at No. 1 singles in 2006-07 and made her third consecutive appearance at the NCAA Division III Individual Championships.  She led the Garnet women to their fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance this season--Swarthmore bowed out in the second round to eventual national champion Washington & Lee (Va.). 

Reynolds concluded her collegiate career as one of the best ever to swing a racquet on campus.  She posted a 63-21 overall singles' record over four years, leading the Garnet women's to three Centennial Conference championships (including a streak of 31 straight Conference wins) and four consecutive invitations to the NCAA Division III Tournament.  Each of the past three seasons, she has been selected to participate in the NCAA Division III Individual Tennis Championships, advancing into the second round this past season.  Reynolds was tabbed as the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Player to Watch for the Atlantic South Region at the conclusion of the 2006 season.

Reynolds is the first player in school history to be named All-America in singles' (2005, 2007) and doubles' (2007) and is one of the most decorated athletes in Centennial Conference history, having received seven All-Conference selections (four for doubles, three for singles).  Recently, Reynolds received the Gladys Irish Award at the annual Swarthmore Department of Athletics Banquet, given to the senior or junior female athlete who, through her commitment, dedication, and the pure enjoyment of her sport, has achieved the highest degree of excellence.

Sara Sargent '07 is the third Swarthmore woman to be named All-America.

Reynolds, who was named All-Centennial Conference for singles' and doubles in 2006-07, defeated Lauren Hom from Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.) in the first round of the NCAA Individual Championships on May 18 and then fell to Siobhan Finicane from Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.), the top-ranked player in the West Region.  She was ranked 11th in the nation in the final FILA ITA rankings, the highest ever listing by a Swarthmore woman.

As a doubles' team, Reynolds and Sargent completed the season ranked 24th in the nation and seventh in the Atlantic South Region.

Sargent, who also graduated from Swarthmore in June, teamed with Reynolds to post a 15-9 doubles' record in 2006-07.  The duo received All-America honors by virtue of their victory at the 2006 Wilson ITA Southeast Regionals on the campus of the University of Mary Washington.  The pair also received All-Centennial First Team honors after posting a 4-1 mark in 2007.  It was Sargent's second All-CC selection--she teamed with Elli Suzuki '06 to win the Centennial doubles title in 2005.

Swarthmore was ranked 18th nationally and seventh in the Atlantic South Region in the final FILA ITA rankings.