Athletics News

OFFICIAL NCAA RELEASE

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Swarthmore College freshman Nyika Corbett has qualified for the 2006 NCAA Division III Women's Cross Country Championship.  Wilmington College (OH) will host the men's and the women's championships on November 18 at Voice of America Park in West Chester, Ohio.  The women's race is scheduled to start at noon Eastern time.

Thirty-two teams were selected to participate in each championship. The top two, seven-person teams automatically qualified from each of the eight regions, for a total of 16 teams. Sixteen additional teams were selected at-large. Fifty-six individuals, the first seven athletes from each region who are not a part of a qualifying team, were selected to participate in each championship.

Elizabethtown College, fourth at the Mid-East Regional, received one of the final at-large team bids, opening up an individual spot for Corbett.  Teammate Emma Stanley '09 is the first alternate from the region and with any late withdrawals could be granted a spot in the race.

Corbett led the Garnet women's cross country team to a sixth-place finish at the 2006 Mid-East Regional on Nov. 11, finishing 12th out of 280 competitors.  For her performance, Corbett was named All Mid-East Region and first-team All-Freshman Mid-East Region.  She has also been named first-team All-Centennial and All-Tournament at the 2006 Seven Sisters Championship.

Sarah Hobbs '05 was the last Swarthmore woman to run at the NCAA Division III Championship, becoming the first Garnet female to All-American cross country honors in 2004.

COMPLETE RESULTS

SWARTHMORE, Pa. - The Garnet swimmers capped off a stellar day in Ware Pool with a pair of victories in the 400 freestyle relays to complete a sweep of two-time defending Centennial champion Franklin & Marshall Saturday afternoon.

It is the first time since 1998-99 both Swarthmore swim teams have defeated the Diplomats on the same day.

On this day, Garnet junior Andrew Frampton won three individual events (200 freestyle, 200 butterfly, 500 freestyle) and Jonathan Augat '07 was a double-winner as the Swarthmore men (3-0 overall, 2-0 CC) downed the Diplomats (1-3 overall, 1-1 CC) 107-98.

Sarah Cotcamp '07 and Franny Zhang '08 were both double-winners, leading the Garnet women (3-0 overall, 2-0 CC) to a 108-97 victory over the Diplomats (3-2 overall, 2-1 CC) - the first win over F&M since the 2001-02 season.

The men's event was back and forth with Swarthmore assuming its first points lead of the day, 38-35, after Augat '07 won the 50 freestyle (22.36 - tied for sixth best in school history), with Koczo (22.62) and Douglas Gilchrist-Scott '09 (23.03) picking up valuable points for third and fourth, respectively.  F&M took an 81-68 lead following a 1-2 finish in the 200 backstroke, but Frampton got the capacity crowd going with a stirring victory over Diplomats' All-American Derek Nowak in the 500 freestyle - the winning time was 4:55.85.

Koczo kept the momentum going, leading a host of Swarthmore men home in the 200 breaststroke, claiming victory in a time of 2:18.47 - the Garnet tallied 14 points in the event to take a 94-92 lead heading into the final event. 

The Swarthmore quartet of Gilchrist-Scott, Augat, Michael Ahn '10, and Jason Horowitz '07 held of F&M's top relay team to clinch the team victory with a narrow win in the 400 freestyle relay (3:20.51).

The women's side was just as competitive - Anne Miller '10 posted her first of two top-ten times on the day by easily winning the 1000 yard freestyle (11:01.79).  Cotcamp pushed the Garnet women into the lead for the first time (38-26) by winning the 50 freestyle with the eighth time in school history (25.02); Claire Shelden '10 and Michele Hom '08 took third and fourth place to push Swarthmore ahead.  Zhang made her mark in the 100 freestyle (55.30 - a top ten time) as the Garnet swept the top three spots for a 69-62 lead.

F&M re-took the lead, 89-80, after the 200 backstroke, but Swarthmore would not be denied.  The Garnet breaststroke specialists collected 15 points in the 200 yard race to hand Swarthmore a 95-93 advantage - senior Janice Yeo won the event with a time of 2:32.38 with Hom right on her heels in second (2:34.10).

The Swarthmore 400 freestyle relay team took care of business in the final event as Cotcamp, Shelden, Julia Wrobel '10, and Zhang easily beat the Diplomats to the wall with a time of 3:43.77.

A pair of Garnet freshmen Casey Osborn (second in 200 butterfly - 2:11.46) and Miller (second in 500 freestyle - 5:20.29) also contributed top-ten times in a special day for Swarthmore swimming.

The Garnet will swim next in New York City at a non-conference meet with New York University on November 18 at 2:00 p.m. 

COMPLETE WOMEN'S RESULTS

COMPLETE MEN'S RESULTS

WAYNESBURG, Pa. -- Four Garnet runners earned All Mid-East Region status  as the Swarthmore cross country teams competed at the annual 2006 NCAA Division III Mid-East Regional held at Waynesburg College. 

The Garnet women finished sixth overall out of 41 teams o, just one point out of fifth place while the Swarthmore men finished ninth among 39 squads.

As they have all season long, freshmen Nyika Corbett and Erin Ronhovde, and sophomore Emma Stanley, led the Garnet women.  On Saturday, Corbett placed 12th with a 6k time of 24:15 with Stanley just one second behind in 13th place.  Ronhovde finished in 19th, seven seconds behind Stanley at 24:23.  The three runners all earned All Mid-East status - Corbett and Ronhovde made the First-Team All Mid-East Freshman team.  It is the second consecutive All Mid-East Region selection for Stanley.

Sophomores Kathy Feeney (73rd--26:03) and Bess Ritter (77th--26:10) rounded out the Garnet scoring, while Faith Pampel '09 (117th--26:58) and Lauren DeLuca '10 (155th--27:47) also competed.

Swarthmore's team score of 194 trailed Centennial Conference rival Johns Hopkins by just one point.  CC rivals Dickinson (49) and Haverford (104) finished 1-2 overall, with Allegheny (156) and Elizabethtown (171) rounding out the top four.

Depending on how the selection of teams to the NCAA National tournament shakes down, both Corbett and Stanley could be headed to the National Championship Meet as individuals.  More information will be known on Sunday.

The men were led by sophomore Erik Saka, who completed a season of impressive achievements by earning All Mid-East honors.  Saka, who began the year as the team's nominal fourth runner, improved his times and standing in relation to his teammates with each meet and chalked up a 34th-place finish on Saturday with a time of 27:31 over the 8k course. 

Junior Jon Shoop (51st--28:05), senior Vernon Chaplin (56th--28:10), junior Ross Weller (61st--28:12), and sophomore Dan Hodson (75th--28:29) scored points for the Garnet.  Chaplin was slowed by a relapse of his recent bout with the flu.  Nat Erb-Satullo '07 (96th--28:53) and Jonnie Tompkins (175th--30:30) rounded out the Garnet squad.

Local rival Haverford took first overall with a team score of 51 points, nosing out Allegheny (54).  Other CC squads placing in the top 10 were Muhlenberg (4th--160), Dickinson (5th--178), Johns Hopkins (8th--265), and Swarthmore (9th--277).

GAME BOX SCORE

WESTMINSTER, Pa. - The FDU-Florham Devils broke open a scoreless game with three goals in a ten-minute span midway through the second half, earning a 3-0 victory over the Garnet and a trip to the finals of the East Coast Athletic Conference (ECAC) South Region tournament. 

Swarthmore completes its best season in program history with a record of 15-5-1.

On a rain-slicked and muddy field, #2-seeded Swarthmore outshot the Devils 13-8 and put six attempts on goal, but could not get the ball past FDU-Florham goalkeeper Melissa Braun.  The Devils, seeded third in the tourney draw, got goals from Kate Daly (59:40), Megan Sweeney (67:03), and Lena Kalika (69:27).

Katie Kanuka '10 finished with a team-high four shots, and Lauren Walker '09 made three saves in goal for the Garnet.

FDU-Florham (14-6-2) will face Gettysburg in tomorrow's championship match.  The Bullets defeated tournament top seed Westminster 3-2 in PKs after the teams played to a 1-1 tie through 110 minutes.

The loss does not mar a 2006 season in which the Garnet posted a nine-game improvement over last year's record, set team records for total and Centennial Conference wins, advanced to the finals in their first-ever CC playoff appearance, and earned its first-ever ECAC Championships berth.  Swarthmore put a team-record four players on the 2006 All-Centennial team; Kanuka and Cait Mullarkey '09 earned first-team honors while Lauren Walker '09 and Maggie DeLorme '10 were honorable mentions.

GAME BOX SCORE

SWARTHMORE, Pa. - The Swarthmore women's soccer team got goals from freshman Katie Kanuka and senior Natalie Negrey on its way to a 2-1 victory over Widener in ECAC South Region quarterfinal action Thursday night at Clothier Field.  The No. 2 seed Garnet (15-4-1) advance to the semifinals in Westminster, Pa. on November 11, facing third-seed FDU-Florham at 2:00 p.m.

Swarthmore completed its home schedule with an impressive 10-1-1 record on Clothier Field.  It is the first ECAC Tournament victory for the Garnet in their first attempt.

The Swarthmore women pressed the action early on - freshman All-Centennial midfielder Maggie DeLorme had a great chance at a goal in the 20th minute, sending a header towards an open far post - the Widener defense was able to clear the ball safely.

Swarthmore did get on the board in the 42nd minute with Kanuka's team-leading 17th goal of 2006.  Negrey and Kanuka came upon a loose ball at the top of the Pioneers box; both players hesitated for a brief second before Kanuka pushed the ball forward and left loose a left-footed shot into the far left corner at 41:44.

The Garnet held the 1-0 lead into the halftime, out-shooting the Pioneers 5-4 in the process.

Swarthmore added a second goal in the first ten minutes of the second half when Kanuka was taken down by Widener goalkeeper Kelli Quinn at the top of the penalty box.  Negrey converted the ensuing penalty kick at 54:25 for her fifth score of the season and, in her final game on Clothier Field, tallied her 21st career goal.

The Pioneers put up a score in the 69th minute created by the extra effort of freshman forward Kim Sharpless.  She won the battle over a loose ball with Swarthmore All-Centennial defender Cait Mullarkey '09 and raced up the right side line.  Sharpless got about 15 yards out and deftly rolled a cross through the Garnet box to charging junior forward Melanie Miller.  Miller one-timed a hard shot into the lower right corner at 68:17 to cut the lead to 2-1.  It was Miller's tenth score of the season, tying her for tops on the team.

The Swarthmore back line prevented any strong scoring chances as the Pioneers turned up the attack.  Garnet goalkeeper Lauren Walker had to make only one stop for her 10th win of the season.

The Garnet out-shot the Pioneers 14-7, including a 9-3 margin in the second half.

The Pioneers conclude the 2006 season, one of the best in school history, with a record of 13-7-1.  Quinn made two saves for Widener while freshman Alee Gunter posted one stop in relief.

The Garnet now make the long trek out to Westminster, Pa. for the semifinals of the ECAC South Region Tournament.  In other ECAC South action, fourth-seed Gettysburg defeated Wilkes 2-1 in overtime for the right to take on top-seed Westminster (2-0 winners over Frostburg State) in the other ECAC South Region semifinal.

GAME BOX SCORE

SWARTHMORE, Pa. - Grove City converted all three of its shootout attempts, earning the right to advance to the semifinals of the ECAC South Region tournament - the squads had played to a 1-1 deadlock through 110 minutes. 

Swarthmore is eliminated from the tournament and completes the 2006 season with a 12-5-2 record.

The Garnet, seeded first in the tournament bracket, got off to a fast start and found the back of the net just five minutes in.  A thru-ball came across the box to midfielder Yoi Tibbets '09, who fired a shot back across the goal mouth.  It appeared that the ball was going to go just wide, but Stu Leon '09 was in the right place at the right time and knocked the ball in with the bottom of his left foot.

Grove City, seeded eighth in the ECAC South Region, quickly recovered and soon the ball was spending significant periods of time in the Swarthmore half, though the Garnet defense held up well and the Wolverines were not able to attempt a shot until the 25th minute.  Finally, Grove City midfielder Jonathan Breese hit the ball across the top of the box to Tyler Ferrier, who knuckled the ball past Garnet goalkeeper Ryan Sutcliffe into the net for his fourth score of the season.

The Wolverines nearly took the lead with around 30 minutes to play, but Sutcliffe came out and stopped Breese at close range.  Sutcliffe stopped Breese again about 20 minutes later to maintain the deadlock.

With 11 minutes to play, Swarthmore narrowly missed on a pair of chances.  First, Ladule Lako lo Sarah '09, who continued his late-season renaissance with another strong game, beat a pair of Wolverines off the dribble and, while keeping his body between a third defender and the ball, fired a shot that Grove City goaltender Michael Manahan was just able to tip over the net.

Then, off of the ensuing corner kick, freshman Dylan Langley hit a long-distance header to right in front of the goal mouth.  A crowd of players went up, and Manahan once again found just enough height to tip it away.

Both teams had chances in the final few minutes of regulation but could not convert and the match headed to overtime.

The first overtime passed without a goal, though Swarthmore had a series of chances including three straight corner kicks midway through and another scrum in front of the net just before time expired.  Overtime number two went by similarly, and the match proceeded to penalty kicks.

Manahan got the Wolverines off to a strong start in the shootout by stoning Garnet junior Michael Bonesteel.  Bob McNees then converted his attempt to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.  Garnet sophomore Chris Szeto made it 1-1, but Ferrier made his shot to maintain the Grove City lead.  Swarthmore's Pat Christmas '08 hit the post with his attempt, and after Brendan McCommas extended the GC lead to 3-1, Garnet junior J.P. Faunes shot wide and the Wolverines were the winners.

Grove City (11-6-2) will travel to the campus of Carnegie Mellon for a Saturday semifinal match against .  Carnegie Mellon, victors over PSU-Altoona 3-0 in other quaterfinal action - as the highest remaining seed CMU will host the semifinal and final rounds Nov. 11-12.

The Garnet complete the season with 12 wins for the third year in a row and, after graduating only two seniors, will once again contend for the Centennial Conference championship in 2007.

CENTREVILLE, Mass. - The Swarthmore soccer teams will continue their seasons this coming week in the ECAC Championship Tournament, as announced by the ECAC office on Monday.

The Garnet men (12-5-1 overall) were selected as the top-seed in the eight-team South region and will host 8th-seed Grove City (11-6-1) on Wed., Nov. 8 at 7:00 p.m. at Clothier Stadium.  This is the third consecutive appearance in the ECAC South Tournament for the Swarthmore men and the first time they have drawn the number one seed.  Should the Garnet defeat Grove City, Swarthmore will host the semifinals and the finals on Nov. 11-12 at Clothier Stadium.

The Garnet women (14-4-1) continue the best season in school history, earning the No. 2 seed in the now eight-team ECAC field (the ECAC added two additional teams on Nov. 7).  Swarthmore will host seventh-seed Widener on Thurs., Nov. 9 at 7:00 p.m. and, if victorious, could travel to top-seed Westminster or should Westminster lose, host the semifinals and championship on Nov. 11-12.   It is the first-ever postseason berth for the Swarthmore women's soccer program.

2006 ECAC Field

OFFICIAL ECAC DIVISION III MEN'S SOUTH RELEASE

Men
1. Swarthmore (12-5-1)
2. Carnegie Mellon (11-5)
3. Penn State-Altoona (14-3-2)
4. Wesley (14-4-2)
5. Gettysburg (10-5-4)
6. Alvernia (10-5-4)
7. Westminster (12-6-2)
8. Grove City (11-6-1)

OFFICIAL ECAC DIVISION III SOUTH WOMEN'S RELEASE

Women
1. Westminster (13-5-2)
2. Swarthmore (14-4-1)
3. FDU-Florham (12-6-2)
4. Gettysburg (12-6-1)
5. Wilkes (13-5-1)
6. Catholic (11-7-1)
7. Widener (13-6-1)
8. Frostburg State (12-6)

OFFICIAL CENTENNIAL RELEASE (pdf)

Lancaster, PA - Swarthmore College men's soccer midfielder Pat Christmas (Chapel Hill, NC / East Chapel Hill), midfielder Stu Leon (Wrentham, MA / King Philip Regional), and defender Brendan Grady (San Jose, CA / Bellarmine College Prep), have been named to the 2006 All-Centennial Conference team.  Christmas was a first-team selection, while Leon and Grady were named to the second team, as elected by the conference head coaches.

Christmas, a junior, captained the Garnet to its third straight season with a double-digit win total and a third consecutive conference playoff berth.  He started all 18 matches for Swarthmore, finishing the season tied for second on the team with three assists.  For the second consecutive year, Christmas was selected for the All-Tournament team at the Garnet Classic.  

Christmas, a biology major, makes the All-Centennial team for the second time - he was an honorable mention in 2005.  Christmas is the second Swarthmore men's soccer player to make the first team - current Garnet assistant coach Alex Elkins '06 was tabbed in 2005.

Leon, a sophomore, made 16 starts for Swarthmore and finished tied for second on the team in goals (four) and third in points (nine).  Three of his goals were 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.

Grady, a junior captain, was instrumental in directing one of the top defenses in the nation and managed to notch two assists in 2006 (one came on the game-winning goal against Alvernia on Oct. 18).  Grady, an English major, has maintained Swarthmore's reputation of having the top defenders in the conference, manning a backline that shut-out eight opponents in 2006 and maintained a 0.76 goals-against average.

After completing the 2006 regular season with an overall record of 12-4-1, Swarthmore secured the No. 3 seed in the Centennial Conference playoffs.  The Garnet (12-5-1) were also selected as the top-seed in the 2006 ECAC South Region Men's Soccer Championship - Swarthmore will host eighth-seed Grove City on Nov. 8 in first round action. 

OFFICIAL CENTENNIAL RELEASE (pdf)

Lancaster, PA - Swarthmore College women's soccer players Maggie DeLorme (Lusby, MD  / Patuxent), Katie Kanuka (Oakville, Ontario / Holy Trinity Catholic), Caitlin Mullarkey (Wilmington, DE / Ursuline), and Lauren Walker (Fallston, MD / The Hotchkiss School) have been named to the 2006 All-Centennial Conference list.  Kanuka and Mullarkey were first-team selections while DeLorme and Walker were named honorable mention, as elected by the conference head coaches.

Mullarkey, a sophomore defender, makes the first-team for the second consecutive season - the first Swarthmore soccer player to ever accomplish the feat.   In 2005, she was named the first freshman Centennial defender to ever be elected to the first team All-Conference and continued to develop as one of the best defenders in the region this season.  Mullarkey's speed and aggressive play led a Garnet defensive line that posted ten shutouts, tops in the conference.

Mullarkey, a chemistry and biology double-major, was also one of ten members on the All-Centennial list to also be named to the Centennial Conference Fall Academic Honor Roll which recognizes sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are key performers and have a 3.40 cumulative grade point average or higher.

Kanuka, a freshman forward, burst onto the Centennial soccer scene this year, leading the conference in points (35) and game-winning goals (nine) while tying for first with 16 goals.  Kanuka continuously receiving accolades throughout the season - she was named to the D3kicks.com Team of the Week on Sept. 5 and then was selected as Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 17. 

Kanuka is the 15th freshman to earn first-team honors, joining Mullarkey as the only Garnet soccer players in the elite group.

Walker, a sophomore goalkeeper, turned in a sensational year despite suffering a hand injury that forced her to the sideline for four weeks. 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.  Walker was named Centennial Conference Defensive Player of the Week and ECAC Mid-Atlantic Goalkeeper of the Week on September 11 and concluded the regular season with a record of 8-0-1.  

DeLorme, a freshman midfielder, made 15 starts for Swarthmore and finished tied for most assists (five) in the Centennial.  DeLorme headed in the eventual game-winning goal sending Swarthmore to its first-ever Centennial playoff win 1-0 over Gettysburg on Nov. 3.

Swarthmore women's soccer team finished the regular season with an overall record of 13-3-1 and 7-3 in the Centennial, breaking school records for overall wins and Conference wins.  The Garnet earned the third seed in Conference playoffs, defeated second-seed Gettysburg 1-0 in the semifinals on Nov.3 and went on to make its first-ever appearance in the Centennial Conference Championship game.  Swarthmore currently stands at 14-4-1 overall and awaits word on a possible ECAC Championship berth.

GAME BOX SCORE

BALTIMORE, Md.  - Johns Hopkins sophomore Molly Steele scored in the 35th minute and the Blue Jays' defense posted its eighth shut-out as Hopkins won its fifth Centennial Conference Women's Soccer Championship with a 1-0 victory over visiting Swarthmore on Sunday afternoon at Homewood Field.

Johns Hopkins is the first school to repeat as Conference champions since Muhlenberg turned the trick in 2000 and 2000 - the five titles ties Gettysburg for the all-time lead.

Swarthmore making its first-ever appearance in a postseason playoff game, was riding a seven-game win streak - the last defeat being a 4-1 set-back at the hands of the Blue Jays on Oct. 7.  At halftime of the game, the Centennial Conference announced its 2006 All-Centennial team - four members from Swarthmore were selected: Kanuka and sophomore defender Caitlin Mullarkey made first team while freshman midfielder Maggie DeLorme and Walker were named honorable mention.

The 11th-ranked Blue Jays (17-2 overall) almost hit pay dirt in the 12th minute - senior Nikkole Haines' volley from 12 yards out struck the bottom of the cross bar and bounced clear of the goal.  Johns Hopkins' continued to pressure the Swarthmore backline with diagonal services into the Garnet box.  The Blue Jays later took advantage of an opening created by Steele - the JHU forward side-stepped a Swarthmore defender at the top of the penalty box and then ripped a left-footed shot into the lower left corner at 34:24.  The score was her 10th of the season.

Johns Hopkins held the 1-0 lead into the intermission while posting a 7-4 shot advantage.

Swarthmore, playing in its first Centennial women's soccer finale, came out with renewed purpose at the start of the second half.  Senior Natalie Negrey fed freshman Katie Kanuka down the right side of the field; Kanuka beat the Hopkins defender to the ball and spying JHU goalkeeper Karen Guszkowski off her line, chipped a shot from 22 yards out.  The ball caromed off the bottom of the cross bar and yet was safely cleared out by the Blue Jays defense. 

The Garnet women just missed another opportunity for the equalizer - Negrey's corner sailed to the far post untouched where freshman Caitlin O'Neil's header went over the cross bar.

The Garnet ran into some tough luck in the second half - Kanuka went off with a left foot injury at 56:25 - tried to take on two defenders and was tackled hard; she was able to return ten minutes later.  Swarthmore lost freshman back Eileen Earl and sophomore center back Alexa Bensimohn with injuries - sophomore Anna de Regt and freshman Taylor Rhodes stepped in place of the injured Garnet, keeping Johns Hopkins off the board in the final 45 minutes.

Johns Hopkins maintained the advantage in shot category (17-8) while Swarthmore attempted the only two corner kicks of the afternoon.

Guszkowski made two saves for her first shut-out of the season while Garnet goalkeeper Lauren Walker made four saves for Swarthmore.

Swarthmore (14-4-1 overall) will await word of a possible at-large bid to the 2006 NCAA Division III Championship Tournament - the bracket is scheduled to be announced on Monday morning.