Athletics News

The Swarthmore College's women's swimming team looks to repeat past success in the upcoming 2005-2006 season. The Garnet return 18 swimmers, including three conference-medalists and 11 team members who made the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll. The addition of five freshmen, mixed with the strong cast of veterans, can fuel a strong run at the third Centennial Conference Championship in school history. This regular season, Swarthmore will participate in 11 dual meets, the two-day Franklin & Marshall Invitational, and the Centennial Conference Championships

The top returning swimmers include sophomore standout Jennie Lewis. In her freshman year she put up the top times on the team in the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 100 butterfly, and 200 butterfly. Swimming powerfully at the Conference Championships, Lewis won five medals and set two school records.

On the first day, Lewis broke the school mark for the 50 freestyle (24.79) in the trials, and then went out that afternoon and captured the bronze medal. She got her first gold by swimming a leg on 200 freestyle as Swarthmore won the first event of the day. Lewis continued to impress on the second day, winning silver medals in the 100 butterfly and the 800 freestyle relay. She earned her fifth and final medal on the third day, helping Swarthmore's 400 freestyle relay earn a silver medal, breaking the school record in a time of 3:37.12. The time was also a provisional qualifying time for the NCAA Championships.

Frannie Zhang, another outstanding freshman in 2004-05, swam on three of the strongest relay teams: the 200 free relay, the 400 free relay, and the 800 free relay. Zhang had a team-leading performance during a Conference victory over Ursinus on November 23, winning the 100 fly and contributing to the winning 200 freestyle relay team. Look for Zhang to gather valuable points for the Garnet in both individual and team events in 2005-06.

Junior Sarah Cotcamp was a member of four top time-setting relay teams last season; the 200 free relay, the 400 free relay, the 200 medley relay, and the 400 medley relay. She was a member of the record-setting 400 freestyle relay and captured two medals at the Centennial Conference Championships. Also returning are Swarthmore's leading swimmer in the backstroke last season, senior Martyna Pospieszalaska, the top swimmer in the breaststroke, junior Michele Hom, and distance swimmer sophomore Whitney Nekoba.

The Swarthmore women will hit the pool on Wednesday, November 2 nd at Widener University. The first home meet will take place on November 19 th when Swarthmore will host NYU at Ware Pool. With a strong returning lineup full of both seasoned veterans and promising freshmen, look for Swarthmore women's swimming to challenge for another Centennial Conference Championship in 2005-2006.

Swarthmore, PA - Swarthmore College women's soccer standouts Caitlin Mullarkey ( Wilmington, DE - Ursuline) and Danielle Tocchet ( West Point, NY - James O'Neill) were named to the 2005 All-Centennial Conference team. Mullarkey, a freshman, was named to the first-team while Tocchet received honorable mention.

Mullarkey is the first freshman defender to earn first team honors in the history of the Centennial Conference, and is only the 14 th first-year to earn the distinction.

Mullarkey spearheaded a Garnet defensive unit that posted four shutouts in 2005. The freshman got off to a fast start when she was named to the Swarthmore Kick Classic All-Tournament team on September 4th.

Mullarkey is the third Swarthmore women's soccer player named to the first-team. Ele Forbes, a 2005 graduate, was the last Garnet soccer player to earn first-team honors, accomplishing the feat in 2002.

Tocchet, a sophomore forward, led the Garnet with eight goals this season, tying for fifth in the Centennial. Two of her goals were game-winners, including a score in the last minute of a 1-0 double-overtime victory over Earlham on September 3.

Tocchet scored six goals in ten Centennial games, tying for third in the conference.

Swarthmore completed the 2005 season with an overall record of 3-10-3 and 1-6-2 in the Centennial

Swarthmore, PA - Swarthmore senior setter Emily Conlon (Marlborough, CT - Loomis Chaffee) has been named Centennial Conference Player of the Week for the week.

In two games for the Garnet, Conlon had 71 assists, 28 digs, 10 kills, two aces, and a block. Conlon had a team-high 14 digs and 29 assists in a 3-0 win over Washington (Md.) on Oct. 25, which secured the team's first-ever Centennial conference playoff spot.

Conlon started all 27 matches in 2005, averaging 9.55 assists per game and 2.81 digs per game.

Conlon has accumulated 3,149 assists, 1,043 digs, and 203 service aces in her career. She holds school records for career assists and service aces, ranking 12 th all-time in Centennial Conference history in both categories.

Conlon is the second Garnet volleyball player to earn Player of the Week honors in 2005; freshman outside hitter Jennifer Wang received the nod on September 9.

A double major in English literature and film studies, Conlon plans to become a television producer. She is an editor and columnist for the college paper, The Phoenix, and serves as a Resident Advisor in her dormitory.

Located near Philadelphia, Swarthmore is a highly selective liberal arts college with an enrollment of 1,500. A member of the Division III Centennial Conference, Swarthmore is consistently ranked among the top liberal arts colleges in the country.

Yoi Tibbets '09 scored his first collegiate goal with 2:51 remaining in regulation and Stu Leon '09 added the game-winner as the Garnet defeated host Haverford 2-1 in double overtime on a frigid Saturday afternoon.

Swarthmore (12-4-1, 6-2-1 CC) got off to a fast start, but it was the hosts who got on the board first. Standing about 30 yards out, Fords freshman Eric Kissinger corralled an attempted clear, took one touch, and hit a booming shot over the crowd in front of the net and into the upper right corner of the goal, giving Haverford a 1-0 lead 20:10 into the match. This seemed to take the wind out of Swarthmore's sails and they struggled to get offensive chances during the rest of the half.

As fans for both teams got increasingly vocal, Swarthmore dominated the second half, out-shooting the Fords (5-11-1, 1-8 CC) 15-4. Coach Eric Wagner went with an attacking lineup, playing leading scorer Andrew Terker '06 at center midfield for much of the half, and it paid off as the offense created several numerous scoring chances and the back line was able to shut down the rare Ford offensives. The Garnet had a pretty goal called back early in the half due to numerous players being offsides and had several shots sail just off net. All of this nearly went for naught, and as the clock ticked under three minutes, the score was still 1-0.

Finally, Tibbets came through with the equalizer. Alex Elkins '05 played the ball towards the left side, and Washington touched the ball to Tibbets, who sent a left-footed blast well out of the reach of goalkeeper Alec Aramanda. Swarthmore kept up the intensity and almost won the game in regulation. With just seconds remaining, David Hoyt '06 fed a wide-open Terker who got a shot off, but Aramanda dove and pushed the ball just wide as time expired.

Tibbets nearly won the game in the first overtime, but Aramanda made another diving on save on the freshman's attempted header. The teams exchanged chances but could not convert; this one would go down to the wire.

The Garnet continued to control play, and, with just under four minutes remaining, got another break. Washington stuck his foot out and stole an attempted pass from a Ford defender. The sophomore found Leon in a soft spot in the Ford defense, and the team's leading scorer (six goals in 2005) put home the game winner.

Reuben Heyman-Kantor made five saves for his twelfth win of the season.

For the match, Swarthmore outshot Haverford 30-15.

Swarthmore clinched second place in the Centennial Conference with the win and will face the #3-seed Muhlenberg next Saturday. The Mules downed the Garnet 1-0 in Allentown, Pa. on October 19.

McDaniel, after winning 3-0 over Washington on Saturday afternoon, wins the regular season title and will host the Centennial Championship Tournament on November 5 and 6.

Box Score

Haverford (14-3-1, 7-2-1 CC) broke open a scoreless game with a pair of goals in the second half, on its way to a hard-fought 2-0 win over Swarthmore in Haverford, Pa. on Saturday afternoon. It was the regular season finale for both teams.

Haverford had done its homework, double-teaming Swathmore's leading scorer, sophomore forward Danielle Tocchet, the whole game, limiting her to only one shot. Tocchet entered the game tied for second in the conference in for goals in Centennial play (six), and tied for third in the conference with eight goals on the season.  She still managed to give them fits even with the pressure creating some nice chances for her teammates.
Swarthmore's midfield possessed the ball much of the first half with Natalie Negrey '07 controlling the tempo of play.  Senior midfielder and captain Val Maulbeck went down with an injury just before the half and the Garnet  had to hope to carry the momentum they had built into the second half without her.

Coming out of the 0-0 half, Swarthmore didn't waste much time getting back into an attack mode despite playing against a headwind that increased in intensity as the minutes ticked down.

Midway through a balanced second half, Haverford started to exert attacking pressure with the wind at their backs.  First-year Garnet defender Caitlin Mullarkey, along with classmates Alexa Bensimhon and Lauren Walker, managed to thwart several scoring attempts by the Fords.

"Mullarkey was all over the field today stopping one Ford attempt after another," Anckaitis said, "and Bensimhon battled hard providing a valuable first pass in our attack. Throw some big saves by Walker in the mix, and our defense again showed why we've provided fits to several strong attacking sides all season."

"Along with the 2002 and 2003 teams, we've recorded the lowest goals-against average (GAA) by a Swarthmore women's squad (24 goals against). We've also had the second-best defensive showing, ever, in-conference for Swarthmore with a 1.60 GAA. That's a credit to how hard this team has worked and how competitive they are," Anckaitis said.

At 63:58 however, the Fords put the first score on the board with a controversial no-call that began with a Ford attacker heading the ball towards a teammate in an off-side's position.  Although she didn't touch the ball her position shielded the goalkeeper from the slow-bouncing ball and kept Walker from making the save.

Shortly thereafter, Haverford's Ashley Emmons broke free on the outside and drove a shot to the far post that snuck just past  Walker's outstretched hands and inside the post, giving the Fords an insurance goal at 84:17.

"It is hard to lose 14 players from the previous year's team and expect immediate success but this young group hit some huge milestones, met several goals set at the beginning of the season, and have opened eyes all over the conference with their intensity and level of play.  Six overtime games and some exciting finishes have kept me on the edge of my seat all season.  There are good things to come for Garnet women's soccer," Anckaitis said.

Swarthmore concludes the 2005 season with a record of 3-11-3 overall and 1-7-2 in the Centennial Conference.

Box Score

#18 Franklin & Marshall scored three times in the first half on its way to a 4-1 victory over Swarthmore in the regular season finale for both schools in Lancaster, Pa. on Saturday afternoon. F&M clinched the fifth and final spot in the Centennial playoffs with the victory.

Brittany Croll, Mollie Ruben, and Eileen Keever scored goals for the Diplomats (12-5 overall, 6-4 CC). F&M took a 3-0 lead into the intermission.

Keever got her second goal of the day at 63:01 for the fourth Diplomat score.

The Garnet got on the board midway through the second half when senior forward Heidi Fieselmann put home her team- and career-high 13th goal of the season with 3:45 remaining.

Fieselmann finishes her Swarthmore career with 22 goals and 12 assists for 56 points.

Lorang made three saves for Swarthmore in the first half while Melissa LaVan '07 tallied two stops in the second half.

The Garnet conclude the 2005 season with a overall record of 8-9 and 4-6 in the Centennial.

Box Score

Freshman Emma Stanley and senior Carrie Ritter made the All-Centennial second-team with top ten performances at the 2005 Centennial Conference Championships in Oregon Ridge Park, Md. on Saturday morning.

Stanley finished eighth out of 111 runners, completing the 6K course in a time of 23:08. Ritter was right behind Stanley in ninth position (23:11).

It was the second consecutive year Ritter has made the All-Centennial team. She finished 12th in Westminster, Md. in 2004.

Another pair of Garnet harriers crossed the line together; senior Debbie Farrelly came in 19th (23:45) followed closely by classmate Lauren Fety in 20th (23:49). Senior Emily Wistar saved the best run of her career for the Centennial Championships, establishing a fantastic time (23:58) to finish in 24th.

Swarthmore tallied 80 team points to finish behind champion Dickinson (18 points) and Haverford (67 points). Click below for complete Centennial Conference Championship results.

The team will take the next two weeks to prepare for the Division III Mid-East Regional meet in Carlisle, Pa. on November 12 at 11:00 a.m. The race will take place at Carlisle High School.

Complete Results

Vernon Chaplin '07 earned All-Centennial second-team honors with an eleventh-place finish as Swarthmore placed third as a team at the 2005 Centennial Conference Championships held in Oregon Ridge Park, Md. on Saturday morning.

Chaplin covered the 8K course in a time of 26:38, just one minute behind 2005 Runner of the Year Ian Ramsey-North from Haverford.

Sophomore Ross Weller ran 17th out of 96 runners, finishing in a time 26:50. Jon Shoop '08 was the next Swarthmore runner to finish, coming in 25th in a time of 27:24.

Freshman Erik Saka (27:33) and senior Jim Kreft (27:35) crossed together, finishing 30th and 31st, respectively.

The Garnet accumulated 99 total points to finish behind Haverford (19 points) and Dickinson (86 points).

The team will take the next two weeks to prepare for the Division III Mid-East Regional meet in Carlisle, Pa. on November 12 at 11:00 a.m. The race will take place at Carlisle High School.

Complete Results

Freshman David Lau carded an 81 to claim third place at the Scarlet Raptors Fall Invitational. Swarthmore finished second as a team, posting a score of 336.

Lau, competing in his first collegiate match, was only two shots of winner Brian Mason at the par-72 6,496-yard Town & Country Golf Links in Woodstown, NJ.

Senior Michael Cullinan dropped in an 82 while junior Ed Goldstein carded a round of 84. Michael Berknasek was the other Swarthmore competitior, posting a score of 89.

Rutgers-Camden won the team competiton with a score of 330, followed by Swarthmore, Neumann (339), Haverford (343), and Richard Stockton (354).

Swarthmore concludes the fall season with a record of 4-2.

Danielle Tocchet '08 scored two more goals and senior Valerie Maulbeck ended her Clothier Field-career in style with an assist as the Garnet defeated Bryn Mawr 3-0 last night for their first Centennial Conference win of the season.

The Garnet (3-10-3, 1-6-2 CC) controlled play right from the outset, racking up nine shots before allowing any to the Owls (6-12, 1-9 CC). Tocchet made the fourth of those shots count, giving her team a 1-0 lead 7:08 into the match. Maulbeck got control of the ball just across the midfield stripe and hit a through ball to Tocchet, who was streaking down the right wing. The sophomore took one touch and blasted the ball past Owl goalkeeper Collette Pullion and into the left corner of the goal.

Midway through the half, the Garnet added a second tally. Bryn Mawr turned the ball over deep in the Garnet end and their defense, pulled up almost to half field, had to scramble to get back. Suddenly, Natalie Negrey '07, Pullion, and an Owl defender were in a race to the ball. Negrey won, tapped the ball past the pair of Owls, and soon had her second goal of the season.

At halftime, the team's five seniors were honored in a short ceremony. Seniors Sarah Hobbs, Lauren Stadler, Valerie Maulbeck, Becky Strauss, and Laura Twichell were saluted for four years of skilled play, hard work, and leadership.

Tocchet converted a penalty kick late in the second half for her second goal of the game after Melinda Petre '09 was taken down inside the penalty box at 85:15. Tocchet's now tied for third in the conference with eight goals on the season.

Lauren Walker '09 played the first half in goal and made two saves, while Kristen Traband '08 came in for the second period and added three more. Swarthmore's defense was solid throughout the night and generally kept the ball far away from the net.

Swarthmore will finish their season this Saturday in an 11:00 a.m. match at Haverford.

Box Score