Athletics News

15 Swarthmore alums took on the current edition of the Garnet men's soccer team at Clothier Field on Saturday afternoon, giving the young Garnet a run for their money. The final score may have read 3-1, but the action on the field proved otherwise.

2004 All-Centennial goal keeper Nate Shupe '05 (above), made his return to Clothier Field a memorable one, turning away a variety of shots from the undergraduates. Brandon Washington '07 finally broke through late in the first period, heading home a cross just past the out-stretched hand of Shupe.

The alums knotted the match in the second period, when new addition Ciaran Dalton, the Garnet assistant coach, brought the crowd to its feet with a beautiful goal. Dalton, a free agent pick-up before the match, controlled the ball in the box, turned on his right heel, and lofted the ball into the upper left corner to make it a 1-1 game.

The undergraduates put two more goals on the board to take control of the match, but the alumni continued to press, giving the Garnet an tough dress-rehearsal before the opening match on Saturday evening vs. Earlham (IN) at 6:00 p.m.

A hearty thanks goes out to all of the Swarthmore soccer alumni who have lent their support in various ways, and please be sure to check the 2005 schedule for upcoming Swarthmore home matches.

Swarthmore assistant coach Ciaran Dalton, a Millersville grad and Strath Haven native, scored five goals as the Garnet concluded their England Tour 2005 with a 5-4 come-from-behind win over the Heywood Town club in England on Friday evening.

Click to read the match write up in the Heywood Advertiser!

Andrew Terker '06 scored two goals, while Michael Bonesteel '08 and Andrew McCurdy '08 added scores, as the Garnet defeated Heywood Reform F.C. 4-0 in Manchester, England on Sunday afternoon.

Bonesteel opened the scoring in this friendly match, held at St. James Park, with a goal midway through the first half. McCurdy and Terker added scores as Swarthmore took a 3-0 lead into halftime.

Terker scored his second goal of the match in a rough-and-tumble second half, featuring numerous rough tackles and the ejection of a Heywood player.

The Garnet have a couple of days to rest before their next match, at Oldham Town F.C., on August 10th at 5:30 p.m. (12:30 p.m. EST).

Click to read the article in the Heywood Advertiser!

Colton Bangs '07 put home a loose ball in the sixth minute as Swarthmore battled to a 1-1 tie in their friendly match with the Yeadling FC 19-and-under squad in London, England on Thursday evening.

The Garnet arrived in London on Tuesday evening and participated in one full-squad practice before hitting the pitch at The Warren, home of the Yeadling Football Club, for the first of five matches.

Swarthmore got on the board first as forward Michael Bonesteel '08 flicked a header towards the Yeadling goal. The goal keeper got his hands on the ball, but was unable to maintain possession. The loose ball fell at the feet of Bangs who neatly deposited it in the back of the net for a 1-0 Garnet advantage.

Swarthmore keeper Reuben Heyman-Kantor '06 kept the Yeadling youngsters off the board for the first 45 minutes, sending the Garnet into halftime with the 1-0 lead intact.

Yeadling evened the match on a breakaway in the second half, putting a score by new Garnet keeper Ryan Sutcliffe '08.

Swarthmore's next match on England Tour 2005 will be on Sunday, August 7th. The Garnet travel north to Manchester for a 10:00 a.m. (5:00 a.m. EST) match with Heywood Reform FC.

Click for England Tour 2005 Blog Site!

The Swarthmore men's soccer team leaves tonight for their long-anticipated trip to England. After more than a year of fund-raising and planning, 25 Garnet players and staff will spend 13 days in the U.K., returning in time for their annual pre-season training camp.

The team will enjoy the requisite sight-seeing and tours of some of London's, Liverpool's, and Manchester's major attractions, as well as a tour of the beautiful Lake District in northwest England. There will also be professional matches to attend, training sessions, and a few friendly matches to play.

In keeping with Swarthmore's tradition of engaging in civic welfare projects, the team will also perform a community service project while in London. Also on the schedule is a reception for Swarthmore alumni and the team in London.

For daily accounts of the team's trip be sure to visit the England Tour 2005 Web site. Tom Krattenmaker, Director of News & Information at the College, will scribe a daily recap of the trip, complete with pictures.

The players and staff are very much looking forward to this opportunity to kick-start the 2005 season, and to visit a land where soccer is played at the highest level.

The United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) has named Swarthmore senior attacker Tim Chryssikos (Ellicott City, MD / Loyola Blakefield) a 2005 Scholar All-American.

Chryssikos was among 37 lacrosse players from Division I, II, and III selected for the annual list, his first such nomination.  A biology and sociology/anthropology double major, he was named to the Centennial Conference (CC) Academic Honor Roll in each of the past three seasons.  Chryssikos, who graduated in May, is working in a laboratory and will attend medical school in the near future.

Chryssikos was the top offensive option for the Garnet in 2005, leading the team with 52 points on 26 goals and 26 assists.  The senior ranked third in the CC with 1.86 assists per game, fourth with 3.71 points per game, and 10th with 1.86 goals per game.  Chryssikos completes his collegiate lacrosse career ranked tenth in school history with 137 career points.

The tri-captain was twice named All-Centennial, winning second-team honors in 2005 and honorable mention in 2004.  He was recently selected to participate in the 65th annual STX/Geico North/South Classic, to be played on June 11 in Cortland, N.Y.

USILA Website

Swarthmore College has announced Renee DeVarney, current head coach at W.T. Woodson High School in Fairfax, VA, has been named head women's basketball coach. 

"The Department of Athletics is very excited to have [DeVarney] on board," said Adam Hertz, Director of Athletics at Swarthmore. "We feel her understanding of competitive athletics within the framework of an academic institution will further the success of the Swarthmore women's basketball program."

DeVarney, former head coach at Duquesne University (PA) and assistant coach at the College of William and Mary (VA), replaces Adrienne Shibles, who resigned after nine seasons to become the Associate Athletic Director at Gould Academy in Bethel, ME.

"The blend of great academics and competitive basketball attracted me to Swarthmore, " said DeVarney.  "I love being around the type of highly motivated students who enjoy a challenge.  I look forward to competing for the Centennial Conference Championship each year and going to the NCAA Tournament."

In her four-year tenure at Woodson, DeVarney, a three-time Women's Sports Foundation High School Coach of the Year in northern Virginia, captured a pair of Liberty District Championships while compiling a record of 86-23.  In 2004-05, DeVarney led Woodson to a 26-5 record, a No. 17 ranking in the Washington Post's Girls Basketball Poll, and a spot in the state semifinals.  She also taught astronomy and advanced placement physics at Woodson.

DeVarney's success in Virginia extended beyond the high school season.  In the summer of 2003, her first season coaching on the AAU circuit, DeVarney led the Fairfax Stars to the 15-and-under National Championship in Virginia Beach, VA.  In May 2004, DeVarney was selected by USA Basketball to be an assistant coach for the Olympic Youth Development Team.

Prior to Woodson, DeVarney accrued an impressive list of coaching credentials, dating back to her first job as an assistant at the United States Military Academy from 1986 to 1988.  DeVarney followed her stay at Army with jobs at the University of Iowa (1988-89), Duquesne (1989-93), West Virginia University (1996-99), and William and Mary (1999-00).

DeVarney is the director of the Aspire Higher Basketball Camp held at Woodson, the largest high school camp based in Virginia.  Prior to starting her own camp, DeVarney was the lead post coach at the Duke University Elite Camp in 2001 and 2002.

DeVarney graduated from the University of Vermont with a Bachelor of Arts degree in physics in 1985.  She was a four-year letter-winner, playing guard for the Catamounts, and still ranks in the school's top 20 all-time in steals and free throws.  DeVarney received her teaching certificate at George Washington University in 2001.

The Swarthmore basketball program has been very successful over the past five years, winning 97 games and making four appearances in the Centennial Conference playoffs, including winning the 2001 Centennial Conference Championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament under Shibles.

Swarthmore College has selected Todd Anckaitis, current head coach at Lewis and Clark College, as the head women's soccer coach.  Anckaitis takes over the program from Amy Brunner, who resigned after seven seasons at Swarthmore.

"The search committee was thoroughly impressed by Todd's character and experience," said Swarthmore Athletics Director Adam Hertz said. "He brings an understanding of the game of soccer and the educational mission that will aid him in elevating our soccer program to the next level."

While at Lewis and Clark, Anckaitis re-established the women's soccer program, dormant since 1990.  In 2004 he led a youthful Pioneer squad to an early season No.8 ranking in the West Region.

Prior to his tenure at Lewis and Clark, Anckaitis earned a master of science in exercise and sports studies at Smith College in Northampton, MA.  While in Northampton, Anckaitis served as an assistant coach at Amherst College, helping the Jeffs to a No. 2 national ranking and an appearance in the 2001 NCAA Division III National Championship match.

Anckaitis worked for the Dean of Student Residence at Amherst, managing resident counselors responsible for aiding students in resolving conflicts, developing dorm activities, and undertaking community outreach projects.

Anckaitis has coached at various levels, starting out as a volunteer assistant at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ, during the 1999-2000 season.  He served as head coach at the Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences in Santa Monica, CA, posting a 12-5-2 record to earn a spot in the California Interscholastic Federation - Southern Section playoffs in 2003.  He coached in the Region I Olympic Development Camps (ODP) in Kingston, RI, in 2002 and 2003, and also coached at the Pepperdine and Southern Cal soccer camps.

"I am eager to continue developing my extended soccer family at Swarthmore, where the commitment to excellence extends past the playing field," Anckaitis said.  "I look forward to contributing my soccer and real-world knowledge to the Swarthmore women's soccer program, in an effort to obtain the same level of distinction the college has attained."

Anckaitis graduated from Lafayette College in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts degree concentrating in management and society.  Anckaitis attended Lafayette on a four-year Army ROTC scholarship, going on to graduate from the Officer Basic Course at the United States Army Medical Center & School in San Antonio, TX.  He served eight years in the Army Reserves/National Guard, achieving the rank of First Lieutenant.

In a season of ups and downs, the Swarthmore women's soccer team earned several key victories and enjoyed many breakthrough performances on the individual level despite struggling to a final record of 4-13-1.

The Garnet started the year strong, winning two of its first three games, including a 2-1 victory over a strong Alvernia team in the consolation game of the Swat Kick Classic. The early surge was led by Natalie Negrey '07, who scored four goals in the first four games and would finish as the team's leading scorer with seven goals. Classmate Jane Sachs also provided the Garnet with offensive firepower early in the year, netting two goals and three assists in the team's first four contests.

After a solid start, the team battled through a three-game losing streak, dropping games to York and Wesley at the Widener Classic and losing to nationally ranked Richard Stockton. Starting Centennial Conference play in a game at Franklin & Marshall, the team earned an uplifting 1-0 overtime victory in which defender Lauren Kett '05 scored her first career goal, ending the game midway through the first overtime period with a shot that caromed off the post and into the net. First-year goalkeepers Kristen Traband and Rachel Jordan combined for the shutout.

Following the overtime win, the Garnet hit a lull in which the team went winless in the next nine games. The Garnet was shut out by Gettysburg and Muhlenberg in back-to-back games and tied Washington College in a game that went to two overtime periods. A 2-1 loss to Ursinus and a 3-0 loss to Johns Hopkins sent the team into fall break with an overall record of 3-8-1.

Taking advantage of the break in classes, the team traveled to Maine Oct. 11-14 to take on Bates College and University of Maine-Farmingdale. Despite solid performances, the Garnet returned home from its northern road trip with two losses.

In its first game following the trip to Maine, Swarthmore hosted conference foe McDaniel. Playing with a renewed focus and tremendous energy, the women hung tough with the Green Terror, not letting the physical play-or a 10-minute torrential downpour midway through the second half-distract them. Despite the incredible effort, McDaniel found the net two minutes into the second overtime, leaving the Garnet stunned by the heartbreaking loss.

Determined to finish the year strong, the team suffered a disappointing loss to Dickinson in its next game before earning a tough 1-0 win over Bryn Mawr. Sachs headed home a Negrey cross in the 81st minute for the game winner against Bryn Mawr, and the Garnet defense turned in an outstanding effort to help Traband record her first career shutout. In its final game, the Garnet suffered a 5-0 defeat by Haverford to close out the season with a 2-7-1 mark in Centennial Conference play.

Sachs and senior co-captain Jordan Shakeshaft were recognized for their standout play throughout the season, both earning All-Centennial Conference honorable mention.
Although the team is losing eight talented players to graduation, the returning group is determined to turn things around next year and return to contention.

Garnet sophomore Sonya Reynolds, making her first appearance in the NCAA Division III Women's Individual Tennis Championships, was defeated by Erika Villalobos from UC-Santa Cruz 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday morning in Kalamazoo, Mich.

Reynolds. the seventh-ranked singles' player in the Atlantic South region, finishes 2005 with a record of 18-5, helping Swarthmore advance to the NCAA Team Championships for third consecutive year.

The sophomore left-hander won the Centennial Conference Singles title in April by defeating Amy Schmidt of Muhlenberg, who advanced to the second round of the NCAA Individual Championships.

NCAA Championship Results