Weekly Lyon

Men's Basketball (16-8, 7-5) Sweeps Babson to Secure Third Seed in NEWMAC Tourney

The Wheaton College men's basketball team completed its season sweep of defending New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Champion Babson College last Saturday, as the Lyons finished third in the regular season standings. Wheaton suffered a hard-fought 78-75 overtime loss to the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London on Tuesday. The Lyons then snapped their four-game losing skid with a 76-67 victory at Babson in Babson Park. Securing the third seed in the NEWMAC Tournament for the first time since the 2000-01 season, Wheaton will host number-six seed Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on Tuesday in Emerson Gymnasium.

At Coast Guard, senior tri-captain Mike Stanton (Lynnfield, MA/Brewster Academy) became Wheaton's ninth men's basketball player to surpass the 1,000-point milestone. In the game, the Bears jetted to a 7-0 advantage that eventually led to Coast Guard's biggest advantage of the night at 25-10 with 8:27 remaining in the half. The Lyons utilized the remainder of the period to climb back into the contest, using a 14-1 scoring rush en route to a 37-35 halftime lead. The Bears retook the edge in the second stanza and eventually captured a 64-56 lead with 4:28 remaining in regulation, but Stanton sparked a 9-0 Wheaton run in which he registered his 1,000th career point on a lay up with 4:19 left. Stanton then converted the ensuing free throw and later capped off the run with another three-point play to give the Blue and White a 65-64 advantage. Following a 68-68 tie at the end of regulation, Coast Guard took a 76-72 lead in the overtime, but senior tri-captain Josean Vega (Pawtucket, RI/St. Raphael's) pulled Wheaton back to within one point at 76-75 on a trey with 3.1 seconds remaining. It wasn't enough however, as the Bears hit a quick two as time expired to collect the win. Vega led the way with a team-high 24 points, while sophomore Brian Zukowski (Dracut, MA/Dracut) chipped in with 15 points. Stanton rounded out the double-digit scorers with 13 points, five rebounds and a team-high four assists.

At Babson, Wheaton jumped out to a 15-4 lead and led by as many as 14 twice midway through the period, including a 30-16 advantage with six minutes remaining. The Beavers then used an 11-4 run to pull to within seven at 34-27 with 3:30 left in the period, but the Lyons finished the half with a trio of three-pointers to take a 43-30 advantage into the break. The visitors eventually held their largest advantage of the game, 51-34, with 17 minutes remaining in the contest. Babson clawed its way back into the contest and trimmed Wheaton's lead to just four with six minutes on the clock, but the Lyons came right back with a 7-0 spurt that was capped by a three-pointer from Vega, pushing their advantage back to 11 at 63-52. The Beavers got back to within six twice in the closing moments of the contest, but junior Sean Kelly (Providence, RI/Wheeler School) hit 6-of-6 from the line in the final minute and Vega added two more from the stripe to clinch the victory. Vega led the way with 19 points, while Zukowski poured in 16 points. Kelly scored 15 points with seven assists and five steals, while senior tri-captain Mark Ledwell (Charlemont, MA/Mohawk Trail Regional) recorded his first career double-double with a career-best 15 points and 10 rebounds. Stanton added a career-high 11 boards in the win.

Women's Basketball (11-14, 6-7) Completes Season with Victories over Wellesley and MIT

The Wheaton College women's basketball team secured the sixth seed in this week's NEWMAC Tournament, as the Lyons wrapped up its regular season in strong fashion with a pair of conference victories over Wellesley College and MIT. Wheaton posted a 73-66 come-from-behind victory against Wellesley on Tuesday in Emerson Gymnasium and then cruised to a 62-32 triumph over MIT on Saturday in Cambridge. Earning double-digit victories for the first time since the 1999-2000 campaign, the Lyons will travel to number-three seed Springfield College for a first round game on Tuesday.

Versus Wellesley, freshmen Courtney Riley (Quincy, MA/Fontbonne Academy) and Becky Aitchison (Norwalk, CT/Trinity Catholic) combined for 36 points to help Wheaton overcome an 18-point halftime deficit. Wellesley was firing on all cylinders from the onset, outscoring Wheaton, 17-5 in the first eight minutes of play. The Blue led by as many as 18 points on three occasions, with the latter being a 43-25 halftime advantage. In the second half, Wellesley scored first to open a 20-point advantage, but with the score 51-34 in Wellesley's favor with 14:44 remaining, Wheaton went on an 8-0 run over the next minute to bring the score to 51-42. The visitors scored the next bucket to regain a double-digit edge, but the Lyons outscored the Blue, 15-2 to capture their first lead of the game at 57-55 with 7:29 left. With the scored tied at 57, Wheaton used a 7-2 spurt for a 64-59 lead with 4:11 to play. The Blue managed to get within one, but Riley scored seven of the Lyons' next nine points to clinch the victory. Riley led the way with a season-best 21 points, all in the second half, while Aitchison accounted for a season-best 15 points on an outstanding 7-of-8 shooting performance. Sophomores Samara Audet (Derry, NH/Trinity) and Kim McCormack (Milton, MA/Milton) chipped in with 10 points apiece.

At MIT, senior Vanessa Savas (Belmont, MA/Belmont) posted back-to-back baskets to give Wheaton a 7-2 lead with 12:21 remaining. With the Lyons in front 8-6 with 11:23 to play, Wheaton used a 21-7 run the rest of the stanza to secure a 29-13 cushion at the half. In the second half, Audet opened the scoring with a three-pointer from Riley and senior Mary Flaherty (Mattapoisett, MA/Old Rochester) followed with a jumper to extend the visitor lead to 34-13. MIT never threatened, cutting its deficit to 19 points on several occasions, as the Lyons thwarted any Engineer comeback attempt. Savas and Riley led four Wheaton double-figure scorers with 12 points apiece. Savas had a game-best 11 rebounds to complete her double-double, while Riley pulled down seven boards. Senior Kate Williams (Portland, OR/Catlin Gabel) accounted for 11 points and Audet added 10 points and seven rebounds.

Women's Swimming (10-4) Secures Best Finish Ever at a NEWMAC Championship Meet

The Wheaton College women's swimming and diving team secured its best finish at a NEWMAC Championship at Wellesley College, as the Lyons captured fourth place with 417.50 points. Breaking nine school records at Chandler Pool, Wheaton has posted its two highest placements at a NEWMAC meet under second-year head coach J.P. Gowdy since the inaugural championship in 1999.

Wheaton posted three NEWMAC All-Conference second team performances during the meet, including freshman Abby Pratt (Melrose, MA/Melrose) placing second in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly events and sophomore Colleen Smith (Milford, CT/Lauralton Hall) taking second in the 200-yard butterfly event.

The Lyons concluded the meet's first day of action with three school records. Pratt was a part of all three Wheaton marks, including her runner-up finish in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 24.94. Freshman Meg Miller (Duxbury, MA/Duxbury) provided valuable points by placing third in the event in 25.16. In the two record-breaking relays, Pratt, Miller, senior Amanda Berthelette (Milford, NH/Milford) and sophomore Cassie Bohn (Manhattan Beach, CA/Mira Costa) captured third in the 400-yard medley in 4:08.49, while Pratt, Miller, senior Blake Worrall (Duxbury, MA/Duxbury) and junior Courtney Catalano (Westford, MA/Westford) placed fifth in the 200-yard freestyle in 1:41.14.

Highlighting Saturday's events was Pratt's second NEWMAC All-Conference performance in addition to a pair more school records falling by the wayside. Pratt took second in the 100-yard butterfly finals in 1:00.70 and during the trials of that event broke a school record in 1:00.61. She then swam a leg on Wheaton's 200-yard medley relay team, joining Berthelette, Bohn and Miller, as the foursome shattered the program mark with a time of 1:53.50. Berthelette was also impressive in the 100-yard backstroke event, placing third overall with a time of 1:01.73. Sophomore Katie McNicholas (Acton, MA/Acton-Boxboro) landed a fourth-place finish in the 400-yard individual medley, finishing in a school-record time of 4:49.16, while Smith captured fifth overall in the 100-yard butterfly in 1:02.07.

In the meet's final day of competition, Smith captured her NEWMAC All-Conference honor in the 200-yard butterfly in a Wheaton-best 2:15.73, while Pratt accounted for a tie for third in the 100-yard freestyle with a school-best time of 54.60. Bohn was fifth in the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:35.61, while Worrall, Smith, Pratt and Miller finished fifth in the 400-yard freestyle relay, breaking last year's school record with a time of 3:43.23. All told, Wheaton had 25 individual scoring performances individually, including 18 top-ten finishes and 10 scoring relay finishes, including four top-five marks.

Synchronized Swimming Captures Overall Championship at Wheaton Invitational

The Wheaton College synchronized swimming team returned home Saturday afternoon to capture the overall championship among the four-competing teams in Balfour Natatorium, as the Lyons retained their title after scoring 98 points. Boston University took second with 88 points, while MIT and the University of Rhode Island were a distant third and fourth with 50.5 and 41 points, respectively.

A trio of first-year swimmers paced the women, as Sachi Maekawa (Seattle, WA/Franklin), Tori Hay (Danville, CA/Monte Vista) and Megan Kinney (Los Angeles, CA/Marlborough) helped the hosts score valuable points on the afternoon. Maekawa turned in the top solo and A figure performances of the day and later assisted in the squad's top team performance. Hay and Kinney were tops in the B and C figure category, respectively, and also joined sophomore co-captain Elizabeth Corman (St. Paul, MN/Hill-Murray) for the meet's top trio. Joining Maekawa, Hay, Kinney and Corman in the team event was senior co-captain Jamie Olken (Brighton, NY/Brighton), sophomore Sarah Swinkin (Hamden, CT/Hamden) and freshman Esther Kovacs (Windham, NH/Notre Dame Academy). Wheaton's other trio, comprised of Kovacs, Olken and Swinkin, finished second overall.

Corman captured the runner-up position in B figures, while Kovacs and Olken took second and third, respectively in the C category. In the final event of technical elements, first-year Laura Fleck (Auburn, ME/Hebron Academy) and sophomore Renata Paglio (Portland, ME/Deering) finished among the top three in D figures. Fleck and Paglio also aided Wheaton's third-place performance in the team event, siding with freshmen Perri Kapp (Yarmouth Port, MA/Dennis Yarmouth), Ru-Shyan Yen (Des Moines, IA/Abraham Lincoln) and Ru-Huey Yen (Des Moines, IA/Abraham Lincoln).

Men's and Women's Track and Field Competes at USATF New England Championship

The Wheaton College men's and women's track and field teams competed at the United States Track & Field (USATF) New England Championship held at Harvard University on Sunday, as senior Kathrine Wallace (Glenmoore, PA/The Hill School) landed the nation's top jump with a NCAA Division III national meet automatic qualifying height of 5' 7 3/4". On the men's side, junior Ajay Sisodia (Andover, MA/Andover) exceeded a national meet provisional qualifying time in the 400-meter dash, finishing as the meet's top collegiate competitor in the event with a time of 49.28.

Wallace was also the top collegiate finisher in the high jump, surpassing her 5' 6" performance set earlier this season. Sophomore Jennifer Harlow (East Bridgewater, MA/East Bridgewater) nearly matched her season best in the event with a third-place finish and provisional qualifying jump of 5' 5 3/4". In the track events, freshman Chelsea Nader (Ardmore, PA/Lower Menan) placed sixth in the 400-meter dash, while senior Jessica Allegra (East Hampton, CT/East Hampton) captured eighth place overall. In the 60-meter hurdles event, Harlow placed fourth with a time of 9.42 and first-year Julie McLane (New Canaan, CT/New Canaan) finished fifth in 9.52. Wheaton's distance medley relay team emerged victorious on the day, as Allegra, McLane, senior Lindsay Whalen (Dedham, MA/Dedham) and freshman Megan Brousseau (Attleboro, MA/Attleboro) captured top honors.

For the men, Sisodia added to his runner-up finish in the 400-meter dash with a fourth-place mark in the 60M dash in 7.10. Also in the 400-meter dash was senior Patrick Freytag (Pittsford, NY/McQuaid Jesuit), who registered a 10th-place standing and time of 52.47. Freytag later led the distance medley relay team to a first-place mark, joining junior Ross Kahill (South Portland, ME/South Portland) and freshmen Alex Cook (Hanover, MA/Hanover) and Pat Benson (Foxboro, MA/Bishop Feehan). Rounding out the list of high placements included freshman Kyle Judkins (Scarborough, ME/Scarborough) taking sixth in the pole vault and senior Jamaal Rawls-Payton (Stoughton, MA/Stoughton) and junior Eric Richardson (Walpole, MA/Bishop Feehan) placing eighth in the 60-meter hurdles and 5,000-meter run, respectively.

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 1/30/07.
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