Fall 2007 Previews
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Football
With the graduation of quarterback Justin Smith ’07, Billy Ryan ’08 and Steve Carroll ’10 will compete with some promising newcomers for the quarterback position. They will have targets in receivers Justin Candon ’08, Andrew Carey ’09, Justin Clark ’09, and a number of other up-and-coming underclassmen. Ryan Conlon ’10 is a leading candidate to take over the tight end spot. The development of the offensive line is critical to success. Returning starters Mike McKeon ’09, Matt Fait ’10, and Brian Ward ’08 will be key players. A host of other capable candidates, including Greg Smith ’08, Jeremy Steed ’09, and Rob Dillon ’09, will vie for playing time. The defense will feature a veteran crew on the line and in the secondary. Mike Poplaski ’08, an All-NESCAC selection in 2004, returns in the middle of the line after missing all of last season with an injury. Kevin Bird ’09, Sam Handler ’09, and Mark Ozarowski ’09 return as well. Handler was fifth on the team in tackles (32) and added 3.5 sacks, as did Bird. Tom Daley ’09, Greg Enos ’08, and Alex Halls ’09 give Colby a solid secondary. Halls was third in tackles with 39, Daley had 31 tackles, and Enos added 24 stops. Nick Tucker ’10 is expected to challenge for a starting spot. Although the corps of linebackers was diminished at graduation, John Murphy ’09, who made 42 tackles and 3.5 sacks a year ago, returns. Lamont Henry ’10 should step in at one of the spots. Women’s Soccer
Women’s Cross-Country
Tri-captain Liz Petit ’08 placed consistently in Colby’s fourth and fifth spots in 2006, and Devan FitzPatrick ’09 contributed greatly by finishing consistently in the third and fourth spots among Colby runners. Mandy Ivey ’10 was another consistent top-five runner and is expected to continue her success. Teammates Katrina Gravel ’10 and Cassie Knight ’10 had strong indoor and outdoor track seasons as first-years and could vie for top-seven spots. The Colby harriers will look for contributions from returning runners Sharon Fuller ’08 (tri-captain), Lane Marder ’08, Hannah Taska ’09, and Jen MacDowell ’09. Talented first-year students include Erin Joyce, Emma Linhard, Jeanne Loftus, Debbie and Judy Merzbach, Kimberly Volkman, and Louise Winslow. Men’s Soccer
Men’s Cross-Country The men’s cross-country team returns a number of key runners from last year’s squad. John Swain ’08 lost a shoe in the opening 400 meters and had to run in a driving rain, but still managed to finish eighth at the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) meet in 2006. He earned All-NESCAC honors for his finish and placed ninth at the State of Maine meet. Michael Collins ’08 was 64th out of more than 300 runners at the New England Division III meet. The Mules also got some solid finishes last year from Nikolajs Batarags ’10 and Chris Darrah ’10. The squad did remarkably well in the classroom last year as well. Six runners made the NESCAC Fall All-Academic Team: Chris Appel ’08, Collins, Alex Gill ’08, Bob Glotfelty ’08, Dan Moss ’08, and Dan Vassallo ’07. Vassallo, who made the NCAA meet, will be missed. Field Hockey Colby looks forward to the return of 15 players for the 2007 season, including four with great talent and leadership skills. Captains Jamie Enos and Jenn Reilly are back for their final seasons, along with Jess Egan and MaryClaire McGovern, who will be juniors. Captain Frazer Humes ’09, who returns to lead the defense, will be supported by Mollie Kimmel ’09, Meghan Saccone ’10, Catherine Nix ’10, Jevan Jammal ’10, and Katie Todd ’10. Mary Clare Snediker ’09 will lead the Mules offense with her amazing stick work and nose for the goal. Joining her are Reilly, Egan, McGovern, Chelsea Rosenheimer ’09, Caroline Duke ’10, Kaeley Shepard ’10, and Ashley Wagner ’10. Volleyball
Lawler will be expected to continue in this role and to play an even more important leadership role on the floor. Jenny Lawrence ’09 has been the consistent force running the offense for the past two seasons and will be expected to step up her leadership while continuing to be the Mules’ toughest server and one of the best defensive players. Carlie Minichino ’09 proved she is up for the challenge of filling Kirby’s defensive void, having stepped in as libero in the final weeks of the 2006 season after Kirby was injured. Larissa Levine ’10 and Heather Arvidson ’11 will add some needed size and offensive power to the front line and will be expected to make immediate impacts. Women’s Crew With a strong core of seniors who have been mainstays of the program for three years, and with significant contributions from a solid group of underclassmen, the Mules look to maintain their traditional place among the best college rowing programs in the country. The Colby women begin the 2007-08 season with a fall schedule, including the prestigious Head of the Charles Regatta. Colby’s spring schedule is challenging, with the New England Rowing Championships, the ECAC National Invitational, and the NCAA Division III Championships. The women’s varsity eight finished the 2006-07 season with a 7-4 dual race record and sixth place at the New England Rowing Championships, and every women’s crew earned selection to the ECAC National Invitational Regatta. Selected to the second team, Austin Phillips ’07 became the fifth rower named to the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association’s All-American list, and for the second straight year four members of the varsity eight were named National Scholar Athletes. Men’s Crew The men’s crew begins the fall season in October with the Textile River Regatta, the New Hampshire Championships, and the Head of the Charles Regatta. Last year seniors through first-year rowers made significant contributions to the team and to boat speed. With their years of experience the older athletes were able to lead, while the younger rowers made significant strides in skill, fitness, and leadership over the course of the fall, winter, and spring seasons. The spring racing season featured a series of close races against the perennially strong competition within the NESCAC. Highlights included capturing the CBB (Colby-Bates-Bowdoin) championship, a ninth-place finish at the New England Rowing Championships, and a subsequent selection to the ECAC National Invitational Regatta. With a strong group of juniors and the return of many key underclassmen, the team is poised for continued success this year. Men’s Tennis The men’s tennis team heads into the 2007-08 season with a new head coach and high expectations after making the NESCAC playoffs last year. Doanh Wang takes over the team, which returns plenty of players from last year’s 8-7 squad. The Mules earned a bid to the conference playoffs before falling in the quarterfinal round. Brody Saunders ’08 returns after playing the entire season last year at first singles and first doubles and piling up 18 total wins. Bryan Brown ’09 missed part of last year with an illness but still had 13 wins in second singles and first doubles. Zack Schuman ’08 was first in total wins with 23 playing second and third singles. Tim Fuhriman ’09 (16 wins) returns at fourth singles, and Alex Chin ’09 (15 wins) is back at the fifth spot. Women’s Tennis The women’s tennis team begins the 2007-08 season with new head coach Doanh Wang. He inherits a young squad that lost the top three singles players from last year. Golf The coed golf team heads into the 2007 season with three home matches at the Waterville Country Club. Led by captains Nick Spillane ’08 and John Wagner ’09, the Mules play in the Sid Farr Invitational on September 22 and are hosts for the Colby Classic on September 23. The Colby Invitational is set for October 6 at WCC. |
