Volume 123 >> Issue 35 : Wednesday, August 27, 2003

MIT Coaches Anticipate Exciting Upcoming Season

As a new incoming class crowds the Infinite, upperclassmen move back in, and Reg Day approaches, the campus prepares for another academic year. Athletic teams, hard at work individually over the summer, are gathering to prepare for the upcoming seasons. Coaches for this fall’s Tech sports forecasted their teams’ performances this year.

Sport: Women’s cross country

Head Coach: Paul Slovenski

Assistant Coach: Harold B. Hatch

Last Season’s Record: 5-2-1

Last Season’s Awards:

MVP -- Martha W. Buckley ’04

Rookie of the Season -- Valerie Y. Kuo ’06

Most Improved -- Alisa P. Lehman ’05

Promising Rookies: Enthusiastic group yet to be proven on the course.

Top 10 Returning Stars: Captain Katie R. Huffman ’04, Captain Martha W. Buckley ’04, Julia C. Espel ’05, Veronica A. Andrews ’05, Betsy R. Eames ’06, Jen A. Gaugler ’05, Kelly Kuo ’06, Jen J. DeBoer ’05, Jordan E. Wirfs-Brock ’06, Nancy J. Benedetti ’05

Big Meets This Season:

All-Division New England -- hope to place in the top half of the 50 competing schools.

NEWMACs -- looking to win the conference championship meet that Wellesley edged MIT out of last year.

National Regional Qualifier (New England Division III race) -- goal of top 10 finish as a team, which would be the first time in program’s history. This would, more importantly, signify a break of the rival NESCAC conference’s strangle hold on the higher positions (not to mention having some individuals try to make a run at realistically earning a trip to the NCAA meet).

Comments:

Shooting for an undefeated regular season record. Tech Cross Country’s motto is “Have fun and try your best” which should once again provide for a happy, healthy, and rewarding experience. Staying injury free is always foremost in the coaching staff’s training plan and a vital key to this squad’s success.

Luckily, the Engineers did not graduate any of the top seven varsity racers from a year ago, so the program’s march toward excellence continues on without a speed bump. Plus, to help further accelerate the sport’s progress, the recruited rookies appear to be everything they advertised. This, along with the number of veterans who have returned in the best shape of their lives, makes the future of Tech look super.

Sport: Coed sailing

Head Coaches: Mike Kalin and Fran Charles

Last Season’s Record: Fourth best in New England, 11th best in country at Division I level

Promising Rookies: Cha Ling O'Connell ’07 from Winchester, Mass.

Returning Stars: J.M. Modissette ’05, Dan A. Bercovici ’04, Libby N. Wayman ’04, Emma R. Bassein ’06

Big Meets This Season: Professor Schell Trophy on Nov. 1-2, Sloop New Englands on Oct. 11-12.

Sport: Men’s football

Head Coach: Dwight Smith

Assistant Coaches:

Offensive coordinator -- Dick Yule

Defensive coordinator -- Chris House

Last Season’s Record: 4-5 New England Football Conference

Last Season’s Awards:

Keith V. Battocchi G -- New England Scholar Athlete Award; first team All-New England selection; seven other All-Conference selections.

Returning Stars:

Offense -- Philip M. Deutsch ’04, running back; David J. Ostlund and Ryan J. Lanphere ’06, fullbacks; Spencer M. Cross ’05, Keith G. Reed ’04, Justin Nelson ’04, Matthew J. Krueger ’05, and Benjamin F. Povlich ’05, offensive line; Michael C. Patrick ’05, tight end; Matt R. Ramirez ’06, kicker and punter.

Defense -- Dan Relihan ’04, Kevin M. Yurkerwich ’06, Mark A. Jury ’04, and Brennan P. Sherry ’06, defensive line; Phillip T. Zakielarz ’05, Michael J. Harvey ’04, Michael A. Terry ’04, linebackers; Mark D. Boudreau ’05 and David A. Blau ’06, defensive backs.

Rookies -- Adam C. Love ’07, quarterback; David W. Shearer ’04, defensiveback; James N. Pacella ’07 and Robert A. Nix ’07, offensive line; Clayton J. Williams ’07 and Cody L. Edwards ’07, defensive line; Alexander T. Karnal ’07, linebacker; Paul A. Montgomery ’07, receiver.

Sport: Women’s field hockey

Head Coach: Cheryl Silva

Assistant Coach: Sue Thibodeau

Last Season’s Record: 5-12

Last Season’s Awards: Deanna Lentz ’06 -- All Conference

Promising Rookies: Anna Ayuso ’07, Sharon Prange ’07, Atiyah Hasan ’07, Meghan Roberts ’07, Arielle B. Tambini ’07, Silvana D. Arevalo ’07

Returning Stars: Tara Sainath ’04, Lauren Tsai ’04, co-captains; Tiffany A. Kanaga ’04, goalkeeper; Mandy Smith ’04, defense; Cheryl A. Texin ’06, defense; Margaret H. Gentile ’06, Noelle Kanaga ’06, Deanna Lentz ’06, attack.

Big Meets This Season: Opening home game Thursday, Sept. 4 vs.

Gordon College 6:00 p.m.

Sport:Men’s cross country

Head Coach: Halston Taylor

Last Season’s Record: 3-0

Last Season’s Awards: NEWMAC Conference Champions, Ben Schmeckpeper -- All-American.

Promising Rookies: Sam Berberian ’07, Kevin Brulois ’07

Returning Stars: Ben A. Schmeckpeper ’05

Big Meets This Season: NEWMAC Championship, New England

Championship, NCAA Division III qualifier and championship

Comments: We hope to be one of the four teams to qualify for nationals from the New England region, but with the strength of our region and the youth of our team, it will be a great challenge.

Sport: Men’s Soccer

Head Coach: Walter Alessi

Assistant Coach: Gary Brown

Last Season’s Record: 10-7-1

Last Season’s Awards:

1st team All-league -- Rory E. Foster ’04, Nicholas R. Nestle ’04

2nd Team All-League -- J. Dan Griffith ’05, E. Walter Song ’06, Jose R. Torradas ’05

League Rookie of the Year -- Song

Promising Rookies: Too early to tell.

Returning Stars: All of the above plus Doug L. Allaire ’04, Robert Pilawa ’05

Big Meets This Season: Wheaton, Tufts, Babson and all NEWMAC games

Comments: Our entire starting team and most of the reserves return for the 2004 season. We lost the league championship 0-1 each of the past two Falls. We are aiming to win it this year and have a very successful season.

Sport:Men’s varsity heavyweight crew

Head Coach: Gordon Hamilton

Assistant Coaches: Dan Perkins, freshman coach

Returning Stars: Very strong group of sophomores

Big Meets This Season: Head of the Charles, Eastern Sprints, and

National Championships

Comments: The varsity heavyweight crew is looking to continue to build off the core of strong sophomores who will be returning this year and add the experienced freshmen who will be

joining the Varsity. Our main goals will be for victories over Columbia, Georgetown, Syracuse, Boston College, and Williams.

Sport: Women’s Tennis

Head Coach: Carol Matsuzaki ’95

Assistant Coaches: Brett Pellock ’01, Kat Pick

Last Season’s Record: 13-4

Returning Stars: Larisa M. Egloff ’04, Caroline Tien ’04, Shima Rayej

’04, Jaclyn E. Cichon ’05

Big Meets This Season: Wellesley, Babson.