Wellesley Blue Earns Top All-Sports Award from Conference

The New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) announced last week that Wellesley received the 2013-14 Women’s Presidents Cup. The Blue captured three conference championships on the year and finished second in three other sports.

"It is a wonderful honor to win the NEWMAC Presidents Cup," says Wellesley College President H. Kim Bottomly. "This award represents the tremendous drive and dedication of our student-athletes and coaches, who exemplify the mission and spirit of Wellesley's successful athletics program."

Since the last athletics update, spring teams continued into the post season.

Crew finished fourth at the NCAA Championships

Tennis players Sojung Lee '15 and Carina Chen '17 got to quarterfinals at the NCAA Championships

Track & Field competed at the ECAC Championships, with Mary Kennan '17 winning the 5k title

The approximately 18-inch crystal cup is a traveling trophy; it will be on display in the Keohane Sports Center for the year. After that a banner will permanently hang in the sports center to commemorate the achievement.

A Look Back

To recap the year being recognized by the Presidents Cup: Wellesley got off to a strong start in the fall, with the field hockey and volleyball teams capturing a share of their respective NEWMAC regular season titles. Coach Julia King’s field hockey team completed the championship sweep, winning the NEWMAC tournament as well, before advancing to the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament and completing the season with a program-record 18 wins. King, who was named field hockey’s NCAA Regional Coach of the Year, says, "Winning the NEWMAC President's Cup is a testament to the work ethic and dedication of our department and our student-athletes. Wellesley student-athletes juggle rigorous academic schedules with their passion for athletics, and work incredibly hard to succeed in both realms. It is an honor for their athletic achievements to be recognized at the highest level of the conference." 

Fall tennis and cross country each recorded runner-up finishes at the NEWMAC championship while soccer qualified for the postseason after finishing in a tie for third during the regular season.

Wellesley’s success continued into the winter, as the swimming & diving team placed third at the NEWMAC championship. Wellesley basketball also advanced to the tournament quarterfinals after finishing fourth in the regular seasons standings.

As noted above, the Blue earned two more NEWMAC titles in the spring, with crew winning the league for the fourth year in a row and softball earning its first conference crown since 2007. Crew’s NEWMAC Coach of the Year, Tessa Spillane, went on to guide her team to a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Division III championship. After winning both the regular season and tournament championships, the softball squad finished as the runner-up at its NCAA regional tournament. 

"Winning the Presidents Cup is a huge testament to the depth and strength of our Athletics program at Wellesley," notes Spillane.

Wellesley Director of Athletics Bridget Belgiovine says, “This cup symbolizes the passion, commitment, preparation, and competitive spirit exhibited by our student-athletes, coaches, and administrators in their pursuit of athletics excellence as members of the NEWMAC.”

Individual Honors

In addition to the coaches' awards mentioned above, numerous members of Wellesley’s PERA community were recognized by the College and by the league and other outside entities for outstanding achievement.

Wellesley Awards

Barbara B. Hauptfuhrer Award: Leslie Leong ’14 (Basketball), also Wellesley’s nominee for NCAA Woman of the Year
Given each year to a graduating senior who has best demonstrated athletic achievement, scholarship and leadership while at Wellesley College.

Hauptfuhrer Award Finalists: Jayne Ellis ’14 (Softball), Becca Kimball ’14 (Crew)                

Friends of Athletics Honor Award: Tom Wilson (PERA Info. Systems Manager/Asst. Volleyball Coach)
Given to individuals who have rendered outstanding service and support to athletics and recreation at Wellesley.

Outstanding Senior Athlete: Becca Kimball ’14 (Crew)       
Given to a senior with extraordinary athletic accomplishments at Wellesley.   

Director’s Award: Jennifer Migliore ‘14 (Event Management/Sports Information)
Given to students who have made significant and positive contributions to the athletic program, demonstrated by vital involvement in sports information, event management, or athletic training.

Rookie of the Year: Ashtyn Coleman ’17 (Softball)
Awarded to a traditional first-year varsity student-athlete based on athletic performance.

Inspirational Award: Gabriela Kovacikova ’14 (Swimming & Diving)
Given to a varsity student-athlete who has inspired others through athletics.           

SAAC Blue Pride Award: Basketball
Given to the varsity team that best represents the following characteristics: Supports other teams at their competitions; shows genuine interest in other teams’ successes; demonstrates the best of Wellesley Blue’s values through positive sportsmanship; conveys spirit and enthusiasm about their team and sport; actively participates in SAAC.

Outside Awards

All-American Athletes

• Crew: Becca Kimball ’14
• Field Hockey: Nathalie Gruet ’15, Brit Mscisz ’14
• Volleyball: Sydney Carfagno ’15, Traci Hamanaka ’14

CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-District First Team

• Basketball: Leslie Leong ’14
• Softball: Jennifer Migliore ’14

National Fastpitch Coaches Association Player of the Week: Ashtyn Coleman ‘17

Regional Yearly Award Winners

• NCAA Regional Coach of the Year: Julia King (Field Hockey)
• NFHCA Regional Athlete of the Year: Nathalie Gruet ’15 (Field Hockey)
• ECAC Rookie of the Year: Ashtyn Coleman ’17 (Softball)

All-Region Athletes

• Basketball: Leslie Leong ’14
• Crew: Ildi Gaal ’14
• Cross Country: Priyanka Fouda ’16
• Field Hockey: Nathalie Gruet ’15, Brit Mscisz ’14, Meghan Peterson ’15, Hannah Flesch ’16, Anissa Sridhar ’16
• Softball: Emilyrose Havrilla ’15, Ashtyn Coleman ’17, Lindsay Johnson ’14, Jayne Ellis ’14
• Tennis: Sojung Lee ’15, Carina Chen ’17
• Track & Field: Priyanka Fouda ’16 (x2), Kendra Waters ’15, Isabella Narvaez ’17, Alice Zhou ’17, Mary Keenan ’17
• Volleyball: Sydney Carfagno ’15, Traci Hamanaka ’14

NEWMAC Yearly Award Winners

• NEWMAC Coach of the Year: Tessa Spillane (Crew); Julia King (Field Hockey); Keri O’Meara (Softball)
• NEWMAC Athletes of the Year: Leslie Leong ’14 (Basketball); Becca Kimball ’14 (Crew); Nathalie Gruet ’15 (Field Hockey); Emilyrose Havrilla ’15 (Softball)
• NEWMAC Rookies of the Year: Wendy Nettleton ’17 (Lacrosse); Ashtyn Coleman ’17 (Softball)

Seven Sisters Senior Scholar-Athletes

• Cross Country and Track & Field: Ali Grzywna, Skye Roberts, Sarah Roundy, Anna Tupper-Bridges
• Field Hockey and Lacrosse: Kaitlyn Kirkaldy
• Basketball: Leslie Leong and Katie Shulenberger
• Crew: Ildi Gaal
• Fencing: Dania Wright
• Squash: Sara Del Balzo, Haley Vasquez
• Swimming & Diving: Ika Kovacikova, Emma Mrkonic
• Softball: Jennifer Migliore
• Soccer: Lena Cardoso
• Track & Field: Caitlin Bailey
• Tennis: Kendall Tada

Seven Sisters Championships Honors

• Crew: Ildi Gaal '14, Becca Kimball ’14, Charlotte Benishek ’16
• Cross Country: Priyanka Fouda ’16, Mary Keenan, ’17, Alice Zhou ’17
• Squash: Sara Del Balzo ’14, Rosemary O'Connor ’14, Haley Vasquez ’14
• Swimming & Diving: Dorothy Ren ’16, Emma Mrkonic ’14, Sarah May ’17, Maria Amirkhanashvili ’14, Ika Kovacikova ’14, Erin Yang ’16, Theresa Mitchell ’16, Ieva Galinyte ’16, Sharon Wu ’17, Charlotte Harris ’16, Keelin Nave ’14, Grace Bachman ’15
• Tennis: Carina Chen ’17, Andjela Stojkovic ’17, Lina Ye ’17
• Volleyball: Sydney Carfagno ’15, Caitlin Laughlin ’15

All-Conference Awards

• Basketball: Leslie Leong ’14
• Crew: Becca Kimball ’14, Meg Roberts ’16, Maggie West ’14
• Cross Country: Priyanka Fouda ’16, Sonja Cwik ’17, Mary Keenan ’17
• Field Hockey: Brit Mscisz ’14, Nathalie Gruet ’15, Meghan Peterson ’15, Hannah Flesch ’16, Anissa Sridhar ’16
• Lacrosse: Claire Canty ’15, Meghan Peterson ’15, Wendy Nettleton ’17
• Soccer: LJ Foster ’14, Emily Wilson ’14, Kat Goldsmith ’17
• Softball: Jayne Ellis ’14, Jennifer Migliore ’14, Lindsay Johnson ’14, Emilyrose Havrilla ’15, Ashtyn Coleman ’17
• Squash: Sara Del Balzo ‘14, Haley Vasquez ‘14
• Swimming & Diving: Sarah May ’17 (200-fly Champion), Keelin Nave ‘14(x2), Emma Mrkonic ‘14 (x2), Leah Furman ‘17, Charlotte Harris ‘16, Dorothy Ren ‘16
• Tennis: Kendall Tada ‘14, Sojung Lee ‘15, Carina Chen ‘17, Samantha Stone ‘17, Andjela Stojkovic ‘17, Lina Ye ‘17
• Track & Field: Alice Zhou ‘17
• Volleyball: Sydney Carfagno ‘15, Caitlin Laughlin ‘15, Traci Hamanaka ‘14

NEWMAC Players of the Week

• Basketball: Leslie Leong ’14 (x2)
• Crew: Alessandra Zaldivar-Giuffredi ’16, Meg Roberts ‘16, Becca Kimball ‘14, Charlotte Benishek ’16, Kathryn Barth ‘17, Hannah Barton ‘17, Grace Howland ‘16, Olivia Thayer ‘16, Emma Reuder ‘15 (x2)
• Field Hockey: Nathalie Gruet ’15, Meghan Peterson ’15, Courtney Peterson ’17, Brit Mscisz ’14
• Lacrosse: Claire Canty ‘15, Meghan Peterson ‘15
• Soccer: Kat Goldsmith ‘14
• Softball: Emilyrose Havrilla ‘15, Ashtyn Coleman ‘17
• Swimming & Diving: Keelin Nave ‘14, 200-Medley Relay: Sharon Wu ‘17, Charlotte Harris ‘16, Dorothy Ren ‘16, Keelin Have ‘14. 800-Free Relay: Grace Bachman ‘15, Mariam Amirkhanashvili ‘14, Charlotte Harris ‘16, Keelin Nave ‘14
• Tennis: Sojung Lee ‘15 (x2), Sojung Lee ‘15/Carina Chen ‘17 (x2)
• Volleyball: Sydney Carfagno (x3)

NEWMAC/CSA All-Academic Selections/Liberty League All-Academic Selections

• Basketball: Leslie Leong ‘14, Katie Schulenberger ‘14, Kendall Bianchi ‘15, Meghan Sargent ‘15
• Crew: Emily Ahn '16, Alexi Block Gorman '16, Caeden Brynie '14, Ildi Gaal '14, Sahar Ibrahim '16, Emma Reuder '15, Meg Roberts '16, Alessandra Zaldivar-Giuffredi '16
• Cross Country: Ali Gryzwna '14, Sarah Roundy '14, Anna Tupper-Bridges '14, Skye Roberts '14, Alexandra Dunn '15, Carolyn Chelius '16, Alessandra Gavin '16, Madeline Gorchels '16
• Field Hockey: Kaitlyn Kirkaldy ‘14, Becky Hamilton ‘15, Nanaki Atal ‘16, Hannah Flesch ‘16, Caroline Guild ‘16, Anissa Sridhar ‘16
• Golf: Alexandra Fuiks ‘14, Lindsey Shepardson ‘14, Lei Wei ‘16
• Lacrosse: Kaitlyn Kirkaldy ‘14
• Soccer: Ava Mokhtari ‘14, Chloe Breider ‘15, Emily DiVito ‘15
• Softball: Jennifer Migliore ‘14
• Squash: Sara Del Balzo ‘14, Haley Vasquez ‘14
• Swimming & Diving: Gabriela Kovacikova ‘14, Emma Mrkonic ‘14, Tiffany Chen ‘15, Gabby Cooper-Vespa ‘15, Erin Yang ‘16
• Tennis: Kendall Tada ‘14
• Track & Field: Caitlin Bailey '16, Carolyn Chelius '16, Alexandra Dunn '14, Alessandra Gavin '16, Skye Roberts '14, Sarah Roundy '14, Heather Smith '16, Anna Tupper-Bridges '14, Kendra Waters '14, Ali Grzywna '14
• Volleyball: Lindsey Menichella ‘15, Courtney Lang ‘16