Around the Herd: April 8 to April 14 in Athletics

Women’s Tennis

The No. 16 Amherst College women’s tennis team had a busy weekend, playing both MIT and Bates away. 

On Saturday, the Mammoths fell to No. 7 MIT in a tight 3-4 loss. Amherst efficiently won the doubles point, with important wins from Tina She ’28 and Karolina Dobiecka ’26 at the two spot, and Greta Stechschulte ’27 and Sophie Diop ’26 clinching the point in a 6-4 win at the three spot. She also displayed her persistence when she came back after dropping her first singles set to win her match 2-6, 6-0, 6-3. Cody Huang ’28 also provided a quick win at the singles three spot, only dropping two games to win her set 6-1, 6-1. Despite these crucial wins, the Mammoths fell short to the Engineers in a close match. 

Coming back from their loss the day before, Amherst had a strong 6-1 victory against Bates on Sunday. Cruising through the doubles point with three wins, the Mammoths began their singles play with momentum. Maya Muhunthan ’29 had an especially impressive win, only dropping one game throughout her match, ultimately winning 6-1, 6-0. Other essential victories came from Stechshulte and She, both of whom won in two sets. 

The Mammoths are back on the road next weekend, facing Middlebury College. 

Men’s Tennis

The No. 20 men’s tennis team had a very successful weekend, going 2-0, with wins against Babson College and NESCAC foe Bates. 

On Friday, the Mammoths battled hard for their 4-3 win against No. 11-ranked Babson. Early on, Lukas Frangenberg ’29 and Andreas Sillaste ’27 clinched the doubles point, which would end up being the tiebreaker for the match. Highlights from the singles matches include George Chaidemenos ’26’s performance at the two spot, winning 6-4, 6-4. Frangenberg also had a strong match, dropping only four games and winning 6-3, 6-1. The last singles win — and point to win the match for the Mammoths — was delivered by Rex Harrison ’27. Playing at the five spot, he pulled through with an important 7-5, 6-2 victory.

Continuing their momentum, the Mammoths came out swinging on Sunday and came through with a 7-0 win against Bates. Across the board, the Mammoths won all their singles matches in just two sets, with Chaidemeno and Sillaste only losing two games. The doubles point was clinched by Albert Hu ’28 and Ronald Gualario ’29. 

The Mammoths hope to continue their strong play when they host NESCAC foe Middlebury next week. 

Men’s Lacrosse

The No. 15 men’s lacrosse team had a strong week, beating both Connecticut College and Williams. 

On Wednesday, the team traveled to New London, CT, to play the Camels on their home field. The game started with a dominant first quarter for the Mammoths, with the score reaching 4-0 in favor of the visitors on the back of one strike from Bennett Chow ’26, two from Sam Schafer ’28, and one from Brendan Reilly ’27. Despite the second quarter kicking off with a Camel goal, the Mammoths held on, quickly responding with a point from Nate Cootauco ’29, followed by Bob Gross ’26 and Ben Wick ’28, carrying the team to a 7-1 advantage at the break. Even when Conn found their offensive footing, Amherst continued to pull through with both crucial stops, anchored by Brooks Catlin ’26 in goal, who ended the day with 15 saves. After an early Conn score in the third quarter, Amherst quickly responded with another goal from Wick. Going into the final quarter, the Mammoths held a steady lead and were prepared to respond to Conn’s biggest push forward. Despite their sudden momentum, Amherst once again held on, with Nico Berger ’27 finalizing the win with a goal in the final second, solidifying the final score 10-8 in the Mammoths’ favor. 

The win over Conn set the tone for an even better game against rival Williams, this time not only at Pratt Field, but also on the Mammoths’ senior day. The game started with a back-and-forth, including two Williams goals, which were intermittently answered by Max Youssefnia ’27 and Bob Gross ’26, knotting the scoreline up at 2-2 by the end of the period. Amherst pulled ahead in the second thanks to Alex Vlacich ’26’s unassisted goal, which was answered with a Williams score, before Matthew Sheinberg ’26 scored once again to secure a 4-3 halftime lead for the Mammoths. After the break, the Ephs started hot, scoring five times to build an 8-6 lead at the end of the third period. However, Amherst stole the momentum in the fourth, putting together a game-changing comeback. Gross kicked it off with a fast break goal, just before Wick tied it at 9:15. The ball came back to Gross only 70 seconds later, who put Amherst in the lead for the first time since the second quarter. Finally, Chow extended the lead with a goal before Amherst won the subsequent faceoff, clinching a 10-9 Senior Day win. 

The Mammoths look forward to a midweek clash vs. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute before traveling to Vermont to battle No. 16 Middlebury on Saturday.

Women’s Lacrosse

The No. 5 women’s lacrosse team went 3-0 on the week, defeating NESCAC opponents Connecticut College and No. 19 Williams as well as local rival Westfield State University, to improve to 11-1.

On Wednesday, the Mammoths hosted the Camels for their Faculty Appreciation Game. It was a low-scoring first quarter, with Amherst’s Emily Petersen ’26 finding the back of the net first off a pass from Kate Becker ’26. Bridget Finley ’26 added one off a look from Bridget Darcy ’27, before a Camel goal rounded out the first quarter, 2-1. The Mammoths got to work in the second and third quarters, outscoring Conn College 10-3. Finley added three more goals in this frame, while Petersen was an offensive nightmare, scoring four straight for the purple in the third quarter. Clara Sosa ’26, Darcy, and Gabby Sosa ’29 added three more scores in the fourth period, for a convincing 15-4 Amherst victory. Darcy and Petersen packed the stat sheet each with seven points on the offensive end. Maddie Bohlen ’28 added two caused turnovers on the defensive end, while Grace Shannon ’28 commanded the draw circle, registering nine draw controls.

Turning to the weekend, the Mammoths traveled to Williamstown, MA, to take on the Ephs on their senior day. The momentum began in the Ephs’ favor, with the home team scoring three straight to take the early lead. However, Amherst stormed back, scoring ten unanswered goals. Clara Sosa’s free-position put the Mammoths on the board to end the first quarter, before she assisted Petersen to open the second quarter scoring. Getting into their offensive groove, the Mammoths accumulated goals from Darcy, Petersen, Becker, Finley, Mia Raven ’27, and Emma Crotty ’27. The seven different scorers showcased a versatile Amherst offense, with each goal coming off a different look. Williams rattled off three in a row to close out the third quarter, but it was not enough, allowing Amherst to maintain a strong 10-6 lead at the end of the period. In the final quarter, Raven and Petersen both won their matchups, beating defenders 1-on-1 and sending shots past the Williams keeper. Darcy finished out the Mammoth scoring, juking her defender and slipping the ball past the goalie. Two late Williams goals shrank the deficit, but the gap proved too much for the Ephs to overcome. As time expired, the Mammoths were triumphant for their 16th straight game over Williams. Raven and Darcy both finished the day with four points, while the trio of Petersen, Shannon, and Raven were again dominant at the draw control. Keeper Lily Samoska ’28 added nine saves. 

The Mammoths look to continue their win streak, hosting No. 1 Middlebury on Saturday, April 18, for Senior Day.

Baseball

This past week, baseball faced two worthy opponents and split their four games 2-2. They fell to Brandeis University on Wednesday, 11-1, getting mercy-ruled before turning around to face NESCAC opponent Tufts on Friday, where they lost 10-5, before clinching the series with two wins, 3-2, 9-8, over a Saturday doubleheader. 

The first score of the second game on Saturday against Tufts came in the top of the third inning, with Tufts scoring two runs off three hits. On the mound for the Mammoths, Naaveen Narayanan ’26 was able to hold off the rest of the batters for the remaining three innings of his start, recording six strikeouts. Despite this, Tufts started to pull away in the top of the sixth inning, scoring six more runs, and grabbing an 8-0 lead.  The Mammoths, however, were not to be deterred. The team’s comeback began in the bottom of the seventh, when Aiden Dubetsky ’28 brought home a runner with an RBI single. With the bases loaded, their momentum continued to grow as Tufts began to self-combust, walking two batters and hitting one, allowing the Mammoths to narrow the deficit by three, before Tyler McCord ’26 hit a two RBI sac-fly, Charlie LaFreniere ’27 hit an RBI double, and Zander Carnahan ’29 added on with another run-scoring extra-base hit, evening out the score to end the seventh inning. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Foust and McCord hit back-to-back center field singles to set the stage for a picture-perfect walk-off, when LaFreniere capitalized with a single of his own, sending Froust home and winning the game.

Amherst is set to face Eastern Connecticut State this evening before traveling to Williamstown for a three-game series against Williams.

Softball

The softball team stayed busy this past week, playing six straight home games against Smith, Tufts, and Colby. Unfortunately, they were unable to find their rhythm and lost all six games.

The team’s closest game was on Saturday, April 11, vs. Tufts. The first inning was scoreless for both teams, but by the end of the fifth inning, Tufts had quickly accumulated five runs. Finding themselves down 5-0, Amherst still capitalized with runners in scoring position. In the seventh inning with the bases loaded, Emma Nordstrom ’27 walked, sending Annie Katuska ’29 home. Lauren Ro ’28, the next batter, walked too, allowing Samantha Portz ’29 to score for Amherst. Getting into their groove, Brooke Wild ’29 singled to send Dylan Briggs ’26 home before Lulu Leppard ’28 also registered an impressive at-bat, singling to center field, scoring Ro and Nordstrom, and thus tying the game up 5-5 heading into the eighth inning. Katuska stepped up to pitch, but the Jumbos were able to get multiple hits off, scoring three runs to stretch their lead back to three. In the bottom of the eighth, Amherst was unable to produce more offense, ultimately losing 8-5 in eight innings.

The team looks to get back into the win column next week, hitting the road to play two games apiece at Springfield College and Trinity.

Women’s Track and Field

This week, the women’s track and field team had a busy schedule, splitting competition four ways between the Silfen Invitational hosted by Connecticut College, the Friar Invitational hosted by Providence College, the Tufts’ Spring Stampede, and the UMass Commonwealth Invitational.

At the Silfen Invitational, Flora Biro ’28 was the third runner to cross the finish line in the 5,000-meter event, finishing in 17:03. The time is a personal best for Biro and is also a top ten finish in Division III this season. Allison Lounsbury ’26 also set a personal record after finishing the 10,000-meter in 36:58, earning fourth overall. Meanwhile, at the Friar Invitational, Piper Lentz ’26 finished the 800-meter in 2:12, placing 12th overall and first among Division III runners. 

In the heptathlon event at the Tufts’ Stampede, Madison Vant ’28 posted a 3679-point performance to earn 10th place, while Zoe Mulvihill ’27 finished with a personal-best 3480 points to place 15th. At the UMass Invite, Héloïse Hughes ’27 finished first overall in the 200-meter with a season-best time of 24.83 seconds. This performance beat multiple Division I runners and ranks as a top mark in Division III competition this season. In the 1500-meter event, Zoë Marcus ’27 finished as the runner-up with a time of 4:36. In the 4 x 100 relay, Hughes, Rachel Hubley ’27, Ellie Jolly ’28, and Camilla Lash ’27 finished in 47.91 seconds, earning fourth place. Finally, pacing third, Myeh Medina ’26 finished with a personal-best time of 14.53 in the 100-meter hurdles, another performance that ranks among the best nationally.

On Saturday, April 18, the team will return to the track to compete in the Sean Collier Invitational hosted by MIT.

Men’s Track and Field 

The men’s track and field team competed at four different meets this weekend, competing in Connecticut College’s Silfen Invite, Providence College’s Friar Invite, Tufts’ Spring Stampede, and the UMass Commonwealth Invite. 

In the 5,000-meter event at the Friar Invitational, Stan Craig ’27 finished in 14:14, placing second overall and first among Division III runners. This time ranks among the top finishes in Division III this season. Harrison Dow ’27 finished close behind with a personal-best time of 14:32, earning seventh place. In the 800-meter, Ben Davis ’26 also placed seventh with a time of 1:52. At the Silfen Invite, Drew Stephens ’26 and Sam Young ’27 both posted personal-best times in the 800-meters, placing eighth and ninth with times of 31:43 and 31:51, respectively. 

At the Tufts’ Stampede, Marshall Dunahoe ’29 secured a personal record in the decathlon with a total of 5807 points to earn fifth overall. In the pole vault event, Christoph Osselmann-Chai ’28 claimed sixth overall, reaching a mark of 4.45 meters. In the pole vault event at the UMass Invite, Alec Kuzyk ’27 vaulted a mark of 4.61 meters to win first overall. Also taking gold, Gavin Schmidt ’28 tossed a 50.71 meters in the discus. In the javelin event, Manav Bhatia ’29 placed fourth, reaching a mark of 54.53 meters. On the track, Cody Pierce ’26 placed fourth in the 400-meter, finishing in 48.69 seconds. In the 1,5000-meter, Will Reeves ’29 clocked in at 3:58 — a season-best — to finish fourth. The 4 x 100-meter relay team of Ian Irwin ’28, Pierce, Alexander Nichols ’26, and LJ Maslowski ’29 also finished fourth with a time of 41.48 seconds. 

Up next, the team will travel to MIT to compete in the Sean Collier Invitational on Saturday, April 18. 

Women’s Golf

This weekend, the No. 6-ranked women’s golf team hosted the Jack Leaman Invitational.

The Mammoth’s A-team finished the weekend in third place with a total of +28 over par, while the Mammoth’s B-team finished right behind in fourth place with +45 over par. Amherst was bested by NYU’s total of +21 over par and Williams’ +27 over par, which won first and second place, respectively. Out of the 66 golfers in the tournament, Grace Zhan ’29 finished first in individual competition. On the first day, Zhan recorded three birdies (-1) and finished the second day shooting 70 with an overall score of -2. Also on team A, Emma Lindemoen ’29 and Joelle Kim ’28 both shot 75, Mekhala Costello ’28 shot 77, and Renna Chang ’29 shot 79. Abby Kim ’27 and Karolyn Zeng ’28 led the B team, shooting 77, while Annie Dai ’28 shot 78, Jia An ’28 shot 79, and Claire D’Ambrosio ’27 shot 91 to round out the team’s efforts.

The Mammoths will return to the golf course on Saturday, April 18, to compete in the Northeast Invitational at Bowdoin.

Men’s Golf

This week, the men’s golf team finished second in the Tim Brown Invitational hosted by Skidmore College.

The Mammoths finished the tournament at +17 over par, narrowly losing out to NYU’s +16 over par. Andre Zhang ’28 finished first overall on the individual leaderboard, beating out 96 competitors. Zhang finished the tournament with an overall score of -2. On the first day of play, Zhang registered an impressive performance, eagling (-2) the third hole and recording three other birdies (-1). He continued his strong form the second day, firing a 70. Rounding out the team, Jan Ebbinge ’28, Rhys Burgess ’27, and Thomas Zhang ’29 all shot 75 while Mark Vitels ’26 shot 76.

On Saturday, April 18, the team will travel to compete at Farmingdale State College’s Spring Invitational. 

Head of the Herd: Bridget Darcy

Junior attacker Bridget Darcy ’27 was instrumental in both victories over NESCAC opponents for women’s lacrosse this week. Showcasing her vision and playmaking abilities, she dropped six assists against Connecticut while also adding a goal in the 15-4 victory. Against Williams, she led the team in scoring with four goals on the day, while also racking up ground balls and causing turnovers to help contribute to the 13-9 win. Her 11 points in two games are a team-high.“Everyone is contributing in different ways,” Darcy told The Student. “It was really fun to beat our rival Williams, but we know we’re not done yet and are excited for what’s ahead.” For her outstanding performance in these consecutive games, helping the Mammoths extend their win streak, Darcy earns this week’s head of the herd.