Around the Herd: Nov. 19 to Nov. 30 in Athletics

Men’s Cross Country

This week, the men’s cross country team finished in 11th place against 32 teams in the NCAA Championships on Nov. 22.

The Mammoths entered the eight-kilometer race as the No. 20-ranked team in the nation. Stan Craig ’27 finished first for Amherst, crossing the line in 24:49 to take 47th overall. Finishing closely behind, Harrison Dow ’27 earned 55th place with a time of 24:53. Two seconds later, Carter Bengtson ’29 ran to 57th place in 24:54, finishing as the third-best first-year runner. Henry Dennen ’26 completed the course in 24:59 to take 66th place, a 174-place improvement from his result in 2024. Rounding out the Mammoths’ scoring five runners, Thomas Stephens ’26’s time of 25:56 earned 192nd overall. These finishes brought Amherst 318 points, placing them 11th overall and second among NESCAC teams.

Women’s Cross Country

On Nov. 22, the women’s cross country team placed 16th against 32 teams in the NCAA Championships hosted by Converse University. 

Ahead of the six-kilometer race, the Mammoths were ranked as the No. 20 team. Flora Biro ’28 crossed the finish line first for Amherst, completing the race in 22:27 to take 65th overall out of 290 runners. Behind her, Ava Thomas ’28 placed 109th with a time of 22:50. Placing 133rd overall, Katie Greenwald ’29 finished in 23:03; Greenwald was recognized as the 12th-fastest first-year runner in the nation. Nikki Chopra ’27 placed 150th and Audrey Seeger ’28 placed 178th, with times of 23:11 and 20:20, respectively. The Mammoths finished with 453 points, taking 20th place overall and fourth among conference opponents.

Women’s Basketball

This week, the women’s basketball team notched two more wins. On Nov. 19, the team bested Bridgewater State University. On Tuesday, the team returned home and beat Oswego State 61-44.

Against Oswego, the No. 14-ranked Mammoths kept the Lakers within striking distance despite an early deficit. In the first quarter, multiple free throws and 3-pointers from Annie McCarthy ’26, layups and 3-pointers from Chase Anderson ’29, as well as a jumper from Anna Tranum ’26, led Amherst’s offense. However, Oswego held a narrow 19-17 lead after the first 10 minutes. The next quarter continued to be a back-and-forth battle with neither team trailing by more than five points. Laura Mendell ’26 anchored the Mammoths’ drive to the net, as she posted three free throws, a layup, and a jumper in the period. A final layup from Avery in the last seconds of the quarter made the score a close 32-31 going into halftime. Amherst returned with a new energy after the break, pushing on both ends of the court through the third quarter. The Mammoths forced more turnovers and defensive stops while outscoring the Lakers 22-4 over the 10-minute stanza. Steals from Anderson and Brielle Renwick ’27 anchored the defense in the game-changing quarter. Amherst entered the final frame with a 17-point lead. Despite a push from Oswego, the Mammoths maintained control over their lead. A 3-pointer from Elizabeth Cain ’28 and free throws from Renwick and Za’Nyah Bernard ’29 made the final score a 61-44 victory. McCarthy led the team offensively, notching 18 points. In the paint, Renwick totalled 10 rebounds, including six on the offensive glass.

The undefeated team will return to LeFrak Gymnasium to host Albertus Magnus College on Wednesday, Dec. 3.

Men’s Basketball

The men’s basketball team faced four non-conference teams. On Nov. 18, they lost 70-64 to Springfield College. Then, the team set off a three-game winning streak, beating Sarah Lawrence College 80-46 on Nov. 22, Emmanuel College 77-40 on Tuesday, and Mount Saint Mary College 85-53 on Sunday.

On Tuesday against Emmanuel, the Mammoths were the first on the board after Marc Garraud ’27 sank a 3-pointer from the left wing. The Saints responded quickly, however, after a string of successful free throws set the score to 5-4. Regardless, Amherst continued to gain momentum, scoring 25 points while only conceding four between 13:26 and 4:48 left in the first half. The sequence started with a layup from Elias Chin ’28 followed by baskets from K.J. Neville ’29, Zane Adnan ’27, Brandon Margolin ’29, Drew Martin ’26, Nate Pabis ’27, Chris Hammond ’26, and Johnny McCain ’27. Emmanuel pushed back in the last five minutes of the period, finding a layup and a 3-pointer to make it 37-14 going into halftime. The start of the next 20-minute period was more evenly matched, both teams notched 3-pointers in the fourth minutes; the Mammoths’ came by way of Neville. Minutes later, Chin, Pabis, and Adnan coalesced to extend Amherst’s lead. Chin started by dodging a scuffle of players to nail a diving layup. Thirty seconds later, Pabis landed a 3-pointer from the left wing. Adnan added on a well-executed reverse layup to make it 56-25. The Mammoths continued to work from behind the arc after McCain netted a 3-pointer, minutes later. Amherst did not let off the gas in the last minutes of the game. The team kept the Saints to just one jumper while McCain and Pabis both sank 3-pointers. Amherst took the game 77-40.

The team will look to continue its win streak against Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts on Wednesday, Dec. 3, in LeFrak Gymnasium.

Women’s Hockey

The No. 3-ranked women’s ice hockey team competed in three games. On Nov. 21 and Nov. 22, the team played back-to-back games against Connecticut College, tying the first game 1-1 and winning the second 3-1. The team returned to action on Sunday with a 4-1 win against Worcester State University to make their record 2-0-1 over the stretch.

On Saturday, the Mammoths returned with a vengeance against the Camels after a 1-1 draw the previous night (although counted as a tie, Amherst did win the game in a shootout). Halfway through the first period, the Mammoths struck first. After an initial shot from Maeve Reynolds ’26 was rebounded, the forward collected and passed the puck to Marie-Eve Marleau ’26, who buried it in the open net. With nine minutes left in the second frame and a player advantage, Bea Flynn ’28 scored a coast-to-coast goal to double Amherst’s lead. Less than two minutes later, Connecticut responded with a power-play goal of its own after a Camel forward redirected the puck into the net, making the score 2-1. Connecticut continued to put on pressure later in the second, but goaltender Natalie Stott ’26 stifled their offensive chances. On another Camels’ power play, Stott blocked a shot through a screen. A minute later, the netminder slid across the crease to rob a Connecticut goal right in front of the net. Two minutes into the final stanza, a pass from Malaya Anaba ’29 found Gretchen Dann ’26, who then buried the puck inside the right post, the final score 3-1 in favor of the Mammoths.

The unbeaten team will return to the ice for an away game on Friday, Dec. 5, against Curry College.

Men’s Hockey

The men’s ice hockey team played five games over the break. The team faced two NESCAC opponents in Trinity and Wesleyan, besting the Bantams 2-0 on Nov. 21, and then falling to the Cardinals 2-1 the next day. The Mammoths then bested Saint Michael’s College on Tuesday, in a gritty 3-2 overtime win. After the holiday, the team returned to face SUNY Geneseo on Saturday — winning 3-0 — and Babson College on Sunday, tying 1-1, to improve its record to 3-1-1 over the period.

Against Trinity, the Mammoths relied on their defensive unit early in the first period. After two simultaneous penalties were awarded — one of which was a five-minute major for Amherst — the Mammoths battled through two minutes of four-on-four play and three minutes on the penalty kill. Halfway through the period, Andrew Carmody ’26 intercepted the puck and fired it towards the goal. Although the initial shot was blocked, Carmody’s determination found a rebound that gave Amherst the lead. In the last seconds of the first period, goalkeeper Vincent Lamberti ’29 made three crucial saves — out of 11 he registered in the stanza — to keep the Bantams off the board. The Mammoths continued to put on pressure in the second period, but nothing solidified. The closest chance came by way of a cross-ice pass from Jacob Pohl ’27 that found Zachary Murray ’26, but Murray’s shot pinged off the post. In the third frame, both teams collected penalties, but neither found the back of the net with the player advantage. Lamberti solidified the win for Amherst after Trinity pulled their goalie in favor of an extra skater in the last three minutes. With less than three minutes left in the game, the netminder robbed an auspicious breakaway chance from a Bantam forward. Seconds later, Lamberti saved another attempt from Trinity to find the equalizer. After a blocked shot, Josh Burke ’26 gained possession of the puck and shut it into the empty net to seal the 2-0 victory. Lamberti made 28 saves in his first start of his collegiate career and was named the NESCAC Men’s Ice Hockey Player of the Week.

The team will face Middlebury College on Friday, Dec. 5, in Middlebury, Vermont. 

Women’s Squash

The women’s squash team extended its win streak to 2-0, defeating Connecticut College 9-0 on Nov. 22. Each of the eight spots played resulted in a 3-0 victory over their opponent, with the Mammoths not dropping a single set in the entirety of the match. Anastasiia Krykun ’29, Quincy Cline ’27, Kanzy Elkaliuoby ’29, Kristen Daniel ’28, Yana Sharma ’27, Katherine Grissom ’29, Fionnoula Brandon ’29, and Clara Dawn ’28 all registered wins for the clean sweep. Dawn bested her opponent in only 10 minutes, holding Camel player Angelise Ramirez scoreless. Brandon was right behind her, needing only 11 minutes to win and conceding just one point. The team looks to continue improving this winter, returning to the arena on Jan. 7 to host Dickinson College.

Men’s Squash

The men’s squash team also defeated Connecticut College on Nov. 22, in an equally dominant fashion, winning 9-0. The fastest matches belonged to Gabe Yu ’27 and Flynn Venmore ’28, who bested their opponent in straight sets in 16 and 17 minutes, respectively. Joseph Toth ’27, Graeme Herbert ’28, Devon Osborne ’29, Grady Herbert ’26, Aiden Shap ’29, and Robert Avram ’26 also swept their Camel opponents in three sets. At the one spot, Roman Parisi ’29 battled, playing the longest match of the day. Parisi and his opponent split the first two sets 1-1 before he rallied to win the match in four and secure the victory for the Mammoths. The men look ahead to resting up before taking on Dickinson College on Jan. 7.

Women’s Swim & Dive

The women’s swim and dive team also travelled to Middlebury, Vermont, and then Middletown, Connecticut. They defeated Middlebury 183-117 on Nov. 22 and beat Wesleyan 204-94 on Nov. 23. 

Against Middlebury, the Mammoths showed early that they were the top team. Their first win on the day came from none other than first-year Penny Lazar ’29 in the 800-yard Freestyle. Right after, in the 150-yard Freestyle, fellow first-year Ava Insteness ’29 clinched first with a time of 1:25.59, while Lucy Smith ’27 secured the second-place finish in the same event. Sydney Thompson's ’28 top finish in the 50-yard Freestyle put nine more points on the board for the Mammoths, and the Mammoths swept the 1-meter diving. Donna Zhang ’26, Brooke Ronan ’29, and Luntu Radebe ’29 beat out all Panther divers. First-year Hope Taylor ’29 was victorious in the 150-yard Backstroke, and Lazar won her second event of the day: the 300-yard Freestyle. Insteness was right behind her, touching just 1.04 seconds after for the second-place finish. In the 100-yard Butterfly, Paige Arnold ’27 won in 55.91 seconds, and the three diver combo of Zhang, Ronan, and Radebe swept the 3-meter as well. Major point contributions came from Taylor and Insteness, who went 1-2 in the 200-yard IM. In the final event for the women, the Mammoths finished strong, claiming the 400-yard Freestyle relay first-place thanks to the combination of Smith, Thompson, Lazar, and Arnold.

Getting a good night’s sleep, the team returned the next day, crushing Little Three foe Wesleyan to round out their races over November break. The women’s team faces Connecticut College and the United States Coast Guard Academy on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 5 and 6, looking to continue their win streak.

Men’s Swim & Dive

The men’s swim team hit the road over break, travelling to Middlebury on Nov. 22, before facing Wesleyan on Nov. 23. The team dominated in both matches, defeating Middlebury 183.5-86.5 and Wesleyan 216-46.

Up in Vermont, the team started out the day with a strong team win in the 200-Yard Medley Relay. The combination of Emmanuel Odim ’26, Fynlan Nadel ’26, Cameron Aryanpour ’28, and Ethan Van De Water ’26 posted the fastest time with a 1:34.52 finish. Then, Benjamin Robins ’29 won the ensuing 800-yard Freestyle. In the 150-yard Freestyle, the Mammoths claimed the top four finishes, getting points from Jack Goepfrich ’28, Owen Vale ’29, and Roan Haney ’29. Eric Albers ’28 won the 100-yard Breaststroke, before the Mammoths again showed out in the 150-yard Butterfly, getting top three finishes from Henry LeCates ’26, Nadel, and Teddy Sun ’28. Huge points came for Amherst in the 100-yard Freestyle, thanks to a first-place race from Van De Water in 48.04. His teammates Haney and Aryanpour were right behind him to complete the sweep. First-year Vale and Robins both showcased their young talent, winning the 150-yard Backstroke and 300-yard Freestyle, respectively. LeCates put more points on the board, winning the 100-yard Butterfly in 51.14, before Vale and JP Giglio ’29 went 1-2 in the 200-yard IM to round out the individual events. The final event — the 400-yard Freestyle Relay — was all Amherst. The combination of Goepfrich, Haney, Aryanpour, and Van De Water brought it home, with the fellow Amherst team of Henry Liu ’27, LeCates, Odim, and Tom Conaty ’27 finishing just 0.23 seconds behind them in second place. With contributions from all ages and strokes, the Mammoths secured their first victory of the season. The following day, the team continued their win streak, beating Wesleyan by a staggering 170 points.

Looking ahead, the Mammoths take on Connecticut College and Coast Guard on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 5 and 6. 

Head of the Herd: Owen Vale

With plenty of Mammoth athletes busy over Thanksgiving break, there were lots of outstanding performances to choose from this week. With that being said, first-year Owen Vale ’29 sits atop the leaderboard for his record-breaking race and point contributions to the men’s swimming teams’ back-to-back NESCAC victories. Against Colby, Vale won both the 200-yard butterfly in 1:53.71 and the 200-yard individual medley in 1:56.37. His third individual race merited a second-place finish, bringing his total to 22 points. The following day against Wesleyan, Vale set the pool record in the 400-yard individual medley with a time of 3:59.1. This time shattered the previous record, which had stood since 2014. Vale also won the 100-yard individual medley and claimed second place in the 100-yard breaststroke, matching his point total from the day before. It is clear that Vale’s prominent collegiate career is just beginning. For this impressive debut, he earns this week’s head of the herd.