Women's tennis ends regular season by besting Williams, 5-4

“We put the loss to Williams at NESCAC’s behind us,” said Wallis Molchen ’04. “Everyone stepped up when they needed to get the job done.” The Jeffs jumped out to an early lead by taking two of the three doubles matches. The top doubles team of Tristan Hedrick ’05 and Rachel Holt ’05 fell 8-3, but the second and third teams both pulled out convincing wins. Co-captain Roopali Agarwal ’03 and Hadley Miller ’06 took an 8-4 win in second doubles, while Molchen and Erin Murphy ’05 dominated on their

Women's tennis has slow start in spring

Facing a difficult schedule, the Jeffs returned to Amherst from Claremont, Ca., with a 2-2 record. In their first match the Jeffs received a harsh wake-up-call, as they were whitewashed by Emory University. Emory, the number-two team in the country, swept all nine singles and doubles matches in a day that the Jeffs would like to forget. “The loss to Emory was tough; they are a very strong team,” said Rachel Holt ’05. “But now we have an idea of how they play and what we will have to do to beat

Women's tennis has its sights on an NCAA Championship

The women’s lacrosse team is one, having reached consecutive Final Fours, but the women’s tennis program reigns supreme. Between 1998 and 2001, the Jeffs went to four consecutive Final Fours, and they also became the first team from Amherst to capture a national title when they beat Williams College in the 1999 finals. Last year was considered a disappointment, as the Jeffs lost in the Elite Eight of the National Tournament, but an influx of new talent in the fall, along with the maturation of

Rookie goalie Sean Lynch shuts down Williams and Middlebury

The action started Friday as the Jeffs welcomed the Ephs for a crucial NESCAC battle. This match, while carrying the normal significance of an Amherst-Williams battle, was also crucial for the playoff picture, as both teams are treading dangerously close to elimination. Chris Norqual ’04 staked the Jeffs to an early lead, with a one-timer past the Ephs goalie. The Ephs, however, responded with a pair of goals in the next six minutes to take the lead. Trailing 2-1 with three minutes to go in the

Jeffs show signs of improved play

The Jeffs started their weekend with a trip to New England College (NEC) to face the Pilgrims. Although the Pilgrims do not traditionally have a strong team, they carried an impressive 10-5 record into their encounter with the Jeffs. “It was a little surprising,” Brad Craigen ’05 said. “They were a little better than we expected. We played hard, and they played hard.” The Pilgrims took the early lead, as has often happened against the Jeffs this season. Travis Banga, a transfer from Division I

Women's Tennis: Holt battles to top in regional tournament

In the first round of the tournament, the Jeffs breezed, as Rachel Holt ’05 took home a 6-0, 6-1 win, Tristan Hedrick ’05 won 6-0, 6-2, and co-captain Paige Lawrence ’03 won 6-4, 6-4, before bowing out in the second round. Kristen Raverta ’06, the Jeffs top seeded singles player, received a bye through the first round, and in the second round she led the Jeffs with a 6-1, 6-1 victory. Holt and Hedrick also made their way through the second round. Holt, in what became a recurring trend, coasted

What Eddie Heard

The NFL proved again this past weekend why they are the preeminent sports league in the United States. The draft in any sports league is usually a mundane weekend, but somehow the NFL has transformed it into a spectacle that has spawned an entire industry, which captivates fans from all teams. Football’s television ratings dominate the marketplace and much of this success is reached through the marketing of the product. The NFL has taken a route that not many other leagues have regarding the d

Women's Tennis: Lord Jeffs have up and down week

The Jeffs came out strong against the Jumbos, dominating both singles and doubles play. In the top singles flight, co-captain Stephanie Fong ’02 delivered a victory when her opponent retired in the second set with an injury. In the second singles spot, Rachel Holt ’05 continued her dominating play, with a straight-set victory over Tufts’ Katie Nordstrom. Co-captain Heather Cole ’02 followed suit in the third singles slot with a two-set win of her own. The lower half of the singles ladder broug

What Eddie Heard-Notes from the Sports World

Finally the reign has ended, but not without a fight. After one of the greatest World Series in recent history, the Diamondbacks are the new world champions in only their fourth year of existence. Five key points to the Series: 1. Relief pitching Not surprisingly, this series came down to relief pitching. But, what was surprising was how the relievers played into the series results. The bullpens didn’t really play a part in the series until game three, when Mariano Rivera notched his first s

What Eddie Heard...Weekly Notes From the Sports World

A few weeks ago, I took a look at the NL MVP race, which has widened considerably since I predicted that Barry Bonds would take home the hardware, and now the only MVP race to be decided is in the AL. First off, Alex Rodriguez will not win the MVP award, even though he is having the best season of any of the candidates. In the past it was possible for a player to win the MVP Award, even if his team was in the middle of a horrible season, but that is no longer the case. Since a premium has been

What Eddie Heard ... Weekly Notes From the Sports World

Chicago White Sox (First Place, 2000) Last year the White Sox came out of nowhere to win the AL Central title, but they then floundered in the playoffs. This year they should field another solid team. The White Sox have a thunderous lineup. Frank Thomas is the most recognizable name on the team, and deservedly so. After struggling through much of the previous two seasons, Thomas returned to his MVP form, batting .328 with 43 home runs and 143 RBI. Unfortunately, Thomas has found a new way for

Rugby looks for vindication

In the fall the Jeffs completed the season a respectable 4-2-1, yet many view the season as a failure. “The entire reason for our season is the Williams game,” said Woods. “As well as we play before that, we consider our season a failure if we don’t beat Williams.” The Jeffs compete in the highly competitive New England Football Union (NERFU), and they compete at the Division I level. Amherst is one of the smallest schools playing in NERFU, but that has not stopped the program from meeting suc