MIT Cycling Takes Third Place In Div. II Cyclocross Nationals
Following a successful regular season of cyclocross racing in the New England area, the MIT Cycling team traveled to Kansas City, Missouri on Friday, December 12th to compete in the 2008 Cyclocross National Championships. Strong performances from both the men’s and women’s sides paced the Engineers to third place in the Division II overall standings, upholding MIT’s reputation as a national cycling power. The week before Nationals the team, led by captain William Palm G, had won the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference Division II title for the second consecutive year and third of the last four, with 152 total points, well ahead of the runner-up US Military Academy with 121.
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The senior tandem of James M. “Jimmy” Bartolotta ’09 and Willard J. “Billy” Johnson’ 09 combined for 59 points in MIT’s 69-56 victory over Babson College in a New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) men’s basketball game on Saturday. Bartolotta led the way with 33 points on 12-of-17 shooting from the floor, including a 5-of-8 performance from behind the arc. Johnson totaled 26 points, 24 of which coming in the second half, on a 10-of-12 outing at the free-throw line and a 7-of-11 total from the field.
The Tech’s Athlete of the Week: DeRon M. Brown ’10
DeRon M. Brown ’10 capped a historic season in the backfield by being tabbed as MIT’s first football All-American in 11 years. Brown was named d3football.com’s Second Team All-American after finishing the 2008 campaign as the nation’s second-leading rusher.
As NFL Playoffs Near End, Disappointments
What were the NFL’s biggest disappointments this season? The Lions, Pats, and Plaxico, if you ask me. The Detroit Lions finished 0-16, the first winless season in NFL history. Despite an 11-5 record, the New England Patriots missed the playoffs, thanks to the season-ending injury Tom Brady sustained in the season opener. The New York Giants with Plaxico Burress went 11-1; after Burress accidentally shot himself in the thigh, the Giants lost four out of their final five games. Without their talented wide receiver, the reigning Super Bowl champions and top seed in the NFC lost 11-23 to the sixth-seeded Eagles.
GAME OF THE WEEK Ice Hockey Wins 7-4 Over Bridgewater in Final Game of 2008
The MIT Men’s Ice Hockey team tallied four consecutive goals in the final 24 minutes, the last two by Justin D. Myers ’11 to complete a hat trick, en route to a 7-4 win over Bridgewater State College in their final game of 2008. Myers was one of five Engineers to find the back of the net while Michael C. Kozlowski G led the team with three assists.
Yale Bulldogs Wear Down Men’s Basketball, 86-63Women’s Basketball Falls to Simmons, 48-40Sailing Captures Second-Place Finish at Rose Bowl Regatta
Facing its first Division I opponent in 18 years, MIT was unable to keep pace with Yale University’s size and depth as the Bulldogs outscored the Engineers by 10 in each half en route to an 86-63 victory on Saturday.
Men’s Ice Hockey Defeats Westfield State in ShootoutWomen’s Basketball Rallies Past Bay Path, 50-43
Three weeks after the teams skated to a 3-3 tie, MIT and Westfield State again needed extra time with the Engineers prevailing, 5-4, Friday night. Three regulation periods and one overtime could not break the 4-4 tie and the teams headed to a shootout. Dustin P. Kendrick ’10 was the only player to score in the shootout, securing the win for MIT.
The Tech’s Athlete of the Week: Jimmy Bartolotta ’09
On Saturday, December 6, James M. “Jimmy” Bartolotta ’09 scored 31 points, leading the men’s basketball team to a 79-66 victory over the Tufts University Jumbos. This impressive performance put Bartolotta’s career total at MIT over 1,700 points, making him the first Institute basketball player to reach that mark. The previous record, which had stood unchallenged for 32 years, was held by Campbell Lange ’76, who finished his career at MIT with 1,699 points.
Boston Blazers Lacrosse Signs Veteran Forward Dan Dawson
The Boston Blazers professional indoor lacrosse team announced the signing of Dan Dawson, a multitalented, dynamic offensive player who consistently ranks among the top scorers in the National Lacrosse League.
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Salem State College’s balanced attack put five players in double figures and the Vikings’ full-court press plagued MIT throughout the contest as the home team rallied past the Engineers, 75-65, despite another phenomenal effort from James M. “Jimmy” Bartolotta ’09, who played his third consecutive game with at least 30 points on Tuesday night.
Squash Goes 0-2 in Dartmouth Fall Classic, Tops Vanderbilt 5-4Johnson & Wales Powers Past MIT WrestlingWomen’s Basketball Falls to Lasell, 66-34
The MIT squash team traveled to Dartmouth University on Saturday, Nov. 22 for the Liberty League Fall Classic before returning home on Sunday, Nov. 23 to host Vanderbilt University. The Engineers fell to the U.S. Naval Academy, 9-0, and Wesleyan University, 8-1, before salvaging the weekend with a win over Vanderbilt, 5-4.