The Tech’s Athlete of the Week: Sophia L. Harrison ’08
For the second time in the past month, Sophia L. Harrison ’08 was named the Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III Gymnast of the Week following her highlight-filled performance in a dual meet at the U.S. Air Force Academy on Saturday, Feb. 2. The co-captain tied her career-best mark of 9.550 on the vault before setting new career-bests on the beam (9.550) and in the all-around (38.100) en route to a first-place individual finish.
Sports Shorts
For the third race in a row, Timothy F. Pier ’08 claimed a spot in the top ten as he finished sixth in the slalom with a time of 1:57.08 at the MIT-Brown University Carnival held this past weekend. The men’s alpine skiing team placed seventh in the slalom event on Saturday, while they moved up a slot to sixth in Sunday’s giant slalom. On the women’s side, MIT finished ninth in both events.
Celtics, Pistons Dominate List Of Contenders in Depleted East
Now that the NFL playoffs have ended (in the saddest possible fashion) and the baseball season is still some time away, sports fans have time to focus on basketball. As the NBA approaches its annual All-Star game a week from Sunday, the Eastern Conference still remains the weaker of the two conferences, but boasts two of the league’s strongest title contenders: the league-leading Boston Celtics and the perennial powerhouse Detroit Pistons.
Women’s Tennis Earns Highest Ever National Ranking
Ask anybody on the MIT women’s tennis team about their fall 2007 season, and if they don’t brag to you about national rankings and academic honors, you can smile because you know they are being modest.
Women’s Track and Field Claims Its First Ever NEWMAC Championship
The 2007 spring season was arguably the strongest ever for the women’s track and field program, as the team went undefeated during the indoor season and placed fifth at the New England Division III Indoor Track and Field Championship, a huge jump from the previous year’s 13th. Much of this improvement came because of a strong freshman class, including Maria J. Monks ’10, who shattered the Institute record in the 5K run with a time of 17:21.62.
Pistol Wins Second National Title in Three Years
The MIT pistol team captured their second national championship in three years by beating the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine Academies, and other military and civilian schools in a three-day competition held in March 2007 at West Point.
Men’s Lacrosse Loses in New England Semis
After a slow 0-3 start, the men’s lacrosse team won six of their last nine regular season games (including four of their last five) to qualify for the Eastern College Athletic Conference New England Tournament.
Sailing Finishes Fall as No. 11 in U.S.
The MIT sailing team saw great results during the 2007 fall season, including overall wins at the Smith Trophy and the Erwin Schell Trophy (for the first time in 27 years). The coed team also had top finishes at the Captain Hurst Bowl in New Hampshire and the Crews Regatta at MIT. To finish out the fall season, the team placed 11th at the Atlantic Coast Championship at Eckerd College in Florida.
Women’s Cross Country Finishes Seventh in New England Regional
In the 2007 fall season, the women’s cross country team won the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference Championship, scoring 50 points to runner-up Wheaton College (72). Kathryn A. Gordon ’11 received NEWMAC Rookie of the Year honors as Maria J. Monks ’10 led the way with a fourth place finish. Close behind were teammates Elizabeth M. Finn ’09 (5th), Jennifer A. Doyle ’09 (12th), Gordon (14th), and Adrienne M. Bolger ’09 (15th). The win marked the third time that both the men’s and women’s cross country teams took the NEWMAC title in the same year.
Women’s Volleyball Reaches NCAA Sweet 16
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is widely accepted as a scholastic superpower, producing some of the world’s greatest mathematicians and scientists. Unsurprisingly, its athletic program — though distinguished in its own right — has consistently been an afterthought in a discussion of MIT’s virtues.
Moments You Shouldn’t (and Probably Can’t) Forget From 2007
For the average sports fan, 2007 was filled with moments that many of us will easily forget. In five years, it’ll be difficult to pick out which team won the NBA Championship (“Hmm, it’s an odd year … I’ll guess the Spurs”) or which team won the Stanley Cup (wait, a team from California?). What will stick out in our minds are moments that we knew right away were special. Ones where teams and athletes rose above and beyond expectations, ones whose effects will be felt for years to come.
Men’s Volleyball Takes NECVA New England Division Title
The varsity men’s volleyball 2007 season turned out to be the best campaign in program history. The team finished with a 27-6 overall record and a No. 11 ranking in the Division III American Volleyball Coaches Association’s Coaches Poll. The team also went undefeated in the North East Collegiate Volleyball Association’s New England Division, winning the division title for the first time. This earned the team its third straight trip to the post season, making its way through to the quarterfinals of the NECVA Championship tournament.
Ruzevick Leads Men’s Cross Country Team to 10th Consecutive Title
The men’s cross country team began the fall season with victories over the Tech alumni and at the Smith College Invitational. The team had no problem winning their 10th consecutive New England Men’s and Women’s Athletics Conference Championship with a near perfect score of 18 points. Jacob J. Ruzevick ’09 was the team’s top runner, earning NEWMAC Runner of the Year honors while Gihan S. Amarasiriwardena ’11 took the NEWMAC Rookie of the Year award.
Men’s Track and Field Races to Seventh Straight NEWMAC Title
The MIT men’s track and field team went undefeated in the winter 2007 indoor season, securing wins over Division III powers such as Williams College and Tufts University. The season was highlighted by great team results, along with impressive individual performances by the much-improved sophomore class and dominating freshman class, culminating in a third place finish in the New England Division III Championship.
Profiles in Dedication: Athletes at MIT
To most of the world looking in, MIT is about its research. To most of its students, MIT is about the education. But for a select few, nothing gets them as excited as the athletics. The hard work and dedication of many talented student-athletes have created a strong presence for MIT in the collegiate athletic community, and their performance has helped shape a legacy that will persist beyond their graduation. These are a few of their stories.
News Briefs
MIT wrestler Joseph B. Silverman ’10 has been impressive all season for the Engineers, but his performance in January 26’s quad meet will be one to remember. In front of his home crowd, Silverman defeated Bridgewater State University’s James Quinlan, the top ranked wrestler in New England and seventh ranked Division III wrestler in the nation at 184 pounds. The 4-0 decision was one of three victories on the day for Silverman, bringing his overall individual record to 21-11 this season.