The Tech’s Athlete of the Week: Timothy F. Pier ’08
Timothy F. Pier ’08 clinched an individual spot in the United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association Eastern Regional Championship this weekend with his performance at the Boston College Carnival on Feb. 9–10. Pier entered the competition only a single point ahead of his nearest competitor, but secured his spot by finishing seventh in the slalom (1:35.35) and ninth on the second day (1:31.88).
Spurs, Suns Striving for Supremacy Amid Struggle Atop Western Conference
The NBA’s Western Conference is having one of its most competitive seasons in recent years. Don’t believe me? Just look at the frequency of lead changes in the standings or the constant jostling for position in various power rankings across the press. The term “wild, wild west” has never been more applicable, but let’s try to make the picture a little clearer.
Figure Skating Club Dances Into Sixth Place as Samost Earns Silver
The MIT Figure Skating Club team tied for sixth place with Pennsylvania State University at the Boston University Eastern Intercollegiate Figure Skating Competition, held on Feb. 9-10 at the Walter Brown Arena. MIT finished with 13 points, with several skaters finishing in the top five in free skate and solo dance events to contribute to the point total.
Game of the Week: Youth Leads Men’s Ice Hockey Over Endicott
In a battle for supremacy in the NorthEast Collegiate Hockey Association Conference A East Division, MIT’s freshmen contingent proved to be the difference, as the men’s ice hockey team slipped past Endicott College 2-1 on Saturday night. Defenseman Nicholas D. Sisler ’11 assisted on the game-tying goal before fellow freshman Cory F. Phinney ’11 netted the winner, while rookie goaltender Stephen L. Yablonski ’11 stopped 26 shots to earn the victory.
Volleyball Second in Fourth Annual MIT Invitational Tourney
The men’s volleyball team, ranked eleventh in the nation, lost to no. 12 Ramapo College 30-25, 26-30, 30-25, 34-32 in the championship match of the fourth annual MIT Men’s Volleyball Invitational on Sunday. Ramapo, a public liberal arts college in New Jersey, won the title in its first appearance in the tournament, denying the Engineers their third MIT Invitational title.
Egypt Defeats Cameroon to Win Its Sixth African Cup of Nations Title
Egypt beat Cameroon 1-0 in the final of the 2008 African Cup of Nations soccer tournament on Sunday in Accra, Ghana. The win marks Egypt’s record sixth African Cup title, successfully defending the trophy they won on home field in 2006.
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.