Winning with sticks, clubs, and crops

Leading scorer Liza Gorman ’04 takes on a William Smith player.

Lacrosse
     The women’s lacrosse team finished a strong season ranked 17th nationally, with a 12-3 record. The Thoroughbreds advanced to the UCAA championship game, beating Hamilton, 8-4, in the semifinals before losing, 9-6, to William Smith.
     Eleven T’breds earned UCAA All-Conference or All-Academic honors. Four also earned IWLCA All-Region honors. Midfielder Taryn Howard ’03, who made first-team IWLCA All-America, was second on the team
     in scoring (34 goals, 14 assists) and passed the 100-goal career mark, finishing with 116. Liza Gorman ’04 led the team in scoring, with 43 goals and 16 assists; her career goal total stands at 112. Annie Ledyard ’06, the UCAA Rookie of the Year, led NCAA Division III in draw controls, with 7.8 per game. Freshman goalkeeper Sarah Berheide ’06 set team records with a 6.57 goals-against average and .636 save percentage, and tied the mark for wins, with an 11-3 record.

All-American Chris Bivona ’03 pushes past a Clarkson opponent.

     The men’s team also made it to the UCAA tournament, after beating defending champion Clarkson University, 9-6. In the semifinals, the T’breds upset top-seed Rensselaer, 14-13, but then lost the finals to Hamilton, 4-1. The Thoroughbreds finished with an 8-7 record.
     Midfielder Chris Bivona ’03 was UCAA Co-Player of the Year. He led the team in scoring (34 goals, 16 assists) and finished his career as Skidmore’s all-time leading scorer, with 118 goals and 95 assists. Midfielder Andrew Meehan ’03 was also a UCAA all-star, compiling 28 goals and 17 assists. Meehan and Bivona were selected to play in the USILA senior North/South all-star game. Three T’breds won UCAA All-Academic honors.

Golf
     The golf team played in its 17th-straight NCAA Division III championship tournament this year. The T’breds finished 20th in the four-day event. Lee Lyon ’05 was Skidmore’s top finisher, taking 61st place with +23.
     Leading into the NCAA championships, Skidmore won the NCAA District I Shootout at Williams College. Charles Kromann ’05 shot 68-73 to take first place. Lyon and Ben Bates ’03 were named to the GCAA All-Northeast Team. Ross Morgan ’04 was selected GCAA All-American Scholar.

Riding
     Skidmore’s equestrian team just missed qualifying for the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association’s national championship show. After finishing the regular season unbeaten, the T’breds finished third in the zone competition.
     Several riders qualified for nationals in individual events. Lisa Hilberg ’04 won the national championship in the Intermediate Over Fences class. Jaime Jansen ’04 finished sixth in the Open Over Fences and took 14th in the Cacchione Cup for the nation’s top riders. Alyssa Garvin ’05 was third in Walk-Trot-Canter, and Erina Malarkey ’05 was sixth in Novice on the Flat.

Tennis
     The men’s team went 16-4 on the season and won its third UCAA title. The top seed in the UCAA tournament, Skidmore beat Vassar, 4-0, in the semifinals and clinched the championship with a 6-1 win over Hobart. Russell Cloder ’05 won both of his number-one singles matches, and he and Nate Temin ’05 beat Hobart’s duo in number-one doubles.
     Cloder and Temin were UCAA All-Conference selections. Greg Sher ’06 was UCAA Rookie of the Year, and interim coach Jim Morrison was UCAA Coach of the Year. Three players made UCAA All-Academic.
     The women’s team finished with a 12-9 record. Dawn Penniston ’03 closed out her career as the team’s MVP for the second straight year. Four teammates joined her in earning UCAA All-Academic honors.

Crew
     The women’s four finished ninth in the ECAC National Collegiate Invitational. Boat stroke Christina Bonenberger ’04, Heather Brunner ’04, Leah Roskin ’03, Sarah Lutenski ’03, and coxswain Erin Irvine ’05 advanced to the ECAC championships by finishing fourth in the New York State championships. Rowers Steph Guilmet ’04 and Vicky Abad ’03 won the women’s pair event at states.
     Abad was the women’s Most Valuable Rower, while Matt Sweet ’03 took top honors for the men.

Baseball
     The baseball team played well down the stretch to finish with a 12-21 record. The T’breds swept UCAA rival Union College, 8-1 and 7-0, and edged by Middlebury College, 5-4.
     Catcher Brian Neary ’03 led the team in almost every offensive category: he hit .402, with a school-record .755 slugging percentage, and, though he only played three seasons, he tied Skidmore’s career home-run record with 17. Neary, Mike Rivers ’05, and Nick Litano ’03 were UCAA All-Conference honorees. Seven T’breds made the UCAA All-Academic team.

Softball
     In a rebuilding season, the softball team fought off late-season injuries and a lack of numbers, finishing with a 2-21-1 record. The T’breds’ wins came against nonleague opponents Russell Sage and New Paltz.
     Adrienne Baker ’05 led the team in hitting, with a .343 average, and made the UCAA All-Conference first team. Stephanie Walters ’03 finished her career with a team-high .451 slugging percentage. Five players earned UCAA All-Academic honors. —WJ