New Track and Field the Stuff of Dreams
Coaches and athletes are giving the college’s new track and field two thumbs up. A synthetic, multipurpose field completed late last fall, it is lit and surrounded by an eight-lane track with a nine-lane straightaway. The new facility allowed the college to host a home track meet in April, its first since 1996.
“Our old track wasn’t worthy,” explained track coach Tina Lee, who has seen her share of tracks and straightaways in the twenty-one years she’s been with the college. It not only had just six lanes, which quickly became outmoded when competitive tracks started featuring eight, but also was showing signs of serious wear and tear.
“We had a lot of injuries because the surface was so hard and worn down,” she said. “This surface will reduce the number of injuries.” She is also excited about the prospect of faster times across the board for competitors thanks to the new track’s improved resilience.
Lee also noted that women’s steeplechase—a 3,000-meter race with a water barrier—is now a sanctioned event that the new track accommodates. When the college’s old track was built, it had been a male-only event.
Recruitment this year yielded some strong track applicants, who are excited about what they see. Said Natalie J. Martin ’08, a member of both the cross-country and track teams, “This will help in bringing the best athletes to Mount Holyoke. When they look at us in comparison to our peers, now our fields are the superior ones.”
The new field replaced one at the eastern end of the outdoor playing fields at Woodbridge Street, Silver Street, and Dunlap Place. Made of a synthetic material, which enables play in inclement weather, it also has lights that make it possible for teams to practice and play after the sun goes down.
“We started our traditional season practices February 4, and have been outside nearly every day since,” said lacrosse coach Miriam Esber. “Already, we have practiced through rain, snow, fog, and sunny evenings. Currently, the team is much healthier and happier than they were at this time last year because the turf is so much softer on their legs than playing indoors.”
She noted her team now has the advantage of using a large, open space, rather than being confined in the field house. This allows competitors to work on every aspect of the game, Esber said, especially midfield transition, which is nearly impossible to understand and practice indoors.
Updating the college’s athletic facilities is a priority of the Campaign for Mount Holyoke fundraising effort, currently under way.—M.H.B.
Sports Shorts
Basketball
The 2006–07 season was one to remember for the basketball team. For the first time in school history, the Lyons captured the NEWMAC Tournament championship and advanced to the NCAA Division III National Tournament. They followed that with wins over Elms College, Western New England College, Emerson College, and Clark University. Forward Jess Olson ’10 has collected nine double-doubles to set the tone for Mount Holyoke. The Lyons have also received a boost from forward Marisa Barone ’08 (right), who racked up a career-best 21 points versus Clark. Guard Katie Austen ’09 netted a career-high 22 points at Elms.
Squash
Paced by Pamela Anckermann ’09, Vidushi Gurunada ’11, and Menusha Hettiarachchi ’09, the squash team was off to its best start in school history. The trio posted undefeated marks at the number one, two, and three positions, respectively, to boost the Lyons to an overall record of 15-3. Mount Holyoke has vaulted to 11th place in the latest College Squash Association (CSA) poll. It is the program's highest ranking ever and is good for third amongst Division III schools that compete in the CSA. The Lyons will look to close out their season with a strong performance at the Howe Cup tournament.
Indoor Track and Field
Indoor track and field team member Meghan Lynch ’08 established a new school record with her winning time of 18:36.71in the 5,000-meter run at the Tufts University Invitational. The mark had previously been set by Catherine Riffin ’08 one week earlier at the Wesleyan University Invitational. Both runners have qualified to compete in the NCAA Division III New England Regional Championships as well as the ECAC Championships in the 5,000-meter run and the 3,000-meter run. Also performing well for the Lyons have been Grace Zeigler ’08 (long jump, 55-meter dash), Caroline Gillaspie ’08 (triple jump, high jump), Halaina Demba ’08 (3,000-meter run), Crystal Boateng ’10 (400-meter dash) and Jessica Brezicha ’10 (55-meter high hurdles), each of whom qualified for the NCAA Regionals in their respective events. Zeigler qualified for ECACs in the high jump, as well.
Swimming and Diving
The swimming and diving team has recorded four wins this season, defeating Western Connecticut State University, Elms College, Babson College, and Western New England College. Grace Bauer ’08 has captured first place finishes in 28 events over the coarse of a year to lead the way. She established a new school record in the 50-meter butterfly with her time of 30.39 at the Pioneer Valley Invitational. The Lyons have also received a boost from Meredith Bartelstein ’08, who provisionally qualified for the NCAA Division III National Championships in the 3-meter diving event. Ginny Taylor ’08 has chipped in with 20 first-place finishes.
