Yes, it’s almost break. No, that doesn't mean Hopkins sports stop because everyone has lots of midterms coming up. This week's edition is full of exciting action, surprises, mild disappointments and championships. But, Hopkins sports faithful, we’re here for you with the rundown.
Women’s Lacrosse: W (12–0), W (13–11)
The women’s lacrosse team first took to the pitch Tuesday on Homewood Campus to face James Madison University (JMU). The game before, the Jays had outscored their opponent by over 15 goals, so they needed to get back into the competitive mindset. But adopt this new mindset they did, and come back from a large deficit they did. After the third quarter, Hopkins was trailing by four goals. In the fourth, they rallied to score six goals and held JMU to zero goals. Freshman McKenzey Craig netted four shots to lead the team offensively. But, it was a whole team effort as they won with nine less shot attempts than JMU, and eight more turnovers.
On Sunday, the Jays played their fourth straight home game against Stony Brook. The weather was brilliant, perfect for playing a fierce match of lacrosse. It truly felt like campus was coming back to life for the spring. Senior Ava Angello led the team in goals, junior Taylor Hoss led the team in assists, and they were tied for the most points. The Jays return to action on March 15 to face Rutgers in New Jersey, and have a home game later the same week.
Women’s Basketball: W (100–59), W (59–46)
The women’s basketball team seems to have regained their dominance after a one game slip-up. This week marked the start of the DIII NCAA tournament. After receiving an at-large bid, Hopkins faced Hunter College in the first round. The 100 points scored makes program history for the most points by the Jays in an NCAA tournament game. Additionally, the 32 assists completed is a new program single-game record. Senior Lauren Knudson notched 22 points, complete with multiple 3-pointers. While Hunter outscored the Jays in the third quarter, this one period of dominance was overshadowed.
On Saturday, the second round of the tournament started. Hopkins competed once again in the Goldfarb Gymnasium, this time against Baldwin Wallace. When I started watching this game, I feared it would be a repeat of the Centennial Conference Championship Game, but this fear was squashed in the second quarter. Freshman Faith Williamson led the team in points, and the defense forced 30 turnovers. They return to the court next week and aim to keep March mad.
Track and Field: AARTFC Indoor Championships and Tufts Final Qualifier
Both track and field teams spent the weekend competing at the ARRTFC Indoor Championships and the Tufts Final Qualifier.
First, let’s touch on the men’s team. Day one, the Jays had competitors in pole vault and the heptathlon. Junior Sebastian Tangelson stood in fourth place after day one, and was highlighted by a first-place and personal best shot put finish. On day two, junior Oluwademilade Adeniran and Tangelson paved success for the Jays. Adeniran finished second in the triple jump while Tangelson finished second in the heptathlon. At the Tufts Final Qualifier, junior Alex Colleti placed first in the 200-meter dash.
The women’s team attended the same two competitions, but competed in some different events. On day one of the AARTFC, Hopkins competed in the 4x400 meter relay, long jump, 60-meter sprint and pole vault. In all events, Hopkins finished top six or higher. Additionally, senior Mirra Kilmov qualified to compete in the 60-meter event on day two. The second day of competition was led by junior Diana Valentini who placed fifth in the 800 meter event. At the Tufts Final Qualifier, Sophomore Carter Brotherton was the only Blue Jay woman competing. She ran the 5,000 meters and delivered a personal best time.
The next step in this indoor track season is based on the NCAA selections. If Hopkins athletes are chosen, they will travel to the DIII Indoor Championships mid-march in Alabama.
