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(05/03/12 7:04pm)
The Charles Street rivalry could not have played out more dramatically than it did this past Saturday. The Blue Jays achieved an emotional victory over the top-ranked Loyola Greyhounds after an exciting back-and-forth between the two lacrosse giants. The game was finally decided by a quick stick shot from sophomore Rob Guida, who scored the 10th and final goal with only 2.3 seconds remaining in overtime, granting Hopkins a much-needed 10-9 win .
(03/15/12 5:00am)
Fencing is a lot like chess. Granted, there are some subtle differences - namely, the use of a threeand- a-half foot long sword. Kidding aside, the two games are actually strikingly similar. They both involve a comparable brand of 'strategizing'- a surprisingly mental aspect given the historically brutish nature of swordfights. When one begins to understand the subtleties of fencing, it becomes clear that the only difference it has from chess may very well be the three-and-ahalf foot long sword. Fencing incorporates a series parries (blocks) and ripostes (counters) that require anticipation and improvisation, but most of all an intense focus on the bout (match) at hand. It's no surprise, then, that sophomore Evan Stafford of Montana, who is studying physics and math, is finding such success on the mat. "It's referred to as physical chess," said Stafford, "in that you have to outwit your opponent." The formality of his responses gave a hint of the kind of academic intensity one can only find in the Hopkins science department. This intensity has clearly paid off, manifesting itself in the form of a 13-0 win at the Stevens Institute of Technology Invitational on Jan. 29. Put simply, fencing tournaments work as follows: each school brings their squad to the meet, a squad being made up of three fencers, plus one alternate. There is a different squad for each weapon - a Sabre, a Foil and an Epee - and each member of the squad participates in three rounds of fencing with three bouts within each round. Essentially, as Stafford puts it, "everyone fences everyone." Stafford's record of 13-0 at this tournament means that he fenced 13 people and won 13 times. What makes this accomplishment more notable, though, is Stafford's "unorthodox style" of joining the team, as Head coach Austin Young noted. Many notable collegiate athletes have grown up on their sport with a pacifier in one hand and a lacrosse stick or baseball in the other. Some may have even swam before they could walk although one would hope not. Stafford, however, began fencing "winter of my freshman year of high school," he said. He went on to explain that it was not for his high school team. "I did it only at the local fencing club, three nights a week for a couple of hours," he explained. To many athletes, three nights a week for a couple of hours is almost nothing. Many spend hours daily perfecting their game and still don't see similar success. As a serious student, though, Stafford simply does not have time to spend the extra hours each day. "Homework keeps me occupied a lot of the time," Stafford said. He paused for a moment and corrected himself, "Fencing and homework keeps me occupied a lot of the time." Coach Young reiterated this point. "He's a serious student ... He spends most of his time coding. That's the impression I've gotten." So, between coding, physics, mathematics and his membership in the Society of Physics Students, there's not much time for additional hours of individual practice. Clearly, though, Stafford has had his share of experience; at least enough to have competed with all three weapons and attend several national tournaments, both of which he had done before enrolling at Hopkins. But, of all the weapons he's tried, his current one, the Foil, remains his favorite. "I enjoy the kind of problem solving it involves," Stafford said. This brand of problem solving, he explained, was different than with the Sabre or the Epee. "You have to work under the 'right of way' rules to get the points. . .[which] basically means you have to stay in control of your actions." If you hit the wrong spot - an 'undesignated area' - the match is stopped and reset. Foil fights differ from Epee fights, in that the Foil rules require that one must hit their opponent with the tip of the sword, and in a designated area. A button on the sword's end will complete an electrical circuit and set off a buzzer signaling a hit. This is the 'right of way' Stafford was referring to - hitting an undesignated area signals a loss of control and a breach of the 'right of way' rules. The Epee fights, though, do not require a hit in a designated area - the entire body is fair game. They simply require that the hit be made through contact with the blade's tip. Anything else won't count but neither will it stop the match. Thus, there is no 'right of way' in Epee fights. Finally, the Sabre counts a point for any hit above the waist by any part of the blade. It also does not have 'right of way.' Whereas one "only has to worry about hitting the opponent" with the Sabre and Epee, Stafford said, the foil involves "outwit[ting] your opponent in a different way." In addition to trying different weapons, Stafford has also played a few other sports. Stafford recalled that he played baseball "for a number of years," and hockey until "everyone else got a lot bigger." He never had serious aspirations for either sport. It didn't seem to concern him very much, though. Between fencing, a rigorous course-load and coding on the side, there's not time for much else; except, maybe, the occasional game of chess.
(03/15/12 5:00am)
Men's wrestling ended their regular season on a high note, after many members would consider the early part of the year to be a disappointment. Several key wrestlers suffered injuries early in the season, which played a significant part in the team's struggle to a 6-15 overall record. "It all really comes down to the conference tournament this weekend," sophomore Matt Fusaro said. "We have most of those guys back from injury, so I'm excited to see how things turn out on Saturday. "Our goal since the beginning of the season has been to win the Centennial Conference Tournament," Fusaro continued. "I am very confident that we will achieve that goal." This past weekend, on the 28th, Hopkins Men's wrestling went 2-1, with two convincing defeats over Scranton and Muhlenberg and a loss to NYU. The Jays pinned the Royals, 45-0, and the Mules, 42- 18. NYU, however, got the best of the Jays, 24-15. The team hopes that these results will be indicative of upcoming matches, that it can find its feet over these last few weeks. Men's wrestling very much has its sight set on the future, as this young team moves towards the playoffs and towards building themselves up for next year. "We're looking to be two-time conference champions by the end of next season," Fusaro said.
(03/15/12 5:00am)
On the heels of our men's lacrosse season preview last week, here is what else and who else Blue Jay nation can look forward to this spring. This feature will be continued next week with previews of the men's and women's tennis seasons. W o m e n ' s Lacrosse Lady Jay lacrosse has yet to become the National powerhouse that the men's program has built through decades of a winning tradition, but the girls may be on their way as soon as this spring. A year removed from a 9-8 season that included upset wins over then fourth-ranked Penn and second-ranked and eventual National Champions Northwestern, Hopkins returns nine starters from the 2011 campaign. The experience certainly showed in their first two games this past week when the Jays crushed George Mason, 19-6, and Mt. St. Mary's, 18-8. Hopkins, brimming with confidence heading into their home-opener this Friday at 4 PM against Denver College, expects to not only improve upon last year's record but also compete at a national level. "We have extremely high expectations for this year," Head coach Janine Tucker recently told Hopkinssports.com. "It should be a culmination of the last couple of years of experience." Leading the way for the Jays this spring will be the dynamic scoring duo of Colleen McCaffrey and Candace Rossi. The two senior attackmen have both posted over 100 points during their illustrious careers and were each named IWLCA All-Region selections a year ago. Joining McCaffrey and Rossi up top will be fellow All-Region selection sophomore Taylor D'Amore. A season ago, D'Amore led the Jays in assists and draws, with 19 and 38, respectively, and broke the school record for points scored by a freshman. On Wednesday against Mount St. Mary's, D'Amore scored a career-high seven points - four goals and three assists - indicative of her aggressive style of play. In the middle of the field for Hopkins will be senior Rachel Serio, junior Courtney Schweizer and sophomores Sammy Cermack and Sarah Taylor. Serio, a graduate of nearby is a veteran who already has 50 starts in black and blue. Schweizer is coming off a 2011 season that saw her start six of the team's last seven games after she struggled with nagging injuries in the beginning of the year. In two games this year, she has already scored three goals compared with four all of last year. Defensively, Hopkins will be led by Tewaarton watch list nominee senior Alyssa K i l d a r e . She had 38 ground balls and 26 forced t u r n o v e r s in 2011. Juniors Sophia Sherry and Sammi Arbitman should also see significant time in the backfield. In goal, the Jays will turn to junior Cosette Larash who played every minute in goal last season while allowing 9.94 goals per game. Baseball Hopkins baseball will open its season against 10th-ranked Alvernia on Monday, Feb. 27th, the first of its four consecutive and only home games for an entire month. Following their first four games, the team will travel for five games and then leave for Phoenix, AZ, where the team will spend a large part of their time between now and their opening home conference match on Mar. 27th against Dickinson. There, they will spend their spring training alternating between the facilities of the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds. As the excitement of the season builds, the team looks forward to strong results from an impressive roster. Seniors Sam Eagleson and Alex Eliopoulos, two right-handed pitchers and key starters for the team in the past, look to repeat their combined 22-1 record of their sophomore years, which included an impressive 150 strikeouts. Senior co-captain and catcher/ thirdbaseman Aaron Borenstein is extremely confident in the team's rotation aces as well as the rest of the staff. "Our pitching staff is the best it has been in my four years here," the six-foot-one, 205-pounder said. "Our ability to shorten games by using a very strong bullpen will allow us to win a lot of close games this season." In addition to the pitching staff, junior shortstop Kyle Neverman is expected to have a strong season after hitting .297 with a teamleading 11 stolen bases last season. Borenstein is confident that Neverman's style of play will be indicative of the team's direction this season. "Our offense this season will be unlike any of the past three Hopkins teams I have played on," Borenstein said. "We will not rely solely on power this season and will instead use small ball and our team speed to steal extra runs. Our offense will display a great combination of speed and power." In addition to Neverman, the offense will feature firstbaseman Jeff Lynch, who boasted a .348 batting average with three home runs last season. He was named the Centennial Conference tournament co-MVP in 2011. Borenstein and junior Ryan Zakszeski, both catchers, will split time between the field and behind the plate to keep their potent bats in the lineup as well. Borenstein hit .318 last year while "Z" hit .300. Despite such quality, though, Borenstein is convinced that the team's "biggest strength this season is our unity. This team really loves playing the game together, and that, combined with our depth and experience, will make us a very tough team to beat. This is a team of best friends, and playing the game with people you love is vital for success." These words will be tested as the Blue Jays hope to win their sixth consecutive Centennial Conference tournament and head to the College World Series in Appleton, Wisconsin after a year hiatus.
(03/15/12 5:00am)
Blue Jays baseball remains unbeaten in its last seven season-openers after their game on Feb.27th against 10th-rankedAlvernia, albeit in a rather unconventional fashion. The game was ended at 7-7 after the end of the ninthinning due to darkness, notching Head coach BobBabb's 11th career tie, one of only 25 in all of Hopkins baseball history. Despite the decent results, though, the game itself was considered disappointing for a team that is expected to do very well this season. "Although we still tied, it wasn't our best game by far," said senior left-handed pitcher Ryan Kahn.Alvernia appeared first on the scoreboard off of an error by senior right-handed pitcher Alex Eliopoulos in the top of the second. The Crusaders squeezed across another two runs in the top of the sixth to lay claim to a 3-0 lead. The Blue Jays soon responded, however, off the bats of juniors Jeff Lynch, Hank Sanders and Ryan Zakszeski. Lynch, a first baseman, and Sanders, the team's left fielder, each had RBI base hits, with Lynch's a double to the right-center field gap. Zakszeski added a sacrifice fly to even the score at three apiece. Hopkins eventually gained a 7-4 lead over Alvernia from junior second baseman Mike Kanen's three-run home run, the first of his career. However, the lead was lost as the re-sult of several Blue Jay wild pitches and a bases-loaded walk. This back-and-forth of errors and walks ended up playing an important role in the game. "If you look at it on paper," Kahn said, "if you compare the statistics, the game could have easily gone their way." Each team had four errors, all of which resulted at least indirectly in a run for the opponent. Despite the sloppy play on each side, though, Kahn asserted that Hopkins had "the intangibles," which accounted for the results; intangibles that were very important in a game where the tangibles couldn't be found. If Hopkins hopes to consistently do well in its upcoming games, it will have to refocus itself and return to the fundamentals it boasted before their first game, including both strong pitching and leadership. Despite the negatives, though, the season is early, and the Blue Jays earned a good result against, "One of the top teams in the region and country," according to Kahn and the Division III polls. The season has just begun and some strong points can be found in both the Jays' hitting and pitching. Understanding their flaws, Hopkins hopes to capitalize on its strengths and to start winning over the next few weeks.JHU returns to action on Thursday against Messiah before facing off with Rutgers-Newark for a double- header on Saturday. Both games are at home.
(03/15/12 5:00am)
What do Valentine's day, Mardi Gras and March Madness all have in common? If you said, "they're all on Tuesday," you're probably missing the point. It's hard to explain the excitement consistently generated by each of these quasi-holidays, but it is essentially ineffectual to even try. The majority of us can already feel it. Unfortunately, I fall into the uninformed minority. Not being an avid basketball fan, or a basketball fan at all, I struggle with picking a bracket. To put it delicately, 'I go with my gut.' For those of you who think 'March Madness' is an allusion to mid-term week, you should stop reading here. The rest of you, I'm sure, know it begins officially on Mar. 13th, after 'Selection Sunday' on the 11th. As of right now, there are few things set in stone, although some speculations can be made fairly accurately. With upsets from No. 6 University of North Carolina over No. 4 Duke, No. 10 Ohio State over No. 5 Michigan State and Iowa State likely securing its first NCAA tournament berth in seven long years, we seem to be in for a good month of basketball. Predictions have already placed Kentucky, North Carolina, Syracuse, and Kansas at No. 1 for the South, West, East and Midwest regions, respectively. The North Carolina Tar Heels, with a lineup including big names such as John Henson, Kendall Marshall, Tyler Zeller and Harrison Barnes, and with their recent win over Duke may be a strong pick this year. They are projected to win the ACC title and expected to do very well in the NCAA tournament. Kentucky, the current number one team in the nation, has done well this year and is also expected to win the SEC tournament, although they will face formidable opponents such as Florida and LSU. While many people have pegged head coach John Calipari and his Kentucky program as a "oneand- done" factory, where college freshman play for a year before leaving for the NBA, this year has proven that sometimes college glory trumps NBA dollars. Sophomores Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb returned to school in favor of entering last year's NBA Draft, and together they have given the Wildcats a formidable inside-outside punch. Both Syracuse and Kansas, in the Big East and Big Twelve respectively, are annually formidable competitors and will be, obviously, teams to watch. Additionally, Marquette has been a team of interest lately, winning 12 of its last 13 games in the Big East. The young team might be much more focused during the post-season - with one more year of experience under their belt. And of course, you cannot look at the Big East without acknowledging the play of the defending national champion Connecticut Huskies. While the team has struggled after entering the season in the preseason top 5, the return of head coach Jim Calhoun after serious back surgery will surely give the team a new spark. Despite all of these speculations, however, it is important to consider the past when deciding on a bracket. Very few of us can claim to have predicted last year's March Madness final between Butler and University of Connecticut. It is just this type of result which can make or break a bracket, which is why sometimes hard analysis of the facts can lead someone astray. It can sometimes be more important to consider the 'intangibles,' such as team chemistry, possible distractions or style of play - all of which I have referenced in defense of my 'gut picks.' This year Louisville, Marquette, and Missouri all seem like good picks to me. For those of you looking to show your bracket-picking expertise, or simply test out your gut, there are easy ways to do so. On campus, JHU Crossover Basketball, a Center for Social Concern group, is holding a bracket competition with a $5 entry fee and some great prizes for the top three winners. The donations go directly to Barclay Elementary/ Middle School and Greenmount Recreation Center. To take part in this, simply email jhucrossoverbball@ gmail.com before Mar. 14th.
(03/15/12 5:00am)
Following their success at the Centennial Conference championships, Hopkins wrestling continued to impress. Freshman Paul Bewak and junior Reid Mosquera finished seventh and eighth, respectively, at the 2012 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships this past weekend in La Crosse, WI. This brought the program's best season to an end at 27th place nationally with 13.0 points. According to the NCAA rules, the top eight competition finishers receive All- America honors, so both Bewak and Mosquera knew of their All-American statuses before their consolation quarterfinal matches. For Mosquera, though, the successful end was the result of a long, frustrating season. "I had a lot of small injuries that were just big enough to keep me off the mat," said Mosquera, referring to a sprained MCL and bruised ribs that prevented him from competing for a stretch of time. "It really hurt [my attempts at] weight management," he added, which is vital for any competitive wrestler. Bewak alluded to this, saying that Mosquera was "injured for 75 percent of the season. . .[and he] went through more than anyone else on the team. [Still, he is] one of the best wrestlers I've been able to wrestle with." This is emblematic of a team that "never had a full lineup" because of injuries, according to Bewak. "In the end it worked out for us, though," Bewak continued. "And when we did end up winning conferences, it was awesome." The end of the season marked a turnaround for the team in general and Mosquera, in particular, who started a two-week regimen of intensive training leading up to the NCAA tournament. In the end, the training paid off, keeping him healthy and competitive enough to secure a historic finish. Despite the frustrations, Mosquera seemed optimistic overall. "The ending says we have a lot of potential. . .the injury aspect is always a concern and always will be." Bewak seemed to agree, saying that the team should "keep doing what we've been doing," and that, besides the injuries, everything seems to be "working well so far." Besides these few observations, though, both All- Americans seem to have al??ready moved on from their accomplishments. Bewak has formed a simple plan for next year. "[I'll do] everything harder and hopefully have a better tournament next time," he said. As a freshman, the five-footfive, 125-pounder performed incredibly and will look to improve and garner All-America honors again next year. Mosquera will be a senior, and the team will also be returning five other conference champions. The most successful team in program history will be back next year for another fantastic season.
(03/15/12 5:00am)
The Hopkins men's wresting team managed to clinch an important win last night, topping the Gettysburg Bullets 22-18. Although still only 4-11 overall, the Blue Jays have moved to 3-1 in the Centennial conference, while the Bullets have fallen to 1-4 in the Centennial. The team recently beat Washington & Lee and McDaniel and will hopefully be able to sustain this momentum over the next few weeks. Their next match will take place at Messiah, at 7 p.m. on Feb. 3, while the next two home games will be against Stevens Tech and Kings Point on Feb. 12, the first of these two games taking place at 11 a.m. Although the team has sustained a few injuries for some key players, Hopkins had confidence going into Wednesday's match. "We did expect to win, although we knew it'd be a tough one," Head Coach Keith Norris said. Although Hopkins maintained the lead, it was at times by no more than six points; sufficiently close that a pin by the Bullets could have changed the match drastically. The Bullets' pin never came, though. "[Junior Michael Koren] did a great job not getting pinned," Norris said. "It's his first year, and it's a big jump into collegiate wresting. . .he fought hard." Koren has taken the place of the team's usual 133-lb wrestler, sophomore Ray Yagloski, as the result of Yagloski's injuries. A pin against Koren would have put the Bullets at six points, tying them to the Blue Jays before they had gained more of an advantage. In addition, Koren and junior Jody Gowen both faced talented opponents and helped Hopkins defend their lead by not getting pinned and playing hard to get points for the team according to Norris. Hopkins had moved to an early lead, which they held on to for the remainder of the match. It began with 125-lb freshman Paul Bewak, who started off the match on a strong note, pinning senior Abe Evans and giving Hopkins an early 6-0 lead. 141-lb sophomore Matt Fusaro fought for a 10-3 victory over opponent, junior Joe Fiore, missing a major by only one point. This would have given Hopkins two more points and a more comfortable lead going into the next match. Hopkins kept the momentum going, though, and, despite a few close losses, managed to stay ahead 19- 15 entering the 197-lb match between junior Reid Mosquera and the Bullets' junior Marshall Puls. Mosquera pulled Hopkins ahead in the end, winning the match 16-9, which put Hopkins at a comfortable 22-15 lead going into the heavyweight match. The usual heavyweight wrestler, 285-lb senior Rick Danilkowicz, is injured and will probably sit out for the season, according to Norris. Taking his place against Bullets' junior Kevin Poplaski in the 285-lb weight class was 174-lb freshman Evan Johnson, fighting hard for an impressive 1-0 loss. "[It'll be] up to Evan if he wants to continue wrestling in that class," Norris said. With Danilkowicz out for the season, the spot will be open indefinitely, leaving a 285-lb gap for the team to fill. It will be difficult and will put more pressure on the other nine wrestlers to perform.
(04/21/11 6:01pm)
Colleen McCaffrey, at 5 feet 11 inches, is a key member of the Johns Hopkins Women’s Lacrosse team, and has played a crucial role in its success thus far.
(04/14/11 4:53pm)
Joe Borrelli, a grad student and co-captain of the Hopkins baseball team, epitomizes what it means to love the game. After an elbow injury his junior year caused him to miss a year of play but not of eligibility, Borrelli began searching for a solution. He found one, in the form of an MBA program at the Carey School of Business.
(04/07/11 7:33pm)
Like most of the extraordinary athletes at Hopkins, sophomore Nandita Krishnan, who is from Chennai, India has a rich history of athletes in her family. In her case, tennis is her family’s game.
(03/31/11 7:34pm)
rosse graduated a three-time All-American in Kevin Boland. His father, Kevin Boland, Sr., was a University of Maryland lacrosse alumnus and Third Team All-American during his senior year of college.
(02/25/11 2:25am)
The Blue Jays’s men’s lacrosse team produced no surprises this weekend, as they handedly beat Delaware this Tuesday, and fought for a well-earned victory against Towson this past Saturday.
(02/18/11 1:47am)
Feb. 14 marked an important day for one Hopkins sport. Although most people reserve the day for their Valentine, the Men’s Swimming team celebrated the birthday of Athlete of the Week Anthony Lordi; a freshman on the team, who has more than earned his spot in the lane.
(02/10/11 5:44pm)
Hopkins wrestling pinned its eighth win to the board last Friday, Feb. 4th, squeaking by Messiah 24-19 to bring the Jays’ record to 8-9 for the season, with two duals left to go.