Dear Alumni, Parents and Eph Fans,
Mid-February in Williamstown means cold temperatures, falling snow and student-athletes moving toward the culmination of their respective seasons. It has been a thrilling winter with many great moments and more to come.
Let me start by recognizing fall accomplishments: 116 student-athletes were named to the 2024 NESCAC Fall All-Academic Team and Williams placed 13 student-athletes on the All-Conference first and second teams.
In men’s and women’s cross country, Dusty Lopez ’01, Stephanie Mauer, Mike Blair and Barb Grossov were named the NESCAC Coaching Staff of the Year, while Chuckie Namiot ’25 and Keiyu Mamiya ’28 were recognized as the conference’s Most Outstanding Performer and Rookie of the Year, respectively, on the men’s side.
The women’s cross country team placed third at the NCAA Championship, tied for the best overall team finish since the squad came in first on the national stage in 2015. Men’s cross country placed first at NESCAC Championship and and second overall at the NCAA Regional Championship, with Chuckie Namiot ’25 finishing first and second, respectively, in the individual standings.
Winning a program-record 16 games, field hockey reached the Final Four for the second time in three years. Head coach Alix Barrale ’93 and assistant Kate Lenox were named the NESCAC Coaching Staff of the Year and first-year goalkeeper Ellie Smith ’28 was recognized as Rookie of the Year.
In their respective Collegiate Eights at the Head of the Charles Regatta on Oct. 20, the men’s crew placed seventh out of 42 and our women’s crew placed third out of 34. Football went 5-4 overall and ended the season with a thrilling 21-0 victory over Amherst at Farley-Lamb Field at Homecoming in Nov. 9.
Men’s golf tied for second out of 21 at the Skidmore Fall Invitational on Oct. 12–sophomore Alex Moller ’27 was the squad’s top-performer in all five fall events. Women’s golfers Maryanne Grace ’27 and Natalie Cheong ’27 earned medalist honors during the Polar Bear Shootout (Sept. 14-15) and George Phinney Classic (Sept. 21-22), respectively.
At the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Regional on Sept. 27-28, junior Nicholas Chen ’26 won in the Round of 64 and 32 in the Main Singles Draw for men’s tennis. Senior women’s tennis Captain Yuu Ishikawa ’25 and sophomore Margaux Molyneux ’27 won doubles matches in the Round of 32 and 16 during the ITA Regional on Sept. 20-21.
Women’s soccer defeated then-No. 4-ranked Tufts, 2-1, on Sept. 7, at Cole Field. Williams’ men’s soccer team advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 defeating then-No. 1-ranked Amherst, 1-0, on Sept. 14, marking the first time the Ephs defeated the Mammoths in men’s soccer at Cole Field since 2005. The sixth-seeded women’s volleyball unit defeated third-seeded Tufts, 3-2, during the quarterfinals of the NESCAC Tournament on Nov. 9, in Medford, Mass.
Transitioning to winter, here’s a look at current standings: Men’s basketball recorded a thrilling 56-51 win at then-No. 6-ranked Trinity on Jan. 11, while the women’s basketball team recorded a tremendous 58-54 win at then-No. 9 Gettysburg on Dec. 20 during the Cruzin’ Classic in Florida.
Men’s ice hockey earned 5-of-6 NESCAC points, defeating Connecticut College, 5-3, and Tufts, 3-2, in overtime on Jan. 31, and Feb. 1, at Lansing Chapman Rink. Women’s ice hockey has defeated three ranked opponents.
Men’s and women’s alpine and nordic skiing combined for seventh-place finishes out of 14 at the St. Lawrence Carnival on Jan. 16-18, and the Saint Michael’s Carnival on Jan. 31-Feb. 1.
Wrestling had an impressive fourth place finish at the New England Wrestling Association Duals on Jan. 26, and placed first out of 14 at the RIT Invitational on Dec. 7. Wrestling also celebrated its centennial at Williams Nov. 15-16. Click here to see more about the celebration.
The men’s and women’s squash teams defeated then-No. 11-ranked Tufts by the identical score of 5-4 on Jan. 26 at the Simon Squash Center. The men’s and women’s swimming & diving teams have combined for a 14-0 record in NESCAC dual meets this season.
Malcolm Oakes ’28 and Vincent VanMaaren ’27 of the men’s indoor track & field team placed first in the 5,000-meter run and pole vault, respectively, at the Early Bird Invite on Dec. 7. In the one-mile race, Lily Yampolsky ’28 of the women’s indoor track & field team was the first runner to cross the finish line.
We are also approaching championship season for the winter teams. Ephsports will keep you up to date on all the championship schedules and live streaming options. We would love to see you on the sidelines cheering on our teams!
While there has been much to celebrate this year in athletics, our year has been marred by the Jan. 7, loss of cross country and track team member Alex Kemp ’28 in a tragic skiing accident. In his short time at Williams he made a big impact and is remembered as a loving friend and teammate. Many of his Williams teammates, classmates, and coaches travelled to New Jersey earlier this month to celebrate his life with his family and high school friends. You can read a fuller remembrance of Alex here. Once again I want to extend my deepest sympathy and condolences to his family, his teammates, and friends for this unimaginable loss.
In closing we appreciate your dedication to Williams Athletics and our phenomenal student-athletes and hope to see you soon.
Sincerely,
Lisa Melendy
Athletic Director