Message from Lisa Melendy, Dir. of Athletics

Dear Alumni, Parents, and Eph Fans,

It looks like Spring has arrived in Williamstown!  I spotted daffodils on Hoxsey Street and baseball and softball on Cole Field, so it’s official. Our spring teams are off to great starts, but the fantastic winter season isn’t forgotten yet.

There were many unforgettable moments for our teams competing this winter as well as many accolades for teams, athletes, and coaches.  I hesitate to pick particular highlights out of fear I will miss something meaningful, but I will do my best to cover it all.

Pictured: For the first time since 2007, the Women’s Indoor Track & Field won the national championship, which was held in Boston at Northeastern’s Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center on May 9, 2019.

Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving, and Women’s Ice Hockey all won NESCAC Championships this winter. The Wrestling, Nordic Ski, Men’s and Women’s Track and Field, and Men’s Basketball teams all made NCAA appearances.  Men’s Ice Hockey was ranked nationally as high as seventh. Big headlines were the first NCAA tournament win for Women’s Ice Hockey, and a National Championship for Women’s Indoor Track and Field.

Alongside these team accomplishments came many regional and national honors and awards for Williams athletes. Most impressively, 115 Williams athletes competing this winter earned Academic All-NESCAC honors, which requires a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5. Numerous athletes were named to NESCAC All-Conference Teams. Meghan Halloran ’21 of Women’s Ice Hockey and John Fitzgerald ’19 of Men’s Squash were named NESCAC Player of the Year, and Alison McNamara ’19 was the 4-Year High Point Swimmer at the

Pictured: Coach Pat Manning with the 2018-2019 team. Manning became the 22nd coach at the Div. III level to win 500 games in a career. Manning’s 500th win came in her 29th season at the helm of the Ephs and has a record of 501-239 at the school, along with a .677 win percentage.

conference championship meet.  Women’s Ice Hockey Coach Meghan Gillis and Swim Coach Steve Kuster, were both named NESCAC Coach of the Year. Nate Hoey was named the USTFCCCA Division III Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year for leading his team to a national championship. On February 1, 2019, the women’s basketball team defeated Colby and celebrated Head Coach Pat Manning’s 500th victory of her 29-year career at Williams. Women’s Ice Hockey also commemorated the 25th anniversary of becoming a varsity sport by welcoming of alumna from the founding of the club team through today.

Williams athletics also announced that Prospect Mountain, the home of the Nordic Ski team in Bennington, VT, has been purchased by Prospect Mountain Association, a Vermont non-profit organization. Thanks in part to an enthusiastic group of skiing volunteers (Varsity Agents) and donors who supported this effort, this pristine area will be preserved as open space and sustained as a vital resource for the Nordic ski team and the wider community.

Spring seasons are in full swing, and as we rush toward the end of the year we hope to see you at an Ephs athletic event soon. Visit our athletic website at ephsports.williams.edu for the latest news, schedules, and results.

Best wishes,

Lisa Melendy
Director of Athletics