The year in Yale sports: the '97-'98 varsity wrap up

BASEBALL

21-21, 11-9 Ivy

'99 Captain: Mike Finnegan, SY '99, St. Paul, Minn.

The baseball team felt pressure to excel this spring, as they had won the league title four of the last five years. But poor offense plagued the team, which nonetheless managed to stay competitive in games with 1998 Ivy League Player of the year, Tony Coyne, BK '00, and 1998 Ivy League Pitcher of the Year Eric Gutshall, TD '98. Going into a pair of doubleheaders against Harvard on Apr. 18 and 19, the Bulldogs had a league record of 4-4 and hoped to knock off the league-leading Crimson (7-1 Ivy). Yale only managed to split the four games, though, and went on to finish a with disappointing 11-9 league record.

CREW

Men's Heavyweight: 5-1, 4th at Eastern Sprints (Varsity)

'99 Captain: TBA

The varsity heavyweights, led by captain Jon Watling, DC '98, finished 0.1 sec. out of medal contention at the Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges Sprints, losing the bronze to Princeton. Yale meets Harvard in June for the 133rd Race, the oldest intercollegiate competition. The men have been invited to race in China as part of President Clinton's, LAW '73, visit in late June.

Men's Lightweight: 7-1, 3rd at Eastern Sprints (Varsity)

'98-'99 Captain: Guillem Gonzalez-Lomas, BK '99, Toronto, Ont.

The lightweights began the spring season by defending the Milo Vega Trophy in Tampa, Fla. and the Secretary of the Navy Trophy at the San Diego Crew Classic. Three boats posted perfect records before falling to Princeton in early May. Captain Steve Purdy, TD '98, led the varsity team to a bronze-medal finish behind Princeton and Harvard at Eastern Sprints. The JV and third varsity took silver and gold in their races. In the competition he first and second freshman boats finished fourth and fifth in their respective races. The national champions, however, will not be decided until the Intercollegiate Rowing Association races on May 28-30.

Women: 2-6, 3rd in petite final at Eastern Sprints (Varsity)

'98-'99 Captain: Elizabeth Suiter, BR '99, La Jolla, Calif.

Both the varsity and novice crews adjusted to new coaches this year. Chris Wilson, ES '83, coached the varsity squad to a third-place petite final finish at Eastern Sprints and Will Porter came from Dartmouth to train the novice crews. Wilson's JV eight took fifth in the petite final. Porter's first novice eight was the only Yale boat to make a grand final, placing fourth overall. The women have also been invited to row against Chinese university crews this June in honor of the U.S. diplomatic visit to China.

GOLF

Men: 2nd in Ivy tournament, 4th in New England tournament

'99 Captain: Scott Brinker, JE '99, Toledo, Ohio

The golfers started the season with a disappointing last-place finish at the Oregon Duck Classic. They picked up their play to top Harvard at H-Y-Ps on Apr. 11, and placed second at the Ivy championships a week later. With captain Scott Brinker, JE '99, and rookie standout Eddie Brockner, MC '01, the team should challenge the Quakers for the Ivy crown in 1999.

Women: 1st in Ivy tournament

'99 Captain: Katie Fisher, PC '99, Sparta, NJ

Elite golfer and Yale course record-holder (69) Heather Daly-Donofrio, BK '91, had a successful first season as coach. Yale came in 6th at the Campbell Fighting Camel Classic, playing against several major scholarship colleges. In April, the women successfully defended their Ivy League crown on Long Island, closely edging out the competition. The team will lose three-time captain Natalie Wong, MC '98, low-scoring Charity Barras, MC '98, Marge Bell, MC '98, and Ilona Paulin, TD '98 to graduation.

LACROSSE

Men: 5-9, 2-4 Ivy

'99 Captain: Joe Pilch, SM '99, Vienna, Virg.

Despite a rigorous training trip to Boca Raton, Fla., the men's lacrosse team struggled this season. Goalie Joe Pilch, SM '99, had 172 saves last spring. Season highlights included an 11-10 upset of 18th-ranked Rutgers on Sat., Apr. 4, and the two Ivy wins, a 6-4 defeat of Dartmouth on Wed., Apr. 15 and the 12-7 beating of Pennsylvania ten days later.

JULIA TIERNAN/YH Attacker Alyssa Chen's, TD '99, consistent scoring helped give the Bulldogs a 12-4 record and a top 15 national ranking.

Women: 12-4, 4-3 Ivy

'99 Captain: Alison Cole, ES '99, Manhasset, NY

It was a good year for the Elis, but not good enough for post-season play. Led by team captain Christina Harding, TC '98, the team reached a 13th-place national ranking, but just missed making the NCAA tournament despite April wins over Harvard and Vanderbilt. Dartmouth and Princeton were the two best teams in the league, and the Bulldogs were unable to beat them. High scores were not unusual for All-Ivy attackers Heather Bentley, SY '00, and Alyssa Chen, TD '99.

SOFTBALL

24-26, 6-6 Ivy

'99 Captain: Kristen Gengaro, SY '00, Bloomfield, NJ

This year's women's softball team, with two juniors and no seniors, showed its youth early on with a sloppy 13-17 start. But in the second game of an Apr. 18 doubleheader, the Elis broke Cornell's 22-game winning streak with a 6-4 victory. Although the team finished with a .500 Ivy mark, a few individuals had outstanding seasons. Khelia Johnson, PC '00, and Kathy Ching, BR '00, were named to the All-Ivy first team, along with centerfielder Alice Liu, SY '01, who was also Ivy League Rookie of the Year.

TENNIS

Men: 13-6, 4-3 Ivy

'99 Captain: Reid Lerner, BR '99, Charlotte, NC

Jonathan Beardsley, DC '99, ranked 71st in the nation, played at the NCAA championships in Athens, Ga. in late May. Last spring, he compiled a 14-5 record in the number-one singles spot for Yale. Several freshmen made immediate impacts on the team. On Apr. 10, Yale pulled out a key 4-3 win over Army, which captain Mark Warnken, TD '98, credited to the clutch victories of two freshmen, Greg Royce, SY '01, and Scott Carlton, JE '01.

Women: 9-4, 4-3 Ivy

'99 Captain: Sara Naison-Phillips, BK '99, Brooklyn, NY

The women's tennis team entered the Ivy League season with hopes of winning the league title, but aware of the difficult competition they would face. Sara Naison-Phillips, BK '99, said, "Harvard, Penn, Brown--they're all tough." Losses to Princeton, Pennsylvania, and Harvard kept the team from reaching its goal, but the top three players will return next year.

TRACK

Men: Indoor: 6-4, 9th at Heptagonals, 22nd at IC4As

Outdoor: 1-0, 8th at Heptagonals

'98-'99 Captain: David Hazelton, SM '99, Franklin, Penn.

The Feb. 7 meet against Cornell and Bucknell, where the 4x400 meter relay team cemented Yale's defeat of Bucknell, was a highlight of the indoor season. Even sweeter for the Blue was their blowout, 110-51 victory over Harvard in a home outdoor meet on Apr. 18, since the Crimson had defeated Yale twice indoors.

Women: Indoor: 7th at Heptagonals

Outdoor: 7th at Heptagonals

'98-'99 Captain: Cindy Wang, BK '99, Urbana, Ill. The Elis broke two records in a 75-70 outdoor loss to Harvard. The 4x100 relay team set a new time of 48.03 seconds. Laura Boniello, SM '99, set a 14.54 s mark in the 100-meter hurdles. Ariana Kelly, MC '99, had a standout year as well, placing first in several distance races. On May 9-10, the Bulldogs placed seventh at Heptagonals.

--Compiled by Carl Bialik and Sharon Lin

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