Summer highs off Yale's fields

The summer break meant a well-earned rest for most Yale athletes, but a special few continued Yale's tradition of athletic excellence, achieving unprecendented success. Just ask Marissa Kellogg, MC '02, who along with Amanda Lawrence, LAW '02, won the 2001 Division II Women's NCAA Team Time Trial Cycling Championship in Colorado. Overcoming a lack of high altitude training and being the only two Eli riders in the competition, Kellogg and Lawrence fought fatigue to win Yale's first-ever NCAA cycling championship. Despite the grueling race, the women barely noticed the work as they sped through the mountains. "I'm in love with cycling," Kellog said, who still has another year to cultivate her Yale cycling dynasty. "It was the greatest summer of my life." The team also has several top underclassmen returning, and expectations are high with five riders in the women's A division. Captain Reilly Dibner, SY '02, said, "We have a lot more riders this year, and we're going to be much faster."

COURTESY SPORTS PUBLICITY Steve Berke, BR '03, returning for his senior season at Yale, will settle for nothing less than the #1 ranking this season.

NOT CONTENT TO REST WITH a number-one ranking in the East region, Steve Berke, BK '03, became the first wildcard ever to reach the quarterfinals at the NCAA Tennis Championships. Prior to the tournament, Berke spent three weeks in Miami practicing and running drills in order to prepare. In addition to his practice, Berke competed in a professional clay court tournament, playing well and achieving a satisfactory finish. However, it was his outstanding play on the hardcourts at the NCAAs that showed the tennis world this Bulldog is a force to be reckoned with. Like many other high-achieving Yalies, Berke views his current success as merely a stepping stone toward bigger and better things: "I'm shooting for number one in the country. Anything less would be a disappointment."

FOLLOWING A successful season with Yale's lightweight crew team and a strong showing during the European tour, Eric Feins, BK '03, returned to Princeton, N.J., to take part in the last week of the selection process for the U.S. national team. Although other rowers had already attended camp for training and evaluation, Feins made the eight-man crew team and won the right to row in the World Championships in Lucerne, Switzerland. "It wasn't like I had a lot of opportunities to show what I had," he said. "No second chances." At the championships, he and his teammates would take on what Feins' Team U.S.A. coach said was "the deepest field he had ever faced." Despite facing a French team boasting four former Olympian rowers, the team felt confident in the two heats leading up to the final. After a slow start, the team made a 15- stroke push to re-establish their presence in the race, and a fast pace over the last 500 meters pushed them past the Italian team and into third place, earning Feins a bronze medal. Of course, none of these accomplishments detracted from Feins' experience with the Yale crew team."I love rowing with the guys," he said. However, his skill could be tested further when the World Championships return next fall, overlapping the Ivy season. Feins has not decided whether he will row in the World Championships again.

COURTESY YALE BASEBALL Jon Steitz, CC '02, a 3rd round choice in the MLB draft, pitches for the Ogden, UT Raptors.

AFTER RECORD-BREAKING CAreers with the Bulldogs, recent graduates Than Merrill, JE '01, and Eric Johnson, JE '01, reported to training camp after being drafted into the NFL. Merrill, after being cut by the Buccaneers, recently signed on as a safety for the Chicago Bears. With the Bears, Merrill could have an impact on special teams. Meanwhile, Johnson, Yale's most prolific receiver, switched from wide receiver to tight end. To do so, he hit the weight room hard to gain over 20 pounds, and the power off the line that goes with it. With the 49ers starting tight end sidelined by injury, Johnson received extensive playing time throughout the preseason. As a receiver, Johnson broke several Yale records and now stands a chance of making a considerable impact with the 49ers.

BASEBALL PITCHER JON STEITZ, CC '02, was drafted in the third round of the Major League draft. He was taken with the 88th pick by the Milwaukee Brewers and sent to play in the Pioneer League with other rookies over the summer. He earned the highest selection for a Yale player since Dan Lock was drafted in the second round in 1994. Within the next few years, Steitz's development could lead him to the major leagues, and a place in the annals of Yale baseball history beside former New York Met All-Star pitcher Ron Darling '82.

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