Learfield Directors' Cup - Winter Update
The updated Learfield Directors' Cup Standings were released this week by the NACDA and after finishing the fall season in 36th place, the Mules has moved up to the 25th spot following success from the winter teams. NCAA Championship performances from Alpine and Nordic Skiing, Women's Swimming & Diving, as well as the Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field teams, have totaled 194.50 points towards the standings adding on to the 166 points from the fall.
Colby is the sixth NESCAC institution in the top-25, following Williams (2), Tufts (5), Amherst (8), Middlebury (15), and Wesleyan (23). Ten of the 11 NESCAC schools rank inside the top-70, and NYU from the Univeristy Atheltic Assocation Conference sits at the top.
Colby Teams in the Directors' Cup Standings (Fall and Winter 2025-26):
- Volleyball - 73 points
- Women's Swimming & Diving - 60
- Alpine and Nordic Skiing - 57
- Women's Soccer - 50
- Men's Cross Country - 43
- Women's Indoor Track & Field - 39.5
- Men's Indoor Track & Field - 38
Softball Tops #10 Tufts in Three-Win Week
After receiving votes this past week in the national Division III poll, Colby added three more wins to the tally. The Mules earned a midweek sweep of UMaine Farmington and battled #10 Tufts to a split on Saturday.
Despite falling behind early to the Beavers Wednesday, Colby responded with runs in each of the first four frames to outpace UMF 9-7 in game one. Game two was all Colby, as the Mules collected 16 hits in four innings to end the game via mercy rule 13-1.
With the sweep, head Coach Terren Allen and Assistant Head Coach Dottie O'Donnell earned their 100th win together at the helm of Colby's Softball team.
Facing perennial power Tufts on Saturday, the Mules almost escaped with a sweep. Tied at four runs apiece after seven innings of the first game, the two foes took it all the way to the 10th inning before the Jumbos forced across the winning run.
Colby took control of game two right from the get-go. Caroline DeSimone's fifth home run of the season pushed the Mules ahead for good in the bottom of the first, and pitcher Sharlotte Stazinski held it down in the circle. Stazinski becomes the first Colby pitcher to earn two wins in the same season against ranked opponents (defeated #13 Wisc. Oshkosh in March).
Sunday's twin bill against Bates was pushed to April 29 due to weather. Colby will get another chance against a ranked opponent this Wednesday when they host #20 Husson for a two-game set before hitting the road for conference matchups against Hamilton and Amherst.
Mules Shine in Worcester, Women Claim McLaughlin Cup
Both #12 Colby Women’s Crew and #7 Colby Men’s Crew opened the spring season with a statement on Lake Quinsigamond. The women’s Varsity Eight captured the Jennifer McLaughlin Cup for the first time since 2007, while the men’s squad secured a program-wide sweep of WPI, Hamilton, and Vassar.
The women’s V8 provided the weekend's highlight, outlasting #4 Smith and #6 Wesleyan to win the McLaughlin Cup with a time of 6:43.5. The Mules' Second Varsity Eight added to the success with a third-place finish, comfortably ahead of host WPI. The 3V8 crew took 4th place in their race.
On the men’s side, the Mules showcased elite depth by finishing second only to #2 Wesleyan in every race. Most importantly, Colby swept the regional field of WPI, Hamilton, and Vassar across all four boats. The First Varsity Eight gapped the rest of the field by over seven seconds (5:56.7), while the 2V8, 3V8, and 4V8 all secured dominant runner-up finishes to anchor a successful opening weekend.
“The team’s results this weekend are the product of a great winter training block and the energy our athletes bring to practice every day. We’re really proud of the women for bringing home the Jennifer McGlaughlin Cup. They put together a strong piece, and this may be the largest, deepest men’s team we’ve ever had. They had a great start to their season with strong performances. Sweeping WPI is a good way to start the season. We’re going to stay humble and hungry, and try to keep getting faster every week. We’ve got a really tough opponent in Coast Guard on Saturday so that’s our focus now.” - Head Coach Stew Stokes
Both the Colby Men’s and Women’s Crew teams will travel to New London, Conn. this Saturday to face off against the Coast Guard Academy.
Women's Lacrosse Splits Week with OT Thriller and Top-5 Battle
Colby experienced a week of high drama at Bill Alfond Field. The Mules opened with a thrilling 11-10 overtime victory against Endicott before falling 11-7 to #5 Amherst on Saturday in a tightly contested Senior Day matchup.
Midweek against the Gulls, the Mules showcased their late-game poise by erasing a fourth-quarter deficit. Trailing 6-5 entering the final frame, the Colby offense exploded for five goals, including a hat trick from Joselyn Silva. After Endicott rallied to force extra time, Julia Maimonis played the hero, driving home an unassisted game-winner with just six seconds remaining in overtime. Stella Regan was also vital to the comeback, finishing with three points (2G, 1A), while Brynna Hall anchored the defense with nine saves, including several point-blank stops to keep the Mules in the hunt.
Against #5 Amherst on Saturday, the Mules' defense stepped up after a difficult second quarter, holding the high-powered Mammoths to just two goals over the entire second half. Charlotte Michener provided a spark with a man-down goal just seven seconds before halftime to shift the momentum heading into the break. Corinne Kapalka led the Colby offense with two goals, followed by Maimonis and Michener contributing a goal and an assist each. Franny Gallagher had some key plays on the defensive end tallying two ground balls and two caused turnovers. Hall totaled nine saves for the second straight game. Following the game, the program honored its senior class for their leadership and impact over the last four years.
Up next, the Mules (6-4 overall, 2-4 in NESCAC) will host a critical mid-week CBB rivalry game against Bowdoin Wednesday before heading on the road to Middlebury Saturday.
Rioux Marvelous for Baseball in NESCAC Opener at Tufts
Colby's Baseball team earned a pair of wins this week as they entered their first weekend of conference play.
In the lone midweek contest, Colby hosted Plymouth State on Wednesday. Despite falling behind early, the Mules got a stellar performance from relievers Adam Schwartz, Keeler Vogt, Elliot Seymour, and Matt Mahoney as the quartet only allowed two hits combined throughout 8+ innings. A four-run eighth inning propelled Colby ahead for good, highlighted by RBI hits from Marco Zirpolo and Patrick Shrake.
In Friday's opener of a three-game set with Tufts in Medford, Thomas Rioux held the Jumbo bats at bay. The senior allowed just four hits across 7.1 innings before giving way for Mahoney to close out the 1-0 victory. Colby needed just one run of support which came off the bat of Myles Gythfeldt in the top of the third inning.
Tufts was able to even out the series in game one on Saturday 7-5 and secured the series with a win in the nightcap. Myles Oo and Jeb Burkhart each collected two multi-hit games for the Mules this week.
Colby will take its 13-8 record to USM on Wednesday before a home-and-home series with Bates. The Mules will play a solo game in Lewiston Friday before returning to Mayflower Hill Saturday for a twin bill.
Women's Tennis Sweep Bates in Dominant 7-0 Shutout
The Mules secured its first conference win of the spring season in emphatic fashion, delivering a 7-0 shutout against in-state rival Bates on Saturday inside of Colby's Indoor Competition Center.
The Mules took total control of the match from the opening serve, sweeping all three doubles matches to lock up the team point. The duos of Michaela Landry / Isabella Suk and Jade Finestone / Ella Novion both posted 6-1 victories, while Waka Aida and Kat Lowy kept the momentum going with a perfect 6-0 win at the No. 2 spot.
Colby was equally clinical in singles play, winning all six matches in straight sets. Finestone set the tone at the top spot with a 6-1, 6-0 victory, followed quickly by Novion’s 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 2. The depth of the lineup proved too much for the Bobcats, as Landry, Soumya Wijesekera, Tina Barrow, and Aida each closed out their opponents with ease.
The Mules will continue their homestand with a high-stakes NESCAC weekend against Wesleyan Saturday and Conn. College Sunday.
Men's Lacrosse Offense Explodes for 28 Goals Before Narrow NESCAC Battle
The Mules displayed two different styles of play this week, showcasing a high-powered offensive explosion in a win over Maine Maritime Academy and a gritty defensive performance in a narrow 11-10 road loss to #16 Amherst.
In Wednesday’s non-conference road trip to Castine, the Mules’ offense reached a season-high scoring total, overwhelming the Mariners 28-7. Colby broke the game open with an 11-goal second quarter, leading 14-2 at the half. Will Steele (4G, 1A) and Matias Williams (4G) led the charge, while Thacher McCoy and Jacob Thibodeau both recorded hat tricks. In a remarkable display of depth, 15 different Mules found the back of the net. The possession game was just as dominant, with JT O'Neil and Kyle Skop helping Colby win 26 of 38 face-offs. On Saturday, the Mules traveled to #16 Amherst for a conference showdown that went down to the final minute. Colby sprinted to a 5-1 lead in the first quarter, highlighted by a 70 yard goal from netminder Will Heisler - his first career tally. After a mid-game surge from the Mammoths, Gavin Rothenberg ignited a fourth-quarter comeback with back-to-back goals and an assist to Eli Chilicki to tie the game at 10-10 with six minutes remaining. Heisler was a wall in the cage, racking up 14 saves to keep the Mules in contention until Amherst netted the winner with 1:58 to play.
The Mules (4-6 overall, 1-5 in conference) will head to Brunswick this Wednesday for a CBB rivalry showdown under the lights against Bowdoin before welcoming Middlebury to Waterville Saturday.
Mules Rally for 5-2 Road Win at Bates
Colby Men’s Tennis overcame an early deficit to secure a crucial conference victory over the Bobcats on Saturday. After dropping the doubles point, the Mules surged in singles play, winning five of the six matches to take the victory against their in-state rivals.
The match began with a momentum swing for the Bobcats, who claimed the doubles point with wins at the No. 1 and No. 2 spots. The Mules' lone doubles victory came at No. 3, where Diego Sosa and Bilal Asim battled to a gritty 7-6 win. Refusing to let the early deficit dictate the match, Colby flipped the script in singles. Jason Daly led the charge at the top flight, rebounding to win a three-set battle 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Diego Sosa (6-3, 6-3) and Bilal Asim (6-4, 7-5) followed with efficient straight-set victories at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. Antonio Lee at No. 5, outlasted his opponent 7-6, 6-1. Marco Ziets-Segura finalized the comeback at No. 6, recovering from a first-set tiebreak loss to win 6-7, 6-3, 7-5, capping off a dominant singles display.
The Mules return to Mayflower Hill this weekend to host NESCAC foes Wesleyan and Conn. College.
Distance Track Competes at UNH
Colby's Track & Field team took to the lanes at the University of New Hampshire this weekend to compete against UNH and UVM amongst others.
The Mules had two event winners and seven top-10 performances, highlighted by victories in the women's 800m by Maddie Bush and the men's 5000m by Stephen White.
TOP-10 RESULTS:
- 1st - Bush, Women's 800m
- 1st - White, Men's 5000m
- 4th - Marianne Spyra, Women's 3000 Steeplechase
- 4th - Will Parker, Men's 800m
- 5th - Will Fletcher, Men's 800m
- 7th - Norah Mills, Women's 5000m
- 7th - Max Adam, Men's 5000m
Colby will split forces next weekend heading to both St. Joseph's and Tufts with eyes on the NESCAC Championship meet later this month.
Special thank you to the photographers who helped make this production possible: Wendy Adam P'27, Bonnie Baker Photography, Phillip Belena Photography, Stephen R. Clouthier, Alexis Coates '28, Ashley Conti, Traigh DeMasi '28, Matthew Freeman '29, Steve Fuller @flyingpoint, Rob Hess, Josie Kim '29, Peter Li '26, Jennifer Maguire P'26, Michael Maher, Logan Marku '28, Jarin Pressman '29, Gregory Rec, Reese Robinson '27, Daryn Slover P'28, Isadora Wells '26, Ansley White '26, and the Colby Communications team.