Women's Lacrosse Knocks Out #3 Franklin & Marshall, Jumps to #4 in IWLCA Poll
After starting the season a perfect 6-0, Colby's Women's Lacrosse team took out #3 Franklin & Marshall on Wednesday 9-7. The Mules put their perfect record to the test Saturday in Medford against #2 Tufts in a battle of NESCAC unbeatens. Despite 10 saves from Jillian Kane in the cage for Colby, Tufts turned the Mules away, delivering the Mules their first loss of the season.
In the tightly contested midweek matchup against the Diplomats, Colby maintained control throughout the game, never trailing after the first quarter. Three unanswered goals as part of a run to end the first and begin the second frame for the Mules was key in the close contest. Colby’s solid defensive play, alongside five goals from Julia Jardina and Gennie Littlejohn’s two goals and three assists, sealed the win. Tate Ban and Kins Helmer also provided a goal each.
On Saturday in Medford, Colby kept the game competitive early on with five different goal scorers in the opening 30 minutes of play for a 9-5 halftime deficit. However, Tufts' depth and offensive firepower in the second half sealed a Jumbos victory and delivered Colby its first loss of the season. Defensively Kat Munter finished with five ground balls and Gretchen Biegel totaled three caused turnovers. Jardina (two goals, one assist) and Littlejohn (a goal and an assist) led the offense once again.
Colby is now 7-1 and will host USM Monday night before facing #1 Middlebury on Saturday.
Men's Tennis 3-0 on Spring Break Trip
Colby's Men's Tennis team ran their streak to four wins in a row after defeating Lawrence, Union, and Luther in Florida.
Against the Vikings on Monday, the Mules recorded a 7-0 sweep highlighted by Diego Sosa’s and Kevin Mortimer’s 6-0, 6-0 singles matches. The pairing of Mortimer and Josh Kaplan also won their doubles match with ease 6-0. Colby carried this momentum into the next day, defeating the Garnet Chargers of Union College 6-1. Kaplan and Sosa had the most dominant victory securing their doubles match 6-1, and Sosa followed with an individual 6-2, 6-2 win at the three singles spot.
To conclude their Sunshine State trip in their final non-conference match of the season, the Mules found their third victory of the week over Luther 5-2. Kaplan and Sosa took command in their doubles match once again winning 6-1, the biggest score differential of the day.
Both Jake Cohen in the one spot and Jason Daly in the two spot went 3-0 over the course of the three matches.
The Mules return home for a pair of NESCAC showdowns, hosting Williams on Saturday followed by Middlebury Sunday.
Men's Lacrosse Takes OT Win From MIT
Already with one overtime win under their belts this season, Colby's Men's Lacrosse team added another this week with a thrilling 16-15 win over MIT in Cambridge.
In Tuesday's matchup versus the Engineers, there was a consistent pattern of offensive runs. The Mules opened the game with three straight goals but MIT responded tying the game at four heading into the second. Colby once again scored three unanswered goals, but three unanswered from the Engineers gave them a 9-8 advantage with eight minutes left in the third quarter. The Mules then went on an offensive tear finding the back of the net seven straight times for a massive 15-9 advantage but the pattern continued as MIT answered with six straight goals of their own to send the game into overtime tied at 15. In the end, Colby proved resilient in extra time, with Gavin Rothenberg netting the game-winning goal at 3:07, assisted by Bennett Goller. Goller finished with four goals and two assists followed by Rothenberg with a whopping six goals. Six other Mules tallied a goal apiece as Justin Turley contributed 11 ground balls.
On Saturday in Waterville, facing a high-powered and undefeated Tufts team, Colby was able to stay close until the six minute mark of the second frame where the Jumbos scored five straight and didn't look back. Despite the setback against the top-ranked Jumbos, goalie Will Heisler collected a remarkable 23 saves, one shy of his career mark in 56 minutes of action. Goller (two goals, three assists) and Rothenberg (three goals and an assist) continue to lead the offensive charge in each game.
Colby will host Maine Maritime Tuesday for their final non-conference game of the season before traveling to Middlebury on Saturday.
Softball Caps Spring Break Trip with Win Over Oberlin
Matching up against some of the best Division III teams in the country (including #7 Wisconsin-Oshkosh), the Mules capped a 2-4 week with wins over Wisconsin-Platteville and Oberlin.
Kathryne Clay earned the win against the Pioneers on Monday after throwing five solid innings and allowing just one run on four hits, while striking out one. Offensively, Colby capitalized on key hits, with Ella Wilcox driving in the first run of the game in the first inning and Erika MacLeod’s sacrifice fly adding another in the fourth. In the seventh inning, Caroline DeSimone’s RBI double and a subsequent error by Platteville gave the Mules a 4-1 cushion. Sophia Meade closed the game with two scoreless innings, picking up her third save of the season.
To close out the Florida trip, Colby powered to an 11-2 victory over Oberlin. Following an RBI single from Wilcox in the opening inning, the Mules offense exploded in the third inning scoring four runs highlighted by an Emma Burnham home run. The team's firepower continued with an additional run in the fourth followed by four more in the sixth inning. Wilcox went 3-for-4, with four RBIs, as Carissa Cassidy finished 4-for-4 with two RBIs. KC DeSarno earned the win pitching all six innings with six strikeouts.
The Mules will take their 6-6 record straight into NESCAC matchups this coming weekend hosting Hamilton Saturday and Trinity Sunday.
Track & Field Closes Week at Emory with Five Event Winners
With the Emory Invitational I and II bookending their Atlanta trip for Spring Break, the Mules return from the second installment with 28 top-10 finishes and 14 podiums.
Winners of five events (Abbey Wolfe - 10k, Women's 4x400 Relay, Men's 4x400 Relay, Levi Biery - 110m Hurdles and 400m Hurdles), Colby collected plenty of hardware to go with five new school records.
TOP-5 RESULTS (*school record):
- 1 - Abbey Wolfe (10k)
- 1 - Levi Biery (110m Hurdles, 400m Hurdles)
- 1 - Men's 4x400 Relay* (Jackson Coelho, Peter Martel, Sam Graubart, Biery)
- 1 - Women's 4x400 Relay* (Tally Zeller, Olivia Doherty, Kaitlyn Ewald, Fiona Mejico)
- 2 - Simone Waheed (100m*, 200m*)
- 2 - Michelle Barnes (400m Hurdles)
- 2 - Peter Martel (Pole Vault)
- 2 - Ernest Obiorah (Discus)
- 2 - Women's 4x100 Relay (Zeller, Mejico, Waheed, Charlotte Brake-Hoffman)
- 3 - Doherty (400m)
- 3 - Logan Lehnert (Pole Vault)
- 3 - Brady Clegg (Steeplechase)
- 4 - Myles Thornton-Sherman (Decathlon)
- 5 - Mejico (200m)
- 5 - Sarah Lenox (Heptathlon)
- 5 - Martel (400m)
The sprints, hurdles, and jumps units will head to Bates College Saturday for their first outdoor meet in the Northeast. The distance group will hold a week before competing at Conn. College on April 11.
Baseball Tops Williams, Purchase, Return to Maine Ready for NESCAC Series
Facing stiff competition in the Sunshine State, the Mules worked the count to a 2-3 record this week with wins over SUNY-Purchase (12-6) and Williams (8-7).
On Wednesday, SUNY-Purchase jumped ahead early, taking a 4-0 lead in the third inning, but Colby responded with two runs in the third and five runs in the fourth and didn't look back. In the end the Mules finished with 12 runs in total led by Corey Aubuchon going 2-for-4 with 4 RBIs, while Myles Gythfeldt added three hits and one RBI. Tony Silva and Duncan Cullinane contributed two RBIs apiece. Michael Ciaccio earned his first win of the season with a solid relief performance for the Mules.
In Friday's matchup versus the Ephs, Williams took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning, but Marco Zirpolo responded for Colby with a 2-run home run. Williams took a one run lead in the fifth, but Colby surged ahead with a four-run rally in the seventh highlighted by Tony Silva’s RBI double to center field. Despite a late push from the Ephs, who scored three in the ninth, the Mules held on for the victory. Matt Higgins (2-0) earned the win, pitching 3.1 innings in relief with three strikeouts.
The Mules will host Plymouth State Wednesday before taking their 10-6 record on the road to open NESCAC play at Trinity.
Women's Tennis Returns From Florida Ready for NESCAC Run
The Mules battled strong opponents in #16 Williams, Caltech and #4 Pomona-Pitzer in three straight days to conclude their spring break trip.
Colby faced the Ephs Wednesday where Waka Aida grabbed the lone win in the four spot with a close final score of 7-5, 6-4. Against Caltech, the Mules fought hard but came up just short 4-3. The pairing of Michaela Landry and Jade Finestone alongside the pairing of Amelie Gal and Ella Novion won the doubles point for Colby before heading into singles. In tight matches, Novion in the three spot won 6-2, 2-6, 10-7 as Isabella Suk in the sixth spot won 7-6, 2-6, 10-8.
In their final match Colby fell 6-1 to the Sagehens of Pomona-Pitzer. The lone point came from Aida once again in the four singles spot with a decisive 6-2, 6-1 win.
Colby will hit the road this coming weekend to battle Babson Saturday and Middlebury Sunday.
Special thank you to the photographers who helped make this production possible: Bonnie Baker Photography, Steve Cheney P'25, Stephen R. Clouthier, Traigh DeMasi '28, Jamie Fiedorek '25, Steve Fuller @flyingpoint, Peter Li '26, Michael Maher, Reese Robinson '27, Junan Shimizu '25, Daryn Slover P'28, Marty Thornton Photos, Ansley White '26, and the Colby Communications team.