Colby Claims Eight All-American Awards at NCAA D3 Championships
After steadily climbing on the national stage in each of the last five years, Colby's Women's Swimming & Diving Team put an exclamation point on a season for the record books.
Claiming an undefeated regular season for the second year in a row, Colby impressed at the NESCAC meet a month ago with a third place result (up from fourth place a year ago), collecting nine all-conference awards. With sights set on bettering their 24th place finish at last year's NCAA Division III Championships, the Mules did so in remarkable fashion swimming their way to a eight All-American awards and a 15th place finish.
Each day of the four-day event brought home hardware, and when all was said and done Colby claimed honors in all five relay events as well as three individual events. Alexis Coates and Eliza Marco led the way with four awards apiece.
FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICAN HONORS (1-8):
- 7th - 200 Medley Relay: Coates, Kellen Mottl, Caitlin Lacey, Marco
- 7th - 400 Medley Relay: Coates, Mottl, Aria Kapoor, Marco
- 8th - Mottl, 100 Breaststroke
- 8th - Coates, 200 Backstroke
SECOND TEAM ALL-AMERICAN HONORS (9-16):
- 12th - Coates, 100 Backstroke
- 13th - 200 Freestyle Relay: Lacey, Marco, Lucy Mackey, Zoe Buzzelli
- 14th - 400 Freestyle Relay: Marco, Buzzelli, Lacey, Savannah Lombardi
- 16th - 800 Freestyle Relay: Buzzelli, Lombardi, Mackey, Kapoor
Mottl will be graduating from this year's NCAA squad, but the other nine athletes will return next year for the 2026-27 season.
Softball Opens Southern Trip with Five Wins, Tops #13 Wisc-Oshkosh
Entering their Spring Break Trip with only one game under their belts (8-0 mercy win over Thomas), the Colby Softball team was ready to hit the diamond in Clermont, Fla. for a stretch of 12 games in seven days.
The Mules got off to a hot start on Friday, handling Ripon College 9-1 and Smith 12-3. KC DeSarno and Sophia Meade earned wins in the circle and Julianna Kiley led the way at the plate. Kiley collected six hits, four runs, and five RBIs across the two games.
Saturday saw the Mules split with Babson (5-8 loss) and Carleton College, with Colby's lone loss thus far coming at the hands of the Beavers. Emma Burnham and Ella Wilcox collected RBIs in the 3-2 victory against Carleton, and six different batters collected multiple hits against Babson. Despite Colby outhitting the Beavers 14-4, Babson's patience at the plate (11 walks) and ability to put the ball in play allowed them to maximize their opportunities.
Colby righted the ship Sunday with a 9-0 win over Union followed by a thrilling 5-4 victory over 13th-ranked Wisc-Oshkosh. Wilcox went 4-4 at the plate against Union with two singles, a double, and a triple. Meade collected the win for her second in three days, tying a career-high with 10 strikeouts.
Against Oshkosh, Caroline DeSimone and Julia Berry scored in the fifth to break a 3-3 deadlock. The Titans earned one back in the seventh, but Sharlotte Stazinski induced two fly outs and a ground out to close the door and secure the upset.
The Mules will take their 6-1 record into an off day Monday before returning to the diamond for two-game sets Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Michener's Strike Seals Double-OT Thriller
Displaying remarkable defensive grit and late-game composure, Colby Women's Lacrosse outlasted Hamilton 6-5 in a double-overtime marathon to secure a pivotal NESCAC road victory.
In a contest defined by momentum swings and elite defensive stands, the Mules proved they could thrive under pressure in Clinton, N.Y. The squad jumped out to an early 2-0 lead but the Continentals clawed back to force a stalemate that lasted deep into the afternoon. The game’s defining shift occurred in the defensive half; after Hamilton tied the game at 5-5 early in the fourth quarter, the Mules’ backline entered lockdown mode, holding the Continentals scoreless for the final 20 minutes of play across the fourth quarter and both overtime periods. This defensive resilience set the stage for a dramatic finish in the second sudden-victory session. Just 54 seconds into the period, a decisive drive to the net by Charlotte Michener resulted in the game-winning goal, ending the contest and sparking a celebration on the field. The sophomore finished with four goals in the game as Joselyn Silva scored the other two for the Mules.
Women's Lacrosse is now 2-3 and heads into a busy three-game week starting on the road versus Union Monday and Westfield State Wednesday. The week will conclude with a NESCAC battle at home Saturday against Conn. College.
Track & Field Moves Outdoors at Emory
The Colby College Track & Field teams opened their outdoor season at the Emory Spring Break Classic. The meet was highlighted by multiple school records and top-10 all-time program marks.
The women's program was headlined by Olivia Doherty, who broke the school record in the 800 meters with a second-place finish in 2:12.10. Kaitlyn Ewald and Alex Hermsdorf both shone in the 400 meters, with Ewald placing fourth in 56.53 and Hermsdorf eighth in 57.91. Charlotte Brake-Hoffman claimed sixth in the 200 meters in 25.10 and Simone Waheed reached the 100-meter final and placed sixth in 11.86. Paige Goodwin highlighted the women's distance runners finishing in seventh place (4:51.00) in the 1500m. In the field, Josie Hopkins leaped 5.24 meters in the long jump for an 11th-place finish, while Amina Cifric cleared 3.30 meters in the pole vault for sixth place. The sprint relay unit of Tally Zeller, Ewald, Waheed, and Brake-Hoffman won the 4x100-meter relay in 46.70, a mark that stands third in program history.
On the men's side, Jackson Coehlo turned in a sixth-place finish in the 400 meters in 47.84, moving him to second all-time in Colby history. Levi Biery was a standout in the 400-meter hurdles, earning runner-up honors in 52.51, while Mark Graubart added an eighth-place finish in that event in 55.10. Patrick Kuprewicz advanced through the 110-meter hurdles preliminaries with a time of 15.27, ranking fifth in school history. In distance events, Henry Reichle (2nd - 3:53.55) and Eli Ziegler (4th - 3:55.44) both claimed top five spots in the 1500m. Brady Clegg grabbed a top five spot as well placing third (9:43.31) in the 3000m steeplechase. Lexington Lehnert created a spark for the field events, setting a new school record in the pole vault, clearing 5.90 meters.
Colby will compete at Emory again at the end of the week before returning north.
Baseball Sweeps St. Olaf, 2-2 Start on Florida Trip
Colby's Baseball team took its 7-2 record to start the season to the sunshine state for its annual spring trip. Exchanging the snow for sun, the Mules split their first few days with a sweep over St. Olaf and setbacks at the hands of NYU and Wisc.- La Crosse.
Tony SIlva and Myles Gythfeldt each collected five hits from the heart of the order against the Oles, combining for seven runs and seven RBIs. Patrick Shrake and Jeb Burkhardt had three hits in game 1, a 16-7 win. Silva led the charge with a double and a home run in the 4-3 game 2 win. Kyle Bourque was masterful in relief in the nightcap, entering the game in the 5th during a bases loaded jam. Bourque escaped the inning and then pitched the sixth and seventh without allowing a baserunner to earn his first victory of the season.
Colby's two setbacks came in a 6-3 loss to a NYU, and a 12-2 defeat by Wisc.- La Crosse. Colby outhit the Violets 8-6 and produced runs in the 1st, 5th, and 7th innings but NYU pushed two runs across in the first and another three in the fifth. Matt Mahoney and Keeler Vogt pitched well in relief, combining for 4.0 innings of one-hit ball.
Colby (9-4) will have an off day Monday before facing Union Tuesday. The Mules will close their Spring Break trip with a three-game set against Middlebury later this week.
Mules Erupt for 19 Goals in Dominant Mid-Week Victory
Men's Lacrosse showcased a high-octane offensive attack and lockdown defense to overwhelm Clark 19-4 before battling through a high-scoring NESCAC clash with Hamilton.
Colby opened its week with a clinical performance at Bill Alfond Field, jumping out to a 7-0 first-quarter lead that effectively decided the contest against Clark. The offensive depth was on full display as the Mules found the back of the net 19 times, led by a clinical four-goal performance from Will Steele. The playmaking was sharp as well, with Colby totaling seven assists and going 19-21 on clear attempts. Defensively, the squad was relentless, scooping up 39 ground balls and holding the Cougars to just nine shots on goal. The momentum from that offensive explosion carried into Saturday's conference matchup with Hamilton. Despite falling behind early, the Mules ignited a third-quarter rally, outscoring the Continentals 5-3 to cut into the deficit. This surge was powered by another four-goal outing this time by Eli Chilicki and a standout four-point afternoon from Daniel O'Connor. In the cage, Will Heisler delivered nine saves, keeping the squad within striking distance well into the second half. While a late run by Hamilton eventually secured an 18-10 result, the Mules’ ability to produce 24 shots on goal and maintain a balanced scoring sheet across both games highlights a dangerous and maturing offensive unit.
Men's Lacrosse (2-4 overall record) will conclude their four game homestead welcoming MIT on Tuesday before heading to Conn. College Saturday.
Mules Push #15 Washington and Lee in Spring Break Start
Facing a top-15 national opponent to open their spring break trip, the Colby Women's Tennis team displayed impressive resilience in singles play during a hard-fought 5-2 loss to the Generals in Atlanta.
While the Generals swept the doubles point, Colby responded with a surge of momentum in singles play. Tina Barrow put the Mules on the board with a dominant 6-1, 6-1 performance at the No. 5 spot, followed quickly by a clinical 6-1, 6-2 victory from Isabella Suk at the No. 6 spot. The top of the lineup also pushed the ranked opposition to the brink; Michaela Landry nearly forced a major upset at No. 3 singles after opening with a perfect 6-0 set, while Jade Finestone battled through a marathon second-set tiebreaker at the top position. Despite the team result, claiming two decisive singles wins and forcing several three-set battles sets a high competitive tone for the remainder of their southern swing.
Women's Tennis (1-4 overall) will remain in Atlanta to face #5 Emory Monday before heading to Hilton Head, South Carolina for a three match stretch.
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.