Men’s Basketball
On Nov. 13, the Tartans faced neighbor Chatham University on the Cougar’s court, winning 88–66 and securing Head Coach Tony Wingen’s 400th career victory.
In the first half, the Cougars were in the lead with 22–15 on the board. Junior Justin Allen helped the Tartans recover in eight minutes, scoring 15 points in a 30–7 run. After the Cougars recovered their lead in the second half, senior Aidan Murphy pushed back, earning the Tartans a 57–47 lead that buoyed them until the end of the game. Junior Buckley DeJardin and graduate student R.J. Holmes were also integral in point-scoring during this game.
The Tartans next visited Denison on Nov. 16. They lost a close match 78–79, with two shots being scored within the very last seconds of the game. Sophomore Isaac Higgs and senior Nolan Casey completed successful layups as part of this game effort.
On Nov. 23, the Tartans will attend the Earlham Classic hosted by Earlham college.
Men’s and Women’s Cross Country
The Tartans men’s team placed first in the NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships on Nov. 16. They competed against 29 teams in an 8k race, with senior Matthew Coyle finishing second out of 100 runners at 24:16.7. Senior Aleksei Seletskiy came in fifth, junior Ryan Podnar came in sixth, and senior Eamon Brady came in 11th with times of 24:32.6, 24:35.0, and 24:46.8, respectively.
In the same championships, the women’s team placed second in a 6k race against 30 other teams. Sophomore Ananya Devpura finished fifth out of 100 runners with a time of 21:24.1. Junior Orit Shiang finished 11th and sophomore Maya Ducker finished 15th with times of 21:40.4 and 21:43.3, respectively.
On Nov. 23, the Tartans will travel to compete in the NCAA Championships.
Football
On Nov. 16, the Tartans traveled to Case Western Reserve University with the Kiltie Band in tow. Their win against CWRU earned them their 10th Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championship win in the team’s history. Graduate student quarterback Ben Mills scored the first touchdown in the first quarter. Despite a rebutting touchdown, the Tartans kept their lead with a field goal from graduate student running back Andy Kavcic. Two more touchdowns from junior quarterback Joey McGinnis IV, a field goal, and several returns from Case Western left the game at 30–29 with four minutes left on the clock. In a last-minute victory, Mills and sophomore wide receiver Brendan McCullough completed a touchdown to bring the score to 37–30.
Head Coach Ryan Larsen says, “I couldn’t be prouder of how our guys stuck together and battled for the complete 60 minutes of the game! We are honored to be both PAC and Academic Bowl Champions and look forward to what is next for the postseason.”
The Tartans will next play Centre in the second round of the DIII Football Championship on Nov. 30 at home.
The Tartans pose with their trophy after taking another Academic Bowl 37-30. Courtesy of CMU Athletics.
Men’s Soccer
In the final game of the regular season, the Tartans tied Case Western Reserve University on their home field, bringing them to 8–4–5 for the season.
In a nail-biting show, graduate student Rober Lloyd and first-year Sandor Preda collaborated to score the first goal of the game with 12 minutes left to play. After two returning goals from CWRU, 43 seconds remained in the game. Senior Jake Slackman scored with two seconds remaining on the clock to secure a tie.
Women’s Basketball
In a historic first game in the new Highmark Center for Health, Wellness, and Athletics, the Tartans faced Washington and Jefferson University on Nov. 13 and won 80–77.
Senior Catherine Or secured the Tartan’s first points, responding to an early 5–0 lead by Washington and Jefferson. Or continued to push the Tartans through four lead changes and a tie at the half. With a little more than six minutes left in the game, the Tartans made a victorious 15–0 run, with consecutive triples from senior Isha Nambisan. After a small two-point rebuttal from Washington and Jefferson, freshman Payton Baney used a layup to start a five-point run that ultimately secured a lead for the Tartans. Senior Anisha Chintala was also integral in the victory with three steals, three rebounds, and 19 total points.
On Nov. 16, the Tartans played again in the Highmark Center, this time facing Muskingum University. They dominated, with the final score at 91–61, leaving them at 4–0 for the season.
The Tartans maintained their lead throughout the game, starting with a layup from Baney and Chintala, and continuing with free throws from Or, Chintala, and junior Nicole Timko. Junior Liv LaFond, freshman Anya Peper, sophomore Allie Heyer, and freshman Justine Katz all scored to make this game a success.
On Nov. 20, Oberlin will travel to the Tartans for their next game.
Women’s Soccer
After their win against Case Western Reserve University on Nov. 9, the Tartans awaited news of their placement in the NCAA tournament. On Nov. 11, the NCAA announced that the Tartans would receive an at-large bid to the 2024 NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Championship. Ranked seventh and finishing second in the University Athletic Association, the Tartans host two of the championship games on campus beginning on Nov. 16.
The first game was against Mount St. Joseph University, ending with a 4–0 win from the Tartans. Sophomore Audrey Bianco, freshman Emma Kim, and senior Ella Onal scored as part of this effort, with junior Abby O’Connor and sophomore Maddie Kellogg working hard to make saves and prevent scoring from the other side.
The Tartan’s next round of the NCAA tournament was against Illinois Tech, played at home on Nov. 17. Bianco scored two goals, tying the game 2-2. The Tartans were defeated in penalty kicks 7–6.
Women’s Volleyball
On Nov. 15, the Tartans lost to the University of Chicago as part of the University Athletic Association Championship. In the match, the Tartan’s first-set win was answered by three consecutive wins from Chicago. Junior Bella Woodard and graduate student Laura Reichard worked hard, securing 12 and 10 kills respectively. Sophomore Neha Tummala finished the game with nine digs and 34 out of 39 total Tartan assists.
In a consolation round of the Championship, the Tartans won against the University of Rochester. In this match, junior Elizabeth Schlemmer finished the game with 10 kills, and senior Abby Chen had 15 digs. Overall, the Tartans won 3 sets.
On Nov. 16, the Tartans faced New York University in the fifth-place round of the championship. They dominated 3–1, with scores of 25–18, 28–26, and 26–24. Reichard continued her streak with 21 kills, and juniors Katherine Jackson and Julianna McFarland also completed 13 and 10 kills respectively. Schlemmer and Chen fought hard, with 10 and 20 digs in the match.