photo / Andrew Briggs

The baseball team is 12-20 this year with surprisingly more wins away than at home. Sophomore pitcher Luke Ball highlighted the efforts of his brother Greg as pitcher of the week, sophomore Kit Banko’s walk-off hit to defeat Robert Morris, and pitching a no-hitter against St. Louis Christian as a few of his personal highlights from this year’s season.

The main challenge for the baseball team this year has been the amount of errors made in the infield play. Ball also stated that the team was also disappointed not to have won conference but looks to continue improving and “staying in the hunt for the playoffs.”

Ball also highlighted the efforts of his senior teammates, including Alan Cheatham, whose overall batting average is .431.

The team will continue to push for more wins in the hope of ending the season with a series of victories over Blackburn, MacMurray, and Spaulding.

Softball

photo / Samuel Thomas

The softball team faced a tough season but has been able to reflect on opportunities for growth.

“At the beginning of each season we have goals that we have to write down that we’ll strive for throughout the whole season. The best part so far has been seeing how all the incoming freshmen have improved, how the returning players have improved, and how everyone has met those goals,” said sophomore pitcher Casey Lee.

While the team has had individual success in terms of accomplishing goals and bonding as a team, one challenge lies in the team’s ability to prevent small mistakes.

“The challenge really has been just focusing throughout the entire game,” said Lee. “We talk about playing a full seven innings, being in each moment and playing it 100 percent. So we usually have an inning where a couple of mistakes are made and we’ve lost it. Those tend to get us down.”

When this issue of the Pilot went to print, the team’s record was 2-0-22.

Lee explained: “We’re really looking forward to playing [with] our hearts for the last game, and trying [our best]!”

Rugby

photo / Andrew Briggs

For the rugby team this season, camaraderie has played a key role in success. Even tough times have raised the level of closeness among the players.

“[Despite our losses] we have stayed brothers. We learn from our mistakes and are able to apply them in practice. Whether we win or lose, the games bring us closer together…” said sophomore player Abraham Noui.

With any high intensity physical sport comes the suggestion of injury. Noui highlighted this as the key challenge that has affected the team’s ability to compete at times during the season.

Noui explained: “The material suggestion of playing a rough sport is always a challenge. We bring quotes and have started going to team [CSO services]. Getting that spiritual support has been helpful, whether it’s with something physical or mental.”

The Thunder Chickens appear to be taking measures to ensure success on and off the field. They concluded their season with a home game on Saturday, April 28.

Men’s Tennis

photo / Samuel Thomas

Coach Casey Reynolds cited the team’s depth as a reason for their ability to maintain a first place ranking in the SLIAC conference and ultimately win the championship. According to Reynolds, it is not common for men’s tennis to be so highly ranked in the SLIAC throughout the season.

The men’s tennis team last won the SLIAC championship in 2005. This year, the team defeated Westminster for the SLIAC championship in a 5-2 victory after a final match win by freshman Nate Waters.

“The whole season has been a highlight,” said Reynolds. “The [team] works well together, they work hard, and they push each other.”

Coach Todd Zimmerman added: “A highlight was beating Westminster [in the regular season]. I don’t think we’ve beat them since ’06.”

Women’s Tennis

photo / Ben Black

The women’s tennis team this year was runner-up in the SLIAC with four players earning All Conference recognition. To add to their impressive accomplishments the team also had four players win SLIAC player of the week, the highest number in Principia’s history.

“A highlight for the entire team was the spring break trip to the Atlanta area,” said Head Coach Shannon Carney. “The team faced tough regionally and nationally ranked teams and competed well. Another highlight for the team is the strong unity among the team members. They truly enjoy each other’s company on and off the court.”

Due to the timing of abroads, the main challenge the team faced this year and will face in the future is missing players.

Absorbing player losses can be tough, but Coach Carney explained that the team has “worked really hard and bonded … They had a winning record in conference and overall.”

That ability to maintain a high ranking in SLIAC certainly shows a depth to the women’s tennis team similar to that of the men’s team.

Coach Carney also highlighted individual efforts by senior Marianna Hronek and sophomore Hilary Frandsen, who won doubles in the finals of SLIAC, as well as freshman Kelly Adams, who was undefeated this year in SLIAC conference play.

Even with challenging times ahead, women’s tennis looks forward to another shot at the SLIAC conference title next year.

Track and Field

The track team this year has had a very successful season with one national qualifier thus far and one near qualifier, as well.

“Throughout the whole team, everyone has made significant progress, and we’ve got a sport where we can measure progress pretty objectively,” said Head Coach Chuck Wilcoxen.

That’s especially significant when considering the caliber of competition some track athletes face. Those potentially competing at the national level still seem to be making significant gains, according to Coach Wilcoxen.

“Eight of our 24 athletes are nationally ranked,” said Coach Wilcoxen. That means one-third of track athletes have placed among the top 50 in the nation in their respective events.

“We have at least two women with a strong possibility of making it to the national meet in Claremont, California and more than a handful of men who could compete there as well in various events,” said an assistant track coach.

The track team looks forward to nationals and continuing to train and raise the level of competition.

“I don’t want it to ever end,” said junior Casey Powell.

“I think [the season] went really well. We had some challenges, number one being people leaving the team, but the core group of people who stuck together made the team really special this year,” said team captain Tyler Loechner, a junior from Ferguson house. “Many of the people who left the team this year were first-year swimmers who tried out the sport and just decided that it wasn’t for them.”
While most sports seasons at Prin last about 12 weeks, with other parts of the year dedicated to off-season training, swimmers train for nearly six months in the pool – more than half the school year and double the time most sports teams are together. For many would-be swimmers, this commitment presents a challenge. Coaches Carl Erikson and Peter Clifford coined the term “The Incredible Shrinking Swim Team,” after losing a quarter, and then a third, and then about half of the team’s members.

But what makes losing team members such a challenge? Captain Laura Perry, a junior, explained: “Losing people on a team like ours is extremely challenging because each person is so essential to the way we function.” She added: “When you have such a small team, especially compared to the other teams on our conference, the impact of one person leaving is far greater and can be felt by everyone. At the same time, one teammate’s negativity could spread much faster unless it was handled right away. Our team this year has done a great job at overcoming and even embracing this challenge.”

Swim team captains Tyler Loechner and Laura Perry celebrate a strong. Photo / Andrew Briggs

“Everyone who left the team still made an impact and contributed to making the team what it was,” said Loechner. Despite losing numbers early on in the season, the team seemed to hold together well. “This year’s team was so special because everyone had a distinct role in how the team dynamics worked,” said junior Makaela Thompson. “Whether that was being the person who just made everyone feel important, to being able to coach others to make them better swimmers, everyone filled their roles so beautifully in order to make such a supportive group of friends.”

While it appeared from early on that a small group of individuals would represent Principia Swimming, junior Andy Furbush said he was proud of the way the swim team managed to really become unified this year. “For an individual sport like swimming where everyone is doing their own thing, there can be very little communication during workouts because you’re underwater, and it can be very difficult to have a strong unified team. Everyone is doing different races and there is little interdependence except on relays.  This can lead to a culture of indifference and independence.  The swim team did a great job overcoming that this season,” said Furbush.

The swim team had an especially determined roster. In the 2010 season, Loechner came within two-tenths of a second from breaking the 400-yard individual medley record. Junior Andy Furbush also had a shot at taking the 100-yard butterfly record, and freshman Josh Harmon had a great chance to break the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle records. The men’s medley relay team also had a chance of breaking the 200 medley relay record and the women’s 200 free relay certainly had a chance to make the Principia “Top 10” all time list.

Despite their diminished numbers, the swim team rallied for some major achievements and some very close record-breaking times. Andy Furbush came within two-tenths of a second from the 100 butterfly record, becoming the second person in Prin’s history to finish in under 52 seconds. Freshman Josh Harmon was only one-tenth of a second away from breaking both the 50 and 100 freestyle records, and is the second Principia Swimmer to go under 22 seconds in the 50 freestyle.

“Like any conference or championship meet, performing well is a part to making a competition successful,” said Furbush. “However, for our team it was more than that this season.  For the meet to be successful we needed to perform as a team and I don’t mean performance strictly on a basis of times but we needed to be there and support one another.”

The Principia swim team helps encourage their teammate as he turns to complete another lap at the annual Liberal Arts Championships. Photo / Karlin Krishnaswami

Senior Zach Harmon, who was behind the starting blocks cheering for every one of his brother’s races, said, “It’s tough when you have people coming within a tenth of a second to breaking multiple records, but overall we had a great season.” Some of the other “Top 10” times included the men’s 200 and 400 medley relays as well as the men’s and women’s 200 freestyle relays.
Perry explained: “I think our team has been extremely successful at taking advantage of how small it is. With only 11 people, it has been much easier to become even closer with everybody. At Liberal Arts everyone had great swims and it was really cool to see how our team support impacted that.”

However, it wasn’t all just close calls. Tyler Loechner broke the men’s 200-backstroke record by about a second and a quarter with a time of 1:55:28, a record that was most recently set by Tyler Langdale in 2003 (1:56:45). “I will always remember the thrill of seeing Andy’s face when he got out of the water after his 100 butterfly and had broken 52 seconds, and the joy we all felt when Tyler broke the 200 backstroke record,” said Thompson.

Furbush added: “The swim team was a strong team this season because of how well we bonded.  It was a challenging season this year especially fall semester with the transition to semesters, no one quite knew what to expect. However, at the end of the season we as a team knew that everyone there really wanted to be there, and everyone really put everything that they had into the team and the sport.”

Next season, the swim team looks to carry on the same atmosphere and unity it had established this year. When asked what he was looking forward to about next season, Loechner said, “I am looking forward to the fact that almost all of the team is going to be here next year. New swimmers will be brought into a culture that already exists rather than a changing one.”
The team will continue to work hard in the off-season and prepare for what it hopes will be a season of more accomplishments both in and out of the pool.

Women’s Soccer
Finishing the season with an outstanding record, Principia’s women’s soccer team has certainly kept the campus cheering for many weeks. Making it to Nationals for the third time in four years, the women have proven dedication and professionalism on the field. The season was also Jess Semnacher’s debut as head coach.
Semnacher told the Pilot the secret behind the team’s success: “The thing is: I’ve got great players. And that is really the reason that we are successful – not anything that I do, necessarily.” He added: “One of the keys for this year’s success is that we had some really great leadership throughout the whole team. The three team captains [Alicia Girbes-Pierce, Lauren Wienecke and Hayley MacWilliams] in particular did a great job reaching out and helping the younger players. Overall, we were successful because we had a great sense of patience, joy, and an expectation of excellence.”
Captain and senior Lauren Wienecke said she appreciated the spiritual basis of the team and the players: “[With CS] we had such a foundation that was so strong, that we could just build so high. There was just such love and joy constantly streaming through everybody, that I just felt like our purpose was more than just to be good soccer players, but to be good people out [on] the field.”
Captain and senior Alicia Girbes-Pierce also spoke about the presence of spiritual thought in games and practices: “Every day, just being out on the field, I think that team expresses all of God’s qualities … It is just so effortless to express these qualities when you are surrounded by a team full of loving women who love God and each other. The love on the field is always so apparent.”
Fellow senior Megan Carothers, who just completed her fourth year on the team, shared her own insights: “Our team expresses such a strong sense of sisterhood … I have never been on a team where we have all been so ‘in-tuned.’“ She continued: “The support is incredible. When a player goes down on the field, there is instantaneous Love and Truth surrounding that player. Our team always jokes around about how at our weddings the audience is going to be the entire team, but it is true. We have formed life-long friendships.”

The women's soccer team celebrate Halloween by dressing up in crazy costumes. photo / Kelsy Brawn

Men’s Soccer
Principia’s men’s soccer team impressed the community with its strong sense of brotherhood and physical and spiritual readiness.
Senior Samuel Thomas, a goal keeper and one of three team captains, explained the team dynamic, which was not only important in games, but also in the players’ daily lives: “I love my teammates and coaches. Every person on the team has an impact on myself, other teammates, the season, and my life outside of soccer.” Thomas also explained his love for the sport in the following way:  ”What I love about soccer is the competitive challenge it puts before me.  Every person out on the field is trying to beat you and you have to be competitive enough to deny them that pleasure … So defying the odds, having my teammates backs like I know they have mine, and disappointing the opponent is what I live for.” Thomas also appreciated Christian Science during his work as a competitor and as an individual: “Christian Science plays a huge role in my experience as an athlete.  Especially here at Principia College, metaphysical preparation is just as important as physical preparation.” In light of the fact that he and several others will be graduating in May, Thomas sees the importance of taking Christian Science with him into future adventures and challenges: “When playing for a soccer team not affiliated with Principia, it is even more important that I stay firm in my understanding of the falsity of matter because the argument of error presents itself even stronger.  I have to be an ambassador of Christian Science and Principia wherever I play soccer…”

Cross Country
With 15 runners receiving Conference All-Academic Team recognition, this season has been another successful one in the history of Principia’s cross country team. Winning the conference meet, the men’s cross country team achieved a long-time goal, while the women’s team ranked second only after Webster’s runners. Sophomore Wylie Mangelsdorf made it into Nationals for his first time and received All-Midwest honors together with senior Drew Clark. For the women’s team, junior Casey Powell made it into the All-Midwest Region team as well.
Coach Chuck Wilcoxen was extremely satisfied with the season, and is already excited to see where the team will go in the future. He talked about both team’s achievements: “I think our greatest successes came during moments that few were able to see and even fewer are able to know.  Every time a runner fights back against the notion that they should slow down, or quit, represents the greatest success … It is never easy, but it is so much fun.” Wilcoxen then added: “I love how the team(s) care for each other.  They are very smart about each others’ needs … much smarter than I am.  I love their generous spirits.  They are very funny… lunatics, really.  I love to hear them laugh at and with each other.”
Junior Casey Powell said she loves being part of the team. Having finished many races with excellent ratings, Powell spoke from experience when she shared ideas about overcoming limitation and the importance of having a great team: “I am really inspired by all the hard work that everyone puts in every day, all the time and dedication. There is something about seeing your teammates run, that pushes you and makes you want to go faster.”
Like Powell, Mangelsdorf underlined the importance of the team’s family spirit: “The main thing I love about cross country is the team and how the team becomes a second family.  If someone is ever struggling with something in running or school work, or just something personal, they could always look straight to a teammate and get all the support that is needed and trust that it will stay between the two of you … It is such a loving atmosphere to be in.” Commenting on his motivation, Mangelsdorf also shared: “What inspires me to perform well is simply the fact that when I am running I am getting to show my gratitude and the fact that I am running to glorify God.”

Sophomore Wylie Mangelsdorf approaches the finish line of the Cowbell Classic. photo / Kelsy Brawn

Volleyball
The Principia College volleyball team experienced a very unique season. With only one senior and four freshmen on the team, Coach Mary Ann Sprague went into the fall season with a very new team. Overall, the team finished strong with a 19-19 record and a series of impressive games against very strong teams. In an interview recorded in early November, Mary Ann Sprague shared: “We started out this season […] coming up with our group foundational pillars, and the girls together came up with spiritual growth, sisterhood, and all-out as their promises to each other. We also decided to not have any captains this year. With this small, new group we wanted 100% ownership, and I think they are working towards that nicely.” The volleyball team demonstrated talent, team spirit and a clear determination to scale up. Sophomore Christine Nacewicz shared of her experience this season: “We had such an amazing season! We started out as a completely new team so we weren’t exactly sure what to expect, but we were able to bond right away and focus our goals down to sisterhood, all out, and spiritual growth.” Like other Principia teams, the volleyball team also emphasized the importance of a metaphysical foundation for their games and practices. Nacewicz, who also serves as All-Campus Meta Head, shared: “As far as the Christian Science aspect of the game, before practice every day we would have metaphysical time and the girls could share quotes, articles, passages; anything that has inspired them. At the end of practice we would have an opportunity to express who or what has inspired us throughout the practice.”

Freshmen Tess Rountree and Savanna Sprague ready themselves for the oncoming serve. photo / Kelsy Brawn

In this Principia College Track and Field indoor season, the men’s and women’s teams collectively broke 13 records – more than have ever been broken in any one season. Although the team has only competed in a few meets of their outdoor season, many individuals’ times suggest that they may set new records this spring as well.

The men’s team broke nine school records during the 2011 indoor season. New records were set in the 400 meter, 800 meter, 3000 meter, 5000 meter and one mile events, as well as in the 800 meter relay, the 1600 meter relay, the 3200 meter relay and the nationally ranked distance medley relay (DMR). For a complete list of the names of the individuals who set these records and their respective times, visit the Principia College athletic website at www.principiaathletics.com.

Freshman Wiley Manglesdorf gives it his all during the final stretch. photo / Aubrey McMullin

Junior Drew Clark set records in the 800 meter and mile events. Both his times were automatic qualifying times for the NCAA DIII Indoor Track and Field National Championships. At Nationals, Clark placed 6^th in the 800 meter event and earned the title of All-American. He chose not to compete in the mile because, as head coach Chuck Wilcoxen said, at Nationals, there are both preliminary and final races for each event, which would have meant that Clark would have had to run four middle distance races over the course of two days.

The women’s team also broke numerous records season: four in total. New records were set in the 800 meter, 500 meter and one mile events as well as in the 800 meter relay.

Freshman Hayley Cooke jumps over a hurdle at the Rhodes College Invitational. photo / Aubrey McMullin

Wilcoxen expects athletes from both the men’s and women’s teams to achieve similar success during the outdoor season. He said, “I expect some very old and very good school records to be broken this spring, some records that go back to the early 1980s. Another goal – and this is sort of a reach – is to have more than one qualifier for the outdoor [national] meet. We don’t know where that performance will come from, but we’ve got a handful of athletes capable of posting qualifying marks.” Assistant Coach Philip Green said he also expects the athletes to improve throughout the duration of the season, and noted that running one-tenth of a second faster in a race is still an improvement.

There are, however, challenges that athletes must deal with in the transition from the indoor to the outdoor season; most athletes who compete in indoor also compete in outdoor events. Wilcoxen said: “Coming into outdoors, the challenge is always going from a 200 to 400 meter track … That adjustment takes a little bit, but we made it. You’re also at the mercy of the weather to some extent.” Sophomore Aubrey McMullin acknowledged that weather issues can make the outdoor season more challenging than the indoor season because you have to consider how elements like the wind and rain factor in to how you race, so there is more of a thought process that goes into outdoor races than into indoor races.

Despite these challenges, the athletes have been competing well in the outdoor season so far. The following are some highlights from meets the athletes have competed in so far this spring: At the Rhodes College Invitational, Clark won the mile and freshman Wylie Mangelsdorf placed second in the same event, while Clark, sophomore Jake Meier and freshman Derrick Fleming placed third, second and fourth respectively in the 800 meter event. From the women’s team, sophomore Casey Powell placed third in both the 800 meter and mile events, while freshman Hayley Cooke placed sixth in the 100 meter hurdles and freshman Emily Mattson placed sixth in the high jump. At the Washington University Invitational, Clark ran a provisional qualifying time of 1:52:68 in the 800 meter event, while Mangelsdorf placed ninth in the 1500 meter event. Powell was just 1.5 seconds off from breaking the school record in the 800 meter event.

At both of these meets, many of the other athletes also posted numerous personal records, or PRs. Powell was also recently named the SLIAC Women’s Track Performer of the Week for March 28-April 3. The following week, at the Western Illinois Lee Calhoun Invitational, Clark finished second in the 3000 meter run and Meier, Fleming, senior Jeff Strickland, and sophomore Fredrick Ochieng finished ninth in the 4×400 meter relay. At the Rose Hulman Twilight Meet, Mangelsdorf finished second in the steeplechase; Meier finished fourth and Fleming tenth in the 400 meter dash; and Clark just missed a provisional qualifying time in the 1500 meter run by about one second. Powell finished second in the 800 meter run.

Green said he has enjoyed watching the athletes achieve these personal records, despite the less-than-favorable weather conditions. He said, “I enjoy watching people feeling fast.” Wilcoxen also said that the athletes have run faster than he has expected, despite cold and rainy conditions at the Rhodes meet and severe wind at the Washington University meet.

Freshman Derrick Fleming leads the pack in the men’s 800m. photo / Aubrey McMullin

Not only are the athletes achieving exceptional times and thoroughly enjoying the sport itself, but they are also enjoying the company and support of their teammates. Green said that he is “excited to see the continuity of the team,” while McMullin described the team as a “family.” Clark said, “My favorite part of being on the team is working with my wonderful…fellow runners and coaches.”

Consequently, the athletes are able to draw from the success and support of one another in order to achieve more independent success. Meier said, “I would feel great if everyone else had a good season … when people start to have an individually good season, that’s when the team as a whole has a good season.” As McMullin said, individuals don’t compare themselves to their teammates, but they compete with one another and with their personal PRs. Hopefully, this attitude will help the athletes achieve further record-breaking performances in the remaining meets of their 2011 outdoor season.

Baseball and Softball

Do you hear music blasting? Can you smell hotdogs and burgers grilling? If these sounds and smells are coming from the direction of the baseball and softball fields, it can only mean one thing: it’s game time.

Both the baseball and softball teams are winding down their 2011 seasons, and for both teams, these last few games will be crucial in determining whether or not they make it to the SLIAC playoffs. This is only the softball team’s second season since the program was reintroduced last year. They have had a major turn-around in their competitiveness, and consequently in their record, since that first season. The baseball team is also making great progress this year. If they advance to the SLIAC playoffs, junior Greg Ball said that this will be the first time the baseball team has accomplished this feat since Principia was added to the SLIAC conference in 1989.

Junior Greg Ball breaks the career strikeout record against Blackburn College with 147 strikeouts and counting. photo / Dan Kistler

Much of the softball team’s success seems to stem from a recent shift in their mentality. Head softball coach Ken Leavoy said that, two weeks ago, the team really began to focus on how to win games. He said that the women knew they were competitive, but up to that point had not been winning the games that they were in a position to win. After they made that mental shift, they started winning more.

Senior Andie Raffles said that when they play, the women now just focus on each half-inning at a time. That is, they try to focus on hitting as well as possible when they’re at bat, and at getting three outs when they’re on defense out in the field rather than think about how they have to play an entire seven innings, or 14 innings when there is a double header.

Freshman first baseman Christine Nacewicz stretches off the bag to make the play. photo / Tamara Seid-Graham

While senior Matt Bowman and Ball both said it is important that the men on the baseball team also demonstrate mental toughness, the depth of the friendship between the men seems to be one of the greatest factors contributing to their success. Head baseball coach Pete Paciorek said: “The team is very tight-knit this year. The guys really care about each other as brothers, and that is displayed on and off the field.”

Bowman also said that because the team has meshed so well, it really “makes you want to put in the work for the person next to you.” Consequently, the men seem to be working harder than ever, no matter their place in the line-up. Ball said, “Each guy is contributing to the team, no matter if they’re batting one through nine.”

Members of both teams also noted the importance of demonstrating a commitment to Christian Science. Junior Bekah Charlston said: “I love the metaphysical push softball gives me. Every day is a challenge to be on my game metaphysically, whether it is dealing with misunderstandings between teammates, injuries, or exhaustion. The mental aspect of the game is also so appealing because it helps me practice focus and discipline.” Leavoy said that he also enjoys getting “to make the connections between Christianly Scientific thinking and acting” when he is coaching the softball team.

Bowman said that, of the baseball team’s three goals for this year’s season, the main one is to glorify God. He said that he feels they have demonstrated that goal since day one of this season. Ball added that the men have had a lot of great healing demonstrations this season as well. He also said that it’s been great to have coaches and teammates who are grounded in Christian Science, because they have been able to provide him with great ideas to help him overcome material limitations.

Although it’s still uncertain how either team will finish their season, at least members of both teams can end their respective seasons with the satisfaction of knowing they got to play the sport they love with teammates that they care about deeply. Bowman called baseball “the highlight of [his] day,” while Ball added that, “it doesn’t get any better than this.” Likewise, Charlston said that her time on the softball team has “been a great experience…I love playing softball with these women.”

Photos courtesy of Karlin Krishnaswami

Sophomore Casey Towle and teammates look on as the referee awards a penalty kick. photo / Tamara Seid-Graham

Head coach Ward Patterson comments, “The school is changing a lot. They’ve moved us from an under the carpet club, to part of a program and part of the athletic department.  This gives us a team. We’re on the map. We have a locker room. We have laundry every day like varsity athletes. The school has made that leap, giving us the recognition and the support not only in the administration but campus-wide.” And there is an apparent wave of excitement toward this new addition to the program.

Patterson was born and raised in South Africa where rugby is seen as a kind of “national religion.” According to Patterson, “You could get out of a lot of things but you couldn’t get out of rugby.” From the time he was a young boy all the way through high school he couldn’t not play. It was the popular thing to do with his father and older brothers, and a major passion in the community in South Africa. Ward played on 12 or 13 teams until he suffered a neck injury in high school and thought he’d never play again. However, when he came to Principia as a student, he found the opportunity to retract his retirement, and after a conversation with a resident counselor, he joined the newly-birthed rugby team and played all through college.

The team engages in a scrum in their match against Washington University. photo / Tamara Seid-Graham

After college, Patterson went on to coach as a hobby in grad school and then at Principia, Middlebury College, and UCONN. These opportunities, along with what he learned from his own coaches over the years, have shaped Patterson into the coach he is today. He has a unique coaching philosophy that boils down to coaching character education, and “[using] rugby to get there.” He describes rugby as a test of how the players operate as individuals and as a team to achieve goals. He believes that it’s not so much the actual game that is worthwhile, but rather how the game reflects who the player is. At previous schools, he explains, it was almost impossible to get the men to practice, to listen, or even to care. They came and went as they pleased, never seeking a deeper purpose behind the sport. Ward describes feeling “enormously privileged” to be working with the men here at Principia.

Because Prin’s team is fairly young, a coach might feel uncertain with the direction the season may take. Not Ward Patterson. Even though the team is made up mostly of underclassmen or individuals without much experience, Ward says, “what [I] absolutely cherishe is the passion and desire they have to play the game every single day, all the time. These kids are all keen, keen, keen, madly keen. They listen, they pay attention, they try to execute and encourage each other to be better.” Ward recognizes natural talent and potential in the underclassmen and the team as a whole. He regards the returning players as “the point to the spear” and true leaders of the squad. As a coach he stresses effort, and a competitive drive to play “flat out.”

Head rugby coach Ward Patterson shares tactical insight with the team during halftime. photo / Tamara Seid-Graham

With the new program, his goal is to build the players’ own understanding of the actual game of rugby rather than “feeling they are hamstrung by coaching instructions.” He wants each of his players to feel comfortable enough to make their own decisions and to feel free and relaxed so that they can play well. “For me, you push yourself. If you work together and follow the principle of the game you can be highly successful.” He doesn’t emphasize individual plays so much as playing as a team and understanding enough to support one another, and fight for the win.

This new form of coaching is a clear reconstruction of the previous program. The whole mood of the team has shifted since Patterson took over. President of the team, Jake Milner, talks about the new coach in a praiseworthy manner: “He demands perfection. He wants us to be the best we can be. He’s a coach as opposed to a facilitator and he wants us to succeed.” The same can be said from Team Captain Max Russell: “He’s got tons of experience and a fun personality. He keeps practice fresh but also very focused. Everyone wants to play to his standards. We want to step up with every practice. The drive to impress him is more of an incentive now.” And who wouldn’t want to impress someone who wholeheartedly believes in the power of rugby?

Ward ends the interview: “If you’ve got a pulse, you should be playing. It’s one of the sports that, in my world, can change your life. There are not many activities in the world that do that. The brotherhood of the sport is worldwide.” We’re all definitely looking forward to the rugby season at Principia College, which will continue through the fall semester into the spring. So, if you’re interested in learning “courage, fortitude, determination, and overcoming obstacles”, come play for Ward Patterson, who we are elated to have as a part of our community, and a part of our Athletic Program.

“Rugby’s a bond that supersedes everything else we do.” –Coach Patterson 

Go Thunder Chickens.

Runners stretch after a quick warm-up jog. photo / Mallory Lee

Coach Wilcoxen attributes the team’s achievement to the runners’ devotion to the sport and their teammates.  He says they “support each other emotionally and in real tangible ways. They’re very generous that way.” This spirit of giving makes for great team leadership as well. Not only experienced runners, but “first year runners can contribute meaningful moments of leadership, and they do,” says Wilcoxen. Junior Jake Meier says for him the highlight of cross-country is the “effort [he sees] in everyone else.” “On regular occasions,” he explains, “I have good races because teammates are there to push me to run my best.”

The Cross Country men loosen their legs before their most difficult workout of the week. photo / Mallory Lee

Tactically, the team has great strengths as well.  Dedicated summer training set the team up for a fast start. Besides being “flat out fast,” as Wilcoxen says of the runners, “they’re patient with their training” and equally as important, “they’re patient with their racing.” A great coaching staff supports the team as well. Recent graduate Kateland Oakes is a long-time cross-country runner and a dedicated team leader. For the past two years she has served as the assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s teams. Assistant coach Phil Green is a great proponent of the sport as well. These two exemplary coaches, as well as others in the community, continue to participate and help out with the team each year. Under their leadership, Wilcoxen says, “workouts run enthusiastically.” The work in itself is rewarding, and “competitive success is just frosting on the cake.”

What does the future look like for cross-country at Principia? An exciting development is set for action. The college “just started cutting a new trail across the street,” says Wilcoxen, which will likely be developed into one of the top courses in the country. In fact, he says the school is “going to bid to host the national championships within the next five years,” representing an incredible opportunity for Prin.

Sophomore Aubrey McMullin takes the lead in the women’s warm-up jog. photo / Mallory Lee

In the nearer future, the Cowbell Classic is coming up on Friday, October 7. This exciting race, although certainly a tough course, is one of the most exciting for Principia runners as it is held on Principia’s own trails. Come out and support your team!

Photos by Kim Sheasley

Players on both the men’s and women’s teams spoke of the importance of maintaining focus during matches. Senior Todd Zimmerman said, “I love playing tennis because of the mental fortitude it takes to play your best.” Junior Courtney Banko also noted the importance of the mental aspect of the game, acknowledging how the new head women’s tennis coach, Shannon Carney, “taught us how to play our opponent mentally.” The intensity of their mental strength, coupled with their extensive physical and metaphysical preparation, helped athletes on both teams to develop competitively both as individual players and as members of a team.

Junior Brian Wold winds up for the opening serve of the match. photo / Mackenzie Olson

Consequently, both teams enjoyed successful seasons this year; the men placed fourth in the SLIAC conference, while the women were undefeated in SLIAC and competed in the first round of the NCAA National Tennis Tournament. Members of both teams also garnered numerous all-conference honors.

On the women’s team, freshman Carlie Sanderude, sophomore Sarah Corbitt, junior Marianna Hronek, Banko, and senior Jasmine Carcieri all earned first team all-conference recognition in singles play. Sanderude and Corbitt, freshman Hilary Frandsen and Banko, and Hronek and Carcieri earned first team all-conference honors in doubles play. Frandsen also received second team all-conference for singles play. Furthermore, Sanderude won both the SLIAC Player and Newcomer of the Year awards and also earned two SLIAC Women’s Tennis Player of the Week recognitions. Frandsen was also named a SLIAC Women’s Tennis Player of the Week.

Freshman Carlie Sanderude makes a play deep behind the baseline. photo / Mackenzie Olson

Numerous members of the men’s team were also named to all-conference teams. Sophomore Kevin Hagenlocher received first team all-conference recognition for his singles play, while junior Ben Black earned second team all-conference in singles play. Zimmerman received honorable mention for his singles play, and freshmen Scott Ross and Kenny Sydness received honorable mention for their doubles play.

Not only did both teams enjoy great success on the court, but they had a strong friendship on and off the court. Head men’s tennis coach Casey Reynolds said that the men “came together and bonded well.” Freshman Weston Kalogeridis explained that the team’s spring break trip to Orlando really helped them bond as a team. He explained, “In Orlando, we didn’t win at all … but we came together as a team and bonded chemistry-wise.”

Senior Todd Zimmerman eyes his serve with intensity. photo /Mackenzie Olson

Ross also noted how the Orlando trip played a major role in helping the men to bond as teammates. He referred to it as “the turning point … where we all became a true team.” Ross also noted that although “there were a lot of different personalities in the team … we all got along well with each other and had a nice sense of chemistry for the most part.”

Members of the women’s team also developed close friendships. “I think what brought us together was [that] we went through so many tough times physically and mentally,” said Banko. Carcieri also noted how tight-knit the women became. She said, “I’ve never felt so close with any of the girls … in any past years.”

A strong sense of fun also characterized the women’s tennis team. Coach Carney said: “They’re all really special and it was a lot of fun. I think fun is a large part of it. They had fun, they laughed a lot.” The women’s lightheartedness was perhaps most vividly expressed on the days when they all wore crazy outfits to practice. Banko explained how one day, prior to their spring break trip to Orlando, they all wore bikinis to practice, while another day they all dressed in ‘80s attire.

Sophomore Sarah Corbitt swings at a volley. photo / Mackenzie Olson

Both teams are very young–the men’s team is only losing one senior, while the women’s team is graduating two–and with such solid mental, physical and metaphysical foundations, in addition to the friendships they have cultivated, both teams have a lot to look forward to in the years to come.

Coach Reynolds said that next year, the men “got a couple of really strong recruits coming in … I think we’re going to be stronger, we’re going to be deeper and I’m looking forward to seeing how the team comes together and competes.”

Carcieri is also excited to see how the women play next year. She said, “As a senior … I’m so proud of us, all the girls … I can’t wait to see them go even farther after I graduate … it was an amazing season to end on for me.”

You might not remember the inaugural Major League Soccer (MLS) game in 1996 – a tight match between the San Jose Clash (now the Earthquakes) and the DC United.

But Alex Bentley does.

Junior Alex Bentley focuses as he takes control of the ball. photo / Dan Kistler

“It’s one of my most vivid childhood memories, going to see my first MLS match,” said Bentley, a junior at Principia. Bentley grew up in the small town of Scotts Valley, only 30 miles south of San Jose, California. In that historic game, San Jose claimed a 1-0 victory in extra time to the delight of the home crowd and an eight-year-old Bentley. “I just thought it was the best, and [my family and I] would always drive up to San Jose and watch as many MLS games as we could.”

The Bentleys are a soccer family. Alex’s dad played at Pomona College in Claremont, California and his older brothers Patrick and Taylor were both members of the Principia soccer team from 2000 to 2004. “[For my family], soccer was the ultimate sport,” said Bentley, “…and I loved it from the second I started playing.”

Like his brothers before him, Alex was out on the field almost as soon as he learned to run. By the time that first MLS match came to San Jose, he was hooked. Soon, Bentley was playing for his elementary school, then for middle school and club teams that traveled the California coast.

When Alex was in the sixth grade, the Bentley family packed up and moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, home to the Capital Area Soccer League, one of the biggest soccer programs in America which boasts over 800 men’s, women’s and youth clubs. Bentley found that soccer on the east coast was a different game than what was played in northern California. In Raleigh, the pace was quicker, the players were more skilled and the pressure was higher. Big games in high school would attract thousands of fans – all things Alex loved.

“The intensity and level of play made the game more enjoyable for me,” Bentley said, “…and [playing in North Carolina] was a huge step in my development, especially in my high school years.” As a high school student, Bentley played on both his school team and a club team. He tasted success in both arenas, as his club team played in the national championship tournament in Dallas, Texas, and his high school team won the North Carolina state championship during Bentley’s junior year. “That’s probably one of my favorite soccer memories, making it to that state championship,” said Bentley, “…we won, and it was euphoria. I’ll never forget that.”

Bentley’s senior season was cut short when his team lost in the early rounds of the state playoffs, and soon he was finishing school and thinking about his future. “I actually did not plan on playing soccer after high school,” he said. Instead, Bentley attended community college for a year and then moved to Los Angeles to work for Cimarron Entertainment, a film production company.

Bentley prepares to strike the ball as he dodges an opposing player. photo / Dan Kistler

Bentley lived in LA for two years before enrolling at Principia to complete his degree. While he had loved his time in the city, there hadn’t been much time for soccer. “I fell in love [with Los Angeles]…but I had been off of soccer for about three years,” said Bentley. As a freshman at Principia, Bentley only watched from the stands as the men’s soccer team took the field—but soon enough he remembered his own passion for the game.

“As my first fall quarter went [on] and the more I watched the [soccer] team play, that drive started kicking again. [I began to think,] ‘I should get back in there, I should start playing again,’” said Bentley. That following winter, Alex was working out with the team, getting back into shape and sharpening his skills as a player.

Easier said than done, however. Not only did Alex have to prepare for the most physically demanding level of soccer he had ever played, but he also had to re-master the technical facets and nuances of the game – skills like spatial awareness, touch and timing that only come with lots of practice. “The college game is more demanding than any other level I’ve ever played on,” said Bentley, “and getting that endurance back, that soccer sense … it takes a long time to get back into it.”

Bentley stepped back onto the pitch for the first time in years as a sophomore in the fall of 2009, and though the men’s team put together an incredible season, there were times when Bentley wasn’t so sure of his decision to get back into the sport. “I definitely second-guessed myself,” said Bentley. “I thought, ‘have I been out of the game too long?’” Thanks to his friends, family and coaches, Bentley saw the season through to its end. “I’m glad I stuck with it because I’m having a great time,” he said.

Bentley credits his teammates and the men’s head coach, Vitalis “Oti” Otieno, for supporting him during his re-entry into soccer and into his junior season at Principia.  “That’s why Oti is special,” said Bentley, “…a lot of other colleges wouldn’t give players the same kind of chances that Oti does. You’ve always got a chance with Oti.”

Even though Bentley still faces challenging days, he knows he’s got an entire team backing him up. “You’ve got 20, 25 guys there to pick you up if you’re having a bad day,” said Bentley, “…and I love this team … we’re all there for each other, and that translates too on the pitch.”

There’s plenty of excitement for the upcoming soccer season and Bentley will be in the thick of it. He’ll be playing on the left side, using his deceptive speed and size to get a jump on the opposing players. He sure won’t forget what’s kept him in the sport all these years.

“It’s one of the best feelings, walking out on that field…” said Bentley. He added, “we’ve all been given this great gift, this great chance to play … and when you play, you’re really in that moment, and ever since I was six years old, it’s always been my favorite thing to do.”

From San Jose to Raleigh and now to Elsah, Alex’s soccer career has been on quite a journey. When the leaves start to fall and the lights turn on at the soccer field this coming season, keep in mind the stories of all the players. And maybe remember how far that eight-year-old kid has come from watching his first MLS game way back when.