| #1 |
Rookie Emily Stites Blazes Trail to Two National Titles and Two All-America honors. |
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Emily Stites turned in a campaign in 2012-13 that must certainly be in any discussion of greatest ever for a Tribe athlete, much less for a freshman. She began college in late August not even sure she'd be able to make the varsity seven for cross country, and under the direction of head women's coach Jill Miller ended the year as a two-time national champion, two-time All-American, and as one of the best young distance runners in the world.
Stites' year began with her running unattached, and coming up with a win at the Spider Open and a narrow second-place to teammate Elaina Balouris at the W&M Invitational. At that point, she was promoted to the varsity squad, and finished second for W&M at the Paul Short Open and led the team at the Pre-National Invitational. At the CAA Championships, Stites was third overall, and she finished 10th at the Southeast Regional as the Tribe finished a best-ever second and advanced to the NCAA Championships. The national meet proved another unqualified success, as Stites finished 26th overall to become the Tribe's first freshman All-American.
During the winter, she focused on continuing cross country training, representing Team USA at the BUPA Great Edinburgh Challenge, and won the USAT&F Junior National Championship in mid-February. That win, in addition to being W&M's first women's individual title since Jeri Daniels in 1982, also qualified Stites for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Poland later in March. Wearing the red, white, and blue for the second time, Stites was elected team captain and finished 23rd in the world on a snowy and muddy course. Through all that, she still managed to wow on the indoor track team, setting freshman records in the mile, 3,000m, and 5,000m while competing in each race just once. Stites' 16:05.71 for 5,000m was the fastest time in the world during the 2013 indoor campaign for a junior athlete (19 and under), and 29th overall among all women (professionals included).
Outdoors, the season got a late start due to world cross country, but once Stites got going, she went incredibly fast. Her spring debut came at the Mt. SAC Relays, where she ran the 5,000m in 15:45.31 - a school record, and the fifth-fastest time ever by a U.S. junior (just five seconds off the record). At the end of the outdoor track season, her time is still the fastest junior performance in the nation this year, and ranks her 12th in the world. Two weeks later, she ran the 10,000m for the first time and won the CAA title with a conference-record 34:15.49, another freshman record and one that ranks her 10th in the world junior rankings.
At the NCAA Championships semifinal weekend, she ran a smart tactical race in the heat in Greensboro, and moved on to NCAA finals after running 16:12.82. Two weeks later in Oregon, Stites was in position to finish among the top eight heading into the final lap, but was tripped up and recovered very well to finish 10th overall in 16:08.89 and earned second-team All-America honors. She had one more race on her schedule, and headed to Iowa in late June for the USAT&F Junior Track Championships. Stites took the lead from the gun, and kept steadily increasing the tempo, to the amazement of the national media and fans in attendance. When she finally crossed the line to win her second national championship she had run 16:13.77, just four seconds off of the meet record and more than 45 seconds before anyone else on the track.
In addition to her in-race accomplishments, Stites also cleaned up with awards off the track. She was voted Rookie of the Year in the CAA in both cross country and track and field, becoming just the second woman ever to accomplish that feat (and the first since 1995-96). Stites was also a W&M Provost's Award winner for having a GPA over 3.5, and earned USTFCCCA All-Academic and CAA Commissioner's Award honors in both cross country and track. |
| #2 |
Tribe Baseball Caps Remarkable 2013 Campaign with an NCAA At-Large Selection and a Regional Final Appearance. |
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The 2013 William and Mary baseball season was one for the history books. The Tribe won school record 39 games, earned the program's first at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, and won games in an NCAA Regional for the first time ever. At season's end, the Tribe was ranked No. 28 in the nation by Collegiate Baseball, W&M's first-ever year-end ranking.
W&M, which won a program-record 17 Colonial Athletic Association games, advanced to the conference championship game after a series of thrilling contests that included a 20-19 victory over James Madison. That game against the Dukes saw an NCAA-record 13 batters hit by pitches, and the Green and Gold gutted out a four-run, two-out rally in the bottom of the ninth to earn the win. The season's efforts were rewarded by the selection committee, who gave W&M an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament as the No. 3 seed in the Raleigh Regional. Not satisfied with just a berth in the tournament, the Green and Gold reeled off two victories over No. 21 Ole Miss and advanced to the regional championship game, falling to eventual College World Series participant N.C. State.
Individually, William and Mary received numerous awards from the CAA. First-year head coach Jamie Pinzino was named CAA co-Coach of the Year, and senior John Farrell earned a spot on the All-CAA first team. Junior Ryan Lindemuth and senior Matt Wainman earned second-team honors, and sophomores Michael Katz and Jason Inghram were named to the all-conference third team. Freshman catcher Ryan Hissey was picked to the all-rookie team, and also earned a spot on Baseball America's freshman All-America squad.
The Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) awarded five members of the baseball team with postseason all-state honors. Leading the way was Pinzino, who was named VaSID Coach of the Year. Farrell, Katz, and Ingraham were named to the VaSID First Team, while Lindemuth took home second team honors. Farrell and Lindemuth also earned coveted spots in the MLB Draft, with Lindemuth being selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 20th round, and the ace Farrell going one round later to the Tampa Bay Rays. |
| #3 |
Season of Dominance by the Tribe's Track and Field/Cross Country Programs. |
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The Tribe cross country and track and field teams are well used to success, but 2012-13 was on another level entirely. In addition to sweeping all four Colonial Athletic Association championships, the Tribe boasted three national titles, four All-American honors, four Rookie of the Year awards, four Coach of the Year awards, and three Athlete of the Year awards.
In the fall, newly promoted women's head coach Jill Miller led her squad back to the NCAA Championships for the first time since 2005, finishing 21st overall. Along the way, W&M was ranked as high as #17 in the nation, won the CAA title, and finished a best-ever second at the Southeast Regional. Elaina Balouris was the lead runner all fall, winning the CAA individual crown, finishing 13th at NCAAs, and being named the Athlete of the Year. The Tribe's 18 total conference championships are the fifth-most ever in NCAA history.
On the men' side in the fall, head coach Stephen Walsh and his team once again battled through to the top of the CAA pile, winning their 14th-consecutive conference title (and 20th overall in the CAA). W&M's streak is the fourth-longest active winning streak in Division I, and tied for the seventh-longest ever. The Tribe is the first men's team and second overall (behind the W&M women's tennis squad) in CAA history to reach 20 wins, and the 35 combined conference titles (including Southern Conference) is the third-most ever in collegiate history. Alex McGrath was the team's best runner on and off the course, winning the CAA title in a course-record time and being named the Athlete of the Year at season's end. Later in the year, McGrath was also named the CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year in both cross country and track and field, as well as earning a Fulbright Scholarship and third-team Academic All-America honors.
The winter season was highlighted by several individual standouts. Back out on the cross country trails, freshman Emily Stites won the USAT&F Junior National Championship, and represented Team USA at the BUPA Edinburgh International Challenge and at the World Cross Country Championships (captaining the team there). Classmate Meghan McGovern was eighth at the U.S. Championships, and also ran on Team USA at the NACAC Championships. Indoors on the tracks, rookie power continued to drive the Tribe forward. On the men's side, Bob Smutsky broke the freshman record at 200m and qualified for the IC4A Championships, while Taylor Frenia reset the rookie mark in the weight throw. For the women, Claire Tito broke the freshman record at 500m, and Stites cleaned up in the mile, 3,000m, and 5,000m. Her 5,000m time of 16:05.71 was the best in the world indoors for a junior athlete this year. At the IC4A and ECAC Championships, Rad Gunzenhauser won the men's 5,000m, while the women's team earned a runner-up finish in the DMR and sixth in the 4x800m relay.
Outdoors, the highlight of the season was the CAA Championships in early May. Both teams came in as underdogs on paper - the men second behind UNCW, the women in a pack that included JMU, Northeastern, and Delaware. However, the Tribe had other ideas, and by the time the final events rolled around, W&M was back on top with a sweep for the first time since 2004. The women won five events, including three throws and conference records in both the 5,000m and the 10,000m, while the men came away with six gold medals and swept all six scoring places in the 3,000m steeplechase to lock up the trophy. Throwers Natalie Baird (who won the hammer and was second in the discus) and Brian Waterfield (won the shot put, scored in all four throws) were named the Most Outstanding Field Athletes of the Meet.
11 athletes qualified for the NCAA Championships, and Balouris and Stites both advanced to the final round and placed 10th overall for All-American honors, in the 10,000m for Balouris and in the 5,000m for Stites. The USAT&F Junior Championships came two weeks later, where Stites blew away the field at 5,000m for her second national title of the year, and Smutsky won the men's javelin on his very last throw. In the final reckoning of awards, Balouris was named the CAA Athlete of the Year for women's track and field, and Stites and Smutsky each claimed Rookie of the Year honors. Stephen Walsh was named Coach of the Year for both teams, becoming the first person to ever win the award for both genders at any point in their career and the first person to ever win three CAA Coach of the Year awards in the same school year. |
| #4 |
Men's Gymnasts Earn NCAA All-America Honors |
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William and Mary standout men's gymnasts Landon Funiciello and Neal Courter finished off an outstanding 2013 season by earning All-America honors on rings and vault, respectively, at the NCAA Championships hosted by Penn State in late April. It marked the first time in school history that multiple Tribe men's gymnasts garnered NCAA All-America distinction during the same season. Funiciello placed second on rings with a school-record 15.675 to earn his second All-America accolade after placing sixth at the national meet as a freshman. The impressive mark was just 0.1 from tying for the national title. Courter joined Funiciello as the only other freshman in school history to earn NCAA All-America honors after placing third on vault with a career-best 15.275 – a score that was just 0.2 away from tying for the national title. Daniel Potemski also posted an outstanding performance at the meet and recorded the best finish ever by a Tribe gymnast in all-around by placing 11th.
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| #5 |
W&M Receives $23.9 Million from Walter J. Zable Estate |
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The estate of the late Walter J. Zable '37, LL.D. '78 provided a $23.9 million gift to William & Mary this April and will be used for student-athlete scholarships as well as renovations to the football stadium that carries his name. The gift ranks among the largest single gifts in W&M's 320-year history. Zable garnered All-America honors at W&M in football while also lettering in baseball, basketball and track. He received a bachelor's degree in physics from the College and met his late wife of 65 years, Betty Virginia Carter Zable '40. The couple has given a total of $29.4 million to W&M. |
| #6 |
Men's Swimming Earns Best Finish at the CAA Championships. |
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The Tribe men's swimming team began the CAA Championships with one goal its mind - win its first conference title. After four days of action, W&M had come closer than ever before, and in fact put up the best fight of any second-place team in over a decade before taking the silver trophy. The Tribe set program records for most event titles (8), highest team score (633.5), and highest team finish at a conference meet, and also set a CAA record with its first win of the week.
Wednesday night was a warm-up with just two relays being contested, but that didn't stop the Green and Gold from starting things off with a bang. The 200 medley relay team smashed the old school record by more than two seconds, and also beat the old conference record while finishing second overall. In the 800 free relay, Kemp Pettyjohn '15, Taegan Clarke '15, Andrew Strait '14, and Hunter Perrot '13 swam three seconds under the conference record and four under the school record to win the race. W&M is the first school to ever win the 800 free relay three years in a row, and Perrot also became the Tribe's all-time leading medalist in relay races, having been part of all three wins.
Individual events kicked off on Thursday, Pettyjohn and Strait each became first-time titlists, in the 500 free and the 200 IM, respectively, as each timed school records to do it. Pettyjohn's win in the 500 free was the first-ever for W&M in any conference meet, and Strait's victory in the 200 IM was the first for a Tribe swimmer in the CAA, and first since 1965 overall. Friday was more of the same, with Strait and freshman Will Manion '16 standing atop the podium. Strait tied for the top spot in the 100 breast, becoming the first Tribesman since 1964 to win two different strokes in the same year. Manion, who had set the school, meet, conference, and pool records in the morning, did it again in the evening to dominate the 100 back.
Saturday's final session yielded an astonishing three titles in five events. Pettyjohn got things started with his second gold, winning the 1,650 free and becoming the first man in school history to ever win that event. Strait followed up with the win in the 200 breast, becoming the first Tribe swimmer to ever win three different events at the same championship and the first to win as many as four in a week (including relays). Senior K.J. Shaw '13 closed out his career in style, winning his first-ever title in the 200 fly. Earlier in the day, he had broken the school, conference, meet, and pool records in the prelims. In recognition of their efforts, Strait was named co-Swimmer of the Meet, the first for W&M since 1965, and Manion was named Rookie of the Year, matching Pettyjohn's honors from 2012. |
| #7 |
Women's Tennis' Return to Excellence. |
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Under first-year head coach Tyler Thomson, the Tribe returned to the top of the Colonial Athletic Association mountain and in the process reached as high as No. 25 in the national rankings. The Green and Gold started the season out in impressive fashion with a 4-3 victory over No. 19 Mississippi on Jan. 22. Junior Jeltje Loomans capped the Tribe rally with a three-set win at No. 2 to ignite the Green and Gold celebration. W&M also downed No. 30 South Carolina, 4-3, during the regular season, before claiming the CAA crown for the 22nd time in school history with 4-0 win overs Delaware and UNCW at the championship in Williamsburg. Despite falling in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament to No. 18 Texas, the Tribe finished the year with an impressive 17-6 ledger and a national ranking of No. 44. W&M raked in the awards as well with five different players earning All-CAA honors. Junior Maria Belaya was name the CAA Player of the Year as well as the Most Outstanding Performer at the CAA Championship, while freshman Leeza Nemchinov garnered CAA Rookie of the Year accolades.
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| #8 |
Elaina Balouris Earns All-America Honors in Cross Country and Track. |
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Elaina Balouris '14 came fully into her own in 2012-13, earning a pair of All-American honors and helping lead the Tribe women's cross country and track and field teams to their best campaigns in years. She is just the fourth W&M women's track and field athlete to repeat as an All-American in the same event.
In the fall, Balouris led the Tribe back to the top of the CAA and into the national rankings, posting the highest ranking (No. 17) since the 2002 season. At the conference championships, she broke the course record at Eastern State and won the individual title, before going on to finish seventh in the region championships. At the NCAA meet, Balouris received a boost from having run on the course several times over the last three years, and finished 13th overall to win her second All-American nod. For her exploits, she was named the Athlete of the Year in the CAA.
Indoors, she was All-East at 3,000m, and set a personal-best in the event to open the season at CNU in December. Outdoors, Balouris started things with a bang at the Colonial Relays, running 16:03 to break the school record in the 5,000m that had stood since 1994. At the CAA Championships, she was runner-up in both the 5,000m and the 1,500m, and was instrumental in helping her teammate Meghan McGovern '16 break the conference record in the 5,000m. Balouris qualified once again for the NCAA 10,000m, and in the semifinals in Greensboro, ran a school-record 33:43 to advance to the national finals. In that final race out at Oregon, Balouris finished 10th overall, and repeated as an All-American in the event after improving nine spots from her first appearance in 2012. At the end of the season, her accomplishments were rewarded yet again when she was voted the Track and Field Athlete of the Year in the CAA. |
| #9 |
Mallory Schaffer Wraps Up Stellar Career wtih Second CAA Player of the Year Award, All-America Honors for the Second Straight Year and was Drafted into the NWSL. |
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Mallory Schaffer left an indelible mark on the William and Mary women's soccer program and culminated it with an outstanding senior campaign that drew accolades for both her efforts on and off the pitch. Schaffer was named the Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year for the second straight season, becoming the third Tribe player to repeat as CAA Player of the Year along with standouts Missy Wycinski '99 and Claire Zimmeck '08. Schaffer became W&M's 29th NSCAA All-American and the ninth player to garner consecutive distinctions with second team accolades in 2012. She also was a national finalist for the Senior CLASS Award, which recognizes a player's efforts on the pitch, in the classroom and in the community, and earned Second Team Senior CLASS All-America honors. A first-team All-CAA and All-Region choice, Schaffer excelled in the classroom as well garnering the CAA Women's Soccer Scholar Athlete of the Year award and being named to the NSCAA Scholar All-America first team. As a senior, Schaffer topped W&M and ranked among the CAA leaders with 23 points and 10 goals. She produced game-winning goals in victories at Auburn and Villanova, while she forced OT with a goal in the 87th minute in a game the Tribe eventually won in double OT against Hofstra on Senior Day. Schaffer closed an outstanding career with 41 career goals and 96 career points, which rank sixth and seventh, respectively, all-time in school history. She was the seventh player from the College to be drafted into the professional ranks as she was taken with the 15th overall pick in the second round by Seattle FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
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| #10 |
B.W. Webb Drafted by Dallas Cowboys in Fourth
Round of the NFL Draft.
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William and Mary standout cornerback B.W. Webb was selected by the Dallas Cowboys with the 114th overall pick in the fourth round of the NFL Draft in late April. Webb became the fourth Tribe player selected in NFL Draft since 2009, which leads the Colonial Athletic Association and ranks third among programs in Virginia (trailing only Virginia and Virginia Tech). Additionally, Webb joins a group of seven former Tribe standouts who are currently on NFL rosters: David Caldwell (New York Giants), Derek Cox (San Diego Chargers), Alex Gottlieb (Arizona Cardinals), Jonathan Grimes (Jacksonville Jaguars), Mike Leach (Arizona Cardinals), Sean Lissemore (Dallas Cowboys) and Adrian Tracy (New York Giants). Webb participated in the Senior Bowl and NFL Draft Combine earlier this spring after wrapping up an outstanding collegiate career with the Tribe. As a senior, the Newport News, Va., native earned All-America honors by the Associated Press, The Sports Network and Phil Steele. Additionally, he was one of the most-decorated players in Colonial Athletic Association history with nine postseason all-conference honors. A first-team all-league selection during each of the past three seasons, Webb was chosen as the 2012 Special Teams Player of the Year by both the CAA and the Touchdown Club of Richmond. Selected to the 2012 Buchanan Award Watch List, Webb earned a school-record 48 starts and finished his career ranked among W&M's all-time top 10 in interceptions (11) and punt return yards (603).
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| #11 |
Baseball Wins Three Straight 1-0 Shutouts at Northeastern. |
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As part of a magical 2013 campaign for Tribe baseball, the Green and Gold hurlers turned in a rare feat, producing three straight 1-0 shutouts in a series sweep of Northeastern, March 22-24. In total, the trio of John Farrell, Brett Koehler and Jason Inghram allowed just 14 hits, striking out 21 batters and allowing NU batters to hit just .159 over the weekend. The trio of wins pushed W&M's CAA start to 5-1, which marked the best in school history. In the opener, Koehler scattered six hits over nine innings, walking just one and striking out five, while Derek Lowe provided the only offense needed, driving in rookie catcher Ryan Hissy with an RBI single. Farrell made it back-to-back shutouts with a complete game four-hitter, striking out seven. Lowe scored the game-winner in game two as senior Ryan Brown drove him home in the sixth. Inghram, who went on to earn CAA Pitcher of the Week honors, capped the weekend sweep with a four-hit, nine-strikeout complete game on Sunday. Ryan Lindemuth drove home the game-winning run in the eighth inning to culminate the sweep. On the year, the Tribe produced an ERA of just 4.07, while ranking second in the CAA with 426 strikeouts. The Green and Gold staff finished the year ranked fourth nationally in walks per nine innings at 2.26 and fifth in strikeout to walk ratio (3.06).
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| #12 |
Women's Soccer Claims 2012 CAA Regular Season Championship. |
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For the second straight season, the Tribe women's soccer program claimed the Colonial Athletic Association regular season title and in turn hosted the 2012 CAA Championship. The Green and Gold put together an 8-2 league ledger, winning each of its final three contests to clinch the regular season crown. After a 2-1 win over Northeastern, the Tribe rallied for a 3-2 double-overtime victory against Hofstra. Senior Mallory Schaffer forced overtime with a goal in the 87th minute, before Cortlyn Bristol capped Senior Day punching home a rebound in the 106th minute to give W&M the victory. The Tribe clinched the regular season crown with a 3-0 win at Old Dominion on goals from Emory Camper and two from Dani Rutter. The Green and Gold finished the regular season at 14-5-1 overall, closing out the season with a 0-0 tie vs. Hofstra, before the Pride advanced to the CAA title game on penalty kicks. During the campaign, W&M won six straight at one point and claimed 11 victories over a 12- match stretch. The Tribe led the CAA in first-team selections with Schaffer, Bristol and Kiersten Harpe earning the honors. In total, the Tribe had five All-CAA selections with Rutter and Emily Fredrickson garnering second-team accolades. The Green and Gold also topped the CAA in All-Rookie choices with four as Leci Irvin, Carolina Casey, Nicole Baxter and Barbara Platenberg garnering the distinction. Schaffer (first team), Bristol (second team) and Harpe (second team) gave W&M three NSCAA Mid-Atlantic All-Region selections, the most in the region and 18 total choices since 2002.
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| #13 |
Tribe Coaches Earn Milestone Victories. |
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The 2012-13 season brought about a number of milestones and success for a number of Tribe coaches. Five Tribe head coaches reach win milestones, while five more garnered league coach of the year honors. On Sept. 2, 2012, long-time head coaches John Daly and Peel Hawthorne each reached career victory milestones. Daly's women's soccer program picked up victory No. 350 with a 2-0 victory at SEC foe Auburn, while Hawthorne notched career triumph No. 300 with a 3-0 win at Liberty. Daly closed out the 2012 campaign ranked 13th all-time among NCAA head coaches from all division in career wins (361) and is sixth among all-time Division I coaches. Like Hawthorne, volleyball head coach Melissa Aldrich Shelton tallied career win No. 300 during the 2012 fall campaign. The Trive volleyball program bounced UNCW, 3-0, on Sept. 22, 2012. Tribe men's basketball head coach Tony Shaver became the Green and Gold's winningest men's basketball coach with his 114th career triumph over Old Dominion, 74-62, in Norfolk on Feb. 16, 2013. During the spring season, long-time men's tennis head coach Peter Daub picked up career win No. 500, rallying for a 4-3 win over James Madison on March 30, 2013 at the McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center. Men's Gymnastic head coach Cliff Gauthier celebrated his 40th season at the helm of the W&M program and capped it off by being named the USAG Co-Coach of the Year. Stephen Walsh took home a trio of CAA Coach of the Year honors as he was named the recipient for men's cross country, men's track and field and women's track and field. Jill Miller made it a clean sweep of the Track and Field/Cross Country Coach of the Year awards inside the CAA, being named the league coach of the year in women's cross country. Tyler Thomson and Jamie Pinzino both took home CAA Coach of the Year honors for women's tennis and baseball during the spring season. Pinzino was also named the VaSID State Coach of the Year.
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| #14 |
Maria Belaya and Jeltje Loomans Among the Best Doubles Teams in the Country. |
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For the second straight season, juniors Maria Belaya and Jeltje Loomans distinguished themselves as one of the top doubles teams in the country. The pair started the year out, claiming the ITA Atlantic Region Doubles Championship. By virtue of the regional title, the duo earned a berth in the ITA National Indoor Championship, where they advanced to the quarterfinals before falling. Belaya and Loomans spent most of the spring among the top 10 nationally, jumping to as high as No. 2 in the country. The duo earned First-Team All-CAA honors for the second straight season and was one again selected to the NCAA Doubles Championship. They became just the third W&M doubles team to earn multiple NCAA Championship bids. Belaya and Loomans opened the draw with a win over the No. 10-ranked team in the country from Auburn, before dropping a tight three-set affair to the No. 3-ranked Nebraska team in the round of 16. The twosome finished the season at 23-5 and over the last two seasons is 45-11.
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| #15 |
Tribe Swimming Rewrites Record Books.
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The Tribe swimming teams stormed through the regular season with wins coming left and right, and observers felt that the 2013 CAA Championships could be special. That would prove to be an understatement, as both squads registered top-three finishes and absolutely re-wrote the record books. Over the four days of action in late February, W&M swimmers broke 30 school records, 19 freshman records, and four conference records.
The haul also included 110 lifetime-best efforts, and 10 swims that qualified for the NCAA Championships. The result of all that fastness? 31 of 33 school or freshman records on the men's side belonged to current swimmers, and every women's relay team earned a medal of some sort, including gold in both the 200 and 400 free relays. In several events, records would stand only for a minute or two at most, before the Tribe swimmer in the next heat would break it once again. Click HERE to view the CAA Championships video. |
| #16 |
Bob Smutsky Claims Junior National Championship.
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At the USAT&F Junior Championships in Des Moines, freshman Bob Smutsky became the Tribe's first men's national championship since the early 1970s, and the first throws title for the men ever. He entered the sixth and final round of throws in second place by a few inches, and came through with a four-foot PB to take the lead and held on to win the national title at 69.08 (226-8). The performance also helped Smutsky win CAA Rookie of the Year honors, and qualified him for the Pan-Am Junior Championships in Colombia in August. Smutsky was a renaissance man during his rookie campaign for W&M, competing from 100m on up to the 600m along with being the team's top javelin thrower. Indoors, Smutsky concentrated on the 200m and 400m, breaking the freshman record in the former with his 22.21 showing at Virginia Tech in mid-February. He also became just the third sprinter since 1970 to compete at the IC4A Championships indoors, and ranks second in school history on the covered track. Outdoors, the versatile rookie added in the 100m and the javelin, and quickly became one of the most reliable point-scorers on the team. He broke 22 for the first time at George Mason with a career-best 21.68, just one week after running 11.09 in the 100m at the Colonial Relays. He ranks 13th and sixth all-time at W&M outdoors in those events, and re-qualified for the IC4A Championships at 200m. At the CAA Championships, Smutsky took the javelin title with a throw of 66.02m throw (216-7).
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| #17 |
Men's Golf Culminates Strong Campaign with Third-Place Showing at the CAA Championship.
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The men's golf team also had an outstanding year in 2012-13, picking up its first tournament win since 2005 and finishing third at the CAA Championships. The squad finished with a 107-57 (.652) overall record, the 10th-best percentage since tournaments became prevalent (instead of dual matches), and the stroke average of 297.56 was the third-best ever for a Tribe team. At the CAA Championship, the Tribe shot 304-306-306 on the challenging St. James Plantation course to finish third overall, just four strokes out of second. The outstanding play of the team's top two golfers keyed the high finish, as sophomore Alex Hicks and senior Jeremy Wells finished second and third, respectively. It was the first time since 1985 that W&M had placed two players in the top three. Hicks shot 71-73-75 to finish four strokes back, while Wells was one shot behind after his week of 74-75-71. Both players earned a spot on the All-Championship team, and were both honored the following week with spots on the All-CAA first team. It was the first time in program history that two players were chosen to the top all-conference team in the same year. Wells, who was also the CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year, led W&M with a 72.81 stroke average, the second-best ever in a single season for the Tribe. In addition to picking up his first tournament medal at Towson, Wells finished his career as the third-rated golfer in school history with a 74.49 average, and as just the second golfer to collect more than 600 wins in three consecutive seasons. For his part, Hicks average 73.78 strokes per round, the eighth-best mark in school history, and led the team with a 717-198 (.784) record. |
| #18 |
Ryan Lindemuth and John Farrell Selected in
the 2013 MLB Draft.
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Junior second baseman Ryan Lindemuth and senior RHP John Farrell were drafted in the 2013 First-Year Major League Baseball Draft. Lindemuth was taken in the 20th round (599 overall) by the Pittsburgh Pirates, while Farrell was tabbed in the 21st round (638 overall) by the Tampa Bay Rays. The duo becomes the 22nd and 23rd players drafted into the majors out of William and Mary since 1999. Lindemuth batted .351 in 2013, which included team-highs in hits (88) and RBIs (49). He went on to earn Second-Team All-CAA, VaSID All-State and ABCA All-East Region honors. The 2013 campaign was a special one for Farrell as he finished the year with a record of 11-3 and an ERA of 2.70. He became the first Tribe hurler to win 10 or more games in a season since Rosy Waugh accomplished the feat in 1938. Additionally, he led the CAA in wins and innings pitched (116.2). The Andover, Mass. native, earned first team accolades from the CAA, ECAC, VaSID All-State and ABCA All-East Region.
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| #19 |
Marcus Thornton: Consistent and Honored
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Marcus Thornton became a household name in Colonial Athletic Association with a sensational sophomore campaign. The 6-4 guard posted double-digit scoring totals in all 30 games during the 2012-13 campaign, and he will enter the 2013-14 season as the national leader with 32 straight double-digit performances. His point per game scoring average of 18.8 ranked second in the Colonial Athletics Association and 31st nationally. He scored 565 total points, which ranked ninth in W&M history. Thornton became the third Tribe player to garner NABC All-District 10 First Teams and just the second W&M sophomore to be named Second-Team All-CAA. On three occasions during the regular season he was named the CAA Player of the Week, including following a career-high 32 points in the Tribe's win at Old Dominion.
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| #20 |
Tribe Women's Gymnastics Posts Fourth-Best Score
in School History.
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The William and Mary women's gymnastics team earned the fourth-best score in school history, as it defeated Temple, 194.575 - 191.650, on Senior Day at Kaplan Arena. En route to posting the outstanding team total, W&M recorded season highs on vault, bars and beam. Additionally, Tribe gymnasts claimed individual titles in all four events, as well as all-around. Among the highlights was a team-total of 48.925 on bars, which ranks as the fourth-best mark in school history in the event.
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| #21 |
First-Year Coaching Success and the New Tribe Coaches.
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The spring of 2013 saw a pair of first-year W&M head coaches enjoy a significant amount of success. Jamie Pinzino led the Tribe baseball program back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001, while Tyler Thomson took the women's tennis team back to the top of the CAA, claiming the program's 22nd league championship. Both garnered CAA Coach of the Year honors in pushing the Green and Gold into the national headlines in their respective sports. Pinzino guided W&M baseball to its first at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament along with its first two tournament victories over No. 21 Ole Miss in advancing to the Raleigh Regional final. The Tribe posted a school-record 39 victories on the diamond and won a program-best 17 games in CAA play before advancing to the CAA Championship game. W&M capped the year ranked No. 28 in the Collegiate Baseball poll, marking the first time it has finished the season in the national top 30 in the 56-year history of the rankings. Thomson's team posted a 17-6 record on the season, including impressive victories over No. 19 Ole Miss and No. 30 South Carolina. Women's tennis earned a season-high national ranking of No. 25, before finishing the season at No. 44. Following the success of Pinzino and Thomson, W&M will welcome a pair of distinguished coaches to Williamsburg for the 2013-14 to lead the women's basketball and women's lacrosse programs. A 23-year head coaching veteran, Ed Swanson takes the reigns of the women's basketball program after posting a 406-264 (.606) career record at Sacred Heart. He enters his Green and Gold career ranked No. 40 among active Division I head coaches in career wins. Swanson led Sacred Heart's transition from Division II to Division I and over the last 14 years posted a 280-145(.664) record in Division I. During those 14 seasons, Swanson earned NEC Coach of the Year honors on four occasions and guided the Pioneers to three NCAA Tournament appearances and three NEC Championships. Hillary Fratzke became the eighth W&M head women's lacrosse coach in school history in July. Prior to taking over at W&M, she served as an assistant at Northwestern last three seasons, helping the Wildcats to back-to-back national championships in 2011 and 2012. Fratzke is no stranger to the CAA, having earned three All-America honors at Towson along with being at two-time CAA Player of the Year.
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| #22 |
Tribe Lax's Ellen Shaffrey Honored as Yeardley Reynolds
Love Unsung Hero Award Finalist.
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William and Mary lacrosse sophomore attacker Ellen Shaffrey was selected as one of five finalists for the 2013 Yeardley Reynolds Love (“YRL”) Unsung Hero Award in May. Established in 2011, the YRL Unsung Hero Award celebrates the selfless acts of initiative and commitment performed by Division I lacrosse players. These outstanding student-athletes are recognized based on the following criteria: dedication, integrity, humility, hard work, community service, leadership, kindness and sportsmanship. Shaffrey has dedicated her life to making a difference on and off of the field by her relentless hard work. An outstanding student, Shaffrey maintains a 4.0 grade point average and is an exceptionally well-rounded student-athlete. In addition to establishing herself as one of the Tribe's top players, she volunteers her time at the University of Virginia conducting research and working on analyzing data to improve clinical care of patients post surgery. She is pursuing an opportunity next semester to work at a health clinic to get an up-close and personal experience with medicine and patients. Shaffrey had demonstrated leadership not only by example, but also with her words of encouragement and competitiveness. In the game of lacrosse, she is always striving for excellence by training outside of practice to work on her stick skills, shooting, body language and vocal strengths as a leader.
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| #23 |
Field Hockey Garners National Ranking with Hot Start, Including a Win Over No. 11 Boston University.
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The Tribe field hockey team got back on point in the fall of 2012, earning double-digit wins and reaching the CAA Tournament for the first time since 2008. Key to the team's success was a strong opening run, in which W&M won the first five matches and seven of its first eight to vault into the national rankings. The Tribe was ranked in the national top-25 for four consecutive weeks in the middle of the season, reaching a peak of 19th in the final week of September. The season began with five straight wins, including back-to-back shutouts of Liberty and Radford, the former marking the 300th career win for head coach Peel Hawthorne '80. After a narrow loss to No. 9-ranked Virginia, W&M pulled off its biggest upset of the year with a 1-0 triumph over No. 11 Boston University to move into the national rankings. W&M's potent offense broke the 24-year-old school record for assists in a season, dishing out 44 helpers on 47 goals. Post-season honorees included senior captain Maria Caro, who was named first-team All-CAA and honorable-mention All-Region. Fellow captain Christine Johnson was named second-team All-CAA, and ranked second on the team with eight goals and five assists. In the first match of the year, Johnson tied the school record with four goals to lead the Tribe to victory over Davidson. Senior Leah Zamesnik joined her on the all-conference second-team, and Australian import Pippin Saunders, who produced the most post for a W&M rookie since 1980 with eight goals and six assists, was selected to the all-rookie team.
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| #24 |
Men's Soccer Trumps No. 8 Old Dominion in Norfolk.
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The Tribe scored two second-half goals in rallying past No. 8 Old Dominion, 2-1, in Norfolk on Oct. 17. After ODU jumped out to an early lead thanks to a 16th minute, the Green and Gold pulled even on a marker from Marcus Luster in the 65th minute. Off a break, junior Chris Perez placed a through ball to a streaking Luster, who blasted home the equalizer. With the match seemingly headed for overtime, freshman Ryan Flesch put to rest any assumption of the sort with his second career goal in the 87th minute. After corralling possession, the Manassas, Va., native cranked a shot from the left side of the box that lashed the top right netting of goal, giving the Tribe a 2-1 edge and the eventual win. The Monarchs went on to earn an NCAA Tournament bid and finished the year with an 11-3-2 record. It marked the second straight season in which the Green and Gold downed a top-10 foe on the road after upending No. 5-ranked SMU, 3-2, in the 2011 season opener.
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| #25 |
Men's Basketball Sweeps Old Dominion.
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For just the third time in school history and the first since 1998, the Tribe swept the season series with Old Dominion. The Green and Gold used a 14-2 run midway through the second half in taking a double-digit lead on the way to a 71-62 win over the Monarchs in Williamsburg on Dec. 1. Sophomore Marcus Thornton, who went on to earn CAA Player of the Week honors, led all scorers with 23 points, including a 5-of-9 from 3-point range, while juniors Brandon Britt and Tim Rusthoven added 15 apiece as the Tribe downed ODU for the first time since 2008. In the rematch in Norfolk, it was again Thornton who led the way, scoring a career-high 32 points in propelling the Tribe to a 74-62 victory on Feb. 16. He canned seven 3-pointers, the fourth most in W&M history, to go along with an 11-of-12 effort from the free throw line. Britt turned in an 18-point, four-assist effort against the Monarchs as well as the Green and Gold never trailed in the contest. The win in Norfolk also marked head coach Tony Shaver's 114th at W&M, which established him as the winningest coach in Green and Gold history.
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