Softball

Only two years after its inception, Georgetown has announced that it will join the Big East conference beginning in the 2008-2009 season. The Hoyas, who finished last season 12-41, will be the 13th team in the league. This marks a big step for the young program which has spent the past two seasons playing as an independent. Georgetown finished 4-23 in a shortened inaugural season in 2006 before playing a full schedule last season.

“We are very excited to be part of Big East softball,” Georgetown Director of Athletics Bernard Muir said in a press release. “This is an example of the university’s strong commitment to competition at the highest level. The Big East is one of the strongest conferences in the country and this will provide our program with an excellent opportunity to grow.”

The Big East will feature strong competition for Georgetown including defending Big East Champion DePaul, who, last season, lost to eventual champion Arizona in the Women’s College World Series. South Florida and Louisville, who finished second and third respectively in the conference last season, will also be talented foes for the Hoyas.

The Big East will be familiar territory for Head Coach Pat Conlan, who spent four seasons playing in the conference as a player at Connecticut from 1990-1993. During her time as a player, Conlan led the Huskies to fifth place in the Women’s College World Series and was named an all-American during the 1993 season. Conlan also coached at Connecticut for six years between 1998 and 2003.

The Hoyas will continue to play as an independent team during the upcoming spring season before making the transition to the Big East.

“We are very happy to welcome the Georgetown softball program as a full-time member of the Big East,” Big East Commissioner Michael Tranghese said in the press release. “The Georgetown program will add to an already rich tradition of academic and athletic success in the Big East.”

Soccer

Freshman forward Ingrid Wells was named a finalist for SoccerBuzz’s National Freshman of the Year Award. Wells, who won Big East Rookie of the Year and First Team All-Big East honors last month, was one of fourteen finalists selected for the award.

Wells led the Hoyas to a school-record 14 wins and a berth in the NCAA tournament this season. She was the leading point scorer on the team with 25 points on 13 assists, tying the Georgetown single season record, and six goals. Her average of .59 assists per contest was eighth nationally.

Wells was named the 2006 New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year during her senior year at Montclair High School, and was listed as one of the top 50 recruits in the country by SoccerBuzz.

This accolade is just one of many for the Hoyas during their unprecedented run this season. Head Coach Dave Nolan was named Big East Coach of the Year and Senior forward Sara Jordan was named to the Second Team All-Big East team last month. Georgetown’s season ended in the first round of the NCAA tournament in a 2-1 loss to William & Mary.

– Ryan Travers

Swimming and Diving

Saturday afternoon marked the end of the first half of Georgetown’s 2007-2008 swimming and diving season, with a 148-89 loss to Big East rival Villanova in the women’s meet and a close 140-100 decision in the men’s meet.

The best performance of the women’s team (1-6, Big East 0-3) came in the 200 breaststroke, as the Hoyas grabbed the first four places, with freshman Katherine Lee in the lead with 2:30.96 on the clock, followed respectively by sophomores Emma Porteus and Emma Denvir and junior Christina DiNapoli.

The 400 freestyle relay was also a highlight for the Hoyas as two relay teams snatched the top spots. In first place was the quartet of senior Caitlin Colling, freshmen Megan Harvey and allory Kiplinger and sophomore Laura Stark with a time of 3:41:94, while the second place team consisted of sophomores Porteus, Lindsay Vickroy, Laura Alito and senior Kelcy Poulson.

On the men’s side, the Hoyas (0-7, Big East 0-3) fell 140-100 before the home crowd at McCarthy Pool. Sophomore Wes Going, freshman Thomas Graham and juniors Goran Bistric and David Ballinger teamed up for a first place finish in the 400 medley relay, clocking in at 3:34.56. In second place was the team of sophomore James LiVolsi and freshmen Kevin Taylor, Hamilton Jordan and Tom Crecelius.

The 200 backstroke saw Hoyas at the top as well, with Going placing first with a time of 1:59.89, followed closely by junior Daniel Robinson. The 200 breaststroke saw Graham emerge victorious with a time of 2:17.40.

The 200 individual medley had Blue and Gray written all over it, as Jordan took first place, followed by Robinson, freshman Ray Zomerfeld and Ballinger to grab the top four spots respectively. Jordan also placed second in the 200 butterfly with a time of 1:57.36. In the 400 freestyle relay, Crecelius, Going, freshman Bryce Hillman and sophomore Brian Koh placed second, clocking in at 3:20.05.

That afternoon also saw the Hoyas break through to the Big East championships with two men and two women qualifying for the postseason: freshman diver Caitlin Karniski scored 261.00, and Colling, Koh and Jordan all clocked in times good to advance them into the competition.

The Hoyas’ next stop will be Puerto Rico – not for vacationing but intensive training – before they return on the 18th of January next year to face American University away.

– Hijab Shah