In the drill competition, the freshman class earned a 3rd place finish in Platoon Inspection under the command of RIT sophomore Conor Kelley. The Midshipmen did even better in the military excellence portion of the competition, earning a 1st or 2nd place finish in almost every event and a 2nd place finish overall. Among the more celebrated victories were the grueling Recon Challenge, the Distance Medley Relay, and the 4×400 Relay.

In the Recon Challenge, the toughest physical event Villanova has to offer, RIT sophomore Ryan Baptiste and RIT junior Abe McAndrew fought their way to a well-earned 2nd place finish. The challenge is conducted as a two-man team in camouflage utility uniforms, and consists of an alternating rope climb, a 5¼-mile run with various weighted packs, a stretcher carry, a combat-carry, and a 1000m fin swim. In the Distance Medley Relay, RIT freshman Daniel Palmiter, UR sophomores Anthony Paschke and David Delong, and UR junior Edmond Boulliane took the top spot.  The 4×400 team took 1st place as well.  This event included UR sophomore Anthony Paschke, UR juniors Ben Desch, Jake Godbolt, and Andrew Smith, and the captain, RIT junior Kunle Akinpelu.

Article written by MIDN 3/C Andrew Myers, a sophomore at Rochester Institute of Technology. Photo courtesy of Ross Spinelli, also a student at Rochester Institute of Technology. Both Myers and Spinelli are members of the NROTC Rochester unit.

The University of Rochester men’s swimming and diving team scored 14 event wins and set three new Liberty League records en route to running away with the team title in the Liberty League Championships Swimming and Diving Saturday at RPI.  Rochester totaled 1006.5 points, over 200 better than second place RPI.

For the Lady ‘Jackets, the weekend was just as successful. The women swimmers and divers ran away with the title by over 475 points in the team standings at the 2010 Liberty League Championships.  In the two day event, the Yellowjacket women totaled 13 event wins and set six new Liberty League records.

It was was more of the same for the Yellowjacket men, as they jumped out to three straight race wins to start session three at the league championships.

The first winner was freshman James Frauen who won the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:56.42.

A new school record in the 200 breaststroke was achieved by Adam Bossert who completed the win with the time of 2:09.91.  Fellow Yellowjacket Pat Davis was fourth in the event.

The Rochester squad had a great showing in the 100 freestyle where they took six of the first seven spots.  The winner of the race was freshman Chris Doser who swam a 47.21.  Right behind him in 2nd place was Bossert who raced to a time of 48.08.  Freshmen Derek Lam and Booky Porapakkham earned 3rd and 4th place finished while Brian Wong was 6th and Vincent Ness was 7th.

In the day two diving events, Rochester two competitors earned solid finished of 7th and 9th in the 1 meter board event.  Sophomore Zach Howard was the 7th place finished compiling 261.20 points.  Junior Elliott Lasher was the other UR finisher while scoring 343.70 points.

Freshman Brian Wong got in on the action with a win in the 200 yard butterfly, finishing in a time of 1:55.64.

Wong also was a member of the winning 400 yard free relay team along with classmates Porapakkham, Doser and Frauen.  They finished the race in 3:11.25, over three seconds ahead of the 2nd place team.  Rochester’s B team in the event placed third with a time of 3:16.47.  That squad consisted of senior Vincent Ness, junior Christian Vu, sophomore Alex King and freshman Brett Maus.

UR had six multi-event winners over the two day championships.  Leading the way for the Yellowjackets was Wong who ended with six wins (individual and relays), while Bossert and Doser had five wins apiece.  Frauen had four victories while Porapakkham tallied three.  King rounded out the multiple winners with two.

For his impressive results, Bossert was named Male Swimmer of the Year while teammate Brian Wong was named Male Rookie of the Year at the championships.  The UR coaching staff was also named Coaching Staff of the Year.

In the third session for the women’s team, freshman Lauren Bailey got her fourth win of the championships in the 100 yard freestyle, finishing in a time of 54:02.  Teammate Meg Lawless was second in the event Meg Waring was fourth for the Yellowjackets.

In the 200 backstroke, Rochester got a third and fourth place finish from freshman Teresa Xu (2:12.10) and sophomore Farrell Cooke (2:12.49).

In the diving events on day two, the UR women achieved a 1-2-3 finish in the 3 meter board event.  Junior Sara Spielman placed first scoring 393.24 points.  Classmate Megan Braun was second scoring 392.10 points in her dives while senior Rachel deLahunta was third in the event after scoring 356.35 points.  The three finished as the top 3 in the 1 meter diving event on day one of the championships.

The women smashed the Liberty League record in the 400 yard freestyle relay by nearly three seconds en route to another event win.  The team of Bailey, Waring, Lawless, and Xu finished in a time of 3:37.60.  The B squad of Ellie Ansani, Avery Palardy, Kristy Harding and Emily Friedline placed third in the race with a time of 3:46.41.

Waring earned another solid finish, this time in the 200 breaststroke where she placed 4^th with a time of 2:34.47.

In the 200 butterfly, Rochester had three of the top-6 finishes with Lauren Bailey finishing 2^nd (2:11.20), Friedline getting 4^th (2:12.49) and Steph Bolin ending up 6^th (2:14.65).

In the overall team standings, Rochester ran away with the title, winning with a total of 1115.5 team points while the second place and host RPI Engineers ended up with 629.5 points.

The slew of multiple event winners included Bailey (5 wins), Waring (4), Friedline (3), Karen Meess (3), Xu (3), Ellie Ansani (2) and Lawless (2).

UR had many award winners in the post meet ceremonies as Braun and Spielman were named Women’s Co-Divers of the Year, Friedline was Women’s Rookie of the Year and the UR coaches took home Coaching Staff of the Year honors.

This article includes reporting from Scott Sabocheck, Athletic Communications Asst., photos courtesy of Rochester Athletics

The Yellowjackets needed that run because Roberts battled back from a 17-point halftime deficit and finally tied the score at 42-all with 7:18 to play.

Jodie Luther started the winning rally with a layup. Laney Ming scored in the lane, McNabb made two free throws, Wagner hit a hook shot and a layup, and McNabb made a layup. That put Rochester up, 54-42. Lindsay Kendall made two free throws for Roberts before Jackie Walker closed the scoring with two free throws.

This is Rochester’s seventh straight Wendy’s Classic Championship and its ninth title in the last 10 years. The Yellowjackets have beaten Roberts Wesleyan in each of the last three title games. Rochester is 7-0. Roberts Wesleyan is 6-3.

McNabb was selected as the Classic’s Most Valuable Player. She scored a career high 15 points, hitting 6 of 10 from the floor, 1 of 2 outside the arc, and both free throws.

She was joined on the All-Tournament First Team by Ming (six points, five assists, one turnover, one steal) and Walker ( 13 points, career high 11 rebounds). Marissa Bunce and Kendall represented Roberts Wesleyan.

In the first half, Walker gave the Yellowjackets a great boost, scoring 11 points and collecting eight rebounds in 11 minutes. McNabb scored nine points. Luther had six.

McNabb scored five points – including a trey – and Walker added four more in a 12-2 run over five minutes that put Rochester ahead, 19-11, with 10:37 left in the half.

Roberts answered, getting four points from Lindsay Kendall, and drew within five, 21-16, with 6:51 left. Rochester closed the half with a 16-4 run. Walker and Luther scored six points apiece in the run with all six of Luther’s points coming in under a minute. She hit a jumper in the circle, made a fast break layup on a long pass from Ming, then added a layup. The burst gave Rochester a 37-20 lead at the half.

Read more about the Lady Yellowjacket’s rise to the top at http://www.uofrathletics.com/index.aspx?path=wbball&tab=_basketball.

Article and photo courtesy of Rochester Athletics

Success like this does not happen overnight. For some, the training, especially for athletic events such as the 10K race, begins in the summer. For others, such as the newly inducted freshmen, the training in the discipline necessary for close-order drill begins at the start of the semester. From the flashy rifle-twirling performances of trick drill to the coordinated formations of platoon basic drill, each success in the competition represented many hours spent learning and perfecting the various movements and routines. The hard work especially paid off for the freshmen, who faced the tall order of continuing Rochester’s history of success in both Platoon Drill events. In the notoriously high-pressure Platoon Inspection, a nerve-wracking detailed inspection by professional Marine drill instructors, the team of freshmen, led by RIT junior Erik Smolinski, came away with an unquestioned first-place, even against older, more experienced teams from full-time military schools. They then performed a highly coordinated drill routine in the Platoon Basic Drill event, and while many of the students came to Rochester’s battalion with no prior drill experience, they earned a third-place finish.

Also competing in the drill portion of the competition were Rochester’s Color Guard and Trick Drill teams. Both represent a substantial increase in difficulty, requiring members to learn the more complex movements and routines. Rochester’s trick team, formed only a few years ago, showed marked improvement over years past, bringing more experienced members and better routines to the competition. The Color Guard teams proudly and professionally represented the battalion, but unfortunately due to confusion with the routine, neither team placed at this competition.

In the athletic events, Rochester either won or placed in every event. The 4×400 team, led by UR junior Ben Desch, finished first in their heat, but were beat by one other team who ran faster in the next heat, ultimately coming away with a second-place finish. In the pool, Rochester’s swimmers, captained by UR sophomore Trevor DeVisser, dominated the competition, taking first-place in all three relay events (4×100 Free, 4×100 IM, and Crescendo). UR sophomore David DeLong and UR junior Ed Boullianne also performed well, placing second and ninth respectively in the 10K race.

The longest and most grueling event was the Ironman competition. Unlike the famous triathlon, this was an event designed to test the all-around fitness of the teams, composed of push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, a 500-yard swim, and a 3-mile run. The competition was neck-and-neck, but when all the scores were tallied, Rochester came out on top for the first-place finish.

Rochester’s Midshipmen were proud to return home at the end of the competition, having performed well and continuing Rochester’s history of success at the Cornell University Invitational Drill Competition.

Article and photo courtesy of Andrew Myers and David Donaldson, NROTC members.

“We played four games in the regular season. We won all of them,” said senior Sam Potter, a neuroscience major, player, and the business manager of the team. The team then went on to win both the quarter and semi finals and eventually the Upstate Championship, giving them a spotless 7-0 record and the title of champions of Upstate New York DIII rugby.

The team is looking forward to the finals this weekend as the pay off for years of commitment from the whole team. The team has been “gradually progressing,” said Potter. His freshman year they were 0-6 at the end of the season, and this year they are heading to the finals undefeated.

Potter, who hails from Scotland originally, has played rugby his whole life and said that the sport is “intense regarding teamwork” because there is no offense or defense, only a team working together toward a common goal. When asked how the team has done so well, Potter commended his teammates saying that rugby takes commitment and that the team has stuck with it.

At the state finals this weekend, the team heads to New York City to face off against the Metro New York DIII champions, Molloy College from Rockville Centre, NY. Potter said that while he and the team don’t know much about Malloy they do know that Molloy has more experience with the championship. “Malloy has been here before; we haven’t,” he said.

The winner of the match will progress on to the New England Division championships. “I’m looking forward to it,” said Potter. “It’ll be interesting.”

Article written by Daniel Baroff, a senior at the University of Rochester and an intern at University Communications.  He is majoring in religion with a minor in Jewish studies.  His main area of study is the involvement of Jews in the American comic book industry, for which he keeps an infrequently updated blog (http://theamazingspiderdan.wordpress.com).

In the past, UR Bhangra has traveled to Toronto, taking 2nd place at Bhangra Nation, and travelled to Vancouver, Washington D.C. and Toronto, competing at various prestigious competitions.

The video of UR Bhangra’s 1st-Place performance can be seen here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y7VGj9S8lc

Photo and article courtesy of Nathaniel Brown ’13, UR Bhangra Captain

The University of Rochester Men’s Soccer team beat SUNY Fredonia in the final game, 2-1.  After a scoreless first half, Fredonia got off to a quick start in the second half with several offensive attacks ending with good scoring chances.  However, UR goalkeeper Mike Moranz (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Sutherland) kept the ball at bay. Nevertheless, eight minutes into the second half, the Blue Devils got one past Moranz. The goal put some fire underneath the UR players and they immediately started pressuring the Fredonia defense. In the 56th minute, Rochester freshman Jarvis D’Souza (Powell, OH/Olentangy Liberty) set up classmate Alex Wanger (Penfield, NY/Penfield) on an outstanding pass. The combination ended in a goal by Jakob Seidlitz (Vienna, VA/Georgetown Day) to tie the score. The Yellowjackets didn’t waste any time adding another to the score sheet; freshman D’Souza scored his first goal of the year giving his team a 2-1 lead to win.

Meanwhile, the UR women’s team scored one goal early in each half to clinch the 2-0 victory over Skidmore College.

In the first half, junior Rachel Wesley (Millwood, NY/Horace Greely) and seniors Ellen Coleman (Wauwatosa, WI/Wauwatosa West) and Beth Martens (Hughesville, PA/Blair Academy) played a great offense to put Rochester up 1-0 six minutes into the game. The Thoroughbred defense kept the score at 1-0 throughout the rest of the first half.  But five minutes after half-time Wesley fired from 25 yards out into the back of the net, giving Rochester a 2-0 lead. Skidmore continued pressuring the Yellowjackets throughout the remaining time, but the Lady YellowJackets retained a tight defense to maintain their lead and secure the victory.

Men’s Tournament Awards:
1st Place Team: University of Rochester Yellowjackets
Most Valuable Player: Rochester D Tom Sorrentino
Top Offensive Player: Fredonia F Cory Paine
Top Defensive Player: Rochester D/M Jakob Seidlitz

Women’s Tournament Awards:
1st Place Team: University of Rochester Yellowjackets
Most Valuable Player: Rochester F/D Rachel Wesley
Offensive Player of the Tournament: Skidmore M Kelsey Yam
Defensive Player of the Tournament: Rochester D Danielle Crean

Read more about the Men’s Soccer Team here.

Read more about the Women’s Soccer Team here.

Story courtesy of the Athletic Department, including reports written by Scott Sabocheck, Athletic Communications Asst. Story compiled by Maya Dukmasova, University Communications Intern. Photo Credit: Jamie Germano