__Sophomore Hurson places 11th individually__

Sophomore Doug Hurson continued his successful year for the Tribe, posting scores of 71 and 74 over two rounds at the William and Mary Invitational to lead the College to a ninth-place finish. The tournament, which was won by Campbell University, featured 21 schools from around the nation competing at Kingsmill Golf Resort in Williamsburg.

p. Hurson, who placed 11th individually, has been the Tribe’s top finisher in four of their six tournaments this year. The sophomore led the entire field in par five scoring, shooting a combined four-under-par on Kingsmill’s longest holes.

p. “Doug had a solid performance and continues to prove himself as one of our top players,” Head Coach Jay Albaugh said. “He used good course management both days and that led to his good finish.”

p. Every member of the Tribe roster participated in their home invitational, but only five golfers competed at the varsity level. Sophomore Brent Paladino shot consecutive rounds of 74 to finish in a tie for 20th with 148 strokes. Juniors Jonas Miller and Jimmy Femino combined to shoot 158 after final rounds of 78 and 80, respectively. Senior captain Matt Brantingham’s score of 160 was not enough to factor into the College’s team total.

p. The Tribe’s finish would have been improved had senior Ryan Price and freshman Conor O’Brien been playing on the varsity roster. Price’s two-round total of 148 tied him with Paladino in 20th position and O’Brien’s 153 strokes placed him in 51st, four shots ahead of both Miller and Femino.

p. Fredric Sundberg of Campbell captured medalist honors, firing rounds of three-under 67 and two-under 70 to beat out Detroit University’s Mark Sommerfield by two shots.

p. The Invitational’s first round was played on Kingsmill’s Plantation Course, with the final round being contested at the resort’s famed River Course. Tuesday’s final round proved more of a challenge for the field, as the overall scoring average rose almost a full stroke. In addition to playing the River at 6,831 yards, tournament officials placed the holes in the same locations to be faced by Annika Sorenstam, Natalie Gulbis and the stars of the Ladies’ Professional Golf Association during the final round of the LPGA Tour’s Michelob ULTRA Open on the River Course in May.

p. Thanks in large part to Hurson’s impressive showing on the par fives, the Tribe led the field in par five scoring, totaling eight-under for the tournament. Birdies were no problem for the College either, as the Tribe racked up 26 of them en route to the second-highest team total in the event. But a lack of consistency eventually caught up to the College. Though the team performed well on the long holes, they never found an answer for Kingsmill’s shortest, failing to crack the top 15 in par three scoring. The Tribe also failed to make the top 15 in pars made.

p. The College will look to build on their finish when they travel to Grasonville, Md. this weekend to compete in The Lacrosse Homes Collegiate Invitational.

__Senior third baseman’s two-RBI triple keys victory__

Looking to rebound from their 15-3 loss against the University of Maryland the day before, the Tribe battled Virginia Military Institute Wednesday at Plumeri Park, earning a 4-3 victory thanks to some late-inning heroics from senior third baseman Greg Sexton. Junior left fielder Greg Maliniak and senior second baseman Brent McWhorter also put together solid performances at the plate, going 3-for-4 on the day.

p. The College got on the board first in the bottom of the third, as junior designated hitter Tim Park doubled to right center and McWhorter reached first on a bunt to third base and then stole second. Sexton then tallied one of his three RBIs on a sacrifice fly to score Park.

p. VMI totaled three runs in the fifth but the Tribe responded in the sixth as Maliniak singled and worked his way around the bases, finally scoring on a wild pitch.

p. The Tribe entered the bottom of the ninth down 3-2, but Park sparked what would be the game-winning rally with a lead-off single through the left side. With sophomore Jeff Jones pinch running for Park, McWhorter singled to right field and Jones advanced to third. Sexton stepped up to the plate and smashed a triple to center field, plating McWhorter and Jones and winning the game for the College.

p. Senior Warrik Staines (1-0) earned the victory in relief. In Tuesday’s loss to Maryland, Park went 2-for-3 at the plate while McWhorter, sophomore first baseman Mike Sheridan, and sophomore center fielder Ben Guez were all 1-for-3. Sheridan finished with two RBI and Maliniak recorded one. Freshman starting pitcher Tyler Truxell was chased after four and two thirds innings and suffered the loss.

__Georgetown out-shoots Tribe 35-18; travels to George Washington today__

The Tribe fell 13-5 to ninth-ranked Georgetown University Tuesday night. The loss marked the College’s fourth defeat to teams ranked in the national top 10. Junior midfielder Jaime Sellers led the Tribe with three goals and freshman goalie Sara Beckstead notched 15 saves, but it was not enough to save the College from falling to 2-6 on the season. Additionally, seniors Jaime Fitzgerald and Kristen Wong each added one goal apiece.

p. Despite two early saves from Beckstead, Georgetown was quick on the attack and gained a 2-0 lead just inside the first five minutes of the game. The Hoyas scored their third goal following a failed attempt by the Tribe to clear the defensive zone and before 10 minutes had elapsed, Georgetown scored again to stretch the lead to four.

p. Over the next 10 minutes, Beckstead came up big with three saves, preventing Georgetown from pulling away, and with exactly eight minutes remaining in the first half, Wong launched a low, hard shot into the back of the net to put the Tribe on the scoreboard. Within a minute, however, the Hoyas utilized control of the draw and marched down the field to tally their sixth goal of the game.

p. Beckstead would make two more saves before the College finally scored its second goal with less than two minutes remaining in the first half. Sellers’ goal cut the margin to 6-2 as Beckstead made two more saves in the next minute and a half. With just 10 seconds before halftime, an offsides call was made against the Tribe to give possession to Georgetown and the Hoyas capitalized, banging one past Beckstead with three seconds left to give Georgetown a comfortable 7-2 lead.

p. In the first seven minutes of the second stanza, Beckstead recorded three more saves, but the freshman could not keep the Hoyas at bay, as Georgetown notched their eighth score with 22:40 on the clock. Less than a minute later, Georgetown utilized a free position shot to take a 9-2 advantage.

p. The Tribe wouldn’t back down as Sellers launched her second goal of the game just 30 seconds later. Fitzgerald then brought the College within five with an unassisted tally at the 18:54 mark, but the Hoyas notched three more goals before Sellers recorded her and the Tribe’s final goal of the game with 1:23 remaining. Despite their valiant efforts, the College gave up two more goals before the final horn sounded.

p. Although the Tribe held a 13-7 advantage in draws, Georgetown out-shot the College 35-18 and recorded 13 less turnovers. The Tribe travels to Washington, D.C. today to face off against George Washington University at 4 p.m.

**Florida**

At first glance, there is little separation between the teams in this year’s Final Four. They all won regular season titles in their respective league and all have 30 or more wins. It would appear as if any squad could cut down the nets Monday night. But once you take a closer look, the choice is clear. For the first time in fifteen years, there will be a repeat national champion.

p. For starters, Florida is the most experienced of the four. Coach Billy Donovan returns his entire starting five, along with his top seven scorers from last year’s championship team. Joakim Noah, Corey Brewer and Al Horford could have all jumped to the NBA after last season but they came back with one goal in mind: To win it all.

p. Again.

p. Second, Florida has the most weapons. No player on the team attempts more than 10 shots a game. In addition, all five starters average double figures in points. Where the other three teams all rely on one player to set the offensive tempo, Florida doesn’t.
Prediction: Florida over UCLA. Florida over Georgetown.

**UCLA**

While UCLA is hardly a sexy pick to win it all — they are by most accounts the biggest long shot of the four teams left — the Bruins excel in the two areas that matter most in the NCAA Tournament: defense and outside shooting.

p. The Bruins’ defense flat out shuts teams down. They will certainly be challenged inside by Florida big men Al Horford and Joakim Noah, but their D is strong enough to overcome this disadvantage.

p. The Bruins’ offense often comes under attack from critics, but when it comes down to it, guards Arron Afflalo and Darren Collison are as good a tandem as there is in the country. Josh Shipp has also emerged as a much-needed third scoring option, forcing defenses to stay honest.

p. So here you have it: UCLA squeaks past Florida, then takes down the dangerously overconfident winner of the Ohio State-Georgetown game in the final. Bill Walton stands and rejoices, blocking the views of fans sitting eight rows back.

p.

p. **Ohio State**

If you’re looking for pedigree in picking your national champ, look to your left or right. Ohio State’s basketball program boasts just one NCAA championship (1960) and the school is making only their second trip to the Final Four since 1968.

p. But this year’s Buckeye roster sports two young freshmen who couldn’t care less about their program’s history. In fact, Mike Conley Jr. and Greg Oden arrived on campus with the goal of creating some history of their own.

p. The dynamic freshmen come from a tradition of winning, having captured three straight high school state championships together. In their short time at Ohio State, Conley and Oden have already breathed basketball life into a school and state obsessed with football.

p. Throw in fellow newcomers David Lighty and Daequan Cook, along with senior Ron Lewis, and you have a young team with unlimited potential determined to bring a national championship to Columbus. If I were you, I wouldn’t stand in Greg Oden’s way.

**Georgetown**

The future champion of the 2007 NCAA tournament possesses the best all around player in all of college basketball. No, it’s not the Florida Gators with rebounding machine Al Horford. Nor is it the UCLA Bruins and their phenomenal guard, Pac-10 Player of the Year, Arron Afflalo. It’s not even the Ohio State Buckeyes with the 7’ swat-machine, Greg Oden. This year’s champion will be the Georgetown Hoyas and the most complete player in college basketball, forward Jeff Green.

p. Green’s incredible versatility is the element separating him from any other player in the game. For example, against the UNC Tar Heels, Green contained Tyler Hansbrough, one of the best post players in the game. Then Green switched and neutralized swift guard Ty Lawson.

p. Not only can Green play effective defense, he can create match up problems on offense, causing other teams to think twice before double teaming the 7’2’’ Roy Hibbert. The oft-overlooked Green will be the X-factor propelling the Hoyas to their first NCAA Title since 1984.

__College claims seventh consecutive USA Gymnastics Collegiate Championships title in front of home crowd__

p. This was a big weekend for the men’s gymnastics team as the College hosted and won the USA Gymnastics Collegiate National Team Championship. The Tribe took the gold for the seventh consecutive year with a score of 199.85, improving their season record to 15-6. The team has won the event a record 12 times since entering the competition in 1994.

p. The USA Gymnastics Collegiate National Team Meet is held for schools that receive below a certain level of funding, and the athletes generally do not receive scholarships. The competition has been running since 1987, but this marks the first time the College has hosted the event. Gymnasts and observers from across the country filled Kaplan Arena the entire weekend. Along with friends and family members, Blaine Wilson — an Olympic silver medalist, three-time Olympian, and national champion — attended and signed autographs for fans.

p. The Tribe competed against five varsity level teams — the United States Naval Academy, the United States Air Force Academy, Springfield College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and James Madison University. The College trailed the Navy Midshipmen — the Tribe’s toughest competitor — before pulling through in the floor corps with a season-high score of 35.75.

p. “This was definitely one of the most exciting meets in my career at the College,” junior Andrew Hunt said. “We were down the entire meet to Navy and managed to do really well on the floor performances and win it in the last rotation.”

p. Sophomore Sloan Crawford and junior Dave Locke led the floor event with a tied score of 9.25, marking a season and career high for Crawford and a season best for Locke. The two also led the high bar event with Crawford earning a career high score of 8.7 while Locke received a 9.0. Freshman Derek Gygax also performed very well, placing second in the all-around with a total score of 48.850.

p. The top eight individual scorers competed in the individual event on Sunday and the College had the maximum two gymnasts competing in each event. Nine Tribe gymnasts earned 11 All-America Honors. Locke claimed gold in the vault event and earned a total of three honors while Hunt came in first in the parallel bar event for the second season in a row. Gygax and freshman classmate Richard Pearson represented the Tribe on the pommel horse earning third and sixth place respectively.

p. Competing on the rings, junior Aaron Ingram captured fifth and senior Chuck Portz placed seventh. Senior Gustav Lindquist took sixth on the vault, for his third USAG Collegiate All-America honor. Fellow senior Dave Ridings finished third on the parallel bars and Crawford placed fifth on the floor exercise.

p. The men look forward to continuing their reign this weekend as the Tribe will travel to Philadelphia, PA to compete in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship.

__Chris Rahl, former Tribe baseball player, hopes to make it in MLB__

While Tribe athletic teams might not compete for championships on an annual basis, the College has seen many alumni go on to have highly successful careers in professional sports. Alumnus and NFL safety Darren Sharper has been a perennial Pro bowler in his 10 years with the Packers and Vikings, while last season, former Tribe pitcher Chris Ray won the Baltimore Orioles’ closer role and went on to post a stellar 2.73 ERA over 66 innings in his first full season in the majors, converting 33 of 38 save opportunities on the year. Perhaps the next great Tribe athlete to leave his mark on the professional scene will be Arizona Diamondbacks minor league outfielder Chris Rahl.

p. Recruited out of Great Bridge High School in Chesapeake, Va., Tribe outfielder Rahl had a breakout sophomore season in 2004, hitting for a .389 average and 20 home runs while stealing 40 bases and driving in 70 runs. He was named CAA Player of the Year, the first time ever for a Tribe athlete or a sophomore in the conference. His 20 home runs and 40 steals in the same season was also a league first. Rahl’s outstanding season landed him on numerous first and second-team All-American lists in addition to the record-books.

p. He left school after his junior year when he was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks with the first pick in the fifth round of the 2005 amateur draft, finishing his career with a cumulative .335 average, 37 home runs, 74 stolen bases and 134 runs batted in. Last year, after a mediocre first season of professional baseball and off-season surgery to repair a damaged shoulder, Rahl reminded the baseball world why he was so highly praised after his 2004 college season.

p. As a member of the Diamondbacks’ High-A affiliate, the Lancaster Jet Hawks, he led all minor leaguers with 186 hits — 11 more than any other player — and set a Jet Hawks team record with 44 doubles while posting a .327 batting average.

p. Chris Rahl has graciously allowed The Flat Hat special access to follow his progress in this coming season, as he hopes to build upon the previous year’s success and continue his journey towards the major leagues. In a time when professional athletes are often portrayed as selfish, arrogant, and childish by the media, Chris brings a refreshing change of pace. He has met his early success with grounded humility, yet the passionate ambition that has driven this success is readily apparent.

p. The transition from life as a college student to life as a professional baseball player is not an easy one; however Chris has handled it well on and off the field. He is quick to give credit to his time at the College, particularly former Head Coach Jim Farr and Assistant Coach Ryan Wheeler, who both played professional baseball earlier in their careers, and the high level of talent in the CAA.

p. “A lot of the practice sessions and how we went about doing our work on the field were very similar to the work we do in the minor leagues. When I started, I felt very comfortable and fell right into place and it felt like I was back at school working out with the guys at William & Mary, making it a very easy transition for me.”

p. One of the biggest difficulties, beyond having to take care of himself, has been the three-hour time difference separating him from his family and girlfriend on the East Coast.

p. On the diamond, Chris’s journey to the major leagues has not been without obstacles. After his breakout sophomore campaign in 2004, Rahl’s production dipped.

p. “My sophomore year I had a really good year, and coming into my junior year it got to my head a little bit. I tried to do too much with the pitching that I did see. I saw a lot more off-speed pitches and guys tried to pitch around me some, and instead of taking what they did give to me and relaxing at the plate, I sometimes over-stressed it and went out of the zone a little bit.”

p. Rahl vowed not to fall into complacency again. After he rebounded last season in 2006 with another great year, Chris has worked hard over the off-season to take his game to the next level. His main goal was to add strength and speed in order to increase his home run and stolen base totals in the coming season. Since moving from right field to the more difficult position of center field last season, Chris has also made a dedicated effort to improve his defense.

p. “I think that the biggest thing last year for me was getting used to playing center-field, getting reads on balls and good jumps, and taking correct routes to balls. And, especially in a place like Lancaster where the wind blows out and is blowing all over the place, you have to take correct routes to the ball or you’re not going to be a very good outfielder.”

p. Perhaps the most apparent holes in Rahl’s game are a below average strikeout to walk ratio and a low walk rate, a weakness which Chris readily acknowledges and is determined to improve, beginning with a change of mentality.

p. “That’s definitely an issue that I focused on [while playing in the Hawaiian Winter League this off-season], and it may not show in my stats — in Hawaii I didn’t really hit very well — but it’s definitely something I was working on. I’ve been trying to focus on a two-strike approach and putting the ball in play more with two strikes, as opposed to in college, where my approach was to go for the home run, and if I struck out, ‘oh well.’ I think that I’m going to try to utilize my speed more this season and in coming seasons, and put the ball in play more with two strikes, and that way I can make things happen and make the opposing defense actually work to get me out.”

p. While his batting average and home run totals sagged against the tougher competition of the Hawaiian Winter League, Chris showed tremendous improvement in these areas in a limited number of at-bats, nearly doubling a walk-rate that had more or less held constant throughout his professional career.

p. “Playing professional baseball has definitely always been a dream for me, and I always told myself whenever I got a chance I would take that, because you never know what can happen in the future.”

p. With his attitude, the future certainly looks bright for Chris Rahl.

Forget all the gripes about the lack of upsets in the early rounds of the NCAA tournament; the most frustrating point in this year’s tourney was the University of Texas’ second round loss to the University of Southern California. It’s not that I bleed Texas burnt orange. I don’t even profess the slightest trace of fandom. What made this loss so frustrating is that it was most likely the last time we will ever see Longhorn freshman and national player of the year Kevin Durant in a college uniform.

p. To update anyone living under a rock for the last several months, Durant pretty much owned his opponents in the Big 12 Conference and across the country. While at times Durant showed his youth in several of Texas’ close losses, he managed to average an impressive 25 points and 11 rebounds per game. But enough of the hype. I’ll leave that for Dick Vitale and company.

p. It’s almost certain that Durant, one of the most exciting players to watch in college basketball this year, will be drafted number one or two in this summer’s NBA draft, forfeiting his remaining three years of college eligibility. Given a big time contract and a sweet shoe endorsement, who could say no to the NBA? History says both Durant and Ohio State University freshman phenom Greg Oden, who is also predicted to be drafted in the top two, will take the money and run.

p. Durant and Oden are part of the first class to be affected by the NBA’s rule increasing its minimum age of entry to 19 or a year removed from high school. For fans of college basketball this rule is bittersweet, but for the NBA it is very logical.

p. Billed as the second coming of Tracy McGrady, Durant’s draft status can only go down if he remains in college. It would seem stupid not to declare for this summer’s draft. But surprisingly, Durant says he’s still unsure. He likes college, and not only does he enjoy going to class, he maintains over a 3.0 GPA. He’s also known to have a penchant for munching on gummy worms at team study halls and playing video games. The next Tracy McGrady? Really?

p. The one-and-done policy has angered some, most notably Texas Tech University head coach Bob Knight, who said the rule is the worst thing to happen to college basketball since he started coaching. Players have no incentive to go to class or do well in school with big bucks waiting. Why even give a scholarship to a kid who may only stay one year?

p. Knight can cry all he wants, but this rule makes sense. Fans benefit. Who wouldn’t salivate at the thought of the future LeBron James’ of the world playing college basketball? Even if it was only for a year, it still helps increase the popularity of the under-appreciated college game. Players benefit both physically and mentally from the experience. Durant’s raw athleticism and his freak-of-nature 7-foot-5 inch wingspan made him a sure-fire prospect out of high school, but he needed this year to gain enough body strength for the rough NBA. And for Durant, who is by all means still a kid, this rule makes sense from a maturity standpoint. The NBA is sick of providing babysitting services to players who come straight out of high school.

p. It will be interesting to see what Durant, Oden and other college freshman decide to do after this year. History says they bolt for the NBA, but they may set a precedent by staying in college for more than one year. I hope so.

p. __Carl Siegmund is an associate news editor for The Flat Hat.__

__Team has won 6 of its last 7 games; travels to Maryland today__

Last weekend the Tribe went on the road riding a four-game winning streak into Harrisonburg to face the James Madison University Dukes and came away successful, taking the series 2-1. The two wins push the College’s record to 15-12 overall and 8-4 in the CAA.

p. “Our offense was pretty relentless all weekend,” Head Coach Frank Leoni said. “We’re very happy with where we are offensively.”

p. The College stretched its winning streak to five games after defeating JMU 11-8 in the first contest. The Tribe broke through a 3-3 knot in the top of the sixth inning when senior designated hitter Brent McWhorter singled to score junior center fielder Paul Juliano. Senior third baseman Greg Sexton followed with a homer to left field, sending home McWhorter and junior catcher Tim Park.

p. The College also played big in the eighth, starting with a school record-breaking double from Sexton — the 60th double of his career. Junior left fielder Greg Maliniak capped the inning with a grand slam to put the Tribe ahead 11-5. The Dukes rallied in the ninth to bring in three runs, but they were unable to surpass the Tribe advantage. Junior Pete Vernon (4-2) earned the win in relief.

p. “Vernon did an outstanding job in relief for us,” Leoni said. “He came into a situation where we were ahead but JMU was making a comeback at the time and he delivered the victory.”

p. In the second game, JMU broke the Tribe winning streak by a score of 6-7. Freshman Kevin Landry (3-3) took the loss. The Tribe kicked off the contest with a strong 2-0 start as Park and second baseman McWhorter batted consecutive singles en route to scoring in the inning. Both Park and McWhorter smashed solo home runs in the third to push the Tribe lead to 4-0, but the College could not hold the advantage as the Dukes plated six in the next three innings. Sophomore right fielder Robbie Nickle doubled and scored in the eighth and McWhorter homered again in the ninth, but the effort was not enough to overtake the JMU lead. The Tribe finished with 10 hits and McWhorter went 3-for-5 on the day with two solo home runs, three runs scored, and a stolen base. McWhorter’s impressive weekend earned him the CAA Player of the Week award.

p. “McWhorter really carried the weekend for us, but it was a team effort away up and down the lineup,” Leoni said.

p. The Tribe ended the series against the Dukes with a 12-6 win in the third game, scoring in every inning but one. Junior Pat Kantakevich (2-0) pitched 6.2 innings and threw six strikeouts, and Vernon entered in relief totaling four strikeouts.

p. “Kantakevich pitched as well as I’ve seen him pitch since I’ve been here,” Leoni said.

p. The College started strong, bringing in four runs in the first. After Park was hit by a pitch, McWhorter doubled, and a double down the right field line from Sexton scored Park and McWhorter on an error. Sophomore first baseman Mike Sheridan singled, advancing Sexton to third. After Nickle drew a walk, Maliniak grounded into a double play and Sheridan advanced as Sexton scored.

p. Sheridan then scored on a double from sophomore shortstop Lanny Stanfield. JMU responded to the College’s 7-0 lead in the fourth with three runs, but Nickle led off with a home run to right field in the next inning to quiet the Dukes. The Tribe finished with 13 hits and seven stolen bases. Sexton led the Tribe going 3-for-4 with four RBI.

p. The College will face VMI at home on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

**Women’s Tennis**
Returning home its first match since Feb. 18, the 17th-ranked Tribe defeated 60th-ranked University of Pennsylvania 7-0, and the College now stands at 13-1 on the season. The doubles duo of sophomore Klaudyna Kasztelaniec and freshman Lauren Sabacinski rallied from a 1-6 deficit to take down Penn’s number three doubles team 9-8 (7) in a tiebreaker to spur the Tribe on to victory. Last week, the CAA named freshman Ragini Acharya singles player of the week and senior Megan Moulton-Levy (left) and sophomore Katarina Zoricic — the nation’s number one doubles team — the CAA Doubles Team of the Week. The College returns to action April 3 against Old Dominion University on the Busch Courts at 4:30 p.m.

p. **Cross Country**
Women’s cross country and track and field Head Coach Kathy Newberry competed at the World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa, Kenya Saturday. Newberry raced to a 39th place finish and completed the 8-km course in 29 minutes 54 seconds as Team USA finished eighth in the 12-team field. High heat and humidity forced many competitors out of the race and considerably slowed the field. Netherlands’ Lornah Kiplagat captured the gold medal, finishing in 26:23, while Ethiopia won the team title over host-nation Kenya.

p. **Women’s Gymnastics**
Last Friday, the College competed at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and finished fifth in the five-team field with 189.225 points. Two Tribe gymnasts — juniors Stevie Waldman and Tricia Long — placed in the top 10. Waldman took fifth in the floor exercise and eighth on the uneven bars, while Long took fifth in the overall competition. The College’s next competition is the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships in Ithaca, N.Y. this Saturday.

p. **Women’s Golf**
The Tribe hosted the W&M Invitational at Ford’s Colony over the weekend and finished 12th out of 19 teams. Junior Marissa Sprick shot a 76 in round two and led the College with a 22nd-place finish. Western Michigan University narrowly defeated Methodist University by two strokes, while Western Michigan’s Laura Bavaird took the individual title. The Tribe will resume competition at the Illini Spring Classic April 6-7 in Urbana, Ill.

p. **Track and Field**
Senior Bonnie Meekins hit the NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark in the heptathlon at this past weekend’s Alabama Relays in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Meekins finished third with 5,003 points. Meanwhile, at the Fred Hardy Invitational in Richmond, sophomore Lynn Morelli won the 5,000-meter in 17 minutes, 27.07 seconds. On the men’s side, sophomore David Groff and senior Matt Wolak eclipsed the IC4A qualifying time in the 800-m finishing in second and third respectively, with times of 1:51.76 and 1:52.22. The College hosts the Tribe Invitational this Saturday at Zable Stadium.