Introduction
Entering the Liberty League Championship Tournament in Rochester, N.Y, as the sixth seed, the Rensselaer women’s tennis team knew they had their work cut out for them as they approached a rematch with Hamilton, who beat the Red Hawks 8-1 back on September 28.
And this past Saturday, history repeated itself as RPI fell in convincing fashion, 5-0, to a superior Hamilton squad.
However, that was not the low point of the weekend for the Red Hawks, who proceeded to drop their consolation match to seventh seeded Rochester 5-1 before finally topping the league basement dweller, Union 5-1 on Sunday.
The third doubles combination of senior Annie Marinaro and freshman Charlotte Kaplan were the only Red Hawks who garnered more than one win in the Liberty League Championship Tournament.
The team’s final match of the season will come this weekend at the New York State Women’s Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament in Ithaca, N.Y.
Golf fades in finales
The Rensselaer golf team found themselves in the middle of pack at the conclusion of the Hamilton Invitational this past weekend. RPI took seventh out of 14 teams at the two day tournament with a team score of 682.
The host team Hamilton took first in both the team and individual sections. The Continentals finished with a team score of 618 led by Zach Yaeger’s 145.
Mark Wendell’s 165 and second round 78, led the Red Hawks and was good enough for 20th overall in the individual competition. Teammate Ed LaBombard tallied a 169 while Mike Fee and Joe Choma scored a 172 and a 176, respectively, for RPI.
The Red Hawks finished up their season with a fourth place finish out of nine teams at the Skidmore Invitational tournament in Saratoga, N.Y.
Rensselaer shot a team score of 323 led by LaBombard and Fee whose rounds of 80 earned them a tie for eighth place individually.
Wendell finished right behind his teammates with a round of 81 while Dustin Pusatere brought in an 82 for RPI.
The match marked the end of the career for Wendell and LaBombard, both of whom provided excellent leadership and played well on a fairly young Red Hawks squad.
Making a splash
The Rensselaer swimming and diving team will open their season with a home meet against Rochester this Saturday at Robison Pool at 2 pm.
Pat Fell, who received NCAA honorable mention for the men last year, returns as captain to lead the Red Hawks.
The men’s squad has all three of their 2003-2004 captains returning in the seniors Fell and Pat Spooner, and junior Rob Olivo.
The women will be searching for new leadership after the departure of NCAA national champion Meghan Hartman.
The women will return one of last year’s captains, senior Melissa Hershey. Hershey is one of six seniors that will attempt to guide a very young team as the Red Hawks will have nine sophomores competing on their roster this winter.
