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Wild Finishes, Unbeatens & The Kenyon Ladies - Mar 17, 2008
posted by: Josh
• What a wild weekend. We all know selections for the Division I Men's Championship were yesterday evening and the Division I Women's Bracket will be announced tonight, but why don't we use the coffee to take some sips from the other divisions? • My beloved Brandeis Judges won't be competing for the 50th Division III championship hosted by Salem, Virginia. Brandeis lost to defending champ Amherst in the sectional final Saturday night, 65-55, mostly because a 17-0 second-half run by the Lord Jeffs was too much to overcome. Ursinus won a thriller over Coast Guard in overtime, 82-76, to reach the national semifinals, while Hope and Wash. U in St. Louis also advanced to Salem. • On the women's side, Howard Payne topped Hope, 53-49, in a match-up between the only two unbeaten teams in the country. Meia Daniels led the Yellow Jackets with 37 points. Also reaching the national semifinals were Messiah, Oglethorpe and Wisconsin-Whitewater. • What an exciting finish at the DIII women's indoor track meet. Illinois Wesleyan won the national championship by beating Wartburg by four-tenths of a second in the last event, the 4x400-meter relay. Wartburg would have won the meet by placing first ahead of Illinois Wesleyan in the event. Rachel Anderson, who won her third straight indoor 400-meter dash for IWU earlier today, anchored the winning relay. Wesleyan brought five women to the meet and won with 30 points, which is the lowest total in indoor history. • Could the Division II Wrestling Championships have been any more thrilling? Nebraska-Kearney heavyweight Tervel Dlagnev posted a dramatic come-from-behind victory over Central Oklahoma's Dustin Finn to help the Lopers to a half-point victory (108.5-108) over Minnesota State-Mankato. Dlagnev, a four-time all-American, won the last 70 matches of his college career. • A couple of Association-wide championships took place this weekend. Alaska Fairbanks won its third straight rifle title by edging Army in West Point. Ohio State finished ahead of Notre Dame to win the fencing championships. For a first-hand account of the fencing championship, read today's guest blog from Brandeis student-athlete Eugene Vortsman. • Surprise! The Kenyon women won another national championship in the pool, giving the Ladies 22 in 25 years. It was the 50th national championship in the sport for the college. • Amherst finished second overall, as Kendra Stern won the 100-, 200- and 500-yard freestyle races and teammate Brittany Sasser was equally dominant in the backstroke, winning the 100-yard and 200-yard events while setting meet records in both. Amherst head coach Nick Nichols was named coach of the meet for the second year in a row. • Southern Connecticut State sophomore Kristen Frost won four individual titles at the Division II Swimming and Diving Championships. Truman State won its seventh crown in eight years. 
CommentsI don't agree that the defending national champion deserves an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. Although it can be heartbreaking that a team of such stature won't be able to defend their title, it is also devastating that another team won't have a chance to fight for their own title just because a team last year won a trophy. What must be realized is, in many cases, the team that wins the title each year gains and loses players at the end of every season. Because of this, why would it be fair to allow a defending national champion to be able to compete for a title that five to six different players may have earned and none of which might play the following year. Moving on to the next level should be earned - not given - to someone. Post a Comment |
  
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