10 offensive starters back for football team
The numbers are plentiful for the football team this year. The Bears return 10 starters on offense, six on defense and two specialists — and with numbers like those, it’s no secret that the Bears are looking for a return to the top of the University Athletic Association.
Last season, the Bears posted a 6-4 overall record and placed second in the UAA. This marked the first time in five seasons WUSTL did not finish atop the UAA. The Bears ended the season on a positive note, however, winning their last four road games to secure a school-record, 13th straight winning season.
Senior Ryan Kennon anchors an experienced offensive line featuring eight different returning linemen who started at least one game in 2005. Kennon, a second-team all-UAA selection, has started 30 straight games at right guard.
Senior Nick Henry emerged as the Bears’ starting quarterback last year after passing for 1,706 yards and 13 touchdowns. A second-team all-UAA selection, Henry finished the season on a high note in the Bears’ four-game road winning streak throwing for 906 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Senior running back DaRonne Jenkins, a second-team all-UAA honoree, ran for a team-best 548 yards and eight touchdowns as the premier back for the Bears last season.
Juniors Dan Cardone and Joe Lubelski will be the heart of the receiving corps this season. Cardone had 16 catches for 196 yards and one touchdown, while Lubelski, a second-team all-UAA selection, made 14 catches for 166 yards.
Senior defensive lineman Drew Wethington leads the Bears defense, which finished 19th in Division III in total defense. Wethington, a first-team all-UAA and third-team all-region selection, led the Bears in solo tackles (35), tackles for a loss (19) and sacks (10).
Sophomore defensive back Tommy Bawden (51 tackles) and senior linebacker Michael Elliott (51) also return on defense for the Bears.
Senior punter Chaz Moody also returns. Moody, a second-team all-UAA selection, averaged 37 yards per kick and landed 12 inside the 20-yard line.
3 All-Americans will lead volleyball squad
On the surface, the 2006 season might seem like the beginning of something new for the volleyball team. Of the five All-America honorees from last season, the Bears’ two first-team selections have graduated and only three starters from last year’s 35-2 squad are back.
Yet drawing on past experiences could be key to the hopes of the Red and Green this year. Three years ago, the Bears celebrated their Division III-record eighth national championship. Well, those freshmen have now matured into well-versed seniors. In their first three seasons, the seniors have helped lead WUSTL to a 105-12 record — an .897 winning percentage.
The graduation of All-Americans Megan Houck and Kara Liefer will undoubtedly leave big shoes to fill. Houck, who earned two All-America citations at middle blocker, hit .412 and totaled 134 blocks last season. Liefer, a three-time All-America setter, graduated as the Bears’ third all-time leader in assists.
This is where WUSTL’s 11 returning letter-winners — including three All-Americans from 2005 — will factor in the 2006 equation.
Senior co-captain Whitney Smith garnered second-team All-America honors in her first season as a starter on the right side. Additionally, juniors Haleigh Spencer (second team at outside hitter) and co-captain Emilie Walk (honorable mention at middle hitter) also added All-America citations to their trophy cases.
Add to that senior co-captains Amy Bommarito, a defensive specialist, and Megan Delcourt, a setter, along with the influx of four freshmen and three transfers and it is clear that the Bears have another formidable group.
Leading scorer returns for men’s soccer team
After a hard-fought season during which the Bears battled through various injuries to key players, the men’s soccer team has high hopes for 2006.
The Red and Green mustered an 8-7-4 overall record in 2005, marking the 23rd straight season of a .500-or-better winning percentage.
WUSTL returns 20 players, including six starters from that group. Junior Marshall Plow led the Bears in scoring last season, notching five goals (all game-winners) and four assists for 14 points. Classmate Onyi Okoroafor, who garnered honorable-mention all-UAA accolades, added four goals and three assists and a team-high 48 shots.
Senior Matt Fenn returns in goal for the Red and Green. Fenn compiled an 8-6-3 record as the starting keeper, posting 62 saves, a 0.91 goals-against average and five shutouts.
Junior Elie Zenner leads a strong line of defense. Zenner, an honorable-mention all-UAA back in 2005, helped the Bears — in search of their first conference title since 1999 — limit their opposition to 19 goals scored last season.
Head coach Joe Clarke, who recorded his 300th career win last season, is also on the verge of another milestone.
Clarke enters 2006 just one win shy of No. 100 in his career at the University.
Six starters return for women’s soccer team
After finishing with a disappointing 11-7-1 record and a fourth-place finish in the UAA last season, the women’s soccer team is eager to hit the field in 2006. Fifth-year head coach Wendy Dillinger has six starters back from last season, including all-region selections Meghan-Marie Fowler-Finn and Talia Bucci.
Fowler-Finn, a first-team all-UAA honoree in 2005, led the Bears in scoring for the third-straight season with seven goals and four assists for 18 points. Fowler-Finn enters her final season ranked fourth on the all-time list in goals (28), and fifth in points (34) and game-winning goals (eight).
Senior midfielder Bucci, also a first-team all-UAA selection, started 18 games in the midfield last year, tallying three goals and three assists.
Senior forward Sara Schroeder started 15 games last season, and enters her final season ranked 10th on the all-time goals list (13). Juniors Marin McCarthy (three goals) and Kim O’Keefe (four goals) each provided a scoring punch up front last season for the Bears.
In the backfield, Washington U. returns two starters in juniors Jessica Denewith and Breta Kennedy. The two were mainstays in the defense, which allowed just 12 goals and posted 10 shutouts. Denewith made 16 starts last season, while Kennedy earned honorable-mention all-UAA honors after starting 18 of 19 games.
Dillinger also expects an immediate impact from a talented freshman class.
UAA champ Herndon leads corps of runners
After another banner season, one might wonder what the cross country team has in store for 2006. Well, if tradition and experience are any indicator, more success should be on the horizon.
Remember, in 2005, the WUSTL women took third place at the NCAA Championships for the second-straight year and won a fourth-straight UAA title.
Meanwhile, the men sent two runners to the NCAA Championships and cracked the NCAA Division III Top 25 by year’s end.
Senior Beth Herndon and junior Tyler Mulkin, who each earned All-America honors last season, return to the mix this year. Herndon, who also won the individual UAA title, took 11th (22:33.5) and Mulkin placed 29th (22:54.0) at the NCAA meet.
Additionally, junior Kate Pentak (76th place) and senior Lindsay Harkema (78th) are coming off strong NCAA Championship performances. An experienced group, the WUSTL women, winners of eight UAA titles, return 15 runners to the fold, including 12 juniors and seniors.
Senior Kevin Gale, who provided some of WUSTL’s men’s highlights last season, lead a strong group of men.
After finishing 70th (26:57.5) in a field of 211 finishers at last year’s NCAA Championships, Gale will join teammate Jimmy Centella, who begins graduate studies this fall, as two of the team’s more season runners.