The two-time defending NCAA Division III national champion men’s basketball team and the national runner-up women’s basketball team are both ranked No. 1 in the DIII News Preseason Top 25 Poll. The men’s team also is the preseason No. 1 selection in the Sporting News Magazine Top 10 poll.
The men’s basketball team returns 15 letter winners and four starters from last year’s national title team, including preseason first-team All-America selections Sean Wallis and Aaron Thompson. Both are guards.
The women’s team returns four starters and 14 letter winners from a team that lost to George Fox University in the 2009 NCAA Division III National Championship game. The Bears were 25-6 overall last year and posted a 13-1 record in the University Athletic Association en route to their 18th conference championship.
O’Brien leads 23-0 rout of Rhodes
Junior Jim O’Brien rushed for a career-high 146 yards and eclipsed 1,000 yards for his career to lead the football team to a 23-0 victory over Rhodes College Oct. 3.
The Bears had a 378-273 advantage in total offense, including a season-high 222 yards on the ground. Junior quarterback Stephen Sherman was 11-for-17 for 113 yards and touchdown, while sophomore wide receiver Easton Knott had two receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown.
WUSTL evened its record at 2-2 and returns to action Saturday, Oct. 10, at No. 12-ranked Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind.
Women’s golf ranked No. 9 in poll
The women’s golf team is ranked No. 9 in the Golf World/National Golf Coaches Association Division III Coaches’ Poll.
This marks the first time in school history the Bears have achieved a top 25 ranking.
Volleyball has winning weekend in Rochester
The No. 5 volleyball team won the first University Athletic Association (UAA) round robin of the season with a 3-0 record last weekend in Rochester, N.Y.
The Bears defeated Brandeis University, 3-0, Oct. 3 and then swept the University of Rochester and Case Western Reserve University Oct. 4.
Senior middle hitter Erin Albers had the best weekend offensively, leading the team with 33 kills, 3.67 per set, and a .407 hitting percentage. Freshman Marilee Fisher had 108 assists over three matches, and freshman libero Kelly Pang averaged 6.0 digs per set, tallying 54 over the weekend.
WUSTL (15-3, 3-0 UAA) hosts the Washington University Invitational this weekend at the WU Field House. The Bears begin play Friday, Oct. 9, facing Elmhurst College at 5:15 p.m., and Central College at 7:30 p.m.
Men’s soccer tops Emory in UAA opener
The men’s soccer team is off to a 1-0 start in University Athletic Association (UAA) play, thanks to a 2-0 win at Emory University Oct. 4.
Junior Harry Beddo scored the game-winning goal in the 13th minute to lift the Bears to the win. Senior John Hengel added an insurance score in the 81st minute. Senior goalkeeper John Smelcer made five saves, picking up his fifth shutout of the season and the 25th of his career.
WUSTL improves to 11-7-6 all-time against Emory and ended a five-game losing streak to the Eagles. The Bears (6-1-3, 1-0 UAA) host No. 10 Carnegie Mellon University at 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, at Francis Field.
Cross country competes at classic
The men’s and women’s cross country teams competed at the Greater Louisville Classic Oct. 3, with the women taking ninth in a field of 35 teams and the men finishing 17th in a field of 38.
The competitive meet featured mostly NCAA Division I schools. Junior Taryn Surtees led the women’s squad, finishing 21st with a time of 18:04.28 in the 5k run. For the men, junior Michael Burnstein paced the team with a 45th-place finish and a time of 25:06.99 on the men’s 8k course.
Both teams return to action Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Cross Country Challenge in Terre Haute, Ind.
Women’s tennis strong at regionals
The women’s tennis team performed well at the 2009 Intercollegiate Tennis Association Central Region Singles and Doubles Championships, held Oct. 2-5 in Greencastle, Ind.
WUSTL was led by freshman Kate Klein, who posted a 4-1 record en route to a semifinal appearance in the singles draw.
Senior Allison Dender and sophomore Natalie Tingir advanced to the semifinal round of the main doubles draw. Dender won the consolation singles bracket, and sophomore Luisa Errichetti and senior Stacey Goebel played into the semifinal round of the consolation doubles tournament.
WUSTL has concluded play for the fall season and will be back in action in early 2010 for the spring season.
Women’s soccer ties at Emory
The No. 13-ranked women’s soccer team posted a 1-1 double overtime tie at Emory University in the University Athletic Association (UAA) opener for both teams Oct. 4 in Atlanta.
Sophomore Emma Brown scored the lone goal for WUSTL at the 21:32 mark in the first half. The goal was Brown’s UAA-leading 10th of the season. Freshman Clara Jaques played all 110 minutes in goal, facing 13 shots and making a career-high eight saves.
The Bears (7-2-1, 0-0-1 UAA) stepped out of conference play Oct. 7 at Division II University of Missouri-St. Louis. WUSTL hosts UAA foe Carnegie Mellon University at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11.