What is your best Stags’ tennis memory?
Last season against UC Santa Cruz to advance to the Elite 8 in Maine, I clinched the match in the 3rd set while cramping in front of the most fans I’ve ever played in front of.  It was awesome. People were screaming after every point I won and the whole moment was surreal. I only wish I had known that mine was the clinching win so I could have done a better celebration.

Larry ripping a forehand

What is it like playing at the new tennis center?
The BFTC (Biszantz Family Tennis Center) is by far the best college courts I’ve ever played at. Hopefully I’ll get to play another dual match here in front of even more fans now that we have the capacity to.

How have you handled the pressure of playing #1 singles and doubles?
It’s definitely been a challenge because the #1 player is the leader on the court of every team, so everytime I play I feel like all eyes are on me from both sides, but I just embrace it and believe that I belong there.

Give three words that describe your game style:
Aggressive, fearless, and fluid.

What are your plans for next year?
I’ve been accepted to grad school for a Master’s Program in Public Health, but I’m not sure where to go. I would love to stay in SoCal.

Who is your favorite current Stags’ tennis athlete?
‘Big Shot’ Bob Erani (Robbie Erani, CMC ’12) because he comes up with some unreal shots if you’re patient enough to watch through his girly forehands.

Who is your favorite team to play against?
UC Santa Cruz, because it’s a war everytime we play.

Favorite Video Game:
Any of the Grand Theft Auto games

Favorite Drink:
HI-C Fruit Punch juice box

Something people don’t know about you:
Who I am and what I look like.

If you had to date one teammate who would it be?
Ron Wu hands down. He’s a 5 tool stud—he has a great body, he’s an athlete, he’s smart, he’s funny, and he’s got some nasty dance moves.

___________
CMS Tennis have their respective regular season finales this weekend. The SCIAC tournament for the ladies will be here, while the men will try for their fourth straight title at Redlands. Check the athletics website here for updates!

Here is a quick look at how the teams are doing.

Baseball: Overall Record 11-14, Conference 6-3, SCIAC Rank: Tied-3rd. The Men’s Baseball team has played solidly in conference play, amassing six wins with four more SCIAC series left. The Stags are chasing Pomona-Pitzer and Cal Lutheran, and are tied with Redlands for 3rd in the conference. This weekend, the Stags take on cross-street rival P-P, playing there on Friday and hosting two games Saturday.

Softball: Overall Record 20-6, Conference 9-3, SCIAC Rank: 2nd. The Women’s Softball heads into the second turn of conference play ranked 2nd in SCIAC. The Athenas have played some great ball this season, at times ranked Top 25 nationally. This weekend, the Athenas take on 6th Street rival Pomona-Pitzer at home for a Saturday doubleheader.

Women’s Water Polo: Overall Record 6-10, Conference 1-1, SCIAC Rank: Tied-4th. The Athenas have just begun their conference play after taking on various D1 and NAIA teams at the beginning of the season. After last Saturday’s disappointing home loss to Pomona-Pitzer, the women bounced back by defeating Whittier away and now host SCIAC forerunner Cal Lu Saturday.

Men’s Tennis: Overall Record 18-4, Conference 5-0, SCIAC Rank: Tied-1st. Stags tennis has mixed in conference play with hosting some of the nation’s finest D3 teams. Halfway through the season, the Stags are ranked 3rd in the country, and look to capture their fourth consecutive SCIAC championship in the coming weeks. This weekend, the men host Redlands at 9:30am on Saturday, with whom they are tied for the SCIAC lead.

Women’s Tennis: Overall Record 10-5, Conference 3-1, SCIAC Rank: Tied-3rd. The women’s tennis team has won their last three SCIAC matches after losing the season opener to Cal Lu. This upcoming weekend is crucial for the ladies, as they take on Occidental and Redlands on the road.

Track and Field: SCIAC Rank: 1st. The Men’s and Women’s Track and Field teams have continued to dominate the conference, building on last years dual-championship season. At the SCIAC Invitational meet in early March, the Stags won for the 4th year, dominating the field events and winning a handful of individual and relay events. The Athenas also won for the 4th year in a row, posting a number of individual and relay event wins. At the SCIAC Top 4 the next week, the Stags and Athenas topped the field once again. Looking forward, CMS Track has SCIAC multi-duals and SCIAC Championships in April.

Photo: CMS Athletics

CMS Swimming After Winning SCIACs

The Athenas continued to set SCIAC and CMS record times, capping off the finest season in the program’s history, and possibly the finest in SCIAC history. Three individuals earned All-American honors, as well as two relay squads. Two other swimmers and the three other relays earned Honorable Mention All-American honors. In total, all five relays set CMS and SCIAC records, and six individual event CMS records were broken.

Anne Perizzolo, the 2008 SCIAC Women’s Swimmer of the Year, garnered double All-American honors, finishing 2nd in the 200 breast and 4th in the 100 breast. Katie Bilotti, this year’s Swimmer of the Year, earned All-American status by finishing 7th in the 100 butterfly. Whitney Dawson claimed her All-American credentials by snagging 3rd in the 1650 freestyle, breaking an 11-year old conference record in doing so.

Every one of the seven Athenas competing made an impact. Other Athenas that swam were Jenni Rinker, Emma Jones, Carliann Brashier, and Jordan Stewart. Perhaps the best news of all is that only Stewart, the women’s captain, is graduating this year.

Though overshadowed by the Athenas’ performance, the Stags duo of Vincent Pai and Nick Ostreim, a freshman and sophomore, set records of their own. Pai qualified 12th in the 200 breast, then dominated the consolation final, touching in at 1:59:90, good for the 2nd fastest time in the event. His effort broke at 12-year old record.

Ostreim finished 12th in the 200 backstroke, breaking a CMS record that had stood since 1983. Ostreim, who swam at NCAAs last year, also finished 32nd in the 100 back. Both Pai and Ostreim garnered Honorable Mention All-American status.

What is your best stags bball memory?
Cutting down the nets on Saturday night after beating Pomona-Pitzer.

How have you handled the switch to coming off the bench? How has your role changed?
The switch to being a reserve has been fine. I understood when it happened because I wasn’t playing well, and Pat (Lacey) was. My role has changed to being an energy guy off the bench, and all I care about is winning, and since the change we’ve been playing better!

Why do you point to the fans?
Haha, good question. I point to the fans to show my appreciation to you guys. It means a lot to me when people come out to the games. Its not Division 1 or anything special, so when friends come out I want to make sure they know I appreciate them. At home, we have a huge advantage with the crowd and I also want to make sure they’re into the game.

Give three words that describe your game style: Energetic, pesky, unorthodox

Who is your favorite current stags bball athlete?
This is tough… it’s gotta be Shane Davis. He’s soooo smooth.

Who is your favorite team to play against?
It’s Pomona-Pitzer, but I also enjoy playing CLU because they always have a “dominant” big man that I like to shutting down.

If you had to date one current stags bball player, who would it be?
Gotta be Caleb “Zeus” Davis. Too much muscle.

Favorite video game: Is that really a question? Halo

Favorite drink: Creamsickle, but for sobes it’s a nice cold ice water from Collins.

Something people don’t know about you: I’m a vegetarian and have once been held in a white room in an airport on suspicion of terrorist activity.

Be sure to follow tonight’s game against Whitworth online here. That link leads to a video feed, live stats, and an audio cast of the game. Tipoff is at 7. Go STAGS!!

On Friday night, the Stags took on Cal Lutheran in a packed Ducey Gym. With a rowdy crowd sporting special 6th Man T-shirts, the Stags jumped out to a quick lead and held a comfortable 28-18 halftime margin over the Kingsmen. Cal Lu was not finished however, and came out firing in the second half.

Conner Faught squaring up against Cal Lu

In the second, the Kingsmen went on a 15-5 run to close the lead and eventually open up a 4 point margin of their own. The Stags hung tough, and used a balanced team effort to garner a crucial 9-0 run. The Stags iced the game from the free throw line, making 9 of 10 in the final minute to cement the 60-54 win.

Next up for the Stags was rival Pomona-Pitzer, who downed Whittier the night before. These rivals had split the season series 1-1, and the rubber match had all the drama the fans could expect. Ducey Gym, according to a number of former and current players, was swaying with the a level of crowd noise rarely heard in Stags’ history.

The men put together a couple first half runs to earn some breathing room. A stingy defense managed to deter Sagehen shots, and frustrated their ball movement, leading to a number of turnovers. The Sagehens looked out of sync, but had plenty of fight. Going into the locker rooms, the Stags held a 10-point lead at halftime.

In the second, the Stags managed to buck their painful trend of losing halftime leads. The men traded minor offensive runs with the ‘Hens, but never saw their lead slim to less than 6 points. A break in the action due to a lighting failure allowed for the P-P and CMS faithful to square off. Led by David Regalado (CMC ’09), the CMS fans all but willed their Stags to the SCIAC Tournament title with a 56-44 win.

The Stags used another balance effort to beat the Sagehens. Chris Blees recorded his fourth double-double of the season, scoring 11 and grabbing 10 boards. Jason Toney showed great poise, running the offense with 14 points and making key free throws down the stretch. Tejas Gala provided pop off the bench, netting 9, and Conner Faught added 10.

After Day One, the Stags and Athenas are leading the competition – the Stags up 284.5 to Redlands’ 214 and Cal Lu’s 125, and the Athenas up 302 to Redlands’ 197 and Occidental’s 150. Highlights from the first day included the women’s 400 Medley Relay which set a CMS and SCIAC record, crushing the old mark by seven seconds. The Athenas 200 Free Relay also set a new CMS and SCIAC record.

The Stags same relays did not set as many records, but managed to get first and second. A quartet of Stags swept the top four positions in the 200 Individual Medley. Multiple Stags and Athenas have posted NCAA ‘A’ (automatic) and ‘B’ (provisional) qualifying times. Those who qualify will compete at the NCAA Championships in March at the University of Minnesota.

The Men’s Basketball Team is in a three-way tie for second right now behind Pomona-Pitzer, but with Saturday’s home contest against the Sagehens, they have a great opportunity to gain ground. With only four SCIAC games left, every game counts for the Stags, who are eyeing the 4-team postseason tournament. The Stags had a rocky week, blowing a halftime lead at Cal Lu on Saturday, then clamping down against Occidental and getting a crucial win on Wednesday.

The Women’s Basketball Team is currently in fifth place in conference play. The women have three games left, including Saturday’s home matchup against the rival Sagehens. The Athenas will likely need two or three wins to get into the 4-team SCIAC season finale tournament, but they certainly capable, having already defeated Pomona-Pitzer and Whittier.

To check on SCIAC swimming results, click here

Make sure to come out for the Athenas and Stags Bball games against Pomona-Pitzer at 5 and 7:30!

The winter sports teams are in the heart of their seasons, battling it out with SCIAC rivals to try and lay claim to NCAA postseason bids.

The Men’s Basketball team is in the midst of a 3-way tie for second in the conference. At 5-2, the Stags trail leader Pomona-Pitzer by one game, with the second round of SCIAC play continuing tonight with a home contest against Redlands.

The Stags have regained their winning form after stumbling to a home loss against Occidental and a tough defeat by Pomona-Pitzer, winning 3 straight.

The Women’s Basketball team is in their own 3-way tie, in third in the SCIAC behind Occidental and La Verne. The Athenas have put together 2 wins in a row after alternating wins and losses in conference play. The women host Redland’s Thursday night, and have 6 more SCIAC games.

The Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving teams have just completed an unprecedented 14-0 sweep of the conference, as both the Stags and Athenas posted perfect 7-0 records in the SCIAC regular season.

The regular season culminated this past weekend at Redlands, in a highly anticipated dual matchup, covered online by Swimming World Magazine. The men won 129-114 and the women won 158-84. The CMS teams left their mark on Redland’s pool, accumulating 5 pool records, as well as posting 2 national qualifying times.

The swimming season continues with Diving Prelims and the SCIAC Championships during the next two weekends.

to check out coverage of the Redlands-CMS dual meet, click here

to check out CMS sports teams’ schedules, rosters, bios, and other news, click here

Make sure to get out and support your teams as they wrap up their seasons…Go Stags! Go Athenas!

Austin Hallet ’12 pictured.

Photo Credit: Brian Li

Over Thanksgiving, the Stags played two games in the David Wells Classic, winning a close game over Willamette 71-69, then beating up Oberlin 67-60.

Next up for the Stags was the 61st Lee Fulmer Tournament, hosted at Redlands. The tournament featured 8 teams, and is the oldest of its kind on the West Coast. The Stags took down Southwestern College 75-48 in their opener on Thursday. Next, the men beat Whitworth 73-68 to advance to the finals.

In the finale, Chris Blees (CMC SO) went off, dropping 35 points and dishing out 6 dimes. The Stags took control during the opening of the second half, building up a 22 point lead. Whitman got hot and climbed back, knocking down shots and free throws to close the lead to 1 point. Tejas Gala (CMC SR) then sank two short range shots and the Stags held on for a 79-78 win.

The Stags’ win was the 3rd Fulmer Tournament win in their history, and their first since 1986. Blees was named Tournament MVP, and Gala made the All-Tournament Team. Conner Faught (CMC JR) added 41 points in the three games, and Austin Soldner (CMC SR) tallied 15 points and 22 boards.

The Athenas have matched the Stags excellent early-season form. The Athenas went 1-1 during the David Wells Classic, beating Southwestern College and losing to UC Santa Cruz. Since that weekend, the women have won three games convincingly. The Athenas took down La Sierra 59-55 last week, led by Cameron Hanson (CMC JR) and Grace Beck (CMC FR).

Over Thanksgiving, the Athenas traveled Georgia to play in the Smart Women Sweat Classic, hosted by Agnes Scott and Spelman. In their opener, the ladies defeated Agnes Scott 54-45. The next day, the Athenas crushed Bennett College 62-44. The Athenas were led during the weekend by Beck, who totaled 19 points and 13 boards, and Sasha Goldkorn (CMC SR), who tallied 22 and 10.

Football:
Matt Pautler (CMC SO): 1st Team Offense
Brock Olson (CMC JR): 1st Team Defense
Ashton Clarke (CMC SR): 1st Team Defense
Mikey Hirokawa (CMC JR): 2nd Team Offense

Women’s Soccer:
Laura Hagen (CMC SO): 1st Team
Camila Friedman-Gerlicz (CMC JR): 1st Team
Giselle Galanto (CMC JR): 1st Team
Ashley Green (CMC SR): 2nd Team
Sarah Blavet (CMC SR): 2nd Team
Stefanie Chan (CMC SO): 2nd Team

Men’s Soccer:
Michael Nguyentat (CMC SO): 1st Team
Ryan Fahey (CMC JR): 1st Team
Tomislav Zbozinek (CMC JR): 1st Team
Kevin Festini (CMC SR): 2nd Team

Men’s Water Polo:
Andrew Cosentino (CMC SO): 1st Team
Vince Schiavoni (CMC FR): 2nd Team

Women’s Volleyball:
Emily Hudson (CMC FR): 1st Team
Helena Bottemiller (CMC SR): 2nd Team
Alex Harrison (CMC SR): 2nd Team