Wrestler's national title one of many winter sports standouts for Big Red
Kyle Dake '13 earned an 8-1 decision over Frank Molinaro of Penn State in the NCAA finals March 19, becoming the first Cornell wrestler to win national titles as both a freshman and sophomore. Photo by Lindsey Mechalik.
Kyle Dake '13 won his second consecutive national title in commanding fashion to help the Big Red wrestling team to a second-place finish for the second straight year in the team race at the 2011 NCAA tournament March 19, marking what might be the biggest highlight among many for Cornell's winter sports teams during the month of March.
At 149 pounds, fourth-seeded Dake earned an 8-1 decision over second seed Frank Molinaro of Penn State in the finals to become the first Cornell wrestler to win national titles as both a freshman and sophomore.
Despite coming up short of its goal to win a national team championship, the Big Red totaled a program-best 93.5 team points and set a school record with five All-Americans -- Dake, Mack Lewnes '11, Mike Grey '11, Cam Simaz '12 and Steve Bosak '13 -- at the championships.
Lewnes capped a historic career by becoming a three-time All-American with a fourth-place finish at 174 pounds. Grey earned his second All-America honor after taking sixth at 133 pounds, while Simaz became a three-time All-American at 197 pounds with a third-place finish. Bosak earned his first All-American award with a fourth-place finish at 184 pounds.
The Big Red women's ice hockey team captured the ECAC Hockey tournament title (pictured) and advanced to the NCAA Frozen Four. Photo by Darl Zehr.
Women's ice hockey
For the second straight season, the Big Red women's ice hockey team won the Ivy League championship, captured the ECAC Hockey regular season and tournament titles and advanced to the NCAA Frozen Four. Along the way, the squad won a school record 31 games and featured three All-Americans -- Laura Fortino '13, Lauriane Rougeau '13 and Rebecca Johnston '12.
While the Cornell season came to an end at the hands of Boston University in the national semifinals, the team rolled through the 2010-11 campaign in dominant fashion, ending the year ranked in the top 10 in nearly every NCAA statistical category, including posting the most shutouts (12) of any team in the nation.
Cornell won its first ECAC gymnastics team title and claimed five individual champions on three different events.
Perhaps more importantly, the team captured the hearts of the Ithaca community and broke the attendance record twice during the season, culminating with a program-best 2,711 fans watching the Big Red defeat Dartmouth, 3-0, in the ECAC Hockey tournament final.
Gymnastics
Melanie Standridge '12 in action on the beam during the regular season. She won the ECAC beam title and will compete at the 2011 NCAA Regionals on April 2. Photo by Tim McKinney.
Cornell won its first ECAC gymnastics team title by edging out Penn by half a point and topping the seven-team field with a score of 191.675. Additionally, the Big Red claimed five individual champions on three different events, and assistant coach Melanie Dilliplane was named the ECAC Assistant Coach of the Year for the second time in three years.
Melanie Standridge '12 won the beam title with a score of 9.850 and, for her efforts, earned an invitation to compete at the 2011 NCAA Regionals in Ann Arbor, Mich., on April 2. A two-time USAG All-American on beam and the school record holder (9.9) in the event, she is the first Cornell gymnast to qualify for NCAA Regionals since Maddie Pearsall '11 in 2008.
Also winning ECAC titles were McKenna Archer '13 and Emily Santoro '11, who shared the vault crown after both scored a 9.800 on the event, while Alexis Schupp '14 and Pearsall shared the title on bars after scoring 9.700.
Men's ice hockey
The Big Red men's hockey team finished the year with a winning 16-15-3 record and returned to the ECAC Hockey tournament title game in Atlantic City (pictured) for the third straight season. Photo by Patrick Shanahan.
After graduating seven letter winners, including three who have gone on to appear on an NHL roster in the past year, the Big Red rebounded from a historically slow start to return to the ECAC Hockey tournament title game for the third straight season.
Despite utilizing a host of young and untested players, Cornell finished the year with a winning record (16-15-3) for the 12th straight season, and made its 10th appearance in the ECAC Hockey championship game in 16 years under head coach Mike Schafer.
Following the season, Joe Devin '11 garnered second-team All-ECAC Hockey honors, while his brother, Mike Devin '11, was placed on the third team, and goaltender Andy Iles '14 earned a spot on the All-Rookie team.
Nick Sachvie '14, pictured with head coach Mark DeVoy, advanced to the finals of the College Squash Association's Individual National Championship bracket. Though he lost the title match, he earned the highest finish ever by a Cornell men's squash player at a national tournament.
Men's squash
Nick Sachvie '14 advanced to the finals of the College Squash Association's Individual National Championship bracket before falling in the national title match, earning the highest finish ever by a Cornell men's squash player at the national tournament.
Sachvie, who spent his freshman year at Niagara College in Ontario, posted a 12-3 record on the year while playing at the No. 1 spot in the lineup in team matches. He was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Year and was a unanimous selection to the All-Ivy team, where he was joined by teammates Alex Domenick '12 and Thomas Spettigue '12.
Cornell fencers Christine McIntosh '14, left, and April Whitney '14 (with head coach Iryna Dolgikh) both finished in the top 20 at the 2011 NCAA championships. Photo by Michael McIntosh.
Fencing
While Cornell sent just two fencers to the 2011 NCAA championships, the future looks very bright, as both Christine McIntosh '14 and April Whitney '14 finished in the top 20 in their first postseason appearances. The Big Red used points by the freshmen foils to place 17th overall, a feat all the more impressive considering that fencing is scored as a co-ed sport by the NCAA, and Cornell competes with just a women's team.
McIntosh placed 14th overall with 11 victories over the two-day tournament, four of which came against fencers that finished higher than she in the final standings. McIntosh's best victories included a commanding 5-1 win over eventual bronze medalist Evgeniya Kirpicheva (St. John's) and a slim 4-3 triumph over Irina Koroleva (St. John's), who ended the tournament in fifth place.
Whitney finished 18th at the tournament with eight victories, half of which came against fencers that finished higher than she in the final standings. Included were wins over a pair of top 10 finishers, as she defeated Temple's Alyssa Lomuscio (seventh), 5-4, and Notre Dame's Hayley Reese (eighth), 5-3.