Whitman Pioneer Issue 9 Feature by Whitman College Wire

SPORTS

OCT

31 2012

PAGE

Cross country, volleyball seniors close out careers by TRISTAN GAVIN Staff Reporter

hen the fall sports come to an end in the following weeks, so too will the collegiate athletic careers of many seniors. For most, this season marks the peak of an athletic career that will likely never continue at such a competitive level. For all, it is the end of an emotional roller coaster that has shaped their experiences at Whitman College. Senior runner Taylor Mesojednik is set to compete in the regional competitions for cross country next weekend. Mesojdnik, a captain, qualified for the NCAA DIII West Regionals with his 26th place finish in the Northwest Conference Championships this past weekend, second only to co-captain Cory Rand out of Whitman’s squad. “It’s an awesome way to cap off my four years,” said Mesojednik, who has had his best year as a collegiate runner in 2012. Meojednik will be running on the same weekend many of his classmates take the written exams for his BBMB major, choosing to wait until the spring to take it rather than cut his final season short. The decision was difficult for Mesojednik, who values academics highly. “The structure of cross country has always allowed me to maintain high standards in academics,” said Mesojednik, who found solace in study breaks spent

running with his teammates. “It will probably be my last time running competitively for a team,” said Mesojednik, who expects running to be something he takes with him after he graduates. “I will probably run marathons, but the support of a group of runners with the same common goal is something I will miss after graduation.” Mesojednik is set to graduate with a BBMB major and plans to attend medical school after graduation. Senior Shannon McCarty of the women’s cross country team will join Mesojednik

at regionals after placing 24th at the NWC championships and third for the Missionaries. McCarty is also a team captain in her fourth year of cross country and shares sentiments about what could be her final race. “I came to Whitman and immediately had a community in running. That is something I might not find anywhere else,” said McCarty. McCarty is also looking at a career in medicine, but plans to take a year to do volunteer work prior to attending medical school. She also expects running to be a discipline she carries on in life, but knows that the camaraderie is something

she might not experience again. “For now, I have a race to focus on before it really sinks in,” said McCarty. The support she and Mesojednik both referred to is evidenced by the care packages their teammates sent them with on their road trip. The care shown by their teammates is one of the big draws to the sport. “It has definitely always been about the people,” said McCarty of what drove her to come out year after year.

Learn more about sports seniors Visit online at www.whitmanpioneer.com/sports

Staff Reporter

his past weekend, the Whitman men’s and women’s golf teams were hard at work at the Northwest Conference Fall Classic in Ridgefield, Wash. The golfers battled rain, mud and wind throughout the tournament. The Fall Classic is the only tournament of the fall that counts towards the final NWC points standings for the 2012-13 season, leaving this meet to set the precedent for the rest of the season in the spring. The women’s team finished second in the tournament behind George Fox University, who is currently ranked fifth in the nation at the Division III level. This positioning places the team in a good range

soccer

Men’s v. Linfield College Oct. 27: W 4-3 v. Willamette University Oct. 28: T 1-1 Women’s v. Lewis & Clark College Oct. 27: L 1-0 v. Willamette University Oct. 28: W 1-0

volleyball

v. George Fox University Oct. 26: W 3-0 v. Lewis & Clark College Oct. 27: W 3-0

cross country NWC Championships Men’s 9th, Women’s 7th

golf

NWC Fall Classic Men’s 4th, Women’s 2nd

swimming

NWC Sprint Pentathlon Men’s 1st, Women’s 4th NWC Relays Men’s and Women’s 2nd

upcoming soccer From left to right: Shannon McCarty and Taylor Mesojednik (cross country) and Olivia Nielson (volleyball) along with the rest of the class of 2013 are rapidly nearing the end of their collegiate athletic career but still have seasons to finish. Photo by Li

Golfers battle elements at Fall Classic by KYLE HOWE

SCOREBOARD

to compete for a spot in the national tournament. The first-place finisher in the NWC at the end of the spring season earns the conference’s automatic bid to Nationals. The men’s team placed in a tie for fourth place with Linfield College, 26 strokes behind the run-away winner, Whitworth University. In addition to being the only point-garnering tournament of the fall, the NWC Fall Classic gives teams a look at the competition and where they stand with the rest of the conference heading into the spring. For the men, they are competing well in an ever-improving conference. At the Fall Classic, Whitman was led by senior captain Geoff Burks, who scored a fourunder-par score of 68 on Sunday that placed him just short of medal-

ist honors. Burks finished tied for tenth overall in a competitive field that saw just six strokes separating the third and tenth place finishers. “The tournament went pretty well. We are scoring better now than we have in the past, but unfortunately the conference as a whole has been improving greatly,” said sophomore Scott Martin, who finished tied for seventeenth overall. The fourth place finish for the men’s team places them within striking distance to win the division in the spring, and was an introduction to collegiate tournaments for the new players. “This tournament puts us tied for fourth going into the spring season which means that we are definitely still in the running for being at the top after the year,” said Martin. ADVERTISEMENT

Unfortunately the poor weather hindered some of the players, especially those who are not accustomed to the weather in the Northwest. “The weather was definitely a factor the first day and that is why our scores were a bit high the first day, but a lot of the team is from the Northwest and used to the bad weather. The ones that are from places where it doesn’t rain as much are learning quickly how to deal with the wet [weather],” said Martin. With the fall season at its end, the men’s team has high hope for the spring with more players joining the team.

For more about the Fall Classic Visit online at www.whitmanpioneer.com/sports

Men’s v. Whitworth University Nov. 3, 3 p.m.: HOME Women’s v. Linfield College Nov. 2, 12 p.m.: HOME

volleyball

v. Linfield College Nov. 2: AWAY v. Pacific University Nov. 3: AWAY

swimming

v. Linfield College Nov. 2: HOME v. Willamette University Nov. 3: HOME

Sports weekly factoid The NWC Championships served as a preparation race for the men’s and women’s cross country teams, who will next travel to compete in the NCAA DIII West Regionals Nov. 10 in Independence, Ore. Whitman will have the chance to qualify both teams and individuals for DIII Nationals Nov. 17.

"Real Talk" features recent Whitman graduates from a wide range of professional fields. Students are invited to engage them in small group discussions with questions about their professions.

Last ! e c n cha

Upcoming Real Talks

To register, go to: http://www.whitman.edu/content/ studentengagement/realtalk

These are the final two Real Talk discussions for the semester!

Dr. Michael Wilcox ’88 Health Care Noon, Nov. 6

Thomas Woodley ’97 Wine Marketing & Sales 4 p.m., Nov. 14

Have questions or want to learn more? Contact Lauren Maher at maherpla.stu@whitman.edu