Wellesley Athletics opened the fall season impressively with field hockey, soccer, tennis, golf, cross country and volleyball winning their respective season openers.
The field hockey team, knocked off last season in the NCAA quarterfinals by number one seeded Bowdoin College, has opened the 2016 season going 3-0. Led by Head Coach Julia King, in her sixth season, the team has outscored their opponents 10-2. Senior Midfielder, Courtney Peterson (Glastonbury, CT), leads the team with four goals and one assist. Peterson, an offensive standout last season boosting NEWMAC All-Conference and NFHCA All-Region honors, is averaging 1.3 goals a game. In cage, Senior Goalkeeper Lucy Hurlock (Needham, MA), has been a force with 16 saves and a goals against average of 0.67. The Blue, whose lineup is full of promising underclassmen, will look to continue their success when they take on the Trinity College Bantams, Sept. 14th in Hartford, CT.
For the cross country team, Senior Mary Kreidel (Boerne, TX), is at again, leading the Blue to win the Roger Williams Invitational on Saturday Sept. 3rd. Following an impressive outdoor track season, where Kreidel placed eighth at the NCAA Division III championships earning herself All-American accolades, the senior starts the fall campaign with a decisive individual title and as the NEWMAC Cross Country Runner of the Week. Kreidel finished in 19:05.31, followed by senior teammates Edie Sharon (Winchester, MA) who placed fourth and Sara Vannah (Amherst, MA) who placed fifth. The Blue finished with three runners finish in the top five. The Wellesley Cross Country team will seek another victory on Saturday Sept. 17th when they head up to the Bates College Invitational in New Gloucester, ME.
Wellesley’s Tennis team has had a strong first two weeks. Blue Tennis opens up 4-1 with three players receiving NEWMAC distinctions. Sophomore Justine Huang (Coto de Caza, Calif.) was named NEWMAC Singles Athlete of the Week after going 3-0 in her first three matches. Huang, now 5-0, is not the only dominating force on the team. Senior Andjela Stojkovic (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) and first year Sarah Yan (Holmdel, N.J.) were named NEWMAC Doubles Team of the Week for two consecutive weeks. Huang and Stojkovic are now 5-0. Under the guidance of Head Coach Brian Kuscher, in his ninth season, the Blue look continue their streak as they take on Clark University Saturday Sept. 17th in Worcester, MA.
