As the semester ends, seven Belmont teams have wrapped up their fall seasons. Many of the squads and individuals had strong, even record-breaking seasons. In this article, the Vision has recapped the records and accomplishments for every Belmont team that took the field (or course, or court) this semester.
Men’s Soccer
The Belmont men’s soccer team wrapped up a mediocre season in November with a 7-9-2 record and seventh-place finish in the Atlantic Sun.
The Bruins’ season was highlighted with strong play from junior and first team all-conference member Brandon Tarr, who led the team with 10 goals, and sophomore second team all conference member Nico Olsak, who was second on the team with four goals and led the team with eight assists.
During the season, Tarr also became the all-time leading goal and point scorer in the history of Belmont men’s soccer program.
The Bruins also got major contributions from junior goal keeper Lou Manning, who was twice named defensive player of the week in the Atlantic Sun and was tied for first in the conference with 90 saves. Although the season certainly did not end the way the Bruins and head coach Earle Davidson had hoped, Belmont returns many of its key contributors for next season. The team ‘s conference has not been announced. Other Belmont sports will move to the Ohio Valley Conference, which doesn’t include soccer.
Women’s Soccer
The Belmont women’s soccer team had a season of streaks this fall, finishing the year with an 8-8-1 record before losing to North Florida in the opening round of the conference tournament.
Seniors Dani Stolt and Gretchen Sutch, who finished the season with three goals apiece, led the Bruins in their first season at Rose Park. Sutch and sophomore goalie Nicole Berner were named to the all-conference second team, and freshman Alison Alcott was named to the conference all-freshman team.
First-year head coach Heather Henson will lose seven seniors next season, including four of the six leading scorers for the Bruins.
Women’s Golf
The fall season for the women’s golf team had a number of successes, including three Top 5 finishes in the five tournaments they competed in.
Junior Janet Steen and senior Kelly Maguigan led the way for the Bruins, and each was recognized during the season as an Atlantic Sun Women’s Golfer of the Week.
Steen, Maguigan and freshman Sydney Hudson led in scoring averages for the Bruins this fall season, as all three had average scores below 80. The Bruins, led by head coach Lisa Bradford, will open the spring season Feb. 19 at the Birmingham-Southern Invitational.
Men’s Golf
With four new freshmen on the men’s golf team, the first half of the team’s season started slowly for the Bruins, who finished anywhere from third to 14th in the five tournaments they played in.
Freshman Ted Moon led the team with a 73.3 average and was the only member of the Bruins to post two Top 10 individual scores, finishing fifth in the Murray State Invitational and sixth in the Austin Peay Intercollegiate.
Sophomore Ben Simpson and junior Elliott Wickenden also played in most matches for the Bruins. Both are averaging a 73.7 score for the season. The Bruins’ spring season will kick off March 5 at the Samford Intercollegiate in Birmingham, Ala.
Men’s Cross-Country
Belmont’s men’s cross- country completed the season with a 10th-place finish at the NCAA Southern Regional in Tuscaloosa, Ala., in November.
This year’s cross-country team finished fifth or better in three tournaments and also featured a host of new faces, including three new freshmen on the nine-player team.
Junior and new transfer Matt Miller was the most consistent runner for the Bruins, posting the best individual time for the team in each event.
Reigning Atlantic-Sun Freshman of the Year Erick Kigen and sophomore Josh Helton also had consistently strong results in each of the five meets throughout the season. The entire team is projected to return for next season.
Women’s Cross-Country
The women’s cross-country team finished one of its more impressive seasons in recent memory this fall, landing in the Top 10 in every event they competed in, including a first-place finish at the Evansville Invitational in October.
Many players contributed to the Bruins’ success, including A-Sun Freshman of the Year Mia Elbon, senior Caitlin Standifer, and Nicole and Kimberly Muldowney.
The Bruins wrapped up the season with a 10th-place finish in the NCAA South Regional, the last meet for seniors Standifer, Hannah Cavicchio and Kaitlyn Eberhardt.
Volleyball
After a 2-5 start for the 2011 season, the Bruins came back strong. After winning 18 of their last 21 matches, the Bruins tied for first place in the Atlantic-Sun and advanced to the conference championship for the second time in four years.
The highlight of the season was a four-set win at home over rival Lipscomb, ending the Lady Bisons’ 44-match conference win streak that lasted three years. Throughout the season, senior hitter Maggie Johnson, the Atlantic Sun co-player of the year, anchored the Bruins.
But Johnson was far from being the only standout on the team. This year’s squad featured five all-conference selections, including first-team selections Johnson, Hannah Miranda and Jamie Lundstrom. Sophomore Jen Myer also set an NCAA record for service aces in a match and leads the nation in aces per game.
Head coach Deane Webb received Coach of the Year honors in the conference as well.