Springtime often includes an immediate slowdown in Northeastern athletic excitement.
Former national champions like the Denver and North Dakota hockey programs and March Madness spoilers like the Vermont basketball team are no longer visiting the campus. Athletic competition has moved outdoors, away from Matthews Arena and the Cabot Center to Brookline, Dedham and Cambridge.
During the 2005 spring season in particular, there was certainly a lot for NU’s diamond, track and river athletes to follow up on:
-There was Jason Guerriero, Tim Judy and Keni Gibson making their final skates on the FleetCenter ice for the 2005 Beanpot and helping lead the Huskies back to the Hockey East playoffs
-There was Jose Juan Barea and Shawn James increasing excitement in Northeastern basketball in a watershed season for the program
-There was first-year women’s basketball player Shaleyse Smallwood highlighting many contests for the Huskies in her America East Rookie of the Year campaign
-There was the ironic twist of fate for the men’s and women’s track programs at their final indoor America East championships, answering coach Sherman Hart’s call in winning both titles
In all, it would have been too much to ask for the same type of sports enthusiasm that inundated Huntington Avenue’s fans over the winter.
Here’s a few of the spring memories:
Baseball team makes another visit to Fort Myer:
This time, as The News’ headline read: it was an afternoon with champions for the Huskies. This time, seniors like Devin Monds, Tim Bush and Jeff Heriot were chatting with heroes like David Ortiz and Johnny Damon. This time, the obsessed, rabid Red Sox crowds in South Florida were taking a closer look at Northeastern’s face off against the World Series Champion Red Sox.
Northeastern manager Neil McPhee had a final thought in the dugout across from Terry Francona and the Red Sox that afternoon: “What could be any better. In America, that’s what it’s all about. Spring training, baseball and a cookout.”
The final score seemed like a nightmare to the team: 17-0 Red Sox and no hits for the Huskies. But as McPhee pointed out, it didn’t matter. He only had to look at Miguel Paquette chatting with Manny Ramirez at first base, or the wide-eyed Huskies stepping in to face Tim Wakefield.
Baseball finishes first in America East; Ottavino rises as sophomore
The Huskies had a bittersweet finish to their season, a 10-inning 6-5 loss to Vermont which dashed their dreams of making it further along in the America East tournament. NU did finish the America East season 14-6, however, ahead of both Maine and Vermont.
A lot of that success came from sophomore Adam Ottavino, America East’s Pitcher of the Year, who finished the season at 8-4 with a 3.09 ERA and 106 strikeouts in 96 innings. However, certain numbers point to Ottavino’s influence on the team and his ability to play when it counts. The Brooklyn native went 6-0 with a 1.96 ERA in conference play.
Allen, Chmielewski both at NCAA Championships
Women’s track senior Ahndraea Allen, sure to remembered as one of NU’s great all-time track athletes, took 12th in the semifinals of the 400 (53.18) at the NCAA Championships, earning an All-America honor.
Junior Laura Chmielewski, in her third straight NCAA Championship appearance, was 24th in the pole vault (12’3.5).
Allen and Chmielewski both single-handedly continued to bring attention to a women’s track program that won the spring America East championship as well, sweeping the conference in their final year as part of the league.
Hill an Academic All-American; Jasmin as consistent as ever in final year
Junior pole vaulter Aaron Hill has continued to prove himself as one of the top performers in his event in the league. He placed second in the pole vault at the America East championships (14’9) and cleared a season-best 15’7 at the Brown Invitational. Then he found himself in the pages of ESPN the Magazine.
On June 22, he was named to the ESPN the Magazine All-America second team. The Ben Wheeler, Texas native is majoring in both computer and electrical engineering.
Ever-consistent senior Peter Jasmin left the NU track team with the same success that he entered it with. He was fifth in the IC4A’s in the 110 hurdles (14.25), while winning the same event at the America East final (14.59).
Men’s crew takes home the Chapman Award
Based on their superior times all-around at the IRA Regatta, the men’s crew team won the Chapman Award, given annually to the team with the most improvement from the previous year’s race.
Varsity finished fifth, second varsity sixth, and the freshmen tenth. The performances beat out 2004’s eighth-place varsity finish and 11th-place freshmen finish. The second varsity did not compete.
In prestigious league, women’s rowers take home awards
Beating out teams such as Harvard, Yale and Dartmouth in the river is always a challenge for the women’s crew team. The same goes for the year-end award ceremonies.
Senior Miriam Barsalou and freshman Katherine Glessner were All-New England Region Award winners. Barsalou was placed on the first-team while Glessner was on the second team, both placing themselves on an elite list of rowers.
Senior Katherine Hayes and sophomores Sophie Barkan and Kelly Crawford were also honored as well in being named to the National Scholar Athlete team.
