SPORTS BRIEFS

Author: RYAN REESE, SPORTS EDITOR

SPORTSBRIEFS

Mandigo earns national honor

The awards and honors for Bill Mandigo just keep coming. The Head Coach of the Middlebury women's hockey team was named the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) national coach of the year. The award comes after Mandigo led his team through the NESCAC and NCAA tournaments on their way to a second consecutive national title. This is not the first time that Mandigo has received this recognition. He received the same honor in 2001 and 2004. During the regular season, Mandigo surpassed the NCAA career wins mark that was set by Providence and Yale's coach, John Marchetti. Mandigo's record now sits at 302-84-11 after a 26-3-1 championship campaign in the '04-'05 season. During his 17 year stay at Middlebury, Mandigo has accumulated some impressive hardware. With six ECAC titles, three NESCAC titles and an incredible four national championships, the coach just flat out knows how to win big games and how to recruit. Mandigo lures in a perennial class of dynamos each year and is able to bring these athletes together in a system that almost guarantees success. Mandigo's coaching talents are not limited to hockey. He is also the receivers coach for the football team during its fall season.



Midd champs to be on CBS

The CBS network will air a special on all of the NCAA championships of the winter season. Most of the NCAA's national competitions were not aired and on Saturday, April 23, these title teams will get their national day in the sun. At 1:00 p.m., all lower division teams that did not receive television coverage will sit in the national spotlight. Segments on the Middlebury men's and women's hockey teams will be shown. A CBS cameraman followed both squads throughout their championships runs and the behind the scenes and on ice footage will find their way into televisions across America. Alongside Middlebury's championship skaters, Megan Hughes '08 will be featured for her NCAA slalom title. The first-year burst on to the national skiing scene with this national title as well as ending up as the top American finisher at the world championships in Austria. Highlights of this year's swimming and diving championships will be aired as well. Be sure to tune in and check out Middlebury's finest.



Combat Kiting takes flight

With the weather warming up and students finding their way back outdoors for the highly anticipated Middlebury spring, many Middkids take up their favorite Battell Beach activity. Undoubtedly, there is the frisbee team who always manage to make mud even when it there is no moisture around. Then there are the wiffleball faithful who spend the afternoon comparing wicked curveballs. The softball players come, a football makes its way out there and then the readers who just get in everyone's way pick the most inconvenient spot that they possibly can. In this mix of outdoor activities, the ancient art of kite flying gets lost. There are some masters on campus who attempt to fly there colorful plastic wind hoverers in Middlebury's serene blue skies. If this seems to boring and a little mundane, some students who are fairly hardcore have taken up Combat Kiting. This cut throat competition beckons to the strong willed and shuns the weak hearted. With a fly 'til the death attitude, no kite is spared. In the season's first big match, a high flying and high spirited kite named Eddie the Eagle was shreaded and disabled by high winds and vicious tactics by a younger more agile kite named Harriet. If you are interested to learn more about the new sport of combat kiting contact Tim Bellis at tbellis@middlebury.edu.