SPORTS BRIEFS

Author: ZAMIR AHMED, TOM MCCANN & RYAN W. REESE

Lanahan '08 earns POTW

As the Middlebury baseball season has come into full swing in the past few weeks, so has John Lanahan '08. This past week Lanahan was dominant in games against Massachusetts College and Tufts University. Over a course of five games, the sophomore made a mockery of opposing pitchers as he collected nine hits in just 16 at-bats.

This .562 batting average included highlights like three triples and a homerun. Along with all these rips, Lanahan scored four runs and knocked home a dozen others over the course of the last week. His on-base percentage was an astonishing .600 while his slugging percentage was an even more impressive .938.

All of this offensive output led to the naming of Lanahan as the NESCAC Player of the Week. The native of Jacksonville, Fla., along with the rest of the Panthers, will look to continue their current winning ways when they encounter Amherst over the weekend. The Panthers (13-5) are currently in first place in the NESCAC's Western Division and Amherst (14-7) is following closely behind. With playoff implications in the air, this weekend's games promise to be just as exciting and intense as last weekend's nailbiters against the Jumbos from Tufts.



Search for new AD heats up

The search for a new Director of Athletics has been narrowed down to four finalists, with a decision expected to come by early May. The search was sparked by the upcoming retirement of Russ Reilly after nine years on the job and 29 years at the College.

The nationwide hunt began almost three months ago with between 75-100 applicants. A search committee of Dean of Faculty Susan Campbell, Dean of the College Tim Spears, Professor of Computer Science Bob Martin, Associate Professor of History Kathryn Morse, Women's Lacrosse Coach Missy Foote, Football Coach Bob Ritter and Lacey Hebert '06, captain of the women's basketball team, narrowed the field down to eight candidates over the next two months. The committee conducted off-campus interviews of the eight applicants before cutting the field in half. Two of the four finalists visited the campus last week, taking part in two-day interviews, with the other two finalists expected to visit the College this week.

In addition to the challenge of making already successful athletic programs more successful, the new Director of Athletics will also face challenges involving Title IX, building relationships with Middlebury's strong coaching staff and finding a balance between athletics and academics at the College.

N.F.F. honors Armstrong '06

The Vermont Chapter of the National Football Foundation (NFF) recently announced that Middlebury's Ryan Armstrong '06 has been named a 2006 Vermont Collegiate Scholar-Athlete. The senior will graduate in May with a major in American Civilization, but not before being honored at an awards banquet at Middlebury College on May 7.

Armstrong completed four years on the football team, appearing as wide receiver, running back and full back during his time on the team. He finished his career with 505 receiving yards from 58 receptions, including five touchdowns. Three of those touchdowns came in his final year where he finished second in receptions with 27 catches for 220 yards.

Armstrong's sporting prowess is not limited to the football field either. A captain and an outfielder on the baseball team, he broke the single season batting average record last year, with an incredible .495 on the season. This season also marks Armstrong's fourth on the baseball team, illustrating his phenomenal dedication to Middlebury athletics throughout his career at the College.