Sports BriefsCollege mourns death of former trainer Waterman

Author: David Infante

College mourns death of former trainer Waterman

The Middlebury athletic community suffered the loss of one of its own this past week. Dick Waterman, Middlebury's former head athletic trainer for 37 years, passed away on March 3. Waterman was a fixture of the athletic department for almost four decades, and was a major factor in the expansion of both the College's sports medicine facilities and the field of sports medicine in the New England region.

After serving as head athletic trainer at the Northfield Mount Hermon School for nine years, the Norwich-born Waterman joined the college in 1956 as the sole athletic trainer. During his tenure, which concluded with his retirement in 1993, Waterman greatly extended the role and capabilities of Middlebury's sports medicine department and made great steps to provide consistent and intensive medical care and physical therapy to innumerable College athletes.

His contributions beyond Middlebury reflected his admirable commitment to the field. As a member of both the National Athletic Trainer's Association and the Eastern Athletic Trainer's Association, Waterman was integral in the founding of the Vermont Association of Athletic Trainers in 1982. Waterman was influential in the englarement of the present Middlebury College Sports Medicine Department to its seven current full-time members, as well as the construction of the 2,700-square foot trainer's room housed in the athletic complex.

The family plans to hold a service in the spring, and asks that in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Richard W. Waterman Foundation.



Tennis sweeps Brandeis and Connecticut College

The men's tennis squad had a great weekend, registering two sweeps in matches against both Connecticut College and Brandeis University. The season-opener against the Camels went according to plan for the second-ranked Panthers from the outset. Through all six singles matches, not one of the Panthers gave up more than three games in any set. Eliot Jia '10 started the season off strongly with a pair of perfect 6-0 sets against his opponent. Later in the contest, which was held on Saturday at the College, the squad continued its stellar play against Brandeis, again denying even a single match to the visiting squad. The team will travel to Tufts University next weekend for its second conference meet of the year.



Women's swimming places sixth at NCAAs

The Middlebury College women's swimming and diving team performed impressively at the 2007 NCAA Swimming and Diving Tournament, with several competitors earning podium honors this past weekend.

Marika Ross '08 took first place in both the 100-yard and 200-yard butterfly events, and also set school records in the 500-yard freestyle and the 100 fly. The 400-medley relay team, comprised of Catherine Suppan '09, Katie Chambers '08, Ross and Barbara Van der Veer '07, set a new school record as well. Other notable contributions included Alana Hanson's '08 sixth-place finish in the three-meter dive and first-year Katie Soja's eighth- place result in the 1,650-yard freestyle.

The Panthers placed eighth in the competition overall with a points total of 179, and were one of just three NESCAC teams in the top 10 finishers, behind Williams (sixth with 220 points) and Amherst (second with 320 points).