Sports Briefs

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ROOKIE MATT RAYNER '12 GETS PLAYER OF THE WEEK IN WIN

Middlebury athletes are making a habit of grabbing NESCAC Player of the Week honors.

The latest sportsman with an outstanding week was rookie wide receiver Matt Rayner '12, who was named NESCAC Special Teams Player of the Week after his impressive performance against Amherst this past Saturday.

The play that vaulted Rayner to this achievement came in the second quarter of a deadlocked 7-7 game. After Middlebury tied the score with a 27-yard touchdown, the defense held and Amherst was forced to punt deep in its own territory.

As the Amherst punter went into his motion and prepared to kick, Andrew Matson '09 sprawled out almost parallel to the ground and blocked the kick, springing the ball loose. Rayner alertly grabbed the pigskin and ran it 18 yards before diving into the end zone, giving the Panthers a lead it would never relinquish.

Middlebury remained in charge for the remainder of the game and won 31-14, boosting its record above the .500 mark.

The Panthers travel to Williamstown, Mass. this Saturday, Oct. 11 for a big game against Williams College.

- Jeff Klein, Sports Editor

MIDDLEBURY EQUESTRIAN CLUB TO HOST COMPETITION

As students flee the campus this weekend in search of various Fall Break pursuits, the Middlebury Equestrian Club will be busy gearing up to host its annual horse show on Oct. 12. The competition is held at the Equestry, a riding facility in New Haven, Vt., the home of the College's equestrian team. The team will be joined by other Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Zone 1, Region 2 schools, including Dartmouth, Colby-Sawyer, Bates, UVM, Mt. Ida, and UNH, as the riders compete in jumping and flat class trials.

"Our region has only six shows over four weekends, so every show is a major event," said rider Ruthie Reinken '10.

Under the tutelage of Coach Kate Selby, the team returns this fall without star rider Ptarmigan Abbott '08, who graduated last spring after winning the High Point award at the annual UNH meet. While Abbott left large boots to fill, the team looks forward to another competitive season under the leadership of co-captains Thea Morrison '10.5 and Kelsey Johnson '09.

The Middlebury horse show takes place all day this Sunday, and those students staying on campus are encouraged to attend and support a hardworking team of riders.

- Emma Gardner, Sports Editor

BASEBALL TEAM HOSTS SUCCESSFUL FALL FAMILY GOLF OUTING

Last weekend, the Middlebury baseball team further expanded the events open to Middlebury students and their families by hosting the first annual Family Weekend Golf Outing.

The event, which serves as a fundraiser for the team, featured foursomes comprised mainly of father/son and father/daughter teams.

For all concerned the outing was a smashing success. Not only was the day beautiful and the golf fun, but the event raised several thousand dollars to help offset the costs of the team's annual trip to Arizona during Spring Break.

Nick Angstman '11 and his father Paul took the top prize, while Rob Palladino '09 won the long-drive contest with his bomb off the first tee. In events that practically demand an audit, Denny Smith, son of Middlebury baseball coach and outing organizer Bob Smith, took home the prize for closest to the pin.

-Peter Baumann, Sports Editor