Sports Briefs

Author: Dickie Redmond

RUDIN '09 NAMED AS FIRST BASKETBALL ALL-AMERICAN

The men's basketball team made history this past season, and now new records are visible at the individual level.

Ben Rudin '09 is Middlebury's first All-American, earning second-team national honors - distributed by the National Association of Basketball Coaches - and first-team All-Northeast honors. Earlier this year, Rudin was honored by the conference when he landed a spot on the NESCAC first-team as the conference's player of the year.

Rudin led the Panthers to their best season in school history, as the team finished with an impressive 24-4 record, a conference championship, and a spot in the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive season.

Rudin has also written himself into school history with remarkable offensive and defensive statistics. He is the 15th player in school history to register 1,000 points, ending his senior season with a total of 1,221 - good enough for the sixth spot on Middlebury's all-time list. Rudin also racked up 460 assists, placing him at the top of the record books. The senior is also second in steals with 155 career thefts.

The former NESCAC Rookie of the Year ended his senior season third in conference scoring with 17 ppg, first in assists with 4.61 a contest and fifth in steals. Exceptional conference play ultimately guided the Panthers to their NESCAC Championship, and Rudin's above average 21.2 ppg in conference play must be noted, including his 25.8 points per contest in the final eight games of the season.

PETE SMITH '10 AND MIKE STONE '09 NAMED NESCAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Pete Smith '10 was named NESCAC Player of the Week two weeks ago as the Panthers won both their contests over spring break. Smith was key in generating offensive opportunities, delivering nine assists in just two games against Colby and Washington and Lee. Smith had a part in half of Midd's goals against the Generals, assisting six of the team's 12 as the Panthers went on to win, 12-10. The victory marked the team's second out-of-conference win. Later in the week, the Panthers hosted Colby College, where Smith sparked the offense, delivering three assists and netting one for himself in the win.

Tri-captain Mike Stone '09 picked up Player of the Week honors this past week after making big plays in Middlebury's road wins over Amherst and Bowdoin. After consistently leading the team to a six-game winning streak and a ranking of fourth in Division-III lacrosse, Stone has demonstrated his worth time and time again on the field. Having racked up seven goals, two assists and three ground balls in just two games, he promises to deliver a key performance in Saturday's matchup against the 10-ranked Tufts Jumbos.

ATHLETIC PANEL TO EXPOUND ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

On April 7 at 6:30 p.m., a panel of professional athletes met to discuss issues pertaining to sustainability and sports in a talk titled "Jocks and Treehuggers: Pro Athletes on Sustainability." The panel talked about the relationship between the environment and sports - both the effects of a changing climate on sports and the impact that sports has on changing environmental behavior. Bill McKibben, Middlebury's scholar-in-residence in environmental affairs, gave the introductory remarks, introducing the panel that consisted of NFL pro Dhani Jones, pro soccer player Natalie Spilger and Sports Illustrated writer Alexander Wolff.

Jones, a member of the Cincinnati Bengals, is the star of a new series called "Dhani Tackles the Globe." The football star promotes the World Food Program, works closely with Al Gore on his climate change campaign and rides his bike to and from practices and games.

Spilger is founder of GreenLaces, an athletic sustainability program that started in 2008. The organization works with youth athletic leagues to educate children about the importance of eco-friendly behavior and, more specifically, recycling.

Wolff has written for Sports Illustrated since 1980, and, more recently, wrote a widely acknowledged article titled "Going, Going Green" that helped fans understand the impact of climate change on sports. Wolff is also owner of the Vermont Frost Heaves, a premier basketball league based in Williston, Vt.