Women’s Soccer
Head Coach: Peter Kim
Players to watch: Lucy Patton ’25, Abby Ward ’25, Gigi Day ’27
The Middlebury women’s soccer team kicked off their season on Sept. 4 with a strong 1–0 victory over Clark, and then beat Hamilton 1–0 this past Saturday. With eyes set on securing the program’s fifth NESCAC Championship — having claimed the title twice in the past five seasons — the Panthers are poised for a strong campaign. Last season Middlebury narrowly missed out on the NESCAC tournament, finishing the season in ninth place. Key players include Captain Patton ’25, who played in all 15 games last season, starting 12 of them and logging over 1,000 minutes on the field. Ward ’25 is another to watch this season, having played in all 15 games last year with 12 starts. She made a significant impact in last year’s final match against Williams, logging two assists. Finally, keep an eye out for Gigi Day ’27 who returns to midfield after making history as the first Panther to earn NESCAC Rookie of the Year.
Key Competitions: Wesleyan (Away–Sept. 22), Tufts (Away–Oct. 19), Williams (Home–Oct. 29)
Men’s Soccer
Head Coach: Alex Elias
Players to watch: Luke Madden ’24.5, Hank Nelson ’25, Kyle Nilsson ’25
The Middlebury men’s soccer team had a strong season in 2023 with their fifth consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament, and their fourth trip to the quarterfinals in program history. This year, the program looks to build on the successes of last season. Ranked fifth, the team has already kicked off the 2024 with a strong start, securing a 4–0 victory over Norwich, a 5–1 win against Keene State and a 3–1 triumph over Hamilton. This season the defense is anchored by Captain Luke Madden ’24.5 and Hank Nelson ’25, who both logged over 1,700 minutes on the field last year. Up front, captain Kyle Nilsson ’25, who played the second most minutes with 1,778 and scored a career best five goals, is the forward to watch.
Key Competitions: Bowdoin (Away–Oct. 5), Tufts (Away–Oct. 19), Williams (Home–Oct. 29)
Women’s Cross Country
Head Coach: Nicole Wilkerson
Athletes to Watch: Audrey MacLean ’27, Morgane Orcutt ’25, Bea Parr ’25
After a strong rebound last year, the women’s cross country team looks to continue to improve. This team only loses one runner from last year’s NESCAC Championship, where they placed third and looks to continue to thrive off of young talent. Middlebury retains standout performer MacLean ’27, who was awarded NCAA All-American, All-NESCAC First Team and NESCAC Rookie of the Year accolades in the 2023 season. Captain Parr ’25 came in fourth at the conference championship and won the All-NESCAC First Team title last season. With a large class of first-years, injury is seemingly the only thing standing in the way from the Panthers improving upon last year’s success.
Key Competitions: Aldrich Invitational (Home–Sept. 14), NESCAC Championship (Away–Nov. 2)
Men’s Cross Country
Head Coach: Nicole Wilkerson
Athletes to Watch: Ziggy Goddard ’25, Drew Donahue ’25, Shef West ’26
The men’s cross country team has already gotten off to a strong start to the season, winning the Silloway Maple Syrup Challenge this past weekend. Seven Panthers finished in the top 10 of the race including Harry Griff ’26 who won the race. Griff is a part of an impressive core of runners that led the cross country team to third place in the NCAA MidEast Regional Championships and 19th in the NCAA Championships. Ziggy Goddard ’25 and Drew Donahue ’25 look to lead the men’s team as they both head into their final seasons. Last year, both Goddard and Donahue earned all-region honors.
Key Competitions: Aldrich Invitational (Home–Sep. 14), Connecticut College Invitational (Away–Oct. 19), NESCAC Championship (Away–Nov. 2)
Women’s Golf
Head Coach: Tim Walko
Athletes to watch: Morgan Lee ’26, Ella Han ’27, Audrey Tir ’25
The Middlebury women’s golf team had a solid season last year, earning first place at the Hamilton and Wesleyan Invitationals and finishing third at the Jack Leaman invitational hosted by Amherst. Under the leadership of head coach Tim Walko — now in his second year after being appointed last fall — the team will continue to build on their momentum from last season which culminated in a third place finish at the NESCAC Championships. At those championships, Lee ’26 tied for fifth place overall, carding a two-day total of 153, while Tir ’27 placed 12th with a total of 156, including a 73 in the opening round. Han ’27 also impressed, climbing six spots on the final day to finish in a three-way tie for ninth place. Both Lee ’26 and Tir ’27 each earned a spot on the All-NESCAC First Team and the Women's Golf Coaches Association (WCGA) All-Region 1 Squad. Han ’27 also secured a spot on the All-NESCAC Second Team.
Key Competitions: George Phinney Classic (Home–Sep. 21-22), Williams Invitational (Away–Sept. 28-29), Hamilton Fall Invitational (Away–Oct. 5-6)
Men’s Golf
Head Coach: Justin Kumpulanian
Athletes to Watch: Benny Burns ’25, Charlie Schulman ’26, Brendan Maykel ’25
In coach Justin Kumpulanian’s first full year as head coach, the men's golf team looks to return to the dominance that led them to a 2023 NESCAC Championship. In last spring’s NESCAC Championship, the team came in fifth place thanks to strong performances from Charlie Schulman ’26 and Brendan Maykel ’25. Schulman finished in a tie for sixth place, earning him all NESCAC accolades, while Maykel finished in a tie for 16th place. The team is looking to build on those strong performances from last season and get back to the top of the NESCAC this year.
Key Competitions: Duke Nelson Invitational (Home - Sep. 14-15), Bowdoin Fall Invitational (Away - Sep 28-29), Ekwanok Sap Bucket Challenge (Home - Oct. 15)
Women’s Tennis
Head Coach: Taka Bertrand (On Leave), Aaron Diamond
Athletes to watch: Claudia Miller ’25, Sahana Raman ’25, Lulu Wu ’26, Ananya Annapantula ’27
After making it to the NCAA semifinals seven years in a row, the Panthers bowed out of the national tournament in the quarterfinals to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. The outlook is bright for the Middlebury team this year, as they retain much of last year’s talent. Captain Raman filled in the first spot of the singles ladder all of last season and should have another strong season this year. Losses of Gena Huang and Amy Delman will be felt at the fourth and fifth singles spots, but the addition of three first-years, including Elizabeth Doak ’28 out of IMG Academy, hope to fill in the holes. The Panthers consistently make the NCAA tournament year after year and should be in the mix for a NESCAC championship this spring.
Key competitions: ITA Regional Championships (Away–Sept. 20–22), Middlebury Panther Challenge (Home–Oct. 11–13)
Men’s TennisHead Coach: Andrew ThomsonAthletes to watch: Julian Wu ’26, Nathan Jackson ’26Background: Last spring, the Panthers boasted an impressive 20–5 record and made it all the way to the semifinals of the NESCAC and NCAA tournaments. Key to this year’s success will be finding replacements for Noah Laber ’24 and Robby Ward ’24 who filled the top and third spots of last year’s singles ladder respectively. Wu ’26 and Jackson ’26 are poised to move up this year and take the first and second singles spots respectively. Compared to the spring, the fall tennis season is quiet and does not have team scoring, but the team hopes to prepare well for another strong spring season with four returning NESCAC All-American players.
Key competitions: Middlebury Invitational (Home–Sep. 21–22), ITA Regional Championships (Away–Sept. 27–29)
Women’s Field Hockey
Head Coach: Katherine DeLorenzo
Athletes to watch: Amy Griffin ’24.5, Katherine Lantzy ’25, Caroline Segal ’24.5
The Middlebury Field Hockey team looks to continue their era of dominance and win their seventh straight NCAA Championship. The team has already started off their season strong, going 2-0 and beating division foes Hamilton College 3-1 in their season opener. The team has a formidable group of upperclassmen to help lead them in their quest for another championship. Amy Griffin ’24.5 returns for her senior season after leading the NESCAC with 23 goals last year and winning the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Player of the Year Award. Caroline Segal ’24.5 provides support at forward after she registered 13 goals and 12 assists in the 2023 campaign. After the graduation of goalie KK Newton ’24 last season, the 2024 Panthers will feature a new player between the goal posts. Madeline DiLemme ’28, Izzy Redzic ’27 and Thea Rosenzweig ’26 could all see time at the position this season.
Key Competitions: Connecticut College (Home Sep. 28), Colby College (Home–Oct. 12), Williams College (Home–Oct. 29)
Men’s Football
Head Coach: Doug Mandigo ’96
Athletes to watch: Patrick Jamin ’25, Thomas Perry ’25, Tomás Kenary ’24.5
Last season, the Panthers went 8-1, leading them to a co-NESCAC Championship with the Trinity College Bantams. This year, the football team returns a strong squad that could become repeat champions. Last year, the Panthers were a well balanced team, placing third in the NESCAC in points scored with 251 and allowing the second fewest amount of points in the conference. After graduating last year’s stand-out quarterback Cole Kennon ’24, the Panthers will need a new leader under center. The Panthers have six inexperienced passers in their quarterback room, and Coach Mandigo will have to choose who he wants leading his offense this season. However, whoever is playing quarterback for the Panthers will have ample support. Offensive lineman Thomas Perry ’25 made the all-NESCAC team last year, and Patrick Jamin ’25 is a prolific receiver that averaged 91.8 receiving yards per game last season. On defense, Dave Filias ’25 and Tomás Kenary ’24.5 create a formidable defensive line to put pressure on opposing offenses.
Key competitions: Wesleyan University (Home–Sep. 14), Trinity College (Home–Oct. 19), Hamilton College (Home–Nov. 2)
Volleyball
Head Coach: Sarah Raunecker ’92
Athletes to Watch: Campbell Keller ’26, Molly Harrison ’27, Lauren Baxter ’27Background:
After a strong 16-9 campaign last season, the volleyball team is poised for another strong season this year. Last year’s team came in third place in the NESCAC, and made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament. A number of key contributors from last year’s team return this season, giving the team a strong chance to perform well in NESCAC competition. Molly Harrison ’27 and Ava Tuccio ’26 are set to lead the Panther offense. Harrison led the team with 365 points last season while Tuccio added a respectable 191.5. In three games so far this season, Harrison leads the team with 37 points while Lauren Baxter ’27 is second with 32 points. Campbell Keller ’26 leads the team’s defense. So far this year, Keller leads the team in receptions with three and digs with 37.
Key Competitions: Connecticut College (Home–Sep. 20), Colby College (Away–Oct. 12), Wesleyan University (Home–Oct 19)
Jonathan Buchholz (he/him) is a Sports Editor.
Jonathan is studying International Politics & Economics, with a focus on Mandarin. He is a member of the club rowing team, Treasurer of the Middlebury InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, is a Residential Assistant, and has a community friend. He hopes to work in public service or consulting in the future.
Ting Cui (she/her) is a Sports Editor.
Ting has previously contributed as a sports writer and spent the past year in Washington, D.C., where she interned at the National Press Club as a policy analyst and politics writer. She also interned as an Editor at Fair Observer this past summer, focusing on stories related to international politics and security.
Ting is majoring in Political Science and minoring in History. She is also competitive figure skater for Team USA and enjoys hiking, thrifting, and consuming copious amounts of coffee.
Jack McGuire (he/him) is a Senior Sports Editor.
Jack previously served as a Sports Editor and as a Staff Writer. He also spent this past summer working as a News Reporting Intern for Seven Days.
Jack is also majoring in economics with minors in political science and film and media culture.
