Fall Sports Awards

Middlebury teams have long enjoyed a tradition of excellence in D-III athletics. Panther teams have won NESCAC titles and athletes have earned Player of the Week honors. But which teams and players distinguish themselves within the Middlebury athletic community?

For the first time ever, the Sports Editors of the Middlebury Campus  set out to determine the faces behind the teams’ successes and the most critical moments of the fall’s athletic competitions. Which player carried the team on his formidable passing arm? What moment defined the women’s soccer team’s season? The Fall Sports Awards say it all.

TEAM OF THE FALL

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

RUNNER UP: VOLLEYBALL

Women’s cross country continued their tradition of dominance this fall, losing races only to top D-I programs. Volleyball, one of two NESCAC tournament champs, got the nod over men’s soccer because of their historic victory.

PERFORMER OF THE FALL

MICHAEL SCHMIDT ’12, MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

RUNNER UP: JANE HANDEL ’12, VOLLEYBALL

Schmidt was the clearly the top choice after leading the Panthers in every race. Handel edged out field hockey’s Lauren Greer ’13 because of her three NESCAC Player of the Week honors.



ROOKIE OF THE FALL

SCARLETT KIRK ’14, WOMEN’S SOCCER

RUNNER UP: COLETTE WHITNEY ’14, WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

First-year forward Scarlett Kirk not only led the women’s soccer team in scoring, but scored three of the most crucial goals of the season in the team’s incredible comeback vs. Amherst (see below). Colette Whitney turned in some clutch first-place finishes for the best team of the fall, earning her runner-up.

SENIOR THAT WILL BE MISSED MOST

DONNIE MCKILLOP ’11, FOOTBALL

RUNNER UP: WOMEN’S SOCCER CAPTAINS

Donnie was the unanimous favorite for this category, for obvious reasons. The women’s soccer tri-captains represented an incredibly strong core of leadership, guiding their team over the numerous hurdles they faced during the season.

MOMENT OF THE FALL

MCKILLOP BECOMES ALL-TIME LEADING PASSER

RUNNER UP: PICKING UP BUTCH ON E:60

McKillop broke the D-III New England all-time record for passing yards in style, completing his 7,847th yards by the end of football’s Homecoming game vs. Bates. Picking Up Butch is a heart-warming reminder of the community spirit characteristic of Middlebury athletes.



GAME OF THE FALL

WOMEN’S SOCCER COMEBACK WIN VS. AMHERST

RUNNER UP: MEN’S SOCCER NESCAC CHAMPIONSHIP WIN IN PKS

Scoring four goals in 15 minutes to come back and win is impressive enough, but doing it against a conference rival makes the win even sweeter. Men’s soccer battled for 110 minutes before clinching the ’ship in PKs.