Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Hoya Notebook

Tennis

Defeat is one of the most sobering lessons sport has to offer, but triumph following defeat is sport’s most glorious moment. Last weekend highlighted the Hoyas’ triumph as they returned to the Hilltop on a victorious high, after overcoming a crushing loss to Virginia Commonwealth by bouncing back overnight to defeat Richmond.

The men’s tennis team was utterly dominated by hosts in the VCU 4+1 Tournament, failing to take even a single set off the Rams and losing six total sets by the score 6-1. While there were chances, as Head Coach Gordie Ernst remarked, the Hoyas looked listless, having very few answers for VCU’s big game.

Just 12 hours later, the men were back on the court facing the ever-dangerous Richmond, a team that had severely tested the Hoyas last year. It would have been very easy to allow their defeat the previous day to stay on their minds, but the Hoyas came to the courts ready for battle. Georgetown started things right securing the doubles point as

graduate student Ned Samuelson and freshman Andrew Bruhn outlasted their opponents 6-3, 4-6, 6-1.

Junior Dave Tillem rebounded from losing a tight first-set tie breaker to win his match 6-7, 6-1, 6-3. With the Hoyas on the cusp of victory, needing one point to clinch the match, both senior captain Adam Gross and junior Will Lowell came in strong, sealing their matches in straight sets of 6-2, 6-3 and 6-3, 6-0 respectively. The win for Lowell was especially meaningful, as it was his first singles match following last season’s back injury.

While the Hoyas were unable to come away with two wins from the weekend, they nevertheless showed a great deal of mental toughness and sheer tenacity, as they bounced back to earn their first win of the spring season.

The Hoyas will next face Navy at Annapolis, Md., on Saturday at noon.

– Dave Hammerman

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Swimming

After a productive break training in Puerto Rico, the Georgetown swimming and diving teams traveled across the District to American University for a head-to-head meet. This was the first time the Hoyas competed this semester as the build-up to the Big East Championships in February begins.

The men’s team opened the meet on Friday evening with a dominant 134-79 victory over the Eagles. The women’s squad lost narrowly, 119-128, after its meet came down to the final relay. Overall, the meet was a great success as five members of the team qualified for the Big East, helping the Hoyas to surpass last season’s total of 32 qualifiers.

Particular highlights last weekend were the Hoya divers who put both the men’s and women’s squads in the lead early on. On the women’s team, sophomore Caitlin Karniski won the 1m event with a score of 249.60, and four other Hoyas finished in the top five for that event. Freshman Erin Kennedy and sophomore Rebecca Jenkinson recorded scores of 235.73 and 237.23 respectively to qualify for the Big East. Senior Michael McWilliams on the men’s side was also able to qualify for the championships in the 1m with a score of 267.60.

Two swimmers also qualified for the Big East. Junior Wes Going was the final team member to qualify as he recorded a time of 22.17 in the 50-yard freestyle. Another notable performer was freshman Kristen Pratt as she broke her own Georgetown record with a 2:07.04 in the 200-yard butterfly.

The Hoyas will now start a hectic winter schedule, culminating in the Big East at the end of February. Next weekend they will hit the road again, as they travel to New York to take on St. Bonaventure for another dual meet.

– James Leiva

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