Cross-Country
Women’s and men’s cross-country enjoyed the most success of all Columbia teams last season. Coach Craig Lake’s women captured an Ivy League championship, their second straight, when they won the Ivy Heptagonal Championships with a hard-fought five-point vic- tory over Princeton Uni-versity. The Lion women, nationally ranked all season, then finished second in the NCAA Northeast Regionals to earn a berth in the NCAA Championships.
Competing in 20-degree temperatures on a windswept golf course in Waterloo, Iowa, Columbia finished 13th of 31 teams, as senior Caitlin Hickin (below) placed 27th to earn All-American honors. Hickin was named First Team All-Ivy along with sophomore Lisa Stublic and senior Melissa Stellato.
The men’s cross-country team just missed an Ivy League title of its own when it finished second in the Ivy Heptagonal Championships with a score of 69, nine points behind Brown. Nevertheless, Coach Willy Wood’s team boasted the league champion in senior Steve Sundell (right), who ran the five-mile course in 24:26.9. Sundell went on to place second in the regionals and 32nd in the NCAA Championships, also earning All-American honors.
Men’s Soccer
The men’s soccer team was in the hunt for both a league title and a berth in the NCAA playoffs until the final week of the season. The Lions won four of their first five matches and at one point sported a 9-3-1 record. They finished 10-4-3.
Senior Tommy McMenemy led the team in assists and points, and tied for the team lead in goals, five, with first-year student Scott Waddell. McMenemy was a first team All-Ivy League selection and made the All-Region team.
Women’s Soccer
The women’s soccer team bounced back from a poor 2002 season to go 6-8-3, playing some of its best soccer at the end of the fall, including victories over Yale, Seton Hall, and Fairleigh Dickinson. The Lions suffered just two losses in their last eight matches.
First-year Shannon Munoz and sophomore Courtney Nasshorn led the team with four goals and four assists each.
Football
The football team responded to new head coach Bob Shoop and his staff with an impressive season, coming back from last year’s 1-9 record to go 4-6, 3-4 in the Ivy League. With league victories over Princeton, Cornell, and nationally ranked Harvard, Columbia entered the final game against Brown knowing a victory would earn it second place. However, the Bears prevailed, 42-10.
Shoop’s fellow Ivy League coaches recognized how well Columbia had done by voting nine players to the All-Ivy League team. Offensive standouts included junior quarterback Jeff Otis, senior running back Ayo Oluwole, senior wide receiver Travis Chmelka, junior punter/placekicker Nick Rudd, and junior tight end Wade Fletcher. All moved up in the Columbia record books. The defense was led by seniors Chris Carey, Jeff Roether, Stephen McKoy, and Steve Cargile.
