Sports Round-Up

Baseball

Record: 24-21, 12-4 NCAC East
Recap: The Lords played for their first NCAC championship after earning their first-ever postseason series victory in the semifinals against Ohio Wesleyan. National runner-up Wooster dashed Kenyon's title hopes, but the 12 regular-season conference victories marked the Lords' best win total since joining the NCAC in 1985. Matt Burdette captured conference Coach of the Year honors for the fourth time, and four Lords turned up on the All-NCAC first team, including senior Jake Calcei who went on to earn All-Region and Academic All-America recognition.

Golf

Record: Seventh in NCAC Championship Series
Recap: The Lords continued to push their way up the ladder by improving their finish in the NCAC Championship Series for the second straight season. Senior Dan Direnfeld brought home an All-NCAC second-team nod, the first conference honor for a Kenyon player since 2006, after averaging 79.3 strokes in NCAC competition.

Men's lacrosse

Record: 8-6, 3-2 NCAC
Recap: Devin Catlin became Kenyon's all-time career assist leader (114) and picked up an invite to play in the USILA's North/South Senior All-Star game. He also tallied 213 points for his career, becoming only the third Lord to eclipse the 200-point plateau. Kenyon's stingy defense was well-recognized at season's end and garnered three of the team's four All-NCAC first-team selections. Tony Alexander, Charlie Sayre, and goalie David Page formed the core of a defensive unit that ranked 31st in the nation after allowing a paltry 7.93 goals per game.

Women's lacrosse

Record: 12-5, 4-2 NCAC
Recap: In just her second season as head coach, Meredith Buzzi guided the Ladies to an overall record of 12-5 and an appearance in the NCAC tournament championship game. The 12 wins marked the most for Kenyon since the 1986 season and helped Buzzi earn her first NCAC Coach of the Year distinction. High honors were also reserved for goalkeeper Chase Kreuter, who merited all-conference and all-region first-team nods after leading the NCAC in saves percentage (.585) and saves (223)-totals that ranked third and fourth, respectively, among all NCAA Division III players.

Softball

Record: 18-18, 6-8 NCAC
Recap: Behind a potent offense that set team records for slugging percentage (.422) and runs batted in (157), the Ladies posted a .500 record for the second straight season. The gaudy offensive stats generated by the lineup led to several players raking in prestigious honors. Kelly Adams became the first Academic All-American in program history and also earned an All-NCAC first-team selection. Ellen Witkowski joined Adams on the conference's first team, and, along with Brittany Vanegas, collected all-region recognition.

Men's tennis

Record: 21-8, 3-0 NCAC East
Recap: The Lords finished the season ranked seventh in the country after capturing their third straight NCAC crown. They also advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III tournament for the second consecutive year. Individually, Michael Greenberg was stopped short of defending his national singles title, but did repeat as NCAC Player of the Year. Sophomore Tomas Piskacek also qualified for the NCAA Division III singles tournament and raked in regional and conference Newcomer of the Year honors. Greenberg and William VandenBerg participated in the national doubles tournament, giving Kenyon its highest number of player selections to the national tournaments since 1993.

Women's tennis

Record: 12-8, 3-0 NCAC East
Recap: The Kenyon women again played their way into the NCAC championship match, but settled for their fourth straight runner-up finish to Denison. Leading the way for the Ladies were sophomore Prita Kidder and senior Alexis Marino, who both nailed down All-NCAC honors for their singles and doubles play. Kidder, the team's No. 1 player, was Kenyon's lone selection to the first team while Marino was a second-teamer. Together, the two captured their second-consecutive second-team selection in doubles action.

Men's outdoor track and field

Record: Ninth place at NCAC Championships
Recap: A pair of impressive accomplishments bookended the Lords' 2009 campaign. In the first meet of the season, senior Kaleb Keyserling etched his name in the Kenyon record books with his efforts in the 3,000- (8:48.27) and 5,000-meter (15:00.47) runs. The season concluded with the Lords earning All-Academic team status from the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) after they posted a combined 3.450 grade-point average, the third highest among all NCAA Division III men's track and field programs.

Women's outdoor track and field

Record: Eighth place at NCAC Championships
Recap: Like the Lords, the Ladies ran down an All-Academic team honor from the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for their diligence in the classroom. Among women's programs, Kenyon's cumulative grade-point average of 3.420 stood as the highest of any Division III team in the state of Ohio and the best produced by a North Coast Athletic Conference team. It was the second-consecutive year in which the Ladies earned the lofty distinctions for their academic work.

Delicious