W&J
sports
W&J fall sports rise above competition A pair of cross-country standouts and a team of determined field hockey players took their sports to the national stage this season, raising the already stellar reputation of Washington & Jefferson College fall athletics. Though falling just short of keeping its conference championship streak alive, the women’s soccer team continued its dominance by achieving its first undefeated regular season in Presidents’ history.
F O P O T D L E I F THEIR CROSS COUNTRY Cross-country athletes Scott Ryan ’13 and Kristen Galligan ’15 became the first runners in College history to qualify for the NCAA Division III Championships, held this year at Lake Breeze Golf Course in Oshkosh, Wis. Ryan and Galligan were the top runners on their respective teams all season and turned in solid showings at the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Championship and NCAA Division III Regional. The duo was part of an elite group, as just 56 runners—the top seven athletes from each region not a part of a qualifying team—were selected to participate in each championship. Ryan finished the men’s championship race in 175th position, completing the 279-runner, 8K course in a time of 25:45.20, the top individual performance in College history. Ryan also won individual titles at Pitt-Greensburg and Waynesburg, and he was the runner-up at the PAC Championship. One of the most decorated runners to compete at W&J, Ryan has earned First-Team All-PAC accolades three years in a row and has been named PAC Runner of the Week nine times.
Kristen Galligan ’15
Galligan ran a 22:48.62 in the 277-runner, 6K women’s race, finishing in 179th position. She was a two-time PAC Runner of the Week and finished in the top 16 in all seven regular-season races. Galligan recorded a time of 22:45.50 at the Oberlin Inter-Regional Rumble in October, setting a College record for the second-fastest time. “As first-time NCAA Division III qualifiers, Scott and Kristen have helped the program in a tremendous way, not only with their athletic talent, but also by helping pave the way for future success with recruiting,” first-year Head Coach Shawn Marek said.
WOMEN’S SOCCER The women’s soccer team won its first regular-season PAC Championship after producing an unbeaten record (8-0-1) in conference play for the first time. The Presidents set a College record with a 13-game unbeaten streak (12-0-1) on their way to a 14-4-1 overall record. The defense also broke a record by allowing just 13 goals, beating last year’s record of 16 goals, while posting 12 shutouts. W&J’s record-breaking season came to an end earlier than expected as Waynesburg edged top-seeded W&J 1-0 in the PAC Tournament semifinals at Alexandre Stadium.
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WINTER 2012 MAGAZINE
Goalkeeper Heather Betancourt ’15 jumps to stop the opposing team’s shot.