Emory Athletics Weekly Preview: February 19th-25th

Emory Athletics Weekly Preview: February 19th-25th
Posted: Feb 19, 2024

 

The Emory Athletics Weekly Preview for February 19th-25th. This preview is to serve as a weekly snapshot of all upcoming Emory athletic events for the coming week.

Softball:

Under the leadership of first-year head coach India Chiles, the Emory softball team will open its 2024 season this week. The Eagles are coming off a season in which the program finishd 18-20 overall and 8-11 in the UAA. However, Chiles is bringing a retooled lineup chockfull of youth to the diamond in 2024. Fans will get their first look at the Emory softball team this Monday, February 19th as they'll play a double header against Cal Lutheran.

The 2023 UAA Rookie of the Year First-Team All-UAA honoree, Ashley Chu, will be back for Emory in 2024 and will look to follow up her strong freshman season. Chu established herself at second base and in the leadoff spot, hitting an impressive .444. Her ability to steal bases was an asset for the Eagles as well, as she stole 26 bases on 28 attempts.

Another sophomore who had an impressive rookie year, Ella Hoyle, will be back in 2024. She served in a utility role last season, playing both catcher and being stationed at the hot corner. She finished second on the team with a .405 batting average and in RBIs with 37 in just 38 games. She also garnered First-Team All-UAA honors for her efforts last spring.

Chu and Hoyle's classmate Mackenzie Duford will return as the team's ace after pitching a UAA-high 158.1 innings as a rookie. She surrendered just 20 walks while compiling a 2.79 ERA in 2023. She was named UAA Athlete of the Week six times in her freshman season.

Chiles brought in a slew of freshman to give the Eagles a splash of youth this season. There are seven rookies on the roster for opening day, coming from six different states. Chiles will look to keep the pattern of developing freshmen into threats offensively and on the mound alive in 2024 with her youthful roster.

The Eagles' opponent, Cal Lutheran, is coming off a season in which the team went 14-20. The Regals struggled to put points up on the board last year but were among the nation's top fielding teams with a fielding percentage of 96.4%. The Regals have already played four games this year, going 2-2 and are outscoring their opponents 24-20.

The Eagles will then travel to Maryville, Tennessee for the February Classic where they will play four games. They'll play Wittenberg and Maryville twice, once on Saturday and once on Sunday. Maryville is coming into the tournament having won three of their last four and boast a record of 5-3 early on. Meanwhile, Wittenberg's first game of the season will come on Saturday against the Eagles.

Emory and Chiles will look to start the 2024 season on the right foot with Opening Day on Monday at Cooper Field.

When/Where:

  • Monday, February 19th – vs Cal Lutheran – 11:00 AM / 1:00 PM – Cooper Field (Atlanta, GA)
  • Saturday, February 24th – vs Wittenberg – 1:00 PM – MC Softball Complex (Maryville, TN)
  • Saturday, February 24th – vs Maryville – 3:30 PM – MC Softball Complex (Maryville, TN)
  • Sunday, February 25th – vs Wittenberg – 11:00 AM – MC Softball Complex (Maryville, TN)
  • Sunday, February 25th – vs Maryville – 4:30 PM – MC Softball Complex (Maryville, TN)

Coverage:

Track and Field:

The Emory track and field program will travel to New York to compete in the UAA Championships at The Armory this weekend. The Eagles are coming off a successful weekend, with the women's team breaking the school record in the distance medley at the UWL Eagle Open in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The relay team consisting of graduate student Brigid Hanley, senior Lily Taylor, junior Dashiel Tao Harris, and junior Madison Tiaffay recorded a time of 11:46.55, which broke the school record by five seconds. The time was good for a third-place finish in the event.

Meanwhile the men's distance medley team of seniors Dawit Dean and Spencer Watry, freshman Graham Greene and junior Marcus Cheema strung together a fourth-place finish with a time of 9:53.85 at the UWL Eagle Open. The time is the fifth best in Division III this season.

Another group of athletes traveled to Sewanee this past weekend, with a few first-place finishes in field events. Freshman Evan Tuckley won the pole vault event with a height of 3.95m on the men's side and Alex Feurer won the same event at a height of 3.06m on the women's side. Junior Sarah Fineman also took second in the shot put, recording a distance of 11.01m.

The Eagles are looking to improve upon a third-place finish for both the women and the men at last year's UAA Indoor Championships. The men are seeking their first UAA Championships since 2009 and the women are looking for their first since 2013. The event will be hosted by NYU and take place at The Armory.

When/Where:

  • Saturday, February 24th-Sunday, February 25th – UAA Indoor Championships – The Armory (New York, NY)

Coverage:

 

Men's Tennis:

The No. 6 ranked Emory men's tennis team kicked off its spring season this weekend with a pair of dual match wins at home. The Eagles dominated SCAD Atlanta, 8-1, before tackling the NAIA's No. 2 ranked team Tennessee Wesleyan, 6-3. With a bit of momentum behind them, the Eagles will gear up for the ITA Indoors National Championships in Sewanee, Tennessee.

The Eagles had a successful showing at the ITA Cup this past fall, with sophomore Dean Kamenev and senior Nolan Shah earning runner-up status in the doubles portion of the competition. Kamenev also advanced to the finals of the singles portion of the ITA Cup but fell to one of the top players in the nation in Sewanee's Jordan Theron.

The event this weekend is a team event and features the top-eight teams in NCAA Division III. The Eagles earned themselves the No. 3 overall seed and will be taking on the No. 6 seed Gustavus. Should the Eagles advance to the semifinals with a win, they will take on the winner of the match between Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Trinity. On the other side of the bracket is No. 1 seed Case Western Reserve who will take on No. 8 seed UChicago and No. 4 WashU who will take on No. 5 Sewanee.

When/Where:

  • Friday, February 23rd-Sunday, February 25th – ITA Indoor National Championships – Nicholasville, Kentucky

Coverage:

 

Swim and Dive:

After both the Emory men's and women's swim and dive teams clinched their 25th consecutive UAA Championship this past weekend, the Eagles will host one final last chance meet at the Woodruff P.E. Center.

The Eagles were dominant at the conference championships in Chicago, showing their depth with multiple swimmers advancing to the final races of a wide range of events. On the men's side, the Eagles secured seven UAA championships, 17 All-UAA finishes, and set two UAA meet records. The women were just as impressive, compiling six UAA championships and 21 All-UAA finishes.

The women held a narrow 59.5 points lead heading into the final day of the competition, but flexed their muscles, winning three of the first four events to pull away with their 25th straight UAA title. Meanwhile, the men won the meet by an impressive 280 points to secure their 25th consecutive conference championship as well.

Senior Megan Jungers led the way on the women's side, picking up the UAA title in the 100 and 200 Backstroke as well as earning runner-up in the 100 Fly. Jungers was also a part of a relay championship when she joined junior Ali Kaiser, freshman Maren McDonald and sophomore Jane Sanderson in the 200 Medley with a time of 1:42.35.

Meanwhile, seniors Ryan Soh, Jake Meyer, Nicholas Goudie and junior Jeff Echols set the tone for the men, winning the 400 Medley Relay with a conference meet record time of 3:11.15 on the first day of the competition. Junior Crow Thorsen also claimed a UAA title, coming in the 400 IM with a program record time of 3:51.18. Senior Nicholas Goudie also won his fist ever UAA championship, his coming in the 200 Freestyle.

The Eagles will have a final meet to try and pick up a few more NCAA qualifying times. Teams coming to Atlanta include Wingate, Mars Hill, Catawba, Berry, and Salem College (women only).

When/Where:

  • Friday, February 23rd-Satudray, February 24th – Emory Invitational – Woodruff P.E. Center (Atlanta, GA)

Coverage:

  • Live results available on MeetMobile

 

Women's Basketball:

The No. 22 ranked Emory women's basketball team (19-5, 9-4 UAA) will play its final regular season game of the season this Friday as they prepare to take on Rochester at home. The Eagles embarked on a perfect road trip this past weekend, with wins over Case Western Reserve and Carnegie Mellon. Emory will have one final chance to boost its NCAA Tournament resume this week with their matchup against the Yellowjackets.

The Eagles have thrived on their ability to knock down threes this season and this past weekend was no exception. Junior Daniella Aronsky was lights out on Friday against Case Western Reserve, knocking down 7-12 three-point attempts as she scored a career-high 26 points in the 83-71 win. Senior Izzy Munson was also a perfect 3-3 from beyond the arc. As a team, the Eagles shot 13-21 from deep against the Spartans to lift them to the win.

Emory was not as prolific as they were from beyond the arc against the Spartans, but still shot 33.3% in its 72-54 win over Carnegie Mellon on Sunday. One of the UAA's top shooters in graduate student Claire Brock was held to just three points in the game. Forced to find another way to put up points, the Eagles turned to junior Morgan Laudick who put up 19 points on 9-16 shooting to lead Emory to the road win.

As a team, Emory ranks eighth in the country in three-point percentage this season, knocking down 35.8% of their attempts from beyond the arc. On the other side of the court, opponents are shooting just 22.8% from deep, the seventh best mark in the nation.

The Rochester Yellowjackets come into the game against the Eagles on a four-game skid and a conference record of 5-8. The two met earlier this season in early January, with Emory pulling out a 75-69 win. The Yellowjackets average 67.3 points per game and are a strong rebounding team, averaging 43.6 per game. Rochester is led by Abby Gress, who is averaging 13.3 points per game and grabs an average of 7.3 rebounds per game. The senior is averaging nearly 10 points and eight rebounds per game over her last three games. Rochester holds a narrow lead in the all-time series, winning 38 of the 68 matchups. However, Emory has won the last two meetings.

The matchup against Rochester will feature Emory's Friday Night Basketball Tailgate. Fans can enjoy a beer garden, Tigi's Café food truck, a live DJ, and more. Additionally, fans in attendance will receive a Swoop Bobblehead. Prior to the game against the Yellowjackets, the Eagles will also honor their seniors, Izzy Munson and Paige Gross, with a Senior Night celebration.

When/Where:

  • Friday, February 23rd – vs Rochester – 5:30 PM – Woodruff P.E. Center (Atlanta, GA)
    • Friday Night Basketball Tailgate
      • Swoop Bobblehead giveaway, Live DJ, Tigi's Cafe Food Truck, Beer Garden (21+), and more
    • Senior Night

Coverage:

 

Men's Basketball:

The Emory men's basketball team (14-10, 5-8 UAA) are coming off another two heartbreaking losses this past weekend, falling in a pair of one-possession games on the road. The Eagles started on Friday against Case Western Reserve. Led by a career-high 29 points from sophomore Jair Knight, the Eagles stormed back to take a lead in the final minute. However, a last second layup from the Spartans forced the Eagles to take a tough shot as time expired as the Spartans pulled out an 86-85 win.

Emory looked to rebound on Sunday against Carnegie Mellon, but once again suffered a loss in a one possession game. Despite junior Logan Shanahan tying the program record for rebounds in a game with 21, the Eagles once again fell on a buzzer-beating three-point shot to fall to 5-8 in UAA play. Seven of the 10 losses for the Eagles have been one-possession games, while nine of the 10 losses were all within four points.

Emory has one final chance to plead its case to the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee this week as they take on Rochester in the regular season finale on Friday night. The Yellowjackets have lost five of their last six games, including their last three. While Rochester has stumbled as of late, the Yellowjackets boast one of the nation's better three-point defenses, allowing just 29.7% of their opponents' three-point attempts to fall. The Yellowjackets are led by junior Logan Jagodzinski, who is averaging 14.3 points per game. This past weekend he registered a double-double performance against #13 Case Western Reserve with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

The Eagles have a chance to even the all-time series at 36 wins apiece on Friday with a win. Emory has won 11 of the last 12 meetings, including the last eight games dating back to 2019. Friday night's game will feature Emory's Friday Night Basketball Tailgate. Fans can enjoy a beer garden, Tigi's Café food truck, a live DJ, and more. Additionally, fans in attendance will receive a Swoop Bobblehead.

Prior to the game against the Yellowjackets, the Eagles will also honor their seniors, Max Fried and Matteo Whelton, with a Senior Night celebration.

When/Where:

  • Friday, February 23rd – vs Rochester – 7:30 PM – Woodruff P.E. Center (Atlanta, GA)
    • Friday Night Basketball Tailgate
      • Swoop Bobblehead giveaway, Live DJ, Tigi's Cafe Food Truck, Beer Garden (21+), and more
    • Senior Night

Coverage:

 

Baseball:

The Emory baseball team (3-4) will continue its non-conference schedule this weekend with a three-game series against Rose-Hulman at home. The Eagles are heading into the weekend riding a two-game winning streak, with wins over UMW and Huntingdon in Montgomery, Alabama this past weekend.

The Eagles started the week with two one-run losses, coming against Oglethorpe earlier in the week before falling to Virginia Wesleyan on Friday. Emory got themselves back into the win column with a bang on Saturday, though, winning 12-2 against MUW in seven innings. Graduate student Nick Wilson had an impressive day at the dish, going 3-4 and driving in three runs. Ryan Reynolds was impressive in his second start of the season, going 5.2 innings allowing four hits and no earned runs to go along with five punchouts.

The game against Huntingdon on Sunday was a marathon, needing 14 innings to decide a winner. Senior Derek Livingston was once again solid on the bump, going 5.2 innings while allowing no runs on two hits and picking up five strikeouts. The Eagles tacked on three runs over the first eight innings to take a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the eighth. Yet, Huntingdon managed to tie it up with one run in the eighth and two more in the bottom of the ninth. Neither team scored in extras until the Eagles exploded for seven runs in the top of the 14th. The Eagles sent 11 batters to the plate in the inning as the Eagles pulled away with a 10-3 victory.

This weekend's series will be the Rose-Hulman Fightin' Engineers' first games of the season. Rose-Hulman is coming off a season in which the team went 23-21. Junior Kade Kline will be back for Rose-Hulman this year after leading the team with 64 hits as a sophomore. He hit .339 while driving in 30 RBIs last year. Sophomore Warren Goik will be back as well after leading the team with a 3.62 ERA over 32.1 innnings last season. He held opponents to an impressive .223 batting average last season.

The series against Rose-Hulman will start with a doubleheader on Saturday and a standalone game on Sunday.

When/Where:

  • Saturday, February 24th – vs Rose-Hulman – 11:00 AM / 2:00 PM – Chappell Park (Atlanta, GA)
  • Sunday, February 25th – vs Rose- Hulman – 1:00 PM – Chappell Park (Atlanta, GA)

Coverage:

 

Women's Tennis:

The Emory women's tennis team will continue its spring season this weekend with two road matches. The Eagles started its season last weekend with a 9-0 shutout against SCAD Atlanta. The Eagles swept all six singles matches in straight sets. Sophomore Emily Kantrovitz dominated in the No. 1 singles and doubles spots, winning her singles match 6-0 and 6-1 and her doubles match 8-3 alongside senior Ana Cristina Perez.

Junior Eliza McPherron and sophomore Iris Berman also won their doubles match, in the No. 2 spot, in convincing fashion, taking the match by a score of 8-1.

The Eagles will gear up to take on Georgia Gwinnett and Sewanee this weekend. The match against Georgia Gwinnett will start at 2:00 PM on Friday on the road and the match against Sewanee will start at 3:00 PM on Saturday, also on the road.

When/Where:

  • Friday, February 23rd – at Georgia Gwinnett – 2:00 PM – Georgia Gwinnett College (Lawrenceville, GA)
  • Saturday, February 24th – at Sewanee – 3:00 PM – Robert Dobbs Fowler Sport and Fitness Center (Sewanee, TN)

Coverage: