Alyssa Arre / Photo Editor

In her first season at UR, freshman Cammy Edwards has excelled as a member of the hurdling team on women’s track and field. Most recently, Edwards broke a school record previously set in 1994 for the 100-meter hurdles at the SUNY Cortland Classic on April 19 with a time of 15.19 seconds.

What’s your major?
Public Health: Health, Behavior & Society.

Why did you choose UR?
I knew I wanted to go east, and UR fit all the things I wanted in a school: size, urban, I could run track here, and I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study, so I thought the curriculum would be nice.

When did you start running track and field?
I started in sixth grade.

Why track and field?
I played soccer, basketball, and track throughout middle school and high school, but I chose track because I’m better at it. I also like how it’s both a team and individual sport.

How is collegiate track and field different from high school?
To be honest, it’s not too different, but the workouts are definitely harder, my teammates are more committed, I never had to lift in high school, and we travel farther to meets.

Do you have any pre-meet rituals or superstitions?
I always eat strawberry Clif Shot Bloks before a race. I either wear compression socks or no socks during a race, the hurdlers always do a little handshake before a race, and I always get into the blocks the same way.
Do you have a mentor who has helped you along the way?
My high school coach was great. He always pushed me to reach my goals and set new ones and he still keeps up with my track career in college. He’s been supportive and has definitely helped me become a better hurdler.

What is the best advice a coach has given you?
My high school coach said to run my own race and forget about the competition and other distractions because track can be so mental.

What has been your favorite track and field moment this season?
My favorite moment has either been running 400 hurdles for the first time — they only had 300 hurdles in Oregon — or breaking the school record in the 100 hurdles.
What is the hardest part of track and field?
Like I said before, track is so mental, so it’s really difficult to run well when you run a bad race the week before, or when someone who previously beat you is in the same heat, or if coach seeds you at a time you don’t think you can run, or even if you don’t wear your lucky sports bra ­— it can throw off your whole race.

What advice do you have for incoming players?
Come into track with an open mind. The coaches, workouts, and environment are going to be different than high school, but if you love to run, jump, or throw, you should stick with it because it’s a big accomplishment to do a sport in college. You’ll enjoy it more if you’re open to new things.

  Kilbridge is a member of the class of 2015.

Courtesy of zimbio.com

Over the past eight years, Rafael Nadal has amassed a record of 52-1 at the French Open, the only Grand Slam tennis tournament contested on clay courts, a surface Nadal has mastered like no other player in history. Nadal’s seven titles at the tournament stand as one of the most impressive records in tennis and have helped the Spaniard to earn his nickname, the “King of Clay.” Despite his dominance over the years, this year’s French Open is far from a lockdown for Nadal, who is facing challenges that will make earning his eighth title perhaps too much to accomplish this year.
Nadal’s biggest obstacle in the way of a title is undoubtedly Novak Djokovic, the world’s number-one ranked player. The French Open is the only major title the Serb has yet to win, surely making him only hungrier to finally conquer the clay. While 2012 saw Nadal defeat Djokovic in the tournament’s final, the circumstances are quite different this year. Nadal only returned to the tour in February after taking a seven-month break to heal from knee injuries, and although he has already won three tournaments, he does not look as comfortable as he once did on court. While Nadal was out, Djokovic was tearing up the game, winning two of the biggest tournaments in the world, including the year’s first Grand Slam and the Australian Open. This success allowed Djokovic to further assert himself as the world’s top player, a title that simply cannot be argued against at the moment.
Another reason the 2013 French Open could spell trouble for Nadal is the fact that Djokovic beat him just a week ago at the Monte Carlo Masters 1000 tournament, a major clay court event that Nadal has won every year since 2005. Djokovic’s dominant, straight-set win, which was capped off with a massive inside-out forehand on match point, sent a message to Nadal and the rest of the tour of his readiness to dominate the clay this year. Additionally, one can’t help but wonder what the loss will do to Nadal’s confidence, especially considering the last time he lost in Monte Carlo was when he was 16-years old.
In addition to the threat posed by Djokovic, another factor that could prevent Nadal from grabbing his eighth French Open title is his ranking. Because of his seven-month absence, Nadal’s ranking dropped to fifth. Since the seedings for tournaments are based on the rankings, Nadal is currently slated to be seeded fifth in Paris. What this means is that he will potentially have to play one of the top four seeds in the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals to win the event. The feat of beating just one of these top players, whether it be Djokovic, Roger Federer, or Andy Murray, is impressive in itself, while beating all three is almost unheard of. There is no question Nadal is capable of beating every player in the world on clay, but for him to beat three of the world’s top players in subsequent matches would be an extremely tall order, even for the King of Clay.
For all the adversity Nadal will face this year at the French Open, it remains difficult not to call him the favorite at the event he has won a record seven times. That said, 2013 has provided an unprecedented set of challenges for Nadal, making it perhaps the best opportunity for other competitors, most notably Djokovic, to grab the title. While we won’t know for certain what the tournament holds until the end of May, it is already clear that the 2013 French Open will be one to follow as close as ever.

 Shapiro is a member of the class of 2016.

Courtesy of UR Athletics

On Saturday, April 21, men’s tennis ended its regular season with a devastating 6-3 loss to Skidmore College, finishing with a season record of 13-8 and ranking 17th in the region.
At second doubles were freshmen Matt Levine and Ben Shapiro, who beat their Skidmore rivals with a score of 8-4. The YellowJackets lost the other two matches, 3-8 each.
The ’Jackets did not fare any better at singles, winning only two of six matches. Levine lost 6-4, 6-0 at first singles to Skidmore’s Jimmy Sherpa. Junior Boris Borovcanin, on the other hand, defeated Skidmore’s Miles Ransom in two out of three sets, 6-2 and 7-5.
“I guess I was just trying to focus and hit my shots,” Borovcanin said. “The combination of focus and adrenaline caused me to win.”
Shapiro followed Borovcanin’s lead with a handy defeat at fourth singles in two sets, scoring 7-6 and 6-4.
The team now prepares for several away matches at the UAA Championships, which will begin on April 26 in Orlando, Fla.

Kilbridge is a member of the class of 2015.

Amanda Klug / Staff Photographer

On Sunday, April 21, women’s softball split a doubleheader against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), earning the YellowJackets the Liberty League title with a record of 8-2.
This title gives UR the opportunity to host the Liberty League post-season tournament, which will be held May 3-5.
The first game was won by RPI in a 6-5 come-from-behind victory. The YellowJackets came out strong, outscoring the RPI Engineers 5-1. However, after three errors by the YellowJackets in the sixth inning, the Engineers seized the day.
In the final three innings of the game, the Engineers came back, scoring five unanswered runs to secure the win.
In the second game of the day, the YellowJackets once again started strong, scoring three runs in the first inning as well as a homer by junior Nina Korn.
However, RPI countered throughout the next few innings, scoring one run in the second with a homer by Gillian McCarthy and three more runs in the fourth.
Going into the bottom of the fourth, UR was down one run,  4-3. However, UR scored two runs after sophomore Sarah Wayson smacked a hit into center field, giving the YellowJackets a 5-4 lead by bringing in two RBI’s.
From then on, the game was scoreless. In the seventh, the YellowJackets clinched the win after the final out by Wayson. Wayson worked the full count and managed to strike out RPI batter, ending the game with the YellowJackets on top and earning the YellowJackets a 5-4 victory in their second match of the day.
This victory gave the YellowJackets an impressive 8-2 Liberty League record, earning them the Liberty League title over the Engineers, who finished their season with a strong 7-3 Liberty League record.
In the first game, sophomore Kristina Weltzin pitched the full game for RPI, earning them the victory while sophomore Brittany Grage pitched seven innings for the YellowJackets and took the loss. In the second game, Wayson pitched the full game to claim the win for UR.
Key players of the day for the YellowJackets included junior Megan Hennessy with two hits and an RBI in the first game, senior Gena Bradford Tume with two hits and two RBI’s in the first game, Wayson with two hits and two RBI’s in the second game, and Korn with two hits and two RBI’s in the second game.
The YellowJackets’ next game will finish out their regular season with four doubleheaders, all at home.
UR will take on SUNY Brockport on Tuesday, April 23, SUNY Cortland on Wednesday, April 24, Alfred University on Friday, April 26, and D’Youville College on Sunday, April 28.
The YellowJackets hope to end their regular season with a strong showing this week and to carry their growing momentum into the Liberty League Championships on May 3-5.

     Cozen is a member of the class of 2015.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are in the worst position of any team, with the Gabbert project failing miserably. Taken as the 10th overall pick in the 2011 draft, Gabbert was supposed to be the Jaguars’ franchise quarterback that they would build from the ground up. The problem is he wasn’t at ground level; he was at the bottom of a deep pit. He has thrown nearly as many interceptions as touchdowns and has a sloppy 53.8 completion percentage. His overall career rating is 70.2, and I know the Jaguars aren’t the best franchise, but they have standards to meet. There is also backup quarterback Chad Henne, but he can’t really be considered anything other than a good backup, throwing more interceptions than touchdowns in the five years he’s been in the league.

West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith is a great pocket passer, with all of the skills you want to see in a quarterback. He can scramble if absolutely necessary, but he would much rather look for an open target, even if facing pressure from the pass rush. He rarely loses his cool and has the characteristics that you need to be a successful NFL quarterback. Smith is almost certainly going to be taken by the Jaguars as the second overall pick in this year’s draft… unless the Kansas City Chiefs trade their first overall pick to the Bills or some other needy team.

The Tennessee Titans are also in a tough position. There are no good veteran quarterbacks on the market, and Geno Smith is probably not an option if the Jaguars make the right decision and take him with their pick. This leaves other rookie quarterbacks as a possible solution to their quarterback problem. Taken eighth overall in the 2011 draft, Locker has been plagued by injuries and has not shown consistency, even when healthy. The Titans picked up former Buffalo Bills starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick over the offseason, but if the Bills don’t want you, then that says something. This leaves two options, USC’s Matt Barkley and Florida State’s E.J. Manuel. Barkley makes adjustments at the line of scrimmage like a pro and is accurate at close range. Manuel can pick up six points with his feet due to amazing mobility and has shown his toughness by playing on a broken leg. They are both good picks, but Manuel seems to fit the Titans better than Barkley, especially since the Titans have running backs Chris Johnson and Shonn Greene. The option could become an option for the Titans’ offense if Manuel is selected in the draft.

If Manuel drops far enough in the draft, it may be smart for the Minnesota Vikings to take him. Though the Vikings made the playoffs last year, Ponder has not worked out too well, averaging a 77.1 passer rating over the two years he’s been in the league. Manuel backed up Ponder at Florida State and got to start when Ponder was injured, so it could be just like old times.

The Jaguars will take Smith if they are smart. If they pass him up, he will probably go to the Arizona Cardinals or the Cleveland Browns. In any case, that leaves the Titans with Manuel and Barkley as good potential picks. If either Manuel or Barkley is still available by the time the Vikings get to pick, they should invest in one of them, since they have two first-round picks this year.

               Ondo is a member of the class of 2014.

Courtesy of UR Athletics

The UR squash team set a record by having four All-Americans in a single season. As the only team to have four players make the list, the Jackets’ honored seniors Andres Duany and Adam Perkiomaki as well as freshman Faraz Khan and Neil Cordell. Duany ranked first this season and has amassed a 47-25 career record. He also played in three Pool (A) Tournaments at the CSA Individual Championships. The Lima, Peru native ended this season as the seventh-ranked collegiate squash player.

What is your major?

I am majoring in economics and business strategies and minoring in organizational psychology.

Why did you choose UR?

UR seemed to be the perfect choice since it had the perfect balance between great academics and an exciting squash program. The squash coach, Martin Heath, formerly ranked fourth in the world, was a big part of the reason why I ended up here. He has a great reputation in the squash world, and he certainly  presented me the option of going. After doing some research about the programs, curricula, and reputation of the school, I was convinced that UR was the right place to be.

How did you get your start in squash?

I started when I was 10-years old since I felt like I wanted to play some racket sport. My dad use to play it, and he encouraged me to try. At this point, soccer was my main sport, but after a couple of years playing, squash became addictive. I was improving fast, but I wanted to be better, so I dedicated more of my time to the sport. Once you get started with squash, you won’t be able to leave it.

Are there any particular moments in your collegiate career that stick out?

Definitely one of the best moments was playing the quarter final against Ali Farag, former British Junior Open Champion and perhaps one of the best young players in the world. I managed to take the first game, and I certainly gave a big fight. Two weeks before that match, Farag had a really close one with the world number 30, to give you a a sense of the level. It is encouraging to think that pro players are not that far from the top college players, and with dedication, it’s possible to take your game to the next level.

How does it feel to be a first team All-American?

It feels really incredible, especially since the level of college squash during this season was extraordinary. There were so many great players in the draw, including some of the top American players and some former world junior champions. Being in the first team All-American really encourages me to keep working hard to become the best I can be.

What are your goals for after graduation?

I will be moving to Los Angeles to work for the Peru Trade Office, an international mission of the Peruvian government to promote trade and investments between Peru and the state of California. I would love to keep playing squash and perhaps try on the Pro Tour, but the level of squash in LA is just developing, and there won’t be much exposure to great players and tournaments. Hopefully, I’ll be able to keep myself fit and possibly represent Peru in some international competitions.

      Woodworth is a member of the class of 2015.

Courtesy of UR Athletics

On Saturday, April 13, the women’s varsity crew team raced against Hamilton College and William Smith College in an away match held in Clinton, N.Y. The YellowJackets varsity one boat upset Hamilton with a time of 6:56.36 but were bested by William Smith with a time of 6:41.01.

“It was a good race,” sophomore Emily Widra said. “We beat Hamilton by a few seconds and lost to William Smith by about 20 seconds.”

The 1V boat consisted of the Yellowjackets’ nine fastest athletes; juniors Julia Evans, Rhiannon Vaughn, Monika Cepulis, sophomores Serra Sevenler, Emily Widra, Allie Born, Juliana Orlov, and freshmen Bella Clemente and Clare McMahon.

In the beginning of the race, William Smith took an early lead, however it was neck and neck between the YellowJackets and the Continentals from the very start. This lasted until the halfway point when UR began to pull away.

“We were even and trading seats with Hamilton until the 1,000m mark, then we took a middle move and took seats and opened water,” Widra said.

After this middle move, the LadyJackets stayed in front of Hamilton for the remainder of the race earning them a victory over 15th-ranked Hamilton despite a tough loss against third-ranked William Smith.

The LadyJackets’ second varsity eight competed in the closest race of the day, with a 13-second margin separating the first and third-place boats. This was the only race of the day that the Yellowjackets lost to Hamilton. Here, UR came in third with a time of 7:15.47, William Smith second with a time of 7:06.4, and Hamilton first with a time of 7:02.45.

In an impressive showing, this time put up by Hamilton 2V was faster than the time of 7:03.35 raced by Hamilton 1V earlier that day.

The YellowJackets’ novice eight boat had a similar outcome to the 1V boat. This boat consisted of all first-year rowers. Despite the lack of experience, these rowers also had an impressive showing.

The novice eight earned a sizable victory over Hamilton’s novice eight, a solid 13 seconds, but were defeated by the William Smith Novice eight by 10 seconds.

“I’m really proud of the way everyone raced this weekend,” sophomore Juliana Orlov said. 

There was a significant change in line-ups, with some rowers racing in different boats for multiple races.

“We’re getting a little faster each week. I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish at states,” Orlov said.

The LadyJackets’ next varsity race will be the New York State Championships held on May 4 and 5 in Whitney Point, N.Y. This will be one of the last opportunities the YellowJackets have to prove themselves and earn a bid to the NCAAs.

Despite former head coach Will Greene recently leaving the program, the rowers are looking forward to finishing their season with a strong record as the team continues to develop.

Cozen is a member of the class of 2015.

Courtesy of UR Athletics

It was a busy weekend for the UR women’s tennis team, splitting a pair of matches against St. Lawrence University and Williams College. On Saturday, April 13, the ’Jackets triumphed 6-3 over St. Lawrence in the team’s second-to-last home match of the year. The following day, the ‘Jackets traveled east to Hamilton College, where their match against the Williams Ephs took place. Williams, which has won the NCAA Division III tennis championship for the past five years, proved to be too much for the ‘Jackets, handing UR a 9-0 loss.

Despite a late start against St. Lawrence, the ‘Jackets came out strong to jump to a 2-1 lead after doubles. At first doubles, senior Frances Tseng and sophomore Cara Genbauffe played a strong match to top their opponents 8-6. Also victorious were senior Hayley Brower and sophomore Rachel Suresky, who cruised to an 8-2 win at third doubles. The fight put up by freshmen Molly Goodman and Christine Ho proved to be just not enough, as the duo fell 8-6.

In singles play, Tseng, who is ranked 20th in the region by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, gave the ‘Jackets their third point of the day with a 6-3, 6-4 win at the first position. Ho put forth a powerful performance in a 6-3, 6-0 victory at position 4, putting the ‘Jackets within one match of clinching the overall win. That win would not come easily, however, as St. Lawrence stormed back to win at positions two and three, with Suresky and Genbauffe both falling. With the overall score at 4-3, the matches at fifth and sixth singles would end up determining the team’s fate. 

Though the score would not indicate it, junior Janice Zhao had to fight to win her match 6-2, 6-2 at position six, keeping her cool throughout the encounter as she clinched the win for UR, something she has done a number of times this spring.

Goodman’s match at fifth singles turned out to be the match of the day, with the UR freshman prevailing 6-0, 1-6, 7-5. The victory for Goodman was a perfect way to cap the day for the ‘Jackets, who moved to a record of 10-4 with the win.

Sunday’s results against powerhouse Williams were among the more lopsided scores the ‘Jackets have seen all season, as the third ranked Ephs showed why they have developed a reputation as one of the best teams in Division III tennis. After sweeping the doubles matches with 8-1, 8-0, and 8-2 scores, the Ephs rolled through the singles, sweeping UR in straight sets at every position. Tseng put up a good fight in the first set of her match at first singles, but was eventually worn down by the relentless power and spin of her opponent, currently ranked 16th in the nation. While the blowout loss was certainly not an ideal result for UR, the team was in good spirits afterwards, knowing that the match was a valuable learning experience that will likely pay dividends in the future for the young ‘Jackets.

 With only two more matches until the UAA Conference tournament in Florida, the ‘Jackets will look to rebound against a couple of intrastate foes. UR will travel to Saratoga Springs to take on the Skidmore Thoroughbreds on Saturday, April 20 before returning home to wrap up their home schedule against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Sunday, April 21. The home match, which will be senior day, kicks off at 11 a.m. at the Peter Lyman Tennis Center.

Shapiro is a member of the class of 2016.

“The East course at Hershey Country Club is a great golf course and we look forward to playing there every year,” senior Marc Youngentob said. “It is an extremely tough, yet fun test of golf.”

The first round ended with junior Nick Palladino tied for the lead with a 75 (+4). Other notables on the first day were freshman Dominick Schumacher who shot a 78 (+7) and junior Will Mallia with a 79 (+8). 

The team averaged exactly par, or five strokes, on every par-5 hole on the course.

The second round brought even more success for the ‘Jackets, whose top-five golfers shot below an 80.

Palladino, third team all-american the past two years, continued his stellar performance with a 73 (+2). He led the tournament in par-5 scoring, shooting a three under par on those holes. In addition, he finished with seven birdies, second only to the tournament winner, Swarthmore’s Andrew Park, who had nine. 

Palladino finished third overall with a combined score of 148 (+6). Mallia shot a season-best 154 (+12), earning him a tie for tenth place. Freshman George VanderZwaag had the greatest improvement of any ‘Jacket between the two rounds, cutting six strokes to shoot a 76 (+5).

Youngentob also dropped his score in the second round, shooting a 78 (+7).

“The team had a respectable second place finish,” Youngentob said. “We are always looking to put ourselves in a position to win, just fell a little bit short on day two of the tournament.” 

Despite their second-place status, Youngentob remains optimistic about their next game.

“We are certainly looking forward to the NYU Invitational this weekend, and then The Kravetz, which we host at Oak Hill Country Club. [We have] the intention of adding another win to our schedule,” he continued.

Brady is a member of the class of 2015.

Courtesy of UR Athletics

Back in action for the first time in two weeks, UR women’s tennis team traveled downstate for a pair of matchups last weekend, taking on the New York University Violets on Saturday, April 6 and the Ducks of Stevens Institute of Technology the following day on Sunday, April 7. The ’Jackets trip proved to be a successful one, with the team coming away with victories in both matches to extend their current winning streak to four. 

Starting off the weekend against NYU, Rochester struggling out of the gate, dropping second and third doubles to the Violets, each by a score of 8-6. The first doubles pairing of senior captain Francis Tsengand sophomore Cara Genbauffe kept the ‘Jackets within striking distance, however, topping their opponents 8-5. Despite the win, it would take at least four singles victories for the visitors to come back and win the match. Fortunately for Coach Matt Nielsen’s squad, the team was up to the challenge. 

At first singles, Tseng cruised to a 6-1, 6-2 win, knotting the match up at two points and taking a bit of pressure off of her teammates. Soon after, though, NYU grabbed their third point of the day, with sophomore Rachel Suresky falling at second singles 6-1, 7-5 to Alison Wang. 

This would end up being all the home team could muster, as the ‘Jackets elevated their level of play enough to win the bottom four positions. Genbauffe, freshman Christine Ho, and junior Janice Zhao won in straight sets at positions three, four, and six, respectively, while freshman Molly Goodman gritted out a match tiebreak at fourth singles, winning by a final score of 4-6, 6-2, 10-8 to notch Rochester’s sixth point of the day. 

Less than twenty-four hours after their triumph over conference rival NYU, the ‘Jackets crossed the Hudson River to take on Stevens Tech in Hoboken, NJ. Despite playing outdoors for the first time since their trip to California a month ago, Rochester cruised to an 8-1 win in their second victory over Stevens Tech this season. 

The match started off a clean doubles sweep for the visitors, as Tseng and Genbauffe, Ho and Goodman, and Suresky and senior Haley Brower took care of business up and down the lineup. Singles play was more of the same for Rochester, with the only hiccup coming at first singles, where Tseng dropped a tight match to Jessica Bourque 7-5, 6-4. At positions two through six, however, the ’Jackets did not drop a set, with Ho and Zhao going as far as to not lose a game, both winning 6-0, 6-0 at positions four and six, respectively. 

The win brings the 15th ranked Yellow Jackets to 8-4 in the season, a record that the team will look to improve upon as they face a series of tough matches, starting with crosstown rival RIT on Thursday, April 11th. Following that matchup, St. Lawrence University will travel to Rochester for a meeting on Saturday, April 13 in what will be the second to last home match of the season for UR. With only two weeks until the UAA Conference tournament, the ‘Jackets will surely be looking to continue their solid form of late and build as much momentum as possible to end the season on a high note. 

Shapiro is a member of the class of 2016.