With the men’s lacrosse and men’s tennis each losing last weekend in the first round of the NCAA tournament, the DU athletic season has come to an end. Lacrosse lost 9-7 to Stony Brook, while the tennis team fell 4-1 to the University of Michigan. Currently, the women’s golf and women’s tennis teams have individuals playing in postseason tournaments. Here is a recap of this past athletic year.
Basketball
Men’s (19-13)
The Pioneers season ended in a 63-56 loss to North Texas in the semifinals of the Sun Belt Conference tournament. In their third season under head coach Joe Scott, DU improved once again, winning more overall games and conference games than the previous two seasons under Scott. The high point of the year came in the Pioneers 73-58 thumping of Middle Tennessee in the SBC quarterfinals. Captain Nate Rohnert, who earned First Team All-SBC honors, led all scorers with 16 points in the memorable win.
Women’s (18-13)
Despite earning a No. 4 seed in the SBC tournament, the Pioneers were upset 55-48 by lowly New Orleans in the quarterfinals of the tournament. The team shot an impressive 48.2 percent from field goal range, which was one of the best percentages in the nation. Junior Britteni Rice and sophomore Kaetlyn Murdoch each received First Team All-SBC honors.
Hockey (19-5-4)
DU took home its 12th Western Collegiate Hockey Association regular-season title, while reclaiming the Gold Pan Trophy from Colorado College. The Pioneers won 10 consecutive games from Jan. 29-Feb 27 and swept conference rivals North Dakota and Minnesota in separate four-game regular season series’. The team was never ranked lower than No. 5. The Pioneers season came to a drastic halt when they were upset by the Rochester Institute of Technology in the first round of the NCAA tournament, ending the legendary careers of captain Rhett Rakhshani, defenseman Patrick Wiercioch, goalie Marc Cheverie, and forwards Joe Colborne and Tyler Ruegsegger.
Lacrosse
Men (12-5)
The Pioneers attracted national attention after they pummeled the then-No. 6 ranked Loyola 12-4 on May 1. In head coach Bill Tierney’s first season, Denver turned heads and claimed the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) regular season title in the school’s first year apart of the conference. The big win over Loyola clinched them an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament. It was the third time in school history that the team made the NCAA tournament.
Women (13-5)
Senior Ali Flury put herself into the schools record books after a tremendous final season in crimson and gold. Flury capped a marvelous career at DU by becoming the all-time point leader in team history. She recorded at least one point in every single game of her career. In addition to Flury, the Pioneers recorded seven postseason recognitions by the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF). The team won the MPSF regular season title and was the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament, which they hosted at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium. They lost in the MPSF Championship game to Stanford.
Skiing
The Pioneers took home their 21st NCAA national title this winter, their third consecutive title under coach Andy LeRoy. The team obliterated its competition, leading from the first day onward. Junior Nordic skier Antje Maempel completed a Nordic sweep for the second-straight year, winning both the women’s classical and freestyle individual championships. She became only the second women’s skier in history to win both events in two-consecutive seasons. Sophomores Leif Haugen and Lindsay Cone were placed on the men and women’s giant slalom All-American First Team, respectively. Both teams were named giant slalom champions at the end of the competition.
Women’s soccer (17-6-1)
The women’s soccer team won its fourth consecutive SBC tournament championship this past season, earning a spot to the NCAA tournament. They couldn’t get by the No. 2-ranked University of Portland, which posted an 18-1 record going into the game. The Pioneers dropped their last game 4-0, but senior Mariah Johnston and freshman Kaitlin Bast were both named to the All-SBC First Team. The Pioneers entered the post-season as one of the hottest teams in the nation, winning 10 of their last 11 regular season games.
Swimming
The men and women’s swimming and diving team each finished in second place at the SBC Championships this season. Junior Melissa Greeves and sophomore Grace Kittle led the women. Greeves took home two individual titles while Kittle won her second SBC title in the 200-yard breastroke. On the men’s team, diver Cody Stambaugh finished a spectacular career at DU by winning both diving events. Both teams had very strong season academically and were honored at a national level.
Men’s tennis (19-5)
The Pioneers made their second NCAA tournament appearance and finished with a school-best 19-5 record. Despite losing 4-1 to the University of Michigan last Saturday, the tennis team beat several ranked opponents and earning top-25 consideration on more than one occasion. In addition the Pioneers set a school record when they won 10 consecutive matches from March 5-April 8.
Women’s golf
Denver continued its dominance on the golf course this season, as the women team won its seventh consecutive SBC championship this past year. Freshman Kimberly Kim lead the team to the NCAA regional championship, where they came up a stroke short of qualifying for nationals, finishing in ninth place in the regional behind Kent State. Kim advanced to nationals, which begin today.
