March 14, 2014
Freshman Will Bellamy joined the Johns Hopkins Athletic Communications staff as a student assistant not long after arriving at Homewood in August. An experienced writer, he will bolster the efforts of the office with a preview of each weekend's events (please note that this is not intended to be an exhaustive in-depth preview of every game or event. Rather, it provides a quick overview for fans with key links and things to look for. Key games, especially those against nationally-ranked teams or those with playoff implications, will lead the column each week).
Men's & Women's Indoor Track
The 2014 NCAA Division III Indoor Championships are finally here and the Johns Hopkins men's and women's track teams will both send a number of athletes to Lincoln, NE, to compete.
The men will be represented by Andrew Bartnett in the pole vault, Andrew Carey in the 800 meter, and Julian Saliani, Collin Rozanski, Trevor Holmgren, and Carey in the distance medley relay. The five athletes hold the distinction of being the first Blue Jays to qualify for the Indoor Championships under head coach Bobby Van Allen, now in his 15th season.
Meanwhile, for the women, Maggie Shelton will compete in the 800 meter and the distance medley relay - as part of a team that also includes Ingrid Johnson, Megan McDonald, and freshman Tess Meehan. Joining her will be Francis Loeb, who will test her endurance in the 5000 meter and 3000 meter, and Emily Swenson, who will look to prove her mettle in the shot put and pentathlon.
The meet, which will run throughout Friday and Saturday, will offer JHU athletes the chance to showcase their skills on the brightest stage of the year.
NCAA Track & Field Championship Live Video
NCAA Track & Field Championship Live Results
Wrestling
The Johns Hopkins wrestling team will send junior Paul Bewak and senior Henry Stauber to the 2014 NCAA Division III Championships in Cedar Rapids, IA, this weekend.
Bewak has the distinction of being the first-ever Blue Jay to compete as a top seed in the tournament and will do so in the 125-pound weight-class. He will carry a 32-1 record in the NCAAs and will open against Jonathan Murray of Rhode Island College in the first round. Bewak is making his third consecutive appearance at the NCAA Championships. He earned All-America honors with a seventh-place as a freshman and enters the NCAAs with a career record of 96-16, leaving him just two wins shy of tying Eric Fishel's record for wins by a Johns Hopkins wrestler.
Stauber (141 pounds) is also making his third career appearance in at the championships and is looking to finish his college career on a high note. He is ranked eighth in the most recent NWCA individual rankings and will open against Wisconsin Whitewater's Matt Adcock in the round of 16. Stauber is 14-2 since moving down to 141, with both of his losses coming to second-seeded Brandon Jones of NYU.
The NCAA Championships are set to begin at noon ET on Friday and will run through Saturday.
NCAA Wrestling Championship Live Video
NCAA Wrestling Championship Live Results
Men's Lacrosse
The Johns Hopkins men's lacrosse team will face one of its toughest tests of the season this weekend when it takes on Syracuse in a nationally-televised game at Homewood Field.
The Orange (3-2) are ranked 10th in the most recent edition of the USILA Coaches' rankings and have already faced off against a number of elite teams, including top-ranked Maryland, seventh-ranked Virginia and 13th-ranked Albany. The team's success has stemmed primarily from its play on the offensive side of the field, where it has averaged an eye-popping 14 goals per game. Needless to say, Syracuse will not enter Saturday's match intimidated in any way by the second-ranked Blue Jays or their 5-0 record.
If JHU is to emerge victorious, it will have to play its own brand of blistering offense and contain the Orange's scorers, particularly attack Dylan Donahue, whose 15 goals and .682 shooting percentage show just how dangerous he is around the cage.
With two of the better teams in the country set to shoot it out, this game is one to watch. Opening face-off is set for 12:02 pm on Saturday.
Johns Hopkins vs. Michigan on WatchESPN
Johns Hopkins vs. Michigan Live Audio
Women's Lacrosse
The Johns Hopkins women's lacrosse team did not get to where it is today by casually meandering its way through its schedule.
The Blue Jays have relentlessly attacked each of their opponents in every phase of the game en route to an 8-0 start to the season. JHU will have to continue to do so on Sunday, when Michigan comes to town.
At least on paper, the Wolverines (0-5) don't appear to be much of a threat to the high-flying Blue Jays. But Michigan has also been through quite a gauntlet to kick off the year. The team has taken on a number of national powerhouses, including fifth-ranked Florida and eighth-ranked Northwestern.
JHU will have to disrupt Michigan's offense early and ensure the ball finds its way into the hands of Taylor D'Amore, Dene' DiMartino, and its other scorers if it is to keep its momentum going.
Opening draw is slated for Noon on Sunday.
Johns Hopkins vs. Michigan Live Video
Baseball
Unlike most, the Johns Hopkins baseball team will look to get even hotter in notoriously humid Fort Myers, FL, this weekend.
After sweeping a pair of doubleheaders to start the year, the Blue Jays will make their annual 10-game, weeklong excursion to the Sunshine State with the hope of equaling or improving upon last year's results. In 2013, JHU went 9-1, a surge that ignited one of the best starts to a season in school history.
The Blue Jays will kick things off with a doubleheader against Pitt-Bradford on Friday and games against Wooster and UW-Platteville on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, before plunging into the meat of their southern schedule.
JHU will look for more dominant play from its emerging offensive trio of Colin McCarthy, Raul Shah, and Mike Denlinger and its strong pitching core, as well as the rest of its deep roster, as the team proceeds to play the 10 scheduled games in only nine days.
Friday's action will kick off at 4:00 pm ET.
(Saturday • Noon)
(Sunday • 4 pm)
