College Spring Sports Wrap-Up

It has been an exciting spring semester of athletics at Principia College!

The Thunder Chickens rugby team won three tournaments during the spring 7-player season, including their conference tournament on April 23. The team has qualified for the National Collegiate Rugby tournament, as they will attempt to win the program’s second national championship over Memorial Day weekend in New Orleans.

Former track & field national champion and College senior Corey Carter is very likely to qualify for NCAA Nationals in the 200-meter dash, as he currently has the third-best time in Division III. Carter won the 200 meters at the SLIAC Outdoor Championships on April 30, one of five Principians to win an individual event at the meet. The other four were: seniors Mitchell Gill in the 400-meter dash, Joshua Aleman in the 400-meter hurdles, and Abby Holt in the pole vault, as well as freshman Tobin Blair in the javelin. Blair took home the SLIAC Men’s Field Newcomer of the Year award as the top freshman performer in the field events.

Women’s tennis clinched the top seed for their conference tournament on May 7 after two close victories over conference rivals Greenville and Webster. The men’s tennis team will be the second seed in their conference tournament on May 6. Siblings Daniel Gomez (a senior) and Camila Gomez (a junior) lead the two teams and are the favorites to take home the SLIAC Player of the Year award. Principia has won a combined nine SLIAC Tennis Player of the Week awards by six different players this season. The Panthers will move from the SLIAC conference to the UMAC conference for tennis next season to expand the scope of their competition.

Despite an early exit in the SLIAC playoffs, the men’s basketball team had an exciting season, highlighted by two buzzer-beater wins and junior Nathan Brantingham tying the school record for most points in a game (49). Fellow juniors Clark Davidson and Kevin Wingert also earned conference honors with Davidson winning Second Team All-Conference and All-Defensive Team, while Wingert took home SLIAC Sixth Man of the Year. All the Panthers’ starters and key bench players are returning next season as they try to win the program’s first conference championship. Women’s basketball is in a rebuilding phase but still played hard all season with a lineup made up of mostly freshmen. They got their first win since 2018 and will continue to improve next year.

The baseball and softball teams were grateful to be able to play for the first time in two years. Senior Jack Adler (baseball) and freshman Avery Cobb (softball) each had ten strikeout performances on the mound while also leading their respective teams in hitting. Unfortunately, due to the small size of their rosters, both squads have struggled to compete this season against opponents with bigger, more experienced rosters.

The swimming & diving team also had a small roster, but they competed hard in all of their meets and earned 24 medals at their Liberal Arts conference meet held at Principia.