Winter Season Wrap-up

The Men's Basketball and Swimming teams, as well as the Women's Swimming team took home their respective SCIAC championships for the second year in a row. Although a spirited run brought the Athenas baskeball team to the SCIAC playoffs, they were unable to take down #1 Occidental in their semifinal game.The Men's Swimming team won their third straight SCIAC title, defeating Redlands by over 200 points. Andrew Fevery CM '13 won the 1 and 3 meter diving SCIAC titles. Joining him on the top podium were Austin Hallett CM '12 who won the 100 butterfly. The 800 free relay team of Blake Weber CM '13, Jeff McNerney CM '12, Andrew Cosentino CM '11, and Stephen Andron CM '10  also set a 25 year old CMS record. The Women's Swimming team beat Redlands by over 100 points to win their eighth straight SCIAC championship, the third longest active SCIAC winning streak next to the women's and men's track teams. On the first day, he Athenas team of Jenni Rinker SC '11, Elica Sharifnia CM '12, Katie Bilotti CM '12 and Emma Jones CM '12  started the night by winning the 200 free relay and followed by closing the same night with a victory in 400 medley relay (Rinker, Annie Perizzolo CM '11, Bilotti, Jones.) On the second day of competition, Athenas also took gold, and set a CMS and SCIAC record in the 200 medley relay (Elsa Cheng CM '13, Perizzolo, Bilotti and Jones). In addition, Emily Ott CM '13 won the 400 individual medley, Perizzolo won the 100 breaststroke, and Bilotti won the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke, setting meet records in both swims. On the final day CMS cemeted their victory with wins from Whitney Dawson CM '12 in the 1650 free, Tessa Dover CM '11 in the 200 back, Perizzolo in the 200 breast and the team of Rinker, Perizzolo, Bilotti, and Jones in the 400 free relay.  Dover set a CMS and SCIAC record in the 200 back and Perizzolo set SCIAC meet records in the 200 breast and the 400 free relay. A number of swimmers will move onto NCAA's and will be previewed in The Forum before the competition.

In the SCIAC final at Ducey Gymnasium on Saturday, two-time SCIAC player of the year Chris Blees was the star, scoring 14 points to go with 6 rebounds and 3 steals, including the final steal and two free throws that clinched the Stag's victory. Second team All-SCIAC forward Joey Anderson dominated the glass with 13 rebounds, and added 6 points of his own. Connor Faught came up huge off the bench, with 13 points in just 18 minutes of play, including two big threes. Hounded by the Pomona-Pitzer crowd with chants of "Ja-Son", Jason Toney CM '11 was off, shooting just 2 for 10 from the field, but handled the ball well, and led the offense effectively. Toney was also named to the SCIAC first team for his efforts this season. The Stags were unable to continue their run, as they dropped their first round NCAA tournament game to Chapman 58-47.The Stags will have to wait another year to win their first NCAA tournament game.

The women's basketball team entered the SCIAC tournament, having high hopes, especially after taking Occidental to OT in their previous match up. They played the first thirty minutes with the same confidence, rolling to a 10 point lead on top seed Oxy. A back and forth game still had the Athenas with an 59-51 lead with 5:31 remaining, but the Tigers did not back down.  They clawed back to even the score at 59-all in the next minute and a half. Occidental then went on a run, and looked like they had the game won in the final minute, up 68-62, but All-SCIAC guard Aria Krumwiede CM '12 scored 7 points in the final minute to give the Athenas a possession down 72-69 with eight seconds remaining. Krumwiede again was called upon, but unfortunately her shot fell short, and the Athenas season came to a conclusion.