Who's Making News in Owl Sports
by Stuart Kaufman

Miller and Proulx Conclude Owl Career…
The college running careers of two of Keene State's most honored athletes came to an end at the 2003 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships at St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y.

Mary Proulx and Mark Miller closed out their illustrious Owl careers by racking up one more national title and three All-America honors at the national meet. Proulx, a senior from Ashland, N.H., claimed her fifth national title with her first-place finish in the 10,000-meter race and earned All-America honors with her second-place performance in the 5,000-meter event. Miller, a senior from Shelburne Falls, Mass., earned his All-America award with his fifth-place effort in the 3,000-meter steeplechase event. The duo combined to earn nine national titles and 25 All-America awards during their four-year KSC careers.

Returning to the team this spring, senior Wilson Perez also concluded his Owl career by finishing second in the 10,000-meter race (30:15.51). The Newmarket, N.H., native was an eight-time All-America at Keene State.

Reflecting on the careers of Proulx and Miller, Coach Peter Thomas said, "It has been a fantastic ride with a great pair of athletes – a pair like that doesn't come along often. They are two special athletes and special people."

…and Are Athletes of the Year
Miller and Proulx were named KSC's male and female athletes of the year respectively. For the second straight year, Sarah Nordle, a senior math major and member of the women's soccer team, was the recipient of the scholar-athlete award.

KSC Laxmen Continue Improvement
The Keene State men's lacrosse team took another step forward in its goal to become one of the top Division III teams in New England this spring. Tying the program mark for victories, the Owls (12-5/5-1 LEC) advanced to the Little East Championship game and made its second straight trip to the ECAC Tournament.

The Owls rolled to a 20-5 win over UMass-Dartmouth before falling to top-seed Eastern Connecticut (18-9) in the LEC title contest. Seeded third in the ECAC tournament, KSC trounced Wentworth Institute (18-3) but were edged in overtime (13-12) by Endicott College in the semifinals.

Placing seven players on the All-LEC team and led in scoring by Eric Momnie (47-28-75), Keene State finished15th in the final New England poll.

Laxwomen Net Post-Season Berth
The Keene State women's lacrosse team had the distinction of earning the program's first-ever post-season berth this spring. Finishing with a 9-8 (2-4 LEC) mark and reaching the semifinals of the LEC tournament, the Owls moved on to the ECAC Championships, where they dropped a 12-6 ECAC quarterfinal contest to Springfield College.

Five Owls, including freshman standout Colleen Murphy (47-30-67), were named to the All-LEC team.

Softball Earns NCAA Berth
The KSC softball team caught fire at season's end, capturing the Little East Tournament Championship and earning the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Overcoming a loss in the opening game of the double-elimination LEC tournament, the fifth-seeded Owls posted four consecutive wins, including back-to-back victories over defending champ Western Connecticut to claim the title. Meghan McLoughlin was named most outstanding player of the tournament. The sophomore pitcher from Brattleboro, Vt., tossed a trio of gems for KSC, including a no-hitter against Southern Maine, a one-hit 13-strikeout performance vs. Plymouth State, and a two-hitter in the championship game over Western Conn.

At the NCAA Tournament, the Owls fought back from a tough opening-game loss to Western New England with wins over Endicott College and top-seed Tufts University. KSC (27-14/8-6 LEC) saw its season end with a 6-2 loss to Wheaton (Mass.) College in the region semifinals.

Baseball Team Struggles on the Diamond
After posting 20-plus-win seasons three out of the past four years, the baseball team finished with a disappointing 12-23 (6-8 LEC) record this spring. Season highlights included the team's spring-week trip to California and a regular-season victory over long-time LEC rival Southern Maine.

Gaining a place in the six-team LEC tournament, the Owls defeated UMass-Dartmouth (1-0) before falling to Southern Maine (6-3) and Eastern Connecticut (10-6).

Top hitters for KSC were freshman Jeremy Schilling (.345) and senior Travis Muckle (.340), while Ryan Kohler led the pitching staff with three wins.

Owl Athletes Earn Academic Honors
In addition to being honored for their performances on the field, several Keene State athletes were honored for their accomplishments in the classroom.

Kerry Marsh, a senior second baseman on the softball team, was named to the Verizon District I Academic All-America squad. Marsh, an economics major, has a 3.91 GPA.

Natalie Kent, an elementary education/Spanish major and Erin Mehner, a physical education major, were selected to the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association Academic honor roll. Achieving a 3.03 team GPA, the KSC women's lacrosse team also received IWLCA All-Academic squad honors.

Five members of the Owl field hockey team – Suzanne Kohler, Melissa Kolodziej, Nicole Lemire, Katrine Pokrywka, and Tanya Strong – were named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division III All-Academic Team.

The Cup Stays in Keene, but the Trophy, alas…
Keene State averaged 6.327 points to narrowly finish ahead of runner-up Plymouth State College (6.233 points) and capture its third consecutive Little East Conference Commissioner's Cup. KSC, which captured six team titles during the course of the 2002-03 competitive year, has now won the Commissioner's Cup in each of the three years it has been presented.

KSC did, however, relinquish the President's Trophy to rival Plymouth State. The Panthers edged the Owls 8-7 in head-to-head regular-season competition this year. The overall series is tied 3-3.