DeGayner, Thirkell named Academic All-Americans
Jordan Degayner '12
Jordan DeGayner ’12 (swimming and diving) and Deanna Thirkell ’12 (women’s tennis) put an exclamation point on their collegiate careers by earning a spot on the 2012 Capital One Academic All-America Teams as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
DeGayner became the seventh Tiger to earn first-team accolades, joining Deborah Nalty ’84 (women’s basketball), Heather McGuire ’94 (volleyball), Ryan Egeland ’97 (football), Ryan Haygood ’97 (football), Heather O’Brien ’99 (track and field) and Patrick McGinnis ’05 (men’s soccer).
A second-team selection in 2011, DeGayner joins CC’s exclusive list of two-time Academic All-Americans that includes Nalty, McGuire, and Brett Sterling ’06 (ice hockey).
Deanna Thirkell '12
A chemistry major with a 3.90 grade-point average, DeGayner secured All-America honors by winning the 200-yard freestyle at the 2012 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships.
Thirkell earned a spot on the second team and became the first Colorado College tennis player to receive the highly competitive national honor. She also was a first-team all-district selection as a junior in 2011.
DeGayner and Thirkell, along with Grace Maloney ’12 (women’s lacrosse) and Robby Caseria ’12 (cross-country/track and field), also garnered first-team all-academic distinction at the district level.
Grace Maloney '12
Women’s Lacrosse
Ellie Cole ’13 struck for three goals and added a pair of assists as the top-seeded Tigers withstood a late comeback by Sewanee to record a 10-9 victory in the championship game of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament. CC finished the season with a 15-3 overall record and won a share of the SCAC’s regular-season title with a 4-1 mark.
The Tigers took three of the SCAC’s top individual honors and six players earned all-conference honors. Midfielder Maloney was named Offensive Player of the Year, goaltender Abby Fink ’13 was tabbed Defensive Player of the Year, and Susan Stuart shared Coach of the Year honors with two of her peers.
In addition to Maloney and Fink, midfielder Bailey Terhune ’12 and Cole were first-team selections. Defender Nancy Makuch ’13 and midfielder Ginna Oates ’13 were named to the second team.
Fink, Maloney, and Terhune were named to the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association West Region first team, while Cole earned a spot on the second team.
Men’s Lacrosse
Colorado College won its third consecutive SCAC regular-season title, but dropped an 8-5 decision to Birmingham-Southern College in the championship game of the conference tournament.
Zach Pierce '12
Zach Pierce ’12 was named Defensive Player of the Year by the SCAC and was one of six Tigers to earn all- conference honors.
Pierce, a long-stick midfielder, was joined on the all-league first team by defender Ian Coughlan ’12, midfielder Charles Curtis ’13, and defender Connor Ervin ’15. Attackman Moses Taylor ’12 and midfielder Steve Rijo ’13 were second-team selections.
Taylor struck for five goals in the second half to help CC pull away for an 11-6 victory over Whittier College in the season finale at Washburn Field. The Tigers retained possession of the Locker-Stabler Cup.
Men’s Tennis
Nate Burt ’12 and Robert Kasemodel ’15 were named to the honorable mention all-SCAC men’s tennis team for their performance on the court this season. The Tigers finished the season with a 10-11 record and matched their best-ever finish at the conference tournament by taking sixth place.
Women’s Tennis
Colorado College used a 5-4 win over Birmingham Southern College to claim fifth place at the SCAC championships, the highest finish ever for the program. Thirkell, who was named to the 2012 all-conference team, led the team and recorded career highs with a 16-6 record at No. 1 singles and a 13-9 mark at No. 1 doubles. The Tigers ended their season with a 13-9 record.
Track and Field
Max Gerken ’12 won the 3K steeplechase at the SCAC Track and Field Championships with a time of 9:22.89. Jackson Brainerd ’12 (1,500 meters) and Matt Schull ’13 (long jump) joined Gerken in earning all-SCAC recognition with top-three finishes in their respective events.
Women’s Soccer
The women’s soccer team continued its commitment to community service with a pair of events during Blocks 7 and 8.
On April 28, Hanna Berglund ’13, Hannah Peterson ’13, Marika Viragh ’13, Lynn Froetscher ’14, Mary Bowman ’15, Alex McCready ’15, Jordan Savold ’15, and Jaclyn Silsby ’15 traveled to Greeley, Colo., where they ran a one-day clinic for a group of Somali refugees in conjunction with Soccer Without Borders.
On Saturday, May 5, more than 20 Tigers spent the day at the Garden of the Gods, assisting the Rocky Mountain Field Institute by restoring marked hiking routes and closing off a number of social trails at the popular outdoor recreation area in Colorado Springs.
