We may be in the golden age of MIT athletics. The Engineers football team was featured in The Boston Globe, the top-ranked men's basketball team was celebrated in The New York Times and Boston Herald, and MIT's varsity programs are enjoying the most successful season in Institute history.
The Engineers won six New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) fall championships and three teams—women's cross country, women's soccer, and men's water polo—are competing for championships this weekend.
Study the numbers: MIT fields more varsity teams (33) than any other Division 3 school in the country. And a bit under the radar, the entire athletic program is emerging as a formidable force.
A recap of the fall sports season is below, including information on this weekend's championship games.
Women's soccer
Competing in their third NCAA tournament in four years, the Engineers (14-3-3) outlasted the College of New Jersey in double overtime and defeated Haverford College via penalty kicks to advance to the third round, where they'll take on Messiah College. Emily Kuo '13 was named NEWMAC Athlete of the Year.
Next game: The Engineers, ranked seventh in New England, take on Messiah on Saturday, Nov. 17, at 5:00 p.m. [Watch the game live.]
Brooke Johnson '13
Women's cross country
The top-ranked team won its sixth straight NEWMAC Championship—taking the first eight finishes in the final race—and the New England Division III Regional Championship. Brooke Johnson '13 was named NEWMAC Runner of the Year, Sarah Quinn '16 was named Rookie of the Year, and head coach Halston Taylor was voted Coach of the Year.
Next meet: The Engineers travel to Indiana's Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology for the NCAA Championships on Saturday, Nov. 17, at 9:00 a.m.
Water polo
Thanks to a sudden-death overtime win over Harvard, water polo (11-11) took third place in the CWPA Northern Division Conference Tournament and earned a trip to CWPA Eastern Championship tournament.
Next match: The team plays Mercyhurst University at Princeton University on Saturday, Nov. 17, at 4:00 p.m.
Other fall sports accomplishments include:
The football team (5-4) had their first winning season since 1999, and their 20-19 victory over Salve Regina is the first win over a ranked opponent in program history. Ethan Peterson '13 was named a National Football Foundation National Scholar Athlete Award winner.
The field hockey team (17-3), ranked 18th nationally, won its third NEWMAC title in four years. Maddy Wharton '14 was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player and four Engineers made the All Region Team: Wharton; Michelle Teplensky '14; Molly McShane '13; and Erin Kenny '14.
The men’s cross country team won its 15th consecutive NEWMAC title. The squad featured nine all-conference selections, including NEWMAC Rookie of the Year Ian Tolan '16.
The men's soccer team (13-5-2) won their first NEWMAC conference tournament, which included a win over top-ranked Babson College in a penalty kick shootout. Ben Lewis '13 was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
The women’s volleyball team (30-6) won its first conference title since 1990, defeating top-seeded Wellesley College, and qualified for the NCAA tournament. Katie Spielbauer '14 was named NEWMAC Athlete of the Year and Ada Taylor '16 was named Rookie of the Year and third team All-America.
