MIT Engineers Compete in National Championships: A Quick Primer

Spring semester final exams may end this week, but for many MIT varsity athletes, a lot of work is still to be done. Student-athletes from at least nine varsity teams will compete for a national championship beginning Thursday, May 24.

This weekend’s championships will cap off the most successful athletic year in Engineers history, which saw 14 teams win conference championships, three teams reach their tournament’s Sweet 16, and three more reach their Elite Eight.

A quick primer on this semester’s championship-caliber teams is below. And for more details, including the full schedule, real-time scores, and how you can watch some events, check out the athletic calendar on the MIT Athletics website.

Softball
For the second time in three seasons, the 20th-ranked MIT softball team won its NCAA Super Regional Championship when they defeated Williams College, 7–5, on May 20. Ravenne Nasser ’19 earned Most Outstanding Pitcher honors and Amanda Lee ’18 was named Most Outstanding Player.

The Engineers will now complete in the Division III National Championship tournament and will play 16th-ranked Luther College (Iowa) on May 24, 2:30 p.m. EDT, at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City. Read more at MIT Athletics then watch the game live on ncaa.com.

Women’s and Men’s Track and Field
The men’s and women’s track and field teams will send 16 student-athletes to the NCAA Outdoor Championship at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, May 24-26, including Ariela Slutsky ’18, who will take part in the women’s discus and the hammer throw. Slutsky is highly-ranked in both events and holds the MIT women’s record for the hammer throw (55.58 meters).

The Engineers will have 10 women student-athletes competing—all ranked in the top 20 nationally—including Mary Eccles ’18, who has won the past two New England Division III Outdoor 10K Championships and will race in the 10,000 meters. Six men student-athletes, all ranked in the top 15, will compete, including Aidan Gilson ’19, a three-time NEWMAC steeplechase champion. Learn more about the student-athletes competing in the Track and Field Nation Championships.

Women’s Tennis
Two members of the women’s tennis team qualified for the NCAA Division Women's Tennis Singles and Doubles Championship. Elysa Kohrs ’18, ranked third overall, and Libby Rickeman ’21 will complete individually and, as a team, where they are 15-4 this year in doubles play. Learn more about Kohrs and Rickeman and their tournament matchups.

Sailing and Crew
The 13th-ranked MIT women's sailing team, led by Emily Haig ’21 and Greta Farrell ’18, qualified for the Women's National Championship with a sixth place finish at the Reed Trophy earlier this year. The women's team and co-ed team are competing in the 2018 Intercollegiate Sailing Association National Championships this week. Read more about this year’s squad.

The co-ed sailing team will also compete at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association’s National Championship Regatta beginning June 1. The Engineers will field teams in five categories: varsity four; lightweight women's eight; lightweight men's four; lightweight women's four; and lightweight women's double.

Good luck to all of the student-athletes competing this weekend. Go Engineers!