Men's Tennis falls to #6 Kenyon in season opener
The men's tennis team lost 6-3 to #6 Kenyon in the Hornets' season opener on Saturday, Feb. 6. Kalamazoo entered the season ranked 21st in Division III and sixth in the region. Kenyon entered the match with a record of 2-1 and ranked sixth in Division III and second in the region. Kalamazoo trailed 2-1 after the doubles matches. Pat Boyd and Cyrus Jadun won 8-4 at one doubles, but Kalamazoo lost 8-6 at two and three doubles. The Hornets earned the other two points with wins at three and six singles. Jason Brown won 6-4, 6-4 at three while Mark Denefeld won 7-5, 6-3 at six. The men's tennis team returns to action on Sunday, Feb. 21 against UW-Whitewater. Results

Kelsey Johnson scores 11 in Women's Basketball loss at Saint Mary's
The women's basketball team fell behind early and was unable to battle back in a 91-52 loss at Saint Mary's on Saturday, Feb. 6. The host Belles shot 48.5 percent overall and made 20-of-23 free throws. Kalamazoo was held to 36 percent overall and turned the ball over 30 times. Saint Mary's held a 48-25 rebounding advantage. Kelsey Johnson led Kalamazoo with 11 points, including 4-of-6 at the free throw line. Lauren Rosenthal scored nine points with four rebounds. Briana Hendrix and Nyemade Cooper each added eight points. The Hornets return to action on Wednesday, Feb. 10 at Hope. Box Score

Prepolec scores 19 in Men's Basketball home loss to Albion
The men's basketball team lost 98-73 to Albion on Saturday, Feb. 6. The visiting Britons jumped out to an early double-digit lead by making 7 of its first 10 three-point attempts and shooting 55.2 percent overall in the first half. After trailing by as many as 21 in the first half, the Hornets cut the deficit to 10 (44-34) early in the second half, and were within 11 (55-44) with 15:47 left, but the Britons extended the lead and put the game out of reach at the free throw line. Albion finished the game shooting 57.1 percent overall with 12-of-20 three-pointers and 22-of-26 free throws. Kalamazoo shot 44.1 percent overall and made 8-of-25 three-pointers. Albion also held a 34-27 advantage in rebounds. Joe Prepolec led Kalamazoo with 19 points and five rebounds. Ryan Clark scored 16 points. Eric Fishman scored 14 points and made 4-of-8 three-pointers. Tyler Stewart scored 10 points with four assists. Kalamazoo hosts Hope on Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m. Box Score

Men's Basketball drops road game at Adrian
The men's basketball team lost 59-50 at Adrian on Wednesday, Feb. 3. Kalamazoo led by as many as nine points (22-13) in the first half, but a 16-7 run by Adrian left Kalamazoo with a one-point lead (30-29) at halftime. Turnovers became a problem in the second half as Adrian gained the lead and extended it throughout the second half, finishing with a 59-50 advantage. The Hornets shot 40.9 percent overall while Adrian shot 37 percent. The Hornets also held a 37-30 advantage in rebounds, but 18 Kalamaozo turnovers proved costly as the Bulldogs turned the ball over just seven times. Joe Prepolec led Kalamazoo with 12 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots. Ryan Clark scored 12 points with six rebounds. Tyler Stewart finished with eight points and seven rebounds. Kalamazoo returns home to face Albion on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 3 p.m. Alumni Day festivities begin at noon at University Roadhouse in Kalamazoo. The Alumni Game follows the varsity game. Box Score

Women's Basketball falls short against Alma
The women's basketball team lost 70-61 at home to Alma on Wednesday, Feb. 3. Kalamazoo got off to a slow start, making just 1-of-15 shots to open the game, and trailed 14-3 midway through the first half. The Hornets battled back, however, and trailed by just two (30-28) at halftime. The Hornets tied it up at 30-30 early in the second half and led four times in the second half. The 10th tie of the half had the score at 61-61 with 2:02 left to play, but the visiting Scots closed out the game with a 9-0 run to pull out the 70-61 win. Alma shot 38.5 percent overall and made 15-of-20 free throws. Kalamazoo shot 37 percent overall, but made just 14-of-23 free throws. Rebounding was nearly even, but Kalamazoo turned the ball over 24 times compared to 16 by Alma. Nyemade Cooper led Kalamazoo with 17 points and seven rebounds. Briana Hendrix scored 11 points while Katrina Carlsen finished with 10 points and six rebounds. The Hornets return to action on Saturday, Feb. 6 at Saint Mary's. Box Score

Ryan Clark named MIAA Player of the Week
Kalamazoo forward Ryan Clark, a junior from Leslie (Leslie HS), was selected as the MAIA Men's Basketball co-Player of the Week on Monday, Feb. 1. Clark scored 43 points and pulled down 13 rebounds for the week in leading the Hornets to two MIAA victories. He scored 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds in leading Kalamazoo to a 63-57 victory over Olivet, then scored a career-high 28 points, including the go-ahead basket with 48 seconds remaining, and collected seven boards as the Hornets downed Alma, 56-53. Clark, who is being honored as Player of the Week for the first time in his career, made 18 of 33 shots (55 percent) from the field for the week, including 3 of 7 (43 percent) on 3-point attempts.

Men's Basketball improves to 4-4 in MIAA with win over Alma
The men's basketball team improved to 4-4 in the MIAA with a 56-53 win over Alma on Saturday, Jan. 30. The Hornets took an early lead as Ryan Clark scored the Hornets' first 10 points of the game. Kalamazoo led by as many as seven early before taking a one-point lead (28-27) into halftime. Clark lifted the Hornets again in the second half with six of Kalamazoo's first eight points. Kalamazoo held a lead for most of the second half, although Alma did take a lead on three occassions. The score was tied 53-53 with 1:15 to play, but Ryan Clark's layup with 48 seconds left and a free throw by Tyler Stewart with 11 seconds remaining sealed the 56-53 victory. Kalamazoo shot 43.4 percent overall despite making just 3-of-15 three-pointers. Alma shot 35.8 percent overall. Ryan Clark matched his career-high with 28 points on 12-of-18 shooting. Clark also pulled down seven rebounds with two assists and two steals. Joe Prepolec scored 11 points with eight rebounds. Prepolec blocked seven shots in the game, including five in the first half, and broke the school record with his 50th block of the season. Tyler Stewart added eight points with six rebounds and four assists. Kalamazoo returns to action on Wednesday, Feb. 3 at Adrian. Box Score

Swim teams win dual meets at Alma
The men's and women's swimming and diving teams wrapped up the dual meet portion of the season with wins at Alma on Saturday, Jan. 30. The Hornet men won 180-64 while the women won 145-97. Winning events for the women's team: 200 Medley Relay (Weeks, Edsall, Weber, Lewis), Kelly Bresnahan (200 freestyle), Kaitlin Weeks (100 backstroke), Kate Chamberlain (100 breaststroke, 200 IM), Taryn Edsall (50 freestyle), Lindsay Gaston (1M & 3M Diving), Emily Bair (500 freestyle), and Katy Knoechel (100 butterfly). Winning events for the men's team: 200 Medley Relay (Armstrong, Bazzell, Mueller, Fleming), Kenny Heidel (1000 freestyle, 200 butterfly), Steve Brower (100 backstroke, 500 freestyle), Alfonso Espinosa (100 breaststroke, 200 IM), Craig Fleming (50 freestyle), Dustin Hennigar (1M & 3M Diving), Brian Bazzell (100 freestyle), Chris Manning (200 backstroke), Colin Dueweke (200 breaststroke), Tyler Benmark (100 butterfly), and the 200 Free Relay (Ellis, Lodewyk, Greiner, Brower). The teams will spend the next week and a half in preparation for the MIAA Championships held Feb. 11-13 at Calvin. Results

Women's Basketball falls to #10 Calvin
The Kalamazoo College women's basketball team fell 74-47 to 10th-ranked Calvin on Saturday, Jan. 30. The Hornets led for the first four minutes of the game, but the visiting Knights began to pull away late in the first half and took a 45-21 lead into halftime. Calvin shot 52 percent from the field and made 16-of-20 free throws Kalamazoo shot 36.7 percent overall and made just 9-of-19 free throws. Calvin held a 35-29 advantage in rebounding and scored 21 points off 21 Kalamazoo turnovers. Lauren Rosenthal led Kalamazoo with 12 points and seven rebounds. Carly Zeitlin added 12 points and three steals off the bench. Kalamazoo hosts Alma on Wednesday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m. Box Score

Men's Basketball coaches participate in Suits & Sneakers Weekend
Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers awareness weekend, a collaborative initiative of the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the American Cancer Society, is slated for the weekend of Jan. 29-31, 2010. Participating NABC-member college men’s basketball coaches, including all MIAA Men’s Basketball Coaches, will wear sneakers instead of dress shoes with their usual game attire during their game on Saturday, January 30th to demonstrate their support for the American Cancer Society’s fight to save lives from cancer. To show your support of our coaches efforts in the fight against cancer, we invite you to wear your sneakers to the game, too. To learn more, visit coachesvscancer.org or call 1-800-227-2345.

Bedway scores 13 in Women's Basketball loss at Olivet
The women's basketball team fell 61-47 at Olivet on Wednesday, Jan. 27. Kalamazoo shot 28.6 percent overall and made just 3-of-23 three-pointers while Olivet shot 39 percent overall. The host Comets also held a 46-33 rebounding advantage. Andrea Bedway led Kalamazoo with a season-high 13 points while making 7-of-8 free throws. Lauren Rosenthal scored eight points with four rebounds. Nyemade Cooper and Anne Colonius each scored seven points. Kalamazoo returns to action at home on Saturday, Jan. 30 against Calvin at 3 p.m. Box Score

Men's Basketball defeats Olivet, 63-57
The men's basketball team defeated Olivet 63-57 in Anderson Athletic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 27. Olivet took an early 10-point lead (14-4), but Kalamazoo battled back and took a seven-point lead (34-27) into halftime. The Hornets led by as many as 12 (57-45) with 5:03 left in the second half. The Comets fought back, but were unable to get closer than five points before eventually falling, 63-57. Kalamazoo shot 42.9 percent overall while limiting Olivet to 35 percent. Kalamazoo held a 41-36 advantage in rebounding. Joe Prepolec led Kalamazoo with 16 points, five rebounds and four blocked shots. Ryan Clark scored 15 points with seven rebounds. Kalamazoo returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 30 against Alma at 7:30 p.m. Box Score

Swim teams host dual meet with Calvin
The men's and women's swimming and diving teams competed against Calvin at home on Saturday, Jan. 23. The Kalamazoo men defeated Calvin 153-121 while the women's team fell 187-113. The men's 200 medley relay (Armstrong, Manning, Greiner, Bazzell) was victorious while the 200 free relay (Bazzell, Robinson, Armstrong, Smith) also posted the top time. The Hornets went 1-2-3 in the 50 freestyle and the 100 freestyle with Craig Fleming winning both events. Other event winners included: Jay Daniels (1000 freestyle), Tyler Benmark (200 freestyle, 200 backstroke), Steve Brower (100 backstroke), Alfonso Espinosa (100 breaststroke), Kevin Lodewyk (200 butterfly, 200 breaststroke) and Colin Mervak (1M Diving). The Kalamazoo women went 1-2-3 in the 200 butterfly led by Katie Grue. Other event winners included: Kaitlin Weeks (100 backstroke), Taryn Edsall (50 freestyle), Erin Campbell (1M Diving) and Katy Knoechel (100 butterfly). The swim teams return to action next Saturday, Jan. 30 at Alma. Results

Prepolec scores 19 in loss at Trine
The men's basketball team suffered a 71-63 loss at Trine on Saturday, Jan. 23. Kalamazoo led by as many as six points (18-12) midway through the first half, but ended up trailing by seven (37-30) at halftime. The Thunder extended the lead to 10 early in the second half, but the Hornets battled back to tie it at 47-47 with 15:56 left to play. Trine gradually increased the lead again and was up 10 (65-55) with 3:17 left, and led by as many as 14 in the final minutes before ending with the eight-point win (71-63). Trine shot 44.8 percent from the field and made 8-of-20 three-pointers. Kalamazoo shot 39 percent overall with 5-of-18 three-pointers. Each team had 36 rebounds. Joe Prepolec led Kalamazoo with 19 points and nine rebounds. Ryan Clark scored 13 points with seven rebounds. Eric Fishman scored 10 points. Kalamazoo returns home to face Olivet on Wednesday, Jan. 27 at 7:30 p.m. Box Score

Women's Basketball falls to Albion at home
The women's basketball team lost 61-42 to Albion on Saturday, Jan. 23. The score was tied 9-9 midway through the first half, but Albion took an eight-point lead (28-20) into halftime. Kalamazoo cut the deficit to one (31-30) with 12:43 left to play, but the Britons pulled away with a 14-0 run over the next two minutes and 39 seconds to make it 45-30. Kalamazoo would get back within 11, but the Britons extended the lead again on their way to the 61-42 win. Albion shot 37.5 percent overall while making 8-of-16 three-pointers and 17-of-23 free throws. Kalamazoo shot just 23.1 percent overall with 8-of-20 three-pointers and 10-of-16 free throws. Albion held a 43-34 advantage in rebounding. Each team had 16 turnovers. Anne Colonius led Kalamazoo with a career-high 13 points off the bench. Nyemade Cooper scored 12 points with seven rebounds. Kalamazoo returns to action on Wednesday, Jan. 27 at Olivet. Box Score

Hendrix matches career high in loss at Trine
Briana Hendrix matched her career high with 23 points in a 49-40 loss at Trine on Thursday, Jan. 21. The teams exchanged leads during the first half before the Thunder used a 9-1 run to take a 29-21 lead into halftime. Trine extended its lead to 19 points (42-23) midway through the second half. Kalamazoo went on a 16-7 run late in the game before running out of time in the 49-40 defeat. Trine shot 36 percent from the field. Kalamazoo shot just 26.5 percent overall, but stayed in the game by making 9-of-19 three-pointers. Kalamazoo held a 38-31 rebounding advantage, but turned the ball over 24 times to Trine's 15. Briana Hendrix matched her career high with 23 points while making 7-of-14 three-pointers. Nyemade Cooper had a team-high seven rebounds with four points. Kalamazoo returns home to face Albion on Saturday, Jan. 23 at 3 p.m. Box Score

Clark scores 28 in Men's Basketball loss to Calvin
Ryan Clark scored a career-high 28 points in an 80-67 loss to Calvin on Wednesday, Jan. 20. The two teams traded leads during the first seven minutes of the game before Calvin took a 12-11 lead with 12:38 left in the half. The Knights went up by 12 (32-20) with 5:06 left in the half, but Kalamazoo battled back to cut the deficit to five (38-33) with 29 seconds remaining. A Calvin bucket with two seconds left put the Knights up 40-33 at halftime. Calvin extended the lead to double-digits with 12:56 left to play and held on for the 80-67 win. Calvin shot 43.9 percent overall and made 25-of-28 free throws. Kalamazoo shot 40.3 percent overall and was 11-for-18 at the line. Calvin outrebounded Kalamazo, 45-32. Ryan Clark led Kalamazoo with a career-high 28 points while making 5-of-10 three-pointers. Joe Prepolec scored 17 points with nine rebounds. Eric Fishman added 10 points and four assists. The Hornets return to action on Saturday, Jan. 23 at Trine. Box Score

Nyemade Cooper scores 1,000th point in Women's Basketball win at Alma
Nyemade Cooper scored her 1,000th career point as the Kalamazoo College women's basketball team won 68-52 on Tuesday, Jan. 19. Alma scored the game's opening basket, but Kalamazoo tied it up and took a 5-2 lead with 17:19 left in the half, a lead the Hornets' would never relinquish. Kalamazoo took a 26-16 lead into halftime. Alma cut the deficit to five (29-24) with 15:55 left in the game, but Kalamazoo used a 13-2 run over the next five minutes to take a commanding 42-26 lead. The Hornets led by as many as 22 points (61-39) with 4:09 left and held on for the 68-52 victory. Nyemade Cooper became the 10th player in school history to score 1,000 career points. Cooper entered the game with 992 points and scored numbers 999 and 1,000 with a pair of free throws with 1:39 left in the first half. She finished the night with eight points and five rebounds, also becoming just the third player in school history with 1,000 points and over 600 rebounds (607). Kalamazoo shot 42 percent from the field while limiting Alma to 36.5 percent. Kalamazoo made 9-of-19 three-pointers, and won despite making just 17-of-31 free throws. The Hornets held a 40-34 rebounding advantage. Courtney Kaplan led Kalamazoo with 19 points while making 4-of-6 three-pointers. Briana Hendrix scored 14 points while making 4-of-8 three's. Kalamazoo returns to action on Thursday, Jan. 21 at Trine. Box Score

Men's Swimming wins Wheaton Quad Meet
The men's swimming and diving team won the Wheaton Quad Meet on Saturday, Jan. 16. The Hornets scored 546 points, just two more than conference rival Hope. The Kalamazoo women's team finished fourth. Kalamazoo won both men's relays: 400 Medley (Ellis, Espinosa, Mueller, Bazzell) and 400 Freestyle (Bazzell, Ellis, Benmark, Fleming). Other event winners included Craig Fleming (200 freestyle, 100 freestyle), Brian Bazzell (50 freestyle), Chris Manning (400 IM), and Paul Ellis (200 backstroke). Taryn Edsall had the best finish for the women's team, finishing second in the 50 freestyle. The Hornets host Calvin on Saturday, Jan. 23 at 1 p.m. in the final home meet of the season. Results

Early deficit too much to overcome for Men's Basketball at Hope
Despite a late surge by the Kalamazoo College men's basketball team, a 22-points first half deficit was too much to overcome as the Hornets suffered a 79-63 loss at Hope on Saturday, Jan. 16. Hope led by as many as 22 points late in the first half before taking a 45-26 lead into the break. Kalamazoo battled back in the second half and cut the lead to seven (67-60) with 3:16 left to play, but Hope outscored Kalamzoo 12-3 over the final minutes to hold on to the 79-63 win. Both teams are now tied in the MIAA with a 2-2 record. Hope shot 44.8 percent from the field while Kalamazoo shot 40.3 percent. Kalamazoo held a 43-40 rebounding edge, but turned the ball over 16 times to Hope's nine. Joe Prepolec led Kalamazoo with 24 points and nine rebounds. Tyler Stewart scored 17 points with six rebounds, including 3-of-4 from three-point range. The Hornets return home to host Calvin on Wednesday, Jan. 20 at 7:30 p.m. Box Score

Cooper posts double-double at Robert Morris
Nyemade Cooper posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds in a 68-44 loss at Robert Morris on Saturday, Jan.16. Kalamazoo opened the game with a 13-5 lead, but the Eagles tied it up at 17-17. The score was 24-24 before Robert Morris closed out the half with an 8-0 run to take a 32-24 lead into the break. The Hornets shooting went cold in the second half as Kalamazoo shot just 20.6 percent and was 0-for-14 from three-point range. Kalamazoo shot 26.8 percent overall for the game while Robert Morris shot 33.3 percent. The Eagles held a 57-51 rebounding edge. Nyemade Cooper led Kalamazoo with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Kelsey Johnson scored four points with a team-high 13 rebounds. Briana Hendrix scored nine points. The Hornets return to league action on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at Alma. Box Score

Paul Ellis named National Swimmer of the Week
Kalamazoo College senior Paul Ellis was named Division III Men's National Swimmer of the Week by CollegeSwimming.com on Tuesday, Jan. 12. Ellis won the 100 backstroke (51.86, NCAA "B" time) and swam to a second place in the 100 butterfly (52.90) in the Hope meet. The All-American won the 100 backstroke (51.31, NCAA "B" time) in the Carthage/Chicago dual. Ellis also assisted on two winning relays versus Hope and Carthage/Chicago respectively, the 200 medley (1:34.53 and 1:35.17) and 200 freestyle (1:25.22 and 1:25.68). The Kalamazoo College swimming/diving teams return to action on Saturday, Jan. 16 at Wheaton.

Prepolec scores career-high 27 points at Albion
Joe Prepolec had career highs in points (27) and rebounds (14), but it wasn't enough as the men's basketball team fell 64-55 at Albion on Wednesday, Jan. 13. Kalamazoo led 28-27 at halftime after shooting 59.1 percent. Turnovers became a problem, however, as Albion was able to take the lead early in the second half. The Hornets tied it up at 45-45 with 9:00 to play, and again at 53-53 with 5:01 left, but the host Britons closed out the game with an 11-2 run as the Hornets were only able to make a pair of free throws down the stretch. Kalamazoo finished the game shooting 46 percent overall while making 7-of-10 free throws. Albion shot 41.4 percent overall and made 12-of-22 free throws. The Britons held a 37-33 rebounding advantage and were aided by 20 turnovers while committing just 12. Kalamzoo's Joe Prepolec led all scorers with a career-high 27 points and 14 rebounds, his fourth straight double-double. Tyler Stewart scored nine points with five rebounds. Chris Hutton led Albion (9-5, 3-0 MIAA) with 13 points. Kalamazoo (3-11, 2-1 MIAA) returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 16 at Hope. Box Score

Women's Basketball takes Adrian to overtime
The women's basketball team battled Adrian to a 66-66 tie after 40 minutes of regulation, but the visiting Bulldogs came out on top 80-70 at Anderson Athletic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 13. The Hornets jumped out to a 16-6 lead six minutes into the contest, but turnovers began to plague Kalamazoo as Adrian went on a 27-3 run over the next 11 minutes to take a 33-19 lead. The Hornets scored the final eight points to trail 33-27 at halftime. The Bulldogs extended their lead to 12 points early in the second half, but this time Kalamazoo battled back to take a 55-53 lead with 6:13 left to play. The two teams traded leads over the final minutes before Nyemade Cooper tied it up at 66-66 with four seconds left to play sending the game to overtime. Adrian took an early lead in overtime as the Hornets missed their first six shots and two free throws, and Kalamazoo finished the overtime period just 2-of-12 shooting while Adrian made 3-of-3 from the field and 7-of-8 at the free throw line. Adrian shot 50 percent from the field for the game and made 23-of-29 free throws. Kalamazoo shot 41.3 percent and was 11-of-19 at the line. The Hornets had 40 rebounds to Adrian's 32, but Kalamazoo turned the ball over 29 times to Adrian's 23. Nyemade Cooper scored a season-high 20 points with 12 rebounds to lead the Hornets. Courtney Kaplan scored 14 points with six assists. Kelsey Johnson scored 10 points with nine rebounds. Lauren Rosenthal added nine points and three assists off the bench. The Hornets take a break from MIAA action and travel to Robert Morris (Chicago) for a non-conference game on Saturday, Jan 16 at 12 p.m. CT. Box Score

Joe Prepolec named MIAA Basketball Player of the Week
Joe Prepolec, a sophomore forward from Bloomfield Hills (Andover HS), was selected as the MIAA Men's Basketball co-Player of the Week on Monday, Jan. 11. Prepolec had a pair of double-doubles as Kalamazoo scored victories in its first two MIAA games. He scored 17 points and pulled down 11 rebounds as the Hornets defeated Alma, 57-52, then added 14 points and 11 boards in a 65-61 win over Adrian. Prepolec, who is being honored as Player of the Week for the first time in his career, shot 71 percent (12 of 17) from the field for the week, and added four assists and three steals.

Men's Basketball wins third straight
The men's basketball team won its third straight game and improved to 2-0 in the MIAA with a 65-61 win over visiting Adrian on Saturday, Jan. 9. After trailing for the first 10 minutes of the game, Kalamazoo took its first lead (16-14) with 9:40 left in the first half. The Hornets led by as many as 13 (27-14) before taking a 31-28 lead into halftime. Adrian cut the Kalamazoo lead to one early in the second half, but the Hornets were able to extend to another 13-point lead (58-45) with 7:39 left to play. The Bulldogs battled back again and made it a one-point game (60-59) with 2:08 remaining, but Kalamazoo hit a jumper and made 3-of-4 free throws do hold on for the win. Kalamazoo shot a season-best 53.3 percent from the field including 7-of-13 three-pointers. Adrian shot 40.4 percent overall and made 6-of-16 three-pointers. The Hornets held a 32-26 rebounding advantage. Joe Prepolec posted his third straight double-double 14 points and 11 rebounds. Ryan Clark added 13 points and four rebounds while Eric Fishman scored 12 points with five rebounds. Tyler Stewart scored eight points with five assists. Kalamazoo returns to action at Albion on Wednesday, Jan. 13. Box Score

Swim teams compete in Chicago
The men's and women's swimming and diving teams traveled to the University of Chicago on Saturday, Jan. 9, the day after an exciting dual meet with Hope. At Chicago, the Kalamazoo men defeated Carthage (134 - 84), but lost to Chicago (148 - 92). On the women's side, Carthage defeated Kalamazoo (129.5 - 101.5) and Chicago defeated Kalamazoo (187 - 56). The Kalamazoo men won both relay events, the 200 Medley (Ellis, Espinosa, Greiner, Bazzell) and the 200 Freestyle (Bazzell, Ellis, Manning, Fleming). Other event winners for the Hornet men included Craig Fleming (50 freestyle, 100 freestyle), Paul Ellis (100 backstroke), and Alfonso Espinosa (100 breaststroke). Top performances by the women's team included second place finishes by Taryn Edsall (50 freestyle), Erin Campbell (1M & 3M Diving), Katy Knoechel (100 butterfly), and Kaitlin Weeks (100 backstroke). The swim teams return to action next Saturday, Jan. 16 in a quad meet at Wheaton College. Complete Results

Women's Basketball falls to #6 Hope
The women's basketball team lost 80-51 to #6 Hope at home on Saturday, Jan. 9. The Hornets played tough and trailed by just two (13-11) seven minutes into the game. Kalamazoo trailed by nine (25-16) with 7:34 left in the first half, but Hope used a 21-9 run to end the half with a 46-25 lead. Hope outscored Kalamazoo 34-26 in the second half. Hope shot 40.6 percent overall and made 20-of-26 free throws. Kalamazoo shot 40.4 percent overall, but made just 9-of-22 free throws. The Flying Dutch had a 49-28 advantage in rebounds. Kelsey Johnson led Kalamazoo with 12 points and six rebounds on 6-of-9 shooting. Laura Burnett added nine points off the bench. The Hornets return to action at home on Wednesday, Jan. 13 against Adrian. Box Score

Swim teams edged at home by Hope
The men's and women's swimming and diving teams both lost close dual meets at home to Hope on Friday, Jan. 8. The men lost by just nine points (148-139) while the women fell 162-120. On the men's side, Kalamazoo took first place in both relays; the 200 medley relay (Ellis, Espinosa, Greiner, Bazzell) and the 200 freestyle relay (Bazzell, Ellis, Benmark, Fleming). Also finishing first for the Hornets were Paul Ellis (100 backstroke), Alfonso Espinosa (100 breaststroke), Brian Bazzell (50 freestyle), and Craig Fleming (100 freestyle). On the women's side, Erin Campbell won the 1M and 3M diving events, Katy Knoechel won the 100 butterfly and the 200 IM, and Kalamazoo won the 200 freestyle relay (Edsall, Weber, Baumann, Grue). Both teams travel to Chicago on Saturday, Jan. 9 to face Chicago and Carthage. Complete Results

Kalamazoo Men's Swimming Team, Coach Milliken featured on CollegeSwimming.com
The Kalamazoo College men's swiming and diving team is one of two men's teams ranked in the top five in the CollegeSwimming.com poll who are coached by a woman. With Kalamazoo ranked second and MIT ranked fifth, it is the first time that two men's teams, coached by women, have been ranked in the top five of the same poll in any NCAA sport. Read the story and see the poll at: http://www.collegeswimming.com/news/2010/jan/06/emory-women-kenyon-men-lead-historic-division-iii-/ . Kalamazoo returns to action on Friday, Jan. 8 at home against #11 Hope at 6 p.m.

Football team, Luczak named NCAA III statistical champions
The Kalamazoo College football team led the nation (NCAA III) in passing offense in 2009 with 382.3 passing yards per game. Individually, senior quarterback Brandon Luczak led the nation in two categories: passing yards per game (366.3) and total offense (381.80 yards/game). In addition, Luczak ranked second with 32.2 completions per game, third with 23.2 points responsible for per game, and fourth with 3,663 total passing yards. Senior wide receiver Jimmy Semelsberger ranked fourth in the nation with 9.6 receptions per game and was 14th with 111.6 receiving yards per game. Junior wide receiver Cory McCain ranked third in the nation in scoring with 12.67 points per game. He also finished 18th with 107.67 receiving yards per game.

Men's Basketball wins MIAA opener at Alma
The men's basketball team won its MIAA opener 57-52 at Alma on Wednesday, Jan. 6. Kalamazoo led by as many as 12 points (29-17) with 4:07 left in the first half before taking a 31-25 lead into halftime. The Hornets took another 12-point lead (37-25) early in the second half, but the host Scots chipped away and took a 48-47 lead with 6:27 left to play. The teams exchanged leads over the next five minutes before Kalamazoo took the lead for good (53-52) with 37 seconds left. The Hornets hit four free throws down the stretch to secure the 57-52 win. Kalamazoo shot 41.2 percent overall while holding Alma to 34.5 percent. Alma had a 37-35 advantage in rebounds, but turned the ball over 20 times to Kalamazoo's 14. Joe Prepolec recorded his second straight double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Ryan Clark added 14 points and seven rebounds, including four straight free throws down the stretch. Kalamazoo returns home to host Adrian on Saturday, Jan. 9 at 7:30 p.m. Box Score

Women's Basketball drops home contest to Saint Mary's
The women's basketball team lost 59-46 to Saint Mary's on Wednesday, Jan. 6. The Hornets jumped out to an early 8-2 lead, but then went nearly nine minutes without scoring a point as the Belles went up 20-8 with 9:24 left in the first half. Saint Mary's took a 31-17 lead into halftime. Saint Mary's led by as many as 22 points (58-36) with 5:16 left in the game, but Kalamazoo used a 10-1 run over the final minutes to cut the final score to 59-46. Saint Mary's shot 36 percent overall while limiting Kalamazoo to 32.8 percent, including just 2-of-19 from three-point range. The Belles (8-4, 3-1 MIAA) also held a 43-32 rebounding advantage. Nyemade Cooper led Kalamazoo with 12 points and six rebounds. Courtney Kaplan scored nine points while Kelsey Johnson finished with eight. The Hornets return to action on Saturday at 3 p.m. against Hope. Box Score

Men's Swimming/Diving ranked second in CollegeSwimming.com Top 25 Poll
The Kalamazoo College men's swimming and diving team is ranked second in the nation in the latest (Dec. 27) CollegeSwimming.com/CSCAA Division III Team Poll. The Hornets received 441 total votes and one first place vote, and trail only Kenyon, recipient of 474 total votes and 18 first place votes. Top 25 Poll

Men's Basketball opens new year with 49-45 win over Bluffton
The men's basketball team began the new year with a 49-45 win over Bluffton University on Saturday, Jan. 2. Bluffton entered halftime with a 17-15 advantage as each team shot less than 31 percent from the field in the first half (Bluffton 30.4%, Kalamazoo 28.6%). The scoring improved in the second half, however, in a game that saw 13 ties and six lead changes. After trailing 26-24 with 13:01 left to play, the Hornets tied it up at 26-26. Despite encountering three more ties, the Hornets never trailed the rest of the game. Kalamazoo finished the game at 36.6 percent overall and made a season-best 17-of-19 free throws. Bluffton shot 31.3 percent overall and made 11-of-15 free throws. The Hornets held a 33-27 advantage in rebounds. Joe Prepolec led the Hornets with 13 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots while making 7-of-7 free throws. Eric Fishman, Tyler Stewart and Ryan Clark each scored eight points. Kalamazoo opens league play on Wednesday, Jan. 6 at Alma College. Box Score

Men's Basketball loses to #1 Wash. U.
The men's basketball team lost 70-44 to the top-ranked and two-time defending national champion Washington University in St. Louis Bears on Wednesday, Dec. 30. Wash U. shot 49.1 percent while the Hornets shot 37.5 percent. The Bears turned the ball over just eight times while Kalamazoo had 16 turnovers. Joe Prepolec led Kalamazoo with 11 points and four rebounds. Ryan Clark added 10 points and five rebounds. Kalamazoo returns home to face Bluffton University on Saturday, Jan. 2 at 3 p.m. Box Score

Men's Basketball drops tournament opener at #25 Wooster
The men's basketball team suffered a 70-41 loss at the College of Wooster on Tuesday, Dec. 29. The host Scots, currently ranked #25 in the D3hoops.com Top 25, shot 50 percent from the field and made 11-of-23 three-pointers. Kalamazoo shot just 28.8 percent and made 2-of-13 three-pointers. Wooster also held a 45-28 advantage in rebounding. Ryan Clark led the Hornets with 10 points. Joe Prepolec scored nine points with four rebounds. Kalamazoo will face top-ranked Washington University (Mo.) in the tournament consolation game on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. The Bears suffered their first loss of the season, 73-69, to Transylvania prior to the Kalamazoo/Wooster game. Box Score

Mark Murphy named Women's Tennis Coach
Kalamazoo College announced the hiring of Mark Murphy as head women’s tennis coach and director of tennis facilities on Thursday, Dec. 17.

Murphy comes to Kalamazoo College after 11 years as associate head men’s and women’s tennis coach at his alma mater, Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He has also been the assistant director of Coe’s Clark Racquet Center since 2005.

"We are excited to welcome Mark to the Kalamazoo College community," said Kristen Smith, Kalamazoo College’s Director of Athletics. "He has extensive coaching experience with nationally ranked teams at Coe, he played under and coached with a Kalamazoo College alum, and his experience managing tennis facilities ensures that Stowe Stadium and the Markin Racquet Center will continue to operate as the finest collegiate tennis facilities in the country."

Murphy played and coached at Coe under Eric Rodgers, a 1979 Kalamazoo College graduate and member of two of Coach George Acker’s NCAA III National Championship teams.

In his 11 years as associate head coach at Coe, Murphy helped guide the Kohawks to nine conference team championships (6 men, 3 women), six conference second place finishes (4 men, 2 women), and eight NCAA III Tournament appearances (6 men, 2 women). He has worked with a combined 93 All-Conference selections, 10 ITA/NCAA All-Americans, and eight conference most valuable players.

"I am looking forward to the opportunities at Kalamazoo College," said Murphy. "Kalamazoo has superior academic programs, excellent tennis facilities, and supportive faculty, staff, and alumni. Kalamazoo College has all the necessary components for a national level program." More>>>