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| Football Rhode Island set a school rushing record, almost pulled off an upset over I-A Cincinnati and proved to be one of the most exciting teams in the Atlantic 10 in 2003 while finishing 4-8 (3-6 in the Atlantic 10) in a rebuilding year. After setting the school rushing standard in 2002 with 2,904 yards, the 2003 edition of the Rams rambled for 4,005 yards and finished second in the nation in rushing. Led by Jason Ham’s 1,119 yards, the Ram scored 309 points, third most in school annals.
Men’s Cross Country The team had a successful season in 2003, sending sophomores Kyle Poland, Cole Henault, and Andrew Poland to the NCAA Regional meet in November. Kyle Poland was Rhode Island’s top finisher, placing 140th overall. Henault and Andrew Poland finished 162nd and 168th respectively. The Rams finished ninth in the Atlantic 10 Championship, with Kyle Poland as Rhode Island’s top finisher, placing 35th. Poland’s twin, Andrew, placed 37th overall. Henault was 38th and Shaun Horgan placed 39th. Women’s Cross Country The team placed 15th of 36 at the Northeast Regionals. Sophomore Kristen Coon was 12th overall with a time of 21:31. The Rams finished second in the Atlantic 10 Championship, with Coon again leading the way as the runner up. Sophomores Lindsay Vieira and Courtney Klenk placed 12th and 13th while freshman Katherine Guilfoyle and senior Erica Sweitzer rounded out Rhode Island’s top scorers with an 18th and 19th place finishes.
Men’s Soccer The team (12-9-1 overall, 6-4-1 in the Atlantic 10) wrapped up its 2003 season with a 3-0 loss to Connecticut in NCAA College Cup. The Rams, however, earned the right to play in the NCAA Tournament by winning the Atlantic 10 Championship. They defeated Dayton in the quarterfinals, Richmond in the semi-finals and Temple in the finals to capture the crown. Rhode Island was the only Atlantic 10 team to represent the league at the NCAA Tournament. Senior Perek Bellah was named the Most Outstanding Player in the Atlantic 10 Tournament while Dean Ruddy, Mohamed Keita, midfielder Emerson Aquilera, midfielder Sasha Gotsmanov and defender Nicholas Varholak joined Bellah on the all-tournament team. Bellah was also named first-team All New England and was drafted in the 10th round by the Rochester Raging Rhinos of the A-League.
Women’s Soccer In head coach Lisa Cole’s first year, the team finished 7-7-1 (5-3-1 in the Atlantic 10) and nearly pulled off a win in the Atlantic 10 tournament, losing 2-1 at tournament host Richmond in double overtime. Sophomore Melanie Kasparek was named both Atlantic 10 Women’s Soccer Student Athlete of the Year and Atlantic 10 Player of the Year. She has a GPA of 3.97 in psychology and has made the dean’s list every semester. For the season, Kasparek led the Atlantic 10 in scoring with 32 points and was tied for the league lead in goals with 13. Her sister, Megan Kasparek, was named a second-team all Atlantic 10 performer at midfield.
Golf The team finished a successful fall with its seventh straight New England Championship. All five of the school’s golfers placed in the top 30 in the event. The Rams finished second of 18 schools in the McDonald’s Cup. Rhody placed four golfers in the top 25 in the event. In the Adams Cup of Newport, URI finished tied with UAB for seventh place. Junior Kenneth Fahey tied for 21st, senior Chad Spencer tied for 23rd and junior Ben Tuthill tied for 28th place. Coach Tom Drennan was the recipient of the 2003 Gordon McCullough Award, which is presented to a coach for outstanding contributions to college golf as selected by fellow coaches in New England. Field Hockey The team finished a strong 7-13 (1-5 in the Atlantic 10) in coach Stacey Bean’s second season, an improvement over the 2002 campaign. Courtney Wood and Kelly Johnson were named to the All-Atlantic 10 team. Wood, a senior, anchored a much improved Rams defense, scoring two goals of her own. Johnson, a junior, led the Rams in scoring with 14 points, shots on goal with 46, and tied for the team-lead in goals with five. She was also second on the team in assists with four. Wood was one of just 19 seniors to be selected to play in the NFHCA Division I North/South Senior All-Star Game. Volleyball The team (12-18, 7-7 in the Atlantic 10) placed fifth in the Atlantic 10 just barely missing a spot in the league championship event. Senior Amy Kauppila earned numerous honors including All-Atlantic 10 for leading the team in kills and Academic All-Atlantic 10 for her 3.791 GPA. Freshman Atlee Hubbard earned a spot on the conference’s All-Rookie Team. |
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