Youthful women's basketball team opens the new season tomorrow against Coe

The women's varsity basketball team opens its 2001–2 campaign by hosting Coe tomorrow at 3 p.m.

With only one senior, guard Allison Bell-Bern, the Scots remain a young team but have more experience.

As they did last season, forward Emily Koller '03 and guard Afton Hanson '04 are expected to lead Macalester on both sides of the court. Koller led Macalester with 11.4 points per game and 6.5 rebounds per game while setting the school's field goal percentage record by shooting .535 from the field.

In the backcourt, Hanson is a threat from behind both the three-point and free throw lines, averaging more than one trey per game and shooting 79 percent from the line last season. Hanson also led the team in assists and steals in 2000–1.

Center Sarah Hersch '03, the MIAC's second-leading rebounder in the past two seasons, and guard Kaebah Orme '03 will both be studying abroad this year. Expected to fill the void are center Sarah Jacoby '04, who averaged one block per game, and Bell-Bern.

In the backcourt, Hannah Radant '04, Sarah Crangle '04, Candace Martin '05 and Addy Kessler '04 will provide depth while Holly Sciborski '05 is expected to contribute in the frontcourt. Rounding out a large class of first-years for head coach Mary Orsted are guards Alice Hacker and Erin Hoople as well as forwards Sarah Engtlemeier and Bethany Tate.

After early season meets, swimming and diving teams prepare to battle MIAC rivals

Macalester's swimming and diving teams have started off the 2001–2 season with hopes of improvement despite their small rosters.

The men's team started the season by winning its first two dual meets, defeating Wisconsin-River Falls last Friday, 99–73, then beating Hamline the next day, 88–50.

The women, after a 119–110 win over St. Cahterine's, have lost their last four matches.

Although the men's team only has nine members, the team possesses excellent individual talent. Erik Nelson '03 set the school record for the 50–meter freestyle on Friday with a time of 24.87. All-conference swimmer Joe Hanes '03 has been a mainstay on theteam, as has conference finalist Tim Wallace '02.

During the spring semester, the women's team will lose six members who will be studying abroad. Diving is the team's strength this year, and Liz Fitzgerald '04 has started the year impressively.

The lack ofdepth on the squads will make the challenge of the MIAC Championships, co-hosted by Macalester from Feb. 21–23, even more difficult, but the Scots hope that their individual talent will be enough for a solid performance. Last year, the men's team finishedfifth of eight teams while the women finished eigth out of 11 teams.

Macalester will compete at home tonight and tomorrow night, first hosting Gustavus Adolphus and then the Macalester Invitational the next day. Gustavus, who already have team members that have qualified for the national championships, has one of the best programs in the nation. The meet begins at 6 p.m.

Macalester will host St. John's, St. Benedict's, St. Catherine's, St. Thomas and Hamline on Saturday at 10 a.m.

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