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| Joe Karlgaard, Ph.D. |
Dear Friends,
Fall is nearly upon us, and the excitement following a summer spent preparing for success is palpable. Our coaches worked tirelessly over the summer months – working camps, identifying talented scholar-athletes for the next recruiting cycle, and spreading our message of building excellence. Our administrative staff has been preparing for the arrival of students, and we could not be more eager to begin the school year. Let me tell you about some of the exciting prospects for Oberlin in 2007-08.
Our varsity teams expect tremendous competitive success this fall. The football team returns 21 of 22 starters from last year’s 5-5 squad that broke more than 20 school records. The team is well positioned to have its best season since the 1963 version that went 6-2. Men’s soccer returns a very talented group which, when combined with the best recruiting class in Blake New’s tenure as coach, should help the team compete for a conference championship and NCAA berth. Women’s cross country is the defending conference champion, and Coach Ray Appenheimer expects the Yeowomen to compete for back-to-back crowns and an NCAA berth in November. The men’s cross country team has consistently moved up the conference standings since the arrival of Appenheimer in 2004 and has the talent to improve upon last season’s 5th place NCAC finish. The field hockey team, winners of the conference championship in 2003 and 2005, believes that odd-years bode well for Oberlin. All of the pieces are in place for a run at a third title this season. Both volleyball and women’s soccer have reached a tipping point for their programs. This should be the year that both squads move from the bottom to the middle of the conference standings.
Across-the-board improvement – that is what I believe is in store for our teams this fall. We should challenge for multiple conference championships, and all of our teams are prepared to make a big leap forward. The vision of excellence in varsity athletics at Oberlin is upon us.
I invite all of you – alumni, parents, and friends – to return to campus this fall. Bear witness to our momentum, and support us in the challenges that lie ahead. The first Athletics Homecoming Weekend is scheduled for September 29. We expect strong attendance from our alumni, and we have planned a series of events to welcome them back to campus. Visit www.oberlin.edu/athletic/homecoming for more details.
Go Yeo!
Joe Karlgaard
Delta Lodge Director of Athletics and Physical Education
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