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‘Sports’ Category
Former international tennis star looks to dominate courts of law
Columbia’s tennis programs have several of the nation’s top-ranked college athletes on their rosters, but the biggest name in tennis currently at Columbia isn’t part of either team.
Mario Ančić, the 28-year-old Croatian tennis star who was once ranked No. 7 in the world, is pursuing a LL.M. at the Columbia Law School.
Ančić—whom the media nicknamed “Super Mario” after he defeated Roger Federer at Wimbledon when he was 18 years old—doesn’t play much anymore, but he occasionally hits with members of Columbia’s men’s tennis team.
Spectator caught up with Ančić and some friends at the Vanderbilt Tennis Club, tucked away in the upper levels of Grand Central Station, to talk about his transition from a professional athlete to a lawyer and to see what skills he still has on the tennis court.
Read the full feature about Ancic written by Kyle Perrotti in today’s paper.
Let’s play ball! Baseball kicks off 2013 season
With the Light Blue baseball team poised to begin its season this weekend against Lamar University in Texas, two of the baseball beat writers—Myles Simmons and Eli Schultz—sat down to discuss the prospects of this year’s team.
Watch the video above to hear sound bites from their interview with head coach Brett Boretti and see clips from one of the Lions’ recent practices.
For an in-depth look at this year’s team, pick up a copy of the Baseball Supplement or read it online.
Barnard sophomore competes for international karate title
Claire Bouchard, BC ’15, will be headed to Germany this September as a member of the AJKA United States National Karate Team.
This isn’t Bouchard’s first time competing abroad, as the 5-foot-1 athlete has already been to tournaments in six foreign countries.
Watch the video above to find out the training Bouchard has endured to reach her current skill level, and read the full article by Molly Tow in today’s paper for more details.
Katie Meili: team Stark or Lannister?
The fact that the Columbia women’s swimming team is heading into the home stretch of their season hasn’t slowed the pace of senior co-captain Katie Meili’s record-breaking streak.
Last week against Brown, Meili broke two Uris Pool records alone, only the latest accomplishment in what has been a spectacular final season of her collegiate career.
Read more to find out what her experience swimming for the Lions has been like, what’s on her pre-meet playlist, and the best piece of life advice that she’s ever gotten.
How did you get involved with swimming?
I started swimming competitively when I was 8. My older sister broke her ankle and the doctor suggested swimming for therapy. I had to do everything my sister did, so I tagged along. The rest is history!
What is the craziest swimming experience you’ve had in the past four years? More »
Bold predictions for your Super Bowl Sunday
As you all know, today is the most glorious of all unofficial holidays—Super Bowl Sunday.
Whether you’re rooting for the San Francisco 49ers or the Baltimore Ravens (which, by the way, you shouldn’t be), looking forward to Queen Beyoncé performing at halftime, or just tuning in to watch the commercials, the Super Bowl XLVII is bound to have something for you.
And since, at least for now, you’re here instead of ESPN, some of the senior Spec Sports staff have put together a pick and a bold prediction (à la the NFL Network) to help get you ready for tonight.
Check out our predictions, and leave yours in the comments!
Myles Simmons, Sports Editor
49ers 24-17
“Kaepernick throws an early pick to Ed Reed, but leads the 49ers down the field in the last five minutes for a game-winning drive.”
Alison Macke, Sports Editor
49ers 31-28
“Ray Lewis re-injures his arm and has to come out of the game.”
Sportscast hosts review weekend success of fencing, swimming, track
Nick Scott and Eli Schultz, joined by Spectator Sports Editor Myles Simmons, are back in the first Sportscast of 2013.
This weekend was a mixed bag for Light Blue athletics. While both basketball squads suffered disappointing home defeats to Cornell, the fencing program took first place at the NYU Invitational.
In addition, men’s and women’s swimming set multiple records at their meet against Brown, and the women’s track team won the Metropolitan Indoor Track & Field Championship for the second straight year.
Watch this week’s episode to hear the hosts’ take on the Lions’ results in these and other sports (and Nick Scott’s plans to let himself go now that soccer is finished).
Questions for the hosts? Email podcast@columbiaspectator.com.
Lions lose 66-63 heartbreaker to Big Red
After being down by 12 to Cornell at halftime, the men’s basketball team fought back to cut the margin to one with less than 10 seconds left. But senior guard Brian Barbour’s last-second three-pointer was off the mark, and the Lions fell to the Big Red 66-63.
After the game, Spectator’s basketball beat writers Eli Schultz, Steven Lau, and Muneeb Alam discussed the key factors that led to Columbia’s first conference loss of the season.