May/June 2008
Around the Quads
Roar Lion Roar
FENCING: Jeff Spear ’10 gave Columbia its second NCAA fencing champion in two years and third in the past four years when he defeated the favored, top-ranked Mike Momtselidze of Ohio State 15–10 in the men’s sabre championship bout on March 16, the final day of the NCAA Championships at Ohio State.
Daria Schneider ’09, who took a leave of absence this year to train for the Olympics, was the 2007 NCAA women’s sabre champion, and Emily Jacobson ’08 was the women’s sabre titlist in 2005. Spear is the first Columbia man to win an NCAA fencing crown since Jed DuPree ’01 in 2001.
In the team standings, Columbia finished third for the second straight season with 158 victories. Host Ohio State won the NCAA title with 185 and Notre Dame was second with 176.
BASEBALL: Columbia’s baseball field was renamed on April 26 in recognition of the generous support of Hal Robertson ’81E and is now known as Robertson Field at the Baker Field Athletics Complex. Since 1970, the field has been named for Andy Coakley, who was head baseball coach from 1914–18 and 1920–51, and ranks second at Columbia in wins. His legacy to the program was recognized with the installation of a plaque in his honor.