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Hall of Fame: Members | Criteria for Membership
Major Sports Awards: Annual Award Winners
Today, Pomona-Pitzer remains true to the Division III philosophy that college athletes must be students first. Pomona-Pitzer athletes work hard and excel in their sports, while both coaches and
student-athletes are aware that each student has come to Pomona
and Pitzer Colleges for a spectrum of learning experiences.
 The centerpiece of the athletic complex is the Liliore Green Rains Center for Sport and Recreation, which opened in 1989 as part of a $16 million facelift of all athletic facilities. The center houses two gymnasiums with
five regulation basketball courts; racquetball, squash, and handball courts; a weight-training facility with Cybex equipment,
elliptical, stair, and bicycle machines, treadmills, and free weights; a large
exercise area for aerobics, yoga, fencing, and martial arts, and classrooms. Adjacent to the Rains Center are 14 all-weather tennis courts; two soccer fields; an all-weather track and field facility,
Fuzz Merritt Football Field, and Alumni Baseball Field. The Haldeman Aquatics Center, has a 50-meter Olympic-size pool with one- and three-meter diving boards, and its own locker and training rooms. These facilities are open to all Pomona students, regardless of their participation in organized athletics, at no additional charge.
Pomona's balance of academics and athletics has served to enhance the success of the College's teams. In the past decade, the joint men's and women's athletic teams of Pomona and Pitzer colleges have consistently finished in the top 3 of the combined Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) All-Sports Standings. Over the past three years, four of the 19 teams took first place in the conference, while 16 finished in the top three among the eight SCIAC institutions. In addition, both individuals and teams distinguished records of success in national competition in Division III of the NCAA. Of particular note, Pomona
soccer athlete Matt Lee Ashley ‘04 received the prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, recognizing their athletic and academic achievements. He is the 17th Pomona-Pitzer student to receive this award.
 In 2005, Pomona's football team featured
sophomore Robert Pepple, who led the
conference in rushing. Junior
Matt Barbour led the SCIAC in tackles, leading the Sagehens to the number
one ranked pass defense in the conference.
Junior volleyball player
Laura Laakso was named to the first team all-conference, and moved into
first place on the all-time Pomona-Pitzer list for assists.
The women's soccer team won the 2005 SCIAC title, with seven members named to
the all-conference team. Seniors
Anna Renery and Ashley Hovey,
junior Kim Ye, and freshman
Lily Hitchner were named to
the first team. Sophomore
Jenny Medvene-Collins
and senior Lauren Denny were
named to the second team. Senior
Caitlin Barrett was given the Award of Distinction. They advanced to the
NCAA Division III Championship for the first time in their history.
The men’s soccer team won the conference championship in 2004, sharing the
title with the University of Redlands.
 Pomona-Pitzer
women have excelled in cross country. At the conference level, they have won
multiple conference titles, and the following SCIAC Championship Meet victories:
Kelly Redfield '92 (1990), Anastasia Finnegan '00 (1998), and Laura Bishop
'03 (2000 and
2001). The women's team competes in the NCAA Division III West Region Meet, and
has consistently placed well there - twice earning NCAA Nationals berths as a
team.
Anastasia Finnegan '00 and Leah Barnes '00 placed 1-2 in the 1998 Conference Championship meet. Finnegan went on to the 1999 National Championships, and Bishop competed in the 2001 National Meet.
The 2005 men's cross country team won their third
consecutive Conference Championship. Behind three-time SCIAC
Runner of the Year and three-time NCAA All-American
Crosby
Freeman '06, the Sagehens finished in second place in
regionals and advanced to the National Championships.
Freeman was the regional winner, with teammate
Will Leer
finishing in second place.
 In track and field, Kate Hill '00 took second in the hammer to earn All-American honors,
and in 2004, Izzy Smith won the SCIAC title in the 400
hurdles. In 2004, the men's team finished third in the SCIAC,
with Ty Bundgaard representing the school as the SCIAC
Athlete of the Year and as a representative at the 2004 NCAA
Division III National Championships in the high jump
The women's water polo team won the U.S. Water Polo Collegiate III National Championships in 2003,
and finished in second place in 2004. Ashley Gucinski ’07 was picked as the SCIAC Player of the Year and was also named to the AWPCA All-America First Team.
The 2005 squad finished in second place, but won the U.S.
Water Polo Collegiate III National Championship.
The men’s water polo team challenged for the conference title in 2003,
with Tim Brown ’04 and
Ben Cooper '04 making the All-Conference First Team.
 Pomona-Pitzer athletes hold 17 of the 19 SCIAC
records in women's swimming. In 2002,
five women's swimmers competed at the NCAA meet with Kate Bollinger earning All- American honors in the 200 Fly.
On the Men's side, Swimmer Ben Komer '02 was a two-time All-American and two-time conference Swimmer of the Year (50 free, 100 free).
The men's basketball team is a growing dynasty, having won the SCIAC title in
1989,1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2004, and 2005 and advancing to the NCAA
National Tournament in each of those years. Mark Erler '04, Tyler Velten '04, and
Alex
Lloyd '05 named to the All-SCIAC Team; Erler was given the Ted Ducey Award for
Sportsmanship. In 2005, Alex Lloyd was named SCIAC Player of the Year.
The Sagehen women, regularly a Division III power, have been SCIAC champions in 15 of the 25 seasons from 1977 to 2004,
including the team’s most recent title in 2002.
Caroline Crocker ’06 was named
to the All-SCIAC Team for the 2004-2005 season.
The Pomona-Pitzer women's tennis team
enjoys a rich tradition of success. Beginning with Darlene Hard's ('61) national
collegiate title in 1958, the team has captured eight NCAA Championships (five
doubles, two singles and one team) and 15 SCIAC Championships. In 1992 the
Sagehen Women swept singles, doubles and team portions of the NCAA Division III
National Championships. Perennially ranked in the top ten nationally, the 2004
team featured SCIAC Player of the Year and All-American Kelli Howard '04, as
well as All-SCIAC members Whitney Henderson '04, and Betsy Mork '04.
 The Sagehen men's
tennis team won their first conference title in 40 years in 1989, and
in 1992, earned a fourth place NCAA finish. Recent Pomona-Pitzer Hall of Fame
member Paul Cross (1990)
was
ranked No. 1 in both singles and doubles. Ken Su (1999) advanced to the individual National Championships in 1998.
Most recently, JR Hall (2004) was a four-time first-team All-SCIAC selection and
a singles and doubles All-American, finishing the year ranked 15th in the country
in singles and 7th in doubles with partner David Frankel (2004).
Frankel transferred to Pomona-Pitzer in 2002 and was a two-time first-team
All-SCIAC selection and the 2004 SCIAC Player of the Year. He was also a
two-time singles All-American and doubles All-American for the Sagehens; he finished 2004 ranked No. 9 in the country in singles and
No. 7 in doubles.
 The men's baseball team won back to back SCIAC titles
in 2002 and 2003,
compiling a 66-17 overall record and 36-3 league record during that period. Jose Cortez ’03, was
a three-time SCIAC Player of the Year, a four-time All-American, and was drafted
in the 14th round of the Major League Baseball draft by the Philadelphia Phillies.
Pitcher Adam Gardner '04, was signed by the San Francisco Giants, and
just wrapped up his summer season with the Augusta Greenjackets.
The women's softball team recorded its best overall record and best conference finish in 1996.
In 2002, Leanne Stein ’05 earned Second Team All Conference honors.
The 2001 golf team was led by Ben Hochstein ’04 and Scott Pearsall ’05.
 Pomona also provides athletic opportunities for students through intramural competition and
physical education activities. Each year, approximately 900 students compete in 18 intramural sports, from badminton, basketball, and beach volleyball to soccer, softball, and inner-tube water polo. The College's physical education program is designed to help student-athletes fulfill their athletic potential and to allow the broadest possible participation by all students.
Pomona College offers a wide variety of
intramural activities to suit the needs and interests of a wide variety of
students. Club sports are
participated in by students of the five undergraduate Claremont Colleges. The Colleges field teams in field hockey, lacrosse, and rugby for women; in lacrosse, rugby, and volleyball for men; and coed teams in badminton, cycling, fencing, sailing, skiing, and ultimate Frisbee.
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