As the calendar year comes to a close — following a Fall semester that saw many successes for New York University teams — nine Violet squads find themselves ranked both nationally and regionally at year's end.
Currently in season, Women's Basketball, Wrestling, Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving, and Men's and Women's Fencing are recognized among the nation's best. Women's Tennis and both Men's and Women's Golf are also listed in the top-tier of Division III as they await their returns to competition in the Spring.
The breakdown below highlights each program's rankings and their paths to get there.
Women's Basketball
NYU's women's hoops squad has gotten off to a blistering start to the 2021-22 campaign, currently boasting a 9-0 record. The Violets come in at #5 in the nation in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's latest poll and are ranked #11 by D3hoops.com.
The team has won all of its games by double-digits, including a still-active streak of three-straight by 40-plus points. A fast-paced yet balanced attack has fueled the Violets, with leading scorers Jenny Walker, Belle Pellecchia and Erica Miller all averaging at least 11.0 points per game.
Wrestling
NYU's wrestlers have enjoyed a strong start to the season, holding a 4-1 record in duals while claiming first place as a team at Ursinus College's Racich Rumble on November 13. The team is ranked #11 in the National Wrestling Coaches Association's (NWCA) Dual Team Rankings.
Four Violets appear in the NWCA's national individual rankings: Izaake Zuckerman (#12 - 184), Cooper Pontelandolfo (#12 - 165), Jason Geyer (#13 - 174) and Trent Furman (#15 - 157).
David Aranda (#2 - 285), Nick Kruczynski (#3 - 133), Tyler Crew (#4 - 125), Anthony Chavez (#4 - 149) and Scott DuPont (#5 - 197) join Furman (#2), Pontelandolfo (#2), Zuckerman (#3) and Geyer (#4) in the Northeast region individual rankings.
Swimming & Diving
Both Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving are among Division III's top-10 teams — according to the College Swimming Coaches Association of America — with the women slotted at #5 and the men at #8.
The highlight of the early portion of the schedule was the Violets' performances at Brown University's Bruno Invite. On the men's side, Thomas Pritchard set a program record and posted the nation's best time in the 1650 freestyle this season (15:14.72) while 13 individuals and three relay teams produced NCAA B cuts.
For the women, Caitlin Marshall also notched a season-best in all of Division III, finishing the 200 butterfly in 2:00.88. Eight individuals and two relay squads collected NCAA B cuts at Brown as well.
Fencing
NYU's Men's and Women's Fencing teams each sit atop the US Fencing Coaches Association's Early-Season Division III polls. Both squads also received votes in the full polls that encompass all NCAA fencing programs.
It's still very early in the season for the Violets, but there have already been some shining moments. Two men's fencers took home gold at the Temple Open on October 24: Ian Sanders in epee and Darren Yen in saber.
Both teams also took the strip at the highly-competitive Sacred Heart Invitational, as the women went 3-3 with wins over Temple University, Vassar College and the host Pioneers. The men won four of their six matchups at Sacred Heart, defeating Vassar, Princeton University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Sacred Heart.
Women's Tennis
NYU's pair of star freshmen tennis players — Dakota Fordham and Carol Plakk — began their careers in resounding fashion this past Fall, winning the 2021 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Cup doubles title in October.
The duo is ranked #1 nationally in doubles in the ITA's recently released collegiate rankings. Fordham is also the #4-ranked singles player in Division III with Plakk following at #5.
Fordham was the ITA's Northeast Regional singles champion after defeating Plakk in the regional final; both Violets have earned ITA All-America status for their accomplishments.
Golf
The Women's Golf team wrapped up a solid Fall season ranked #12 in Division III by the Women's Golf Coaches Association. NYU won the season-opening St. Lawrence Invitational and has finished top-three as a team in all five of their competitions thus far.
Men's Golf comes in at #19 in the Golf Coaches Association of America's Division III Coaches Poll after a Fall that saw them win both the St. Lawrence Invitational and the Liberty League Preview. The Violets placed second and tied for third in their two other events in 2021.
