Springing to Success

By Patrick Bohn, May 13, 2024

Spring sports teams capture conference titles.

The men's and women's crew teams both captured conference championships.

(Ithaca College Athletic Communications)

Spring is in the air, which means it’s conference championship time for Ithaca College’s athletic teams. Four teams took home Liberty League Championships in their respective sports this season.

It was a historic first championship for the men’s crew team, as the Bombers captured a first-place finish in the Varsity Eight race with a time of 6:08. The second Varsity Eight team also won their race with a time of 6:22. With the victory in the 1V race, that boat earned automatic qualification into the Division III IRA Championships, which will take place from May 31 to June 2.

The women’s crew team dominated their conference championships, sweeping four events: the first and second Varsity Eight (7:02 and 7:27, respectively), the Varsity Four (8:21), and the Novice Eight (7:41). The Bombers will go on to compete at the NCAA Championships on May 31 and June 1.

The women's lacrosse team and baseball team won their conference titles in dramatic fashion. (Photos courtesy of Ithaca College Athletic Communications)

The women’s lacrosse team needed a bit of extra time to secure its first-ever Liberty League title — and first conference title since 2008 — defeating William Smith 11-10 in overtime on a goal by Sydney Phillips ’24, who was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. The win secured Ithaca a first-round bye in the NCAA Tournament, which they then followed up with an 18-6 win over Shenandoah in the second round. They’ll play Pomona-Pitzer in the third round on May 18 in Middlebury, Vermont.

The baseball team celebrated a weekend full of walk-offs at the Liberty League Championships, hosted by RPI. After winning their opening game against Union 9-8 on an error with two outs in the 9th inning, the Bombers stunned Rochester with back-to-back walk-offs. The first came in the 13th inning, when Ethan Rothstein doubled home the winning run in a 3-2 win. The next day, Rothstein played hero again, with a two-out, bases loaded single that won the game 7-6 and, in the process, punched the Bombers’ ticket to the NCAA Tournament. Ithaca will play a best-of-three regional against defending national champion Lynchburg at Case Western Reserve from May 17-19.