Panthers Poised for Standout Year of Sports

Every new athletics season is a clean slate, and Principia College Athletics is already making its mark with new and returning athletes in a fall lineup that is sure to keep Panther fans cheering.

Women’s volleyball is returning after a one-year hiatus. Rugby, men’s and women’s basketball, tennis, and swimming and diving are also primed to begin a great year of competition.

15-Player Rugby
Principia’s Thunder Chickens rugby team includes top-level talent with prior experience from around the globe—including seven all-star and/or national-level athletes:

• Damir Conci of Argentina has played for Croatia’s National Snow Rugby Team. (Yes, they play rugby in the snow!)
• Sjaen Lucas has played for the South African Barbarians Under-21 Team.
• Emmanuel Atiko has played for the Under-18 Border CD Team in South Africa.
• Emmanuel Atiko and Sbewu Fipaza have both played for the University of Pretoria’s “Tuks” in the South African Varsity Cup competition.
• Bradley Mayeskiso played for Pretoria Boys High School, a powerhouse program.
• Kudzai Chiwara of Zimbabwe was a high school and regional all-star.

This lineup is led by returning Head Rugby Coach Ward Patterson. Patterson came out of retirement to coach the Thunder Chickens and is one of the founding organizers of the College’s rugby program. Patterson has more than three decades of coaching experience that includes leading the Middlebury College rugby team to a National Championship in 2007, as well as six New England Regional Championships. In 2013, Coach Patterson led Principia’s Thunder Chickens to the USA Rugby DII 7s National Championship.

"I believe that Principia rugby is on the cusp of a whole new era,” Patterson says. “I cannot wait to see how well we can play."

If the Thunder Chickens’ first conference match of the season (which took place September 20) is any indication, Coach Patterson’s new era is at hand. The team beat Southern Illinois University 81-0.

Women’s Basketball
The combined efforts of former coach Dory Smith and new head coach Ramiro Dominguez have resulted in an unprecedented pool of talent on the women’s basketball team.

“They were all in the top 100 of Missouri Prep Hoops. They all played on elite summer teams that finished in the top 10 nationally,” Dominguez says of his seven new players. Carolina Rojas played on the Columbian National Team. They each were all-conference and all-district selections. Paige Fowler set a boys’ and girls’ scoring record at her school and was three-time player of the year in her conference.”

“Women’s basketball has high expectations for these athletes, and we are very excited! Dory did an amazing job recruiting the women that were already on the team. A mixture of new and returning players is making it exciting,” Dominguez says.

Men’s Basketball
Men’s basketball will have its biggest roster in recent history, with 13 players when the season opener tips off on November 6, according to Head Coach Todd Zimmerman who’s been part of the team since 2007. New Assistant Coach Micah Paulson is a Principia College basketball record holder. 

Women’s Volleyball
Rich Eisenauer stepped in as head coach of the women’s volleyball team this summer, bringing decades of experience to the court. Eisenauer started coaching volleyball in 1978 as an assistant at his high school, went on to assist at Principia College as a student, coached Principia’s Middle School team in the 2000s, and then moved on to coach the Principia Upper School varsity team from 2010–2015.

Men's and Women's Tennis
Senior Daniel Gomez qualified for NCAA DIII last spring and has another shot at the championships this year. His younger sister, freshman Camila Gomez of Bogotá, Colombia, is already racking up wins in both singles and doubles

Men’s Track and Field
Returning NCAA all-American Chris Puduski and national qualifier Wisdom Thomas return to the track this year to see if they can throw and jump further than they did last year at the NCAA Division III nationals held last spring in the hammer throw and long-jump events, respectively.

Livestream Principia College Games
Whether you’re on campus or on the other side of the globe, you can catch every minute of every game with Principia College Athletics’ new streaming service. To watch live events or catch past games (on demand), visit the Stretch portal. No password or authentication is required to watch. Get regular online updates at Principia Athletics.