Grades Are in for Fall Sports

While your fall semester classes are now a distant memory, here’s an unfortunate newsflash to sap the last bit of holiday spirit from your break: Grades are up.  Instead of regretting your multiple choice answers on that make-or-break final, or waiting anxiously to see if your last class’ results are in, take a break from your Student Record to see if some of your favorite fall sports made the grade this semester.

Football: B+/A-

The Crimson got off to a hot start, winning its first five games of the season by an average of 27 points. But then came the midterm exam at Princeton, where Harvard saw its nation-best 14-game win streak come to an end with a 39-34 loss to the Tigers. The Crimson bounced back with a win at Dartmouth though, and then followed that up by routing Columbia, 69-0.  But Harvard failed to deliver when it mattered the most, losing 30-21 at Penn in the de-facto Ivy League championship game. It wasn't last year’s Ivy League championship season, but even with some hiccups on the road, the Crimson turned in a season full of solid performances and ended its term with a climactic fourth quarter finish to beat out rival Yale in the final test of the semester.  It was valiant effort, even without the Ivy Champ rings to show for it.

Men’s Soccer: C

To say the men’s soccer team had a disappointing season would be a bit of an understatement.  The Crimson went a dismal 3-11-3 on the season and failed to pick up a win against a conference foe, going 0-6-1 in Ivy League play.  If anything though, it was a season of near misses.  The Crimson fell just one goal short in seven of its losses, and the team went into overtime six times, only to come out with three ties and three losses.  Here’s to hoping the men’s team makes the grade by the time next season rolls around.

Cross Country: A

An appearance at the NCAA Championships for the first time in nearly three decades capped what the director of Harvard Cross Country/Track called a “historic season” for the women’s team.  On the men’s side, the Crimson finished sixth in the Northeast regional, its best finish since 2006, and also sent two runners to NCAAs.

Women’s Volleyball: B

The Crimson got off to a sluggish start, losing its first three matchups, then had a five-game losing streak to finish its non-conference slate with a 2-8 record.  But Harvard picked up some steam in the second half of the semester, going 7-7 against Ivy opponents to finish fourth in the league and only two wins away from a second-place finish.  It was a bumpy start, but we all know the second half of the semester counts more than the first, and some fine finishes down the stretch helped salvage what could’ve been a down season.

Field Hockey: C+

The Crimson went 3-13 this year, and 1-6 against Ivy opponents.  It was a tough first year for head coach Tjerk van Herwaarden, as Harvard saw its season end with an eight-game losing streak.  The Crimson finished tied with Brown at the bottom of the Ivy League standings, a sizeable drop from last year’s fifth-place finish and 8-9 overall record.

Men’s Water Polo: B

It was a year of fresh faces and fresh talent for the men’s water polo team.  With the bulk of its roster comprised of freshmen and sophomores, the young team got off to sluggish start, going 3-5 in the opening weeks.  But the Crimson hit its stride in the middle of the season, riding a nine-game win streak.  Harvard finished off the year with a 15-19 record after some tough losses to top-ranked teams on a California road trip and some close losses to Northeast opponents late in the season.  Look for Harvard to come in strong next year, when the underclassmen have a full season of collegiate play under their belts (or speedos, so to speak).