This Week in Athletics: April 16

April 16, 2025

Greetings #TARnation! Spring sports are winding down, class is almost over, and the Tommy Awards are less than two weeks away! Exciting times. We've got a lot to get you caught up on, so let's get started!

- Men's golf competed in the SSC Championship this weekend, finishing fourth overall, putting them in position for a spot in the NCAA South/Southeast Regional in May. If that wasn't enough, how about true freshman Mick Herron, playing in just his third career tournament, winning the SSC Individual title?! He shot under par in all three rounds, going 69-71-69 for a 209, seven under par. He even finished in style, chipping in from just off the green on #18 to seal the win. He is the first Rollins individual SSC champion since 2006. 

- What if I told you that women's golf had just as good of a story that ended only a  few hours later? After a sluggish first round, the Tars turned in the best team round of the entire tournament with a 287 (+3). They ended up in third-place overall, and will also be playing in the NCAA Regional in May. Leading the charge was freshman Alisha Rametra who played the round of her life, and one of the best in SSC history. She carded six birdies, one bogey, and eleven pars for a 66 (-5), giving her a 223 for the event and the SSC Champion trophy. The 66 is the second-lowest round in the history of the SSC tournament. 

- Women's tennis secured a pair of wins over Tampa and St. Thomas, with the latter being Senior Day on Tuesday. Prior to the match, the coaches honored Polina Vlasova, Nina Mitrofanova, and Polina Ligay in a touching ceremony. The girls went on to defeat St. Thomas 6-1, moving them to 12-6 overall on the season. 

- Men's tennis also celebrated their seniors, Luke Quaynor and Phillip McMurray, prior to their match with the Bobcats. Celebrity guest appearances from former Tars Charlie Putrino and Guillermo Castaneda inspired the Tars to play well as they took down St. Thomas 6-1 to wrap up the regular season with a 12-8 record. Ten of the Tars' twenty matches this season came against ranked opponents. 

- Men's lacrosse has found their groove as of late, winning five straight, including a double-overtime win at Embry-Riddle that just ended as I was writing this recap! The Tars now stand at 8-7 with a 5-2 record in the SSC. Jack Johnstone was named the SSC Player of the Week following his six goal, three assist effort against Florida Tech and Saint Leo. 

- Softball had a very strong showing against the #2 Tampa Spartans, winning one of three games. They were a fraction of a second of winning two of three, but a potential game-ending call at the plate of game two had the Tampa run called safe, leading to extra innings. Camila Leon-Blanco was fantastic in game three of the series, tossing a complete game shutout in the 6-0 Rollins win. The Tars entered the NFCA Top 25 this week with an overall record of 26-12 (15-9 SSC). 

- Sailing took fourth out of eleven teams at the SAISA Women's Fleet Championship at USF in Tampa. Their efforts unlocked a berth in the multi-event Women's Atlantic Coast Championship in the fall of 2025. It also puts the Tars in a great position to receive post-season selection to the 2025 ICSA National Championship at the end of May. They will find out on April 29th with the selection show.

- Women's lacrosse enjoyed an emphatic 20-9 win over Palm Beach Atlantic last week before dropping contests against #3 Florida Southern and #8 Saint Leo. The Tars end their season with an 8-8 record. Earlier in the week, head coach Dennis Short announced that this was his final season. He is the only head coach in the history of the program, and has a mountain of accolades to show for it. We wish him nothing but the best in his retirement!

- Baseball dropped all three games against #1 Tampa, moving them to 24-13 on the season and 13-8 against SSC foes. With twelve games remaining in the season, the Tars need a strong finish to be considered for NCAA postseason play. Despite the three losses, Rollins still has the top offense in the conference, hitting a whopping .327 at the plate as a squad.

- Men's basketball announced the official retirement of legend Tom Klusman. A Hall of Fame player for the Tars, he took over as head coach in 1980, and held the position for more than 40 years. Following his leave of absence prior to the 2024-25 season, Kevin Hogan took over as interim head coach. The school also announced that Hogan would drop the interim tag and take over as head coach. Hogan is also a former Tar, who scored more than 1,200 points and retired as one of the best three-point shooters in school history. 



Plenty of activity leading up to Easter weekend. Baseball and men's lacrosse are the only home games on the docket. Baseball will play Thursday and a doubleheader Friday against Eckerd, while lacrosse has to wait and see what happens with the Lynn vs. Palm Beach Atlantic game Wednesday night. If Lynn wins, Rollins will be the #3 seed in the SSC tournament and play at home on Saturday. If Lynn loses, Rollins will be the #2 seed, received a first round bye, and play next Wednesday... let's go Sailfish!

Remember, if you can't make it to the games in person, you can always find live stream links at the SSC Digital Network Page. 
 
-Tommy Tar
#TARnation