Williams Basketball Coach, Captain Share National Honors

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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Williams College men’s basketball coach Mike Maker

    Coach Mike Maker
and senior forward and captain Blake Schultz are sharing national honors with their national semifinal opponents from Guilford College. Maker and Guilford head coach Tom Palombo have been named Co-National Coach of the Year in Division III by The Basketball Times. Schultz shares National Player of the Year honors with Guilford star Tyler Sanborn.

Williams defeated Guilford 97-88 in the national semifinal contest, overcoming an eight-point halftime deficit with 70 percent shooting from the floor and 3-point range. Schultz led the Ephs versus Guilford with 25 points, connecting on 5-7 from beyond the arc.

Maker, in just his second campaign as the Ephs head coach, led Williams to the national championship game this season coming off a debut season of 17-9.  This year the Ephs repeated as Little Three outright champions (first time since 1995 and 1996), went undefeated in NESCAC regular season and won the NESCAC Tournament, tied the Eph record for most wins in a regular season (23), set a Williams record for in-season consecutive wins 21, won the NCAA Sectional title and defeated Guilford in the national semifinals 97-88, finishing with a record of 30-2.


Photo, Williams College
Blake Schultz
The 2009-10 season was the third time in Eph history that Williams won 30 games in a season and the trip to the final Four in Salem, Va. was their fifth.

Previously Maker had been named the NESCAC Coach of the Year and D3Hoops Northeast Regional Coach of the Year. In his two years at Williams, Maker has fashioned a 47-11 (.810) record.

Blake Schultz posted a remarkable senior season in leading the Ephs back to the national stage and closed out his career with 1,528 points (fourth all-time at Williams) and 545 rebounds (eighth at Williams). Schultz averaged 19.2 points a game and won NESCAC, ECAC-New England and D3Hoops.com Northeast Player of the Year honors. He was also named an NABC, The Basketball Times and D3hoops.com First Team All-American and won the prestigious national Jostens Trophy for playing ability, scholarship and community service.

Schultz has been accepted into Teach for America and assigned to New Orleans, but he may postpone that opportunity to continue competing in basketball for a year or two. His future plans include Teach for America and attending medical school with the goal of becoming an orthopedic surgeon. 
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St. Stan's Students Spread Holiday Cheer at Williamstown Commons

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Students from St. Stanislaus Kostka School  in Adams brought the holiday spirit to Williamstown Commons on Thursday, delivering handmade Christmas cards and leading residents in a community caroling session.
 
"It honestly means the world to us because it means the world to them," said nursing home Administrator Alex Fox on Thursday morning. "This made their days. This could have even made their weeks. It could have made their Christmas, seeing the children and interacting with the community."
 
Teacher Kate Mendonca said this is the first year her class has visited the facility, noting that the initiative was driven entirely by the students.
 
"This came from the kids. They said they wanted to create something and give back," Mendonca said. "We want our students involved in the community instead of just reading from a religion book."
 
Preparation for the event began in early December, with students crafting bells to accompany their singing. The handmade cards were completed last week.
 
"It's important for them to know that it's not just about them during Christmas," Mendonca said. "It's about everyone, for sure. I hope that they know they really helped a lot of people today and hopefully it brought joy to the residents here."
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