Crew and Lacrosse Pre-seasons Cancelled

Nick Berlet'18, Staff Writer

Pre season training for the 2017 spring crew and lacrosse team were canceled due to inclement weather. Spring athletic teams typically meet towards the end of break for preseason, in order to sharpen their skills and get a head start for their upcoming season. Crew was scheduled to go to Virginia, where they would work on endurance, team chemistry, and bond as a group. Similarly, the girl’s lacrosse team planned a trip to Baltimore, Maryland. Their intentions were to practice drills, get ready for the season, and watch a Navy lacrosse game. Unfortunately, the March snowstorms, along with an injury for lacrosse coach, Alison Kittle, hindered the plans.

 

Athletes from both teams expressed frustration and concern.

 

“I flew from Jackson, Wyoming in order to attend the trip, so it would’ve been nice to know before that. Aside from that, the real concern is that we haven’t really been able to recover from the missed time, as we appear to not be at full speed,” said Isabel Guerrero ’18 a coxswain for the crew team.

 

“It certainly would have been better to have the time to get in pristine shape for the season; however, I feel that we have been able to regroup as a team and regain some of our chemistry,” teammate Paul Cornelius ’18 said.

 

Boys Crew Coach Joe Murtaugh explained that the reason for cancelling was for safety and protocol.

 

“It became clear we wouldn’t be able to run the trip safely given predicted snow and low temperatures. Crews are not allowed to row on the reservoir we visit in Northern Virginia when the temps fall below 35, so the trip became untenable,” Murtaugh said.

 

“The whole team was pretty bummed about not being able to go, as we were excited to get the time to hang out together. We were also a little concerned about not having those three extra practices to really fine tune our play before the real season began. Yet everyone was super understanding of Kittle’s injury, and it hasn’t impacted our season at all,” girl’s lacrosse goalie and captain Caitlin Barrett ’17 stated.

 

Barrett still went down to Annapolis with teammates Lauren Killian ’17 and Bridget Wood ’17 to watch alumni Molly O’Sullivan ’15, Andie O’Sullivan ’15, Natalie Irwin ’16, and Elizabeth Schwein ’16 play in the Navy lacrosse game. Shelby Hinchman ’18, however, didn’t seem to be too phased by the cancellation.

 

“The weather would have impacted the training, as the frigid temperature would surely make players unmotivated. It still would have been nice to bond as team in Maryland,” Hinchman said.

 

Girl’s Lacrosse Coach Mrs. Kittle explained that her knee injury plagued a possible trip to Baltimore, yet she has been able to “build some of our team bonding back into practices during the season.”

 

While both teams’ athletes seemed to be disappointed by the cancellations, they seem to be getting back on track as we head into the spring season.