While spring here on the Hill comes loaded with a sort of reliability we can certainly depend on—including the weather and midterm grades—one thing we can depend on is the start of spring sports.
The Green Terror spring sports teams have officially begun practicing; some teams have even started competing already. Some of the coaches and players have commented on the upcoming season. Compiled by Roxanne FleischerSoftball:
Coach Phil Smith has goals for the softball team both on and off the diamond. One goal Smith said the team has is to be one of the top 50 college softball teams in the nation in the NFCA rankings for team GPA. Last season the team was in the top 75.
Senior leadership and a great freshman recruiting class will prove to be an aid in the success in the upcoming season.
“The final expectation I have for the team is for them to have a great experience playing this season as a team-one focus-one goal-one team…we are looking forward to getting back on the field to continue our drive for excellence as a team and to represent the McDaniel community with integrity,” said Smith.
Men’s Lacrosse:
“We have a good nucleus of scorers back from last year as well as a slew of newcomers,” said Coach Mike Hatton. Coming off of an 8-6 record last year, the men’s lacrosse team is looking to build off of their successes and to host some big Centennial Conference games this season.
“Our expectations are high,” said Hatton. “We would love to be able to put ourselves into a situation in which we could play in the NCAA tournament.” The coaching staff and team seem to be excited to see what they can do this season.
Women’s Lacrosse:
Coach Muffie Bliss looks forward to the season, “building off our success from last year.” Last season the Green Terror lacrosse team went 14-5. This season they have already shown their strengths.
“We have a solid class of new players and a great strength in our returners…I would like this year’s team to work well together and to continue to strive for excellence. We have a lot of talent and we need to put it all together,” said Bliss.
Golf:
The golf team is looking to gain some wins this spring. Senior Gerry Butler said that the team’s ultimate goal is to “win conferences, which is an automatic qualifier to compete in nationals.” Butler said the team has three solid freshmen and one other senior besides himself that all bring a lot of experience and are coming off of a good fall season.
Track and Field:
Head Coach Doug Renner sees lots of potential for this season’s track and field team. Among others, Renner named Jason Maier, Rachel McCallum and members of the relay teams as expected to medal in their events. Jessica Dittman and Tim Snyder are returning seniors who will provide leadership and talent for the Green Terror track team.
“Overall we’re still looking for athletes; we need people in all areas-from sprints to distance to the field events,” said Renner.