Ahh! Spring Break. The perfect time to relax after a long winter term at Lawrence in the cold Wisconsin climate. The perfect time to fly down to Florida with some of your friends, teammates, coaches and family to get some sun, say hello to Mickey Mouse and play some softball.
The Lawrence University women’s softball team took advantage of their spring break and traveled to Florida to compete in twelve games. The Vikings finished with an overall record of 8-4 and played teams from all over the country, such as St. Scholastica, St. Lawrence, Bethany College and Macalester College.
According to senior Gaelen Lombard-Knapp, “We gave up a few pretty close games, a couple that came down to one run, but overall I think we’ve really improved as a team and can only go up from here in terms of what we can accomplish.” With all of the time spent together, Knapp says that, ”Florida brought us all closer on and off the field, so I think that will help us succeed.”
Another senior on the team, Shannon Murray, left Florida with a very positive outlook. “This was the best record we’ve come back from Florida with since our freshman year,” she said while looking at their overall record.
But not all their time was spent playing softball. In the days that the women had free time, they went to Universal Studios and Downtown Disney. “Disney was so fun. Some of us joined in on dancing shenanigans that were being thrown outside and let me tell you our girls know how to bust a move. On the last day we were there, we met up with the baseball team at Clearwater Beach for some joined LU athletics fun,” said Murray.
As the three seniors, including Cathy Kaye, reminisce on their four spring breaks, they know that they will miss the bonding experience. Murray spoke of the importance of the time together for Spring Break stating that, “Spring Break is really where we come together as a team and learn about each other on and off the field to find our team chemistry.”
“There are so many things worth missing: Feeling the rush of emotions that comes with first game jitters, bonding time by the pool, feeling the dirt under your feet and the sun on your face, rather than the hard wood floor and lamp lights,” said Lombard-Knapp.
Lombard-Knapp is excited about the Vikings’ year ahead. “The upcoming season looks very promising, so the other MWC teams better watch their backs because we’re coming out tougher than ever!”