The Saint Mary’s golf, softball, lacrosse and tennis teams will be traveling to different parts of the country in order to face new competition over spring break.
The trips are funded by individual contributions, players and team fundraisers like working parking before football games. The golf team, consisting of seven players, travels every year for spring break. This year the team is going to Jekyll Island in Georgia.
“We have three, 18-hole practice rounds the first three days, and then we have three days of a tournament,” freshman Sydney Hruskoci said. “We are also going on a dolphin cruise and will attend team dinners.”
Hruskoci said this is the furthest this team has ever traveled together, and they will all be staying in a villa together.
“This year is going to be fun because the team chemistry is great,” she said. “I am so excited to spend a week with the team.”
The softball team is also going south over break, traveling to Tucson, Ariz. Senior and fourth-year player Zoe Bruni said the team will have one practice and a total of 10 games spread throughout the week. However, it is not all work and no play Bruni said.
“We get to spend the afternoon with our families on Monday, and we have an off day on Wednesday, so we [are] have a surprise team bonding activity planned that day,” she said. “We play all morning games so afternoons will probably have other fun activities as well.”
The team has already done an overnight trip to Brighton, Mich., this year.
“This trip will be different [from past trips] due to the location as well as [it] being the first time we are in a hotel not a house,” Bruni said. “We have a lot of underclassmen, so this should be a fun first spring break for them and a good change in location.”
The Saint Mary’s lacrosse team will be traveling west to Los Angeles for the break, where they will visit Santa Monica state beach, hike to the Hollywood sign and explore the Walk of Fame, freshman Rachel Ledyard said. Ledyard said the destination has the added benefit of being her hometown and her family will be hosting a team dinner at their house following one of the games.
“I am most looking forward to being able to go home and be in warm weather,” Ledyard said. “I’m excited for my family to be able to meet some of my closest friends and amazing teammates thanks to the Saint Mary’s College lacrosse program.”
The lacrosse team is scheduled to play a total of three games against Whittier College, Chapman University and University of Redlands.
The tennis team enjoyed going to San Marcos, Texas so much last year that they are going back again this year, coach Dale Campbell said. They will play five matches and have a few practices during their time there, he said.
“It’s a great opportunity for the team to get more connected and to play some excellent teams,” Campbell said. “Hopefully it is a lot warmer than here and gives us the opportunity to play outside for the first time this year.”
