Accepted Students Day

By: John Geissinger
Assistant Swimming Coach

With this blog entry I am going to focus in on the bittersweet nature of DIII athletics. This past week was Accepted Student Day and over 200 young men and women came to Washington and Lee to check out what we have to offer. It seems that most had already decided they were coming to W&L, they just wanted to show their parents what a great choice they had made! It was a beautiful day with great company.

During the lunch on Canaan Green a bizarre feeling overtook me. I was sitting next to two incoming students who are to become new members of the swim team in the fall. Across the table there was a senior who was talking to the group. All of a sudden I realized that this great individual was going to be gone! Dismiss the points scored at conference, at NCAA’s, and the incredible in-season performances. He is also just a great guy who I enjoyed having around the program. So while I am extremely excited to be welcoming in this new “crop” of W&L students I am sad to see the group of seniors go.

However, I truly believe that W&L prepares its students well for the expanding world post-graduation. The outgoing class has experienced all that W&L has to offer and is wiser from their experiences. I hope that the Accepted Students who go to speak to some of these seniors learned a lot from their words and strive to emulate the academic achievements that this class has accomplished.

GO GENERALS!!!!

Spring Football

By: Scott Abell
Head Football Coach

Spring Football began for the Generals last night, what a great feeling.  Though spring ball for us is much different than the higher division teams it doesn’t mean it’s any less important.  For the staff it’s the first glimpse at what the 2013 team could look like and for the players it’s a chance to get there football legs and a chance to win jobs.

In Division III we are restricted to using footballs only, no helmets, no pads and no contact, I know it does not seem like football but we can get a lot accomplished.  Our primary goal is to take a look at players in new roles and positions and to have the opportunity to get our first year players caught up.  As a first year player entering college football in August, you constantly feel behind so this becomes a crucial part of their growth.  We welcome all General Fans out to our workouts and look forward to seeing everyone in September.  I would also like to take this opportunity to wish all the W&L teams still competing for spring  conference championships good luck!

The end draws near

By: Brittani Sahm
Sports Information Assistant

As I’m sure many of you don’t already know, this will be my last season as the Sports Information Assistant at Washington and Lee. Beginning this fall, I will pursue my Master’s degree in Sport Management at the University of Florida. W&L has given me a lot more than just my first real-world job; I have made unforgettable memories and life-long friendships that will always stay with me.

With my last month right around the corner, I want to use this time to make a bucket list of all the things I need to do, people I need to see and places I need to go one last time before I leave Lexington for good.

10. Hiking – My good friend Suzanne, the assistant women’s soccer coach, brought me on my first-ever hike a little over a year ago. Little did she know, the trail was high on the difficulty scale. For an amateur like me, this was unexpected, but we powered through and since then I have loved the beautiful scenery we get from the top of the mountains.

9. Goshen – Every now and then, my friends and I like to have some down time by the river. Assistants in the past found a great little place for everyone to hang out on the rocks, go swimming and just enjoy the weather. One of Rockbridge County’s hidden gems.

8. Blue Sky – By far one of the best café/bakery places I’ve ever had the chance to eat at. I’m also not very picky and the homemade focaccia bread is AMAZING. I could probably eat a whole loaf by myself. I love my food, but I could not live without my sweets. Lucky for me, they give huge helpings of their desserts, including my favorite, carrot cake. Lunch there at least one more time is necessary.

7. Charlottesville shopping – Yeah, yeah, I probably should be saving my money for graduate school. C-ville is too hard to pass up though. On top of the great outdoor mall they have, there are plenty more food selections.

6. Kayaking – The first (and only) time I attempted to kayak was a mess. I had a blast, but I was a little overambitious and wound up hitting a tree and tipping over. I want to give it another try because I’ve heard it really is relaxing when the current isn’t so strong…

5. Camping – Real camping, in a tent with no showers or electricity. I’ve done it before, but not with all of my friends here. There are also a ton of places in Rockbridge County and we’ve all agreed it would be ridiculously fun, given the weather is nice.

4. Virginia Beach – I have lived in Virginia for 17 months now and I have yet to travel to the beach for fun. Yes, I’ve been other great places, but it’s the beach! You can’t beat the ocean. Why not plan a short visit to the beach since everyone outside of VA already assumes I live there.

3. Run on the Chessie Trail – This will happen a few times over the next month. The trail is flat and it is so peaceful away from cars and busy areas of town. I usually go for longer runs here because of the lack of hills. One of my favorite places in Lexington.

Veritas Winery is one of the most beautiful places in the Valley.

2. Wine tour – If I drove about 50 minutes northeast of Lexington, I could find dozens of wineries and breweries. I’ve been on a couple self-guided tours with my friends here and every time is a blast. The views are unbelievable and the atmosphere in most of the wineries is comfortable. Not too busy, with employees always willing to make your experience great. I want to go on one more tour with everyone to take advantage of it all.

1. Personally say goodbye to all those close to me – This one is important to me because I have met some really great people in my time here. Not just employees of W&L, but community members also. I truly believe it’s the people that make a place great and I could not agree more about Lexington. I will miss everyone, but I know it won’t be the last time I see or talk to those who mean a lot to me.

I’m sure there are plenty more things I could add to this before my time in Lexington has ended. I wouldn’t mind suggestions either! Officially 56 days until my last day on the job (I just counted, I have NOT been counting down the days). Here’s to ending it with a bang!

Bachelor Week

By: Brian Laubscher
Sports Information Director

This week is spring break at Washington and Lee and as glorious as it is for almost everyone on a college campus, to a sports information director it only means that the environment is a little more quiet and we only need to produce half the number of programs we would for a normal game.  That doesn’t mean we don’t get to enjoy a little down time, it just occurs a week earlier during finals week.  During finals week at W&L, the athletic teams are restricted from practicing and playing games for a period of time and therefore, we sports information personnel get to enjoy a nine day respite with no athletic contests.

I chose to experience my “spring break” with my son Parker.  Our day care is understanding enough to allow us to forgo payment whenever Parker is out of their care for more than one week.  My wife’s spring break is one week before mine and so with us watching him ourselves for those two weeks, we are able to save over $300.  Not to mention it is good to spend that time with him since my schedule is pretty irregular during the school year.

Mindy and Parker travelled to Florida to spend their spring break with some family members from March 29 – April 6.  Though I knew I would miss them, I was sort of looking forward to experiencing a “bachelor week” on my own.  A little taste of my old life when I could just lounge on the couch, watch basketball uninterrupted, drink beer non-stop and eat unhealthy foods for dinner (which consisted mostly of frozen pizza).  The first two days, including Easter, I hung out at my in-laws with Mindy’s two brothers and their families so the bachelor week had really not yet begun.  It was good bonding time with her siblings and an enjoyable experience.  If you’ve ever met Mindy’s brother Stephen, you would instantly understand.

Bachelor week officially began on Sunday, March 31 as I plopped down on the couch and watched a pair of regional finals from the NCAA hoops tournament.  It was in a word — glorious.  No distractions whatsoever and I absorbed every single minute of the action (including watching Kevin Ware’s leg snap in two pieces).  The next morning I arose and didn’t make the bed, which was also quite satisfying.  My next task was to wear my favorite shirt named Old Blue.  When Mindy is around, Old Blue has been relegated to strictly a lounge shirt.  He’s not even allowed to be worn for golfing since golf is considered a “gentlemen’s sport” and therefore I need to look good when on the course.  Old Blue’s only problem is that he is a six-year old Under Armor polo that has a couple of small snags on the back.  I don’t see it as a problem, but some others do.  So during bachelor week, Old Blue made a triumphant return to my wardrobe – on the first day. J

A shot of the living/dining room after the cleaning had been completed.

By Tuesday my excitement had begun to wane and I couldn’t wait to Face Time with my family.  Wednesday involved a late night lax game against Bridgewater and the next thing I knew it was Thursday.  By then I was already hating myself for the terrible things I was eating and by Friday all I could think of was how their drive back was going and what time would they arrive.  Saturday morning I woke and decided to play some Tiger Woods Golf on my Playstation as a farewell to bachelor week.  I hadn’t played video games in like eight months and frankly I had forgot all about them until that morning.  It was good, but I started thinking about how I should probably make the bed since Mindy and Parker would be arriving later that afternoon and that was the longest continuous stretch in which it had not been made since we moved in together a little over three years ago.  A funny thing happened as soon as the bed was made – I started obsessing about other things.  Next up was the laundry, and then it was on to cleaning the kitchen, which turned into arranging the junk drawer, which turned into running errands, which turned into vacuuming the carpets and mopping the floors.  I finished with a thorough cleaning of the bathroom.  I was obsessed.  I can only explain it by saying that I was simply ready for human contact and I wanted everything to be perfect when my family arrived.  When I pulled in to my in-laws house to pick them up, Parker came running pointing both fingers at me and yelling da-da.  I had to fight back the tears – what can I say, I’m a family man now.  I will gladly give up the opportunity to do whatever I want and watch uninterrupted sports for what I have now (which was put to the test on Sunday when the Master’s was on all afternoon but I probably watched maybe a hour of solid coverage).

Feeding the geese.

Sunday marked the end of my spring break, which I spent watching Parker and catching up on lost time from his trip to Florida.  It’s amazing how much an 18-month old can change in one week.  From new words to new facial expressions, it was like he was a different kid.  We had a blast together, going to the park twice to play on the jungle gym and feed the geese.  We went to the doctor for his 18-month well visit, got his hair cut and went to a car appointment for me.  I may not have gone to some fabulous destination, but my spring break was as satisfying as any I’ve had.  I just hope our students can say the same about their break, even if their situation is a tad bit different.

Take me out to the ball game!

By: Alison Kapuska
Assistant Athletic Trainer

Twins game

MLB opening day was this past week it gives me hope that summer is right around the corner. Although the snow storm yesterday sent me mixed signals. While everyone has his or her team I’m more of a baseball experience type of gal. No team some may ask? Yes I am from Minnesota and I do cheer for the Twins.  But I can’t wait for the ballpark atmosphere. To sit in the stands and take it the vendors walking up and down the aisles yelling out “cold beer, hot dogs” and the fans in a tizzy over balls and strikes.  Get me a concession stand and I can enjoy any game.  Which makes it difficult working W&L baseball when I get envious of the crowd who when its sunny and warm look to be having a great time.

The past two years I have gotten Twin’s tickets for my dad for father’s day. The first year I wasn’t able to go due to a rain out and rescheduling. But last year we had a grand old time. My dad is a White Sox fan so I try to get Twins vs. White Sox but due to conflicts we had to settle for the Brewers. I can honestly say I don’t know who won but it was a gorgeous day although really hot. Target field allows for way more baseball ambiance compared to the indoor Metrodome. I don’t know if I will be able to get to a Twins game this year but maybe i’ll try out a National’s game.

St. Cloud State in the Frozen Four!

Sun, baseball, cold beverage, and some yummy concession foods sounds like a fabulous afternoon to me!

Quick side note…. My college ice hockey team St Cloud State has made it to the NCAA Frozen Four. First time in school history! St Cloud will be taking on Quinnipiac on April 11^th at 8pm look for it on your TV get your sieve hand ready!

Exam Week is Upon Us

By: Nat St. Laurent
Assistant Men’s Lacrosse Coach

The Generals enter the exam week 10-2 overall and ranked 10th in Division III.

Feeling great heading into the most stressful time of the year!  During my time here at W&L I have learned many things, including how difficult and stressful exam week can be for our student-athletes.  In the locker room last night after our final game going into exams, one would not be able to detect the amount of stress our players are under or will be under very soon.  Instead the locker was full of smiles, high fives, laughs, and loud music.  I had to smile as I was taking in the scene because all I have heard about the past few days has been the fifteen page paper that is due, the exams coming up, or the presentations that have be done.  I guess being 10-2 and ranked #10 in the country helps relieve some stress this time of the year!

This morning as our players wake up, they very well may be smiling and walking tall.  However, they will surely be pushed to the max over the next week trying to finish up the winter term on a high note.  One of the many things I admire about the guys on our team and the student-athletes in general at W&L is their ability to work so diligently in the classroom and on the playing field.

While I am confident that the men in our lacrosse program are going to be very stressed and under a lot of pressure during exams, I am equally as confident that they will work extremely hard and do well.  This group as a lot of resolve and while they are feeling great heading into a very stressful time of the year, as they left the locker room last night, they were commenting about how they can’t wait to get back out on Wilson Field and play our next game in 10 days!

Marine Corps Intercollegiate

By: Mark Sowinski ’14
Men’s Golf

Junior Jack Cottrill on the simulator.

Last weekend after the first round of the Marine Corps Intercollegiate Golf Tournament at Camp Lejeune, my teammates and I had the opportunity to visit the indoor shooting simulator our Marines use for training. There are several simulators like the one we were at across the base, and in total they save the Marine Corps $16 million a month in ammunition. Like a cross between a golf simulator and Call of Duty, targets were projected onto screens for target practice and scenarios were run in which the enemy was attacking. The weapons included grenade launchers, 50caliber machine guns, M-16s, and pistols. They were perfect replicas; the recoil and sound were very similar to reality. The shooting competitions between teammates and competitors in the tournament were lots of fun.

Participating in the Marine Corps tournament and going on this excursion gave me a greater appreciation for our troops and the sacrifices they make. Each pairing of the tournament included a retired Marine and getting to talk with them was very interesting and revealing. The sacrifices our troops and their families go through on a regular basis are remarkable. Meeting a man who spoke about serving multiple tours of duty in Vietnam and how he has PTSD as a result was very moving. This tournament, more than any other, put life in perspective. This tournament reminded me how privileged we are to represent W&L athletically, especially when considering the sacrifices that have been made to secure our freedom.

Mad Max

By: Chip Whipple
Assistant Sports Information Director

Our puppy Max!

Earlier this year, I wrote a blog post on how my wife and I were considering adopting a dog. Well, about a month go we did just that. After searching online, we went down to the local SPCA and took a couple of the dogs out for walks. We made a couple of visits, and eventually were deciding between a pair of Rottweiler mix six-month-old pups.

We probably would have adopted both of them if we had the space, but in the end we decided one would be best for us right now. Originally named General by the SPCA, (maybe it was fate that we picked him since I work for Washington and Lee) we decided to name our dog Max.

It has definitely been an adjustment for everyone involved. I now get up every morning so that Max and I can go for a walk/jog at 6:30. The good part of that is I’m getting more exercise. The bad part is I’ve been falling asleep on the couch in the evenings like I’m a 65-year-old grandpa. Even though he was very hesitant with us at first, Max now understands he is part of the family.

Max spends his day in his crate (he gets let out for an hour at noon, when Lydia goes home on her lunch break), and also when we go to sleep as he is learning to be house trained. I also think if we left him to his own devices, both Lydia and I would lose a couple pairs of shoes to his chewing tendencies, but for the most part he sticks to chewing his rope and his snake (which is his favorite squeaker toy).

He still has a bit of obedience training to learn, as he gets a little frightened by strangers (nothing like a big dog who gets scared of pint-sized Brittani like when she came over last week to celebrate Lydia’s birthday).

We are excited for some of the things we will get to do with him once the weather gets a little better; like go on some hikes with him or see how he likes the river. Side note – when I moved down here from New Hampshire I was told it was supposed to be warmer, and was not expecting to get snow during the last week of March.

Although the 75-pound almost eight-month-old has been a handful, we couldn’t be happier with our choice. Here’s to years of enjoyment with our dog Max.

Double the Madness- A look at the Women’s Tournament

By: Christine Clancy
Head Women’s Basketball Coach

I am a basketball coach/basketball junky and it’s March, so it is hard for me to write about anything but the NCAA tournament…For most sports fans it’s all about the men’s tournament, but don’t forget that the women are in the midst of March Madness as well. From Thursday March 21^st-Tuesday March 26^th there will be 96 college basketball games. 96 games in 6 days! As I write this entry I have my laptop on one side and my ipad on the other each streaming a different game…

Lets take a look at the women’s tournament

Who will be the final 4 teams? Unfortunately, in the women’s game there is less parody then on the men’s side. The top 4 teams (Baylor, Notre Dame, UCONN, and Stanford) have been dominate this year, combining for a 123-8 record. Of their combined 8 losses, only 1 came at the hands of a team that is not a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament. I will be very surprised if they are not the teams to make the trip to New Orleans.

Most likely to disappoint? Unfortunately, I think the answer might be Stanford, my favorite team of the big 4. The Cardinal are on a crash course with one of the two teams that beat them this year, California. Also in there bracket is a very dangerous #3 seed Penn State. Stanford’s star, Chiney Ogwumike, struggled in the Pac 12 conference championship going 1-9 from the field and only scoring 3 points, but their sophomore point guard, Amber Orrange came up big and carried them to a 2 point win. For the Cardinal to make it back to the final 4, they cannot afford another cold shooting night for Ogwumike.

Best potential match-up? Has to be a Notre Dame-UCONN semifinal. The two Big East teams have played 3 times- the 1^st a 1 point decision, the 2^nd a triple OT game, and the 3^rd a 2 point game for the Big East Championship- Notre Dame has won all 3. A 4^th match-up of this rivalry would surely not disappoint! Another potential match-up: UCONN v #6 Delaware could prove to be interesting. Delaware’s Elena Delle Donne (one of ESPN’s 3 player’s to watch) accepted a scholarship to play at UCONN but before she even stepped out on the Huskies court, got homesick and walked away. It seems fitting that they could match-up in her senior season…

Brittney Griner: Unbeatable? Probably.

Can anyone beat Baylor and Brittney Griner? I don’t think so… Not without Griner getting injured or into serious foul trouble. There has never been a more dominant player in women’s basketball than Brittney Griner. Obviously, a lot of her impact has to do with her height, but it is her athleticism, fundamental skill, and footwork that make her height such a big factor. Check out this ESPN Sports Science video about the impact she has on the game at http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=6258228. If I was coaching a team to go up against Griner, I would look for any and every opportunity to run in transition and in the half court I would draw her out to the perimeter to defend ball screens- but I don’t know that there is a way to stop her on offense…

I will be going to New Orleans in 2 weeks for the women’s final 4 and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association National Convention. To be honest, I am hoping the four #1 seeds make it so that I can see them play in person. I love an underdog, but what I love most is a good, competitive game! Happy March (April) Madness!

It’s Tournament Time!!

By: Brittani Sahm
Sports Information Assistant

Just so everyone is witness to this, and I can’t get in trouble by Chip, I would like to start off with a big birthday shout-out to Lydia Whipple! She has been nothing but super nice to me since she and Chip have gotten to Lexington and she deserves an awesome day of celebrating.

It is March. It may seem like I’m stating the obvious (and I am), but with this month comes March Madness. One of my most favorite and also least favorite times of the year. There is so much excitement around your team making the NCAA Tournament that we almost forget this means the end of the season. I wouldn’t want it to end any other way, but it is such a bittersweet time, especially because I have been through plenty of disappointing tournaments as a Syracuse fan.

Brandon Triche and the Syracuse Orange tip off their tournament on Thursday at 9:57 pm!

Could this be the year Syracuse takes it all? It has been exactly 10 years since the Orange last won the Championship so who knows. The region brackets are unbalanced this year and I think SU is on the better side of this. The Orange looked much better at the Big East Tournament than they had in the last month of the season with better looks at the basket, more efficient passing and more confidence overall. It also doesn’t hurt that James Southerland decided to break the one-and-only Gerry McNamara’s made three-pointers in the tournament record (19). I don’t project Syracuse to make it further than the Elite Eight, but I am a believer that crazier things have happened and anyone could pull off the win with the right balance of talent and luck.

With all that being said, I’ll list my Final Four predictions. I’m nowhere near an expert and I absolutely do not encourage people to agree with me. As Chip told me yesterday, I will be the only person with this outcome if it happens. All the more bragging rights for me.

Midwest Region:

No. 1 Louisville – I am most confident about this pick because the Cardinals are looking unstoppable at this point. The way they tore apart Syracuse’s zone and in the process destroyed all my hopes and dreams in the Big East Tournament was insane. I give them credit, they are really good. I’m not bitter about losing to a team that clearly outplayed the Orange. This was Louisville’s theme throughout the entire tournament though. Our Sports Information Director, Brian, is a big Villanova fan. After the second round game, he came into the office and told us there was no way a team could beat Louisville when it plays well. I figured a team couldn’t hold that up in three-straight games, but I definitely was wrong. About midway through the regular season, they looked a little sloppy and lost three-straight at one point (starting with the memorable Syracuse upset), but the Cards have found their way back and will be the team to beat in this year’s tournament.

South Region:

No. 1 Kansas – I have no basis for this pick. I just think Kansas has the best advantage in its matchups which will lead it to make it this far. The Jayhawks may have a tough second round, where they’ll face either Villanova or North Carolina. Both teams have had an up-and-down season, but they can perform in the tournament. Once that round is over, the next big challenge is Florida, who should make it to the Elite Eight. I know that’s not guaranteed, but the Gators had some nice wins in the SEC Tournament before falling to a surprisingly put-together Ole Miss team. Because of the inconsistencies of the teams in the South Region, I think Kansas has the best chance to make it through.

East Region:

No. 2 Miami – I don’t really trust Miami to make it this far, but like I said before, this bracket is probably the weakest of the four. The teams are obviously talented, the seeds just aren’t as strong when compared to the other regions, in my opinion. The Hurricanes have a pretty smooth road to the Final Four, facing 15th-seeded Pacific in the first round and then either No. 10 Colorado or No. 7 Illinois in the second. I see an upset waiting to happen in that first-round match, with Colorado taking the win. Its’ luck will end there because as iffy as Miami can be, it is ending the year well with an ACC Championship. I’m thinking (or maybe I’m hoping) it will meet Syracuse in the Elite Eight. SU’s zone is tough on those who aren’t used to it and the Hurricanes aren’t a great team from distance, but with the hectic end of the year the Orange has had, they may just be tired and fold under pressure. Miami takes it and advances to the Championship game.

West Region:

No. 5 Wisconsin – This is kind of a long shot. You gotta have some fun when the Tournament comes around. You know there’s always going to be some team that surprises people. A five seed really isn’t that big of a surprise, but I thought an upset over top-seeded Gonzaga seemed to spice things up. In all seriousness, I really have no statistical data to back up this decision. A rematch of the Big 10 Tournament could happen in the Elite Eight, where the Badgers redeem themselves with a win over Ohio State. Now that would be exciting. The choice is not completely off base, as Wisconsin just beat Michigan and Indiana in the conference tournament. Yes, its season has been up-and-down, but whose hasn’t? It’s the Badgers’ time to shine, but they unfortunately face Louisville in the next round.

Final Prediction: Louisville and Miami. No doubt Louisville continues its awesome run and wins it all, 74-68. That is the minimum Miami would lose by.

My picks may be crazy and largely unsupported with real data and evidence of what could/should happen. We’re all just having fun anyway. Until the Syracuse game is on, then I’m all business. In some aspect, I would like to be wrong because I want SU to make it all the way. Not only would it quiet the critics, I’d get to see my favorite player of all time win a Championship. That’s right, Brandon Triche, I’m looking out for you. I’ve been an avid fan of his since he set foot on the court, and the day he parts ways with Syracuse will be tough on me. You may not see me for a few days. Hopefully that’s much later in the Tournament. LET’S GO ‘CUSE!