VOORHEES, N.J. 鈥� Student-athletes across the college sports landscape are faced with tough realizations and a new challenge amidst the current COVID-19 pandemic as seasons have been stripped away and preparations begin for next season, which remains up in the air.
Winter and spring sports came to an unfortunate end with the National Collegiate Athletic Association鈥檚 March 12 decision to cancel any remaining schedules. That meant for winter-sport athletes, their postseasons would be cancelled, and for spring athletes, more than 75 percent of their seasons were wiped away.
鈥淚 remember that week of practice,鈥� Loyola Maryland men鈥檚 lacrosse senior Peter Swindell told Capital 草莓传媒 Service. 鈥淓veryone was trying to focus, but their minds were all somewhere else.鈥�
The Greyhounds were set to play Bucknell on Saturday, March 14, but the Patriot League had also made the same call on that previous Thursday.
鈥淲e all knew at that point that it was going to happen just because of everything that was going on in the world,鈥� Swindell said. 鈥淚t didn鈥檛 really seem real to any of us because it all happened so fast.鈥�
A feeling of shock and sadness was shared by other student-athletes across the state and the country.
鈥淔rom a baseball perspective, it was pretty upsetting for everybody as a whole because at St. Mary鈥檚 this year, we had a pretty close-knit group,鈥� St. Mary鈥檚 College (Md.) senior first baseman Jay Hammett said.
The Seahawks had gotten out to a 6-3 start when the news hit, and as a closely bonded team, it killed any momentum the program had to compete for a conference championship.
This especially stung for the senior class, who had their final year competing in college abruptly cut short. The NCAA鈥檚 recent ruling has granted spring sports athletes an extra year of eligibility.
But for winter sports athletes, there is no extra year, and now, thoughts of what to do after college have taken over.
鈥淚n that moment, it didn鈥檛 hit me,鈥� Towson University senior gymnast Ally Wesoly said. 鈥�…I still don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 fully processed yet for me, being a senior. I think this is gonna take a very long time to kind of work out and go through.鈥�
For those spring sports seniors, the decision becomes a tough one. Jackson Reilly, a senior on McDaniel College鈥檚 men鈥檚 lacrosse team, entered his name in the NCAA Transfer Portal, looking for another year while also looking for a master鈥檚 program in business, something McDaniel doesn鈥檛 offer.
While that鈥檚 a possibility for him, he treated the final game of his season as his final game in college and unlike some other schools, McDaniel was able to have closure. Their game on March 14 against St. Mary鈥檚 College of Maryland continued as planned, but it would be the final one of the season.
鈥淭hat Friday, we had just changed our practice time to the middle of the day,鈥� Reilly said. 鈥淪o, for the first time in my four years, we changed our practice time and just happened to be our last practice ever. The whole week was just different.鈥�
On gameday, additional media outlets, like Inside Lacrosse, were in attendance, and highlights from the game were shown on ESPN鈥檚 SportsCenter that night, showcasing an 18-12 McDaniel victory.
The emotions hit him after the final whistle, and Reilly shed a few tears on the field. However, he treated the final result as if he had won it all.
鈥淥bviously, we weren鈥檛 national champions, but it was pretty cool to win your last game,鈥� Reilly said. 鈥淚 never won my last game because I never won any state championships in high school. It was sad that it was over, but the way our last game went for us was perfect. That was the best game we had played all year.鈥�
For those who aren鈥檛 seniors, preparation for next year has already begun. For spring sports athletes, the road is a bit easier, conferencing with teammates and coaches while practicing at home.
The toughest part has been figuring out ways to continue to practice, which can be difficult without full use of equipment. However, they are making do.
鈥淎fter I realized this is going to go on for a long time, I needed to keep a schedule in mind,鈥� Frostburg State University men鈥檚 lacrosse junior Shawn Winans said. 鈥淪ince we can鈥檛 go to gyms now, I go to the turf. We have a couple tires there. I do turf workouts about three, four times a week.鈥�
Winter and spring sports weren鈥檛 the only sports affected as fall sports are now at a disadvantage going into the 2020 seasons, especially football. Spring practices are now Zoom workouts, but there is no timetable for when these will end.
Navy football junior cornerback Cameron Kinley, a future senior captain for the Midshipmen, grew up in a football family, so it鈥檚 been easier for him to find workout partners at home.
鈥淔or me, it鈥檚 kind of back to the basics,鈥� said Kinley, who is at home in Memphis and must file a report with the academy every morning. 鈥淢y dad is a former football coach. My brother is a freshman at MTSU (Middle Tennessee State University), so he鈥檚 back home with me. We鈥檝e just been working out together just like we used to. I鈥檓 fortunate enough to be in that type of situation.鈥�
