Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at a group of girls representing Trinity’s five women’s spring varsity sports teams. They’ve spent the cold winter months hitting the gym and vigorously training for their upcoming season. Now reaching the end of their training period, these girls are psyched and ready to crush their competition on the field, track, court, and water!
Track & Field
The Women’s Track and Field team has been so amped for the spring season that they decided to start it on November 1st! Over winter break, these girls have been diligently working with individualized training plans and arrived to campus before the start of second semester to get some team practices in. Long-Sprinter Molly Ryan ’18 devotes much of the team’s success to their intense training and team support. “A lot of track can be individual,” Ryan says, “but we can build off each other during races to reach new PRs (personal records).” The team has a number of talented athletes who compete in a range of different events including distance, sprints, pole vault, jumps, hurdles, and throws. “We have a lot of depth in distance, field events, and sprinting” says Distance Runner Sophie Long ’17, “which is really great because a wide range of people score in meets.” Captain and Sprinter Abbey Schlangen ’16 is excited to see impressive performances of everyone on the team. “As a senior, the thing I’m most excited about for the upcoming season is seeing the first-years perform and get excited” she she says, “our freshmen class is very talented and I can’t wait to see what they bring to our program.”
These girls are gearing up for some exciting competition against fast teams. With the strong training base that they have established over the past few months, the Track and Field team is ready to gain more speed and leave their competitors in the dust!
Lacrosse
This spring break, while you’re sipping cocktails in Cancun, the Women’s Lacrosse Team will be training twice a day in Florida. And, instead of packing their bikinis and high heels, these girls are prepping for their trip with daily lifting, conditioning, and captain’s practices. The Women’s Lacrosse team prides themselves on their competitiveness and accountability towards one another. Goalie Zoe Ferguson ’18 explains, “we have a lot of fun together but we also know how to work hard and represent Trinity and the legacy of Trinity women’s lacrosse.” Much of their success can also be attributed to the team dynamic that they hold on and off the field. “We are so involved in each others lives outside of lacrosse and it totally translates onto the field,” says Defense Player Clara Nowlan ’18. “I think anyone who sees us interact can immediately tell how close we are and how well we get along.” Midfielder Allie Barrett ’18 agrees, “we also have such strong chemistry where everyone on the team has a unique and important place.” Both underclassman agree that their competitive nature and the fantastic Senior leadership over the past two years has been a huge aid in the team’s success. Moving forward, Attacker Abby McInerney ’18 is “definitely most excited to get a chance to redeem ourselves after losing in the national championship last year”. The team is excited to start the season off strong with a double header against Williams and Wheaton, and later take home a championship title.
Softball
Haven’t seen anyone on the Women’s Softball team in a few months? You probably would’ve found them in the weight room, training for their upcoming season. With three 7am practices a week and a new hardcore lifting staff, “we were pushed very hard in the weight room to train harder which carries over to our practices” says Outfielder, Erica Merullo ‘18. Soon, the team will begin hitting practice as they approach the start of their season. Since finding practice space is difficult, the team is very flexible with their early morning practice schedule in order to “get the time we needed to continue to work out the kinks,” according to Merullo. The softball team will be traveling to Claremont, Florida to train during their spring break. The girls are clearly excited and ready to work hard. Centerfielder Meaghan Race ‘18 says, “It’s a great team bonding opportunity and a chance to get on the field before conference starts.” Short-Stop Michelle Treglia agrees, “We have been working hard in the off season and in Florida we can finally see if our hard work has paid off.” After a week of tournaments in Florida, The Women’s Softball team’s first game will be against Coast Guard on 3/22.
Tennis
Women’s Tennis without a doubt lives and breathes the phrase “small but mighty”. The squad is composed of nine athletes who are each crucial to the success of the team in their own individual way. With only nine players, The Women’s Tennis Team has to be on top of their game 100% of the time. This means that there is an incredible amount of individual accountability, where the team pushes each other to the limits with their training. Singles Player Emily Curtis ’18 explains, “Throughout the winter, we’ve been lifting, conditioning, and practicing in the field house hitting, doing drills, and playing matches.” Doubles Player Janie Weber ’19 adds that during their winter break, the girls “lifted on our own and just crammed in as much practice with our coaches and friends back home as possible.” What makes the Tennis team so successful is how tight-knit the girls are. Singles/Doubles Player Sarah Curtis ’18 explains, “we have team dinners and hang out off the court, whether it’s studying in the library or going to different sporting events.” During Spring Break, The Women’s Tennis team will be traveling to practice under the hot California sun. For this upcoming season, Singles/Doubles Player Vanja Babunski ’18 is “most excited about playing against the best schools in NESCACs and in the country.” According to S. Curtis, the team is “prepping for a tough NESCAC schedule with the goal of making the conference tournament again.” Drop by the court on 4/2 for the first home game vs. Colby!
Rowing
You know that room you pass on your way to morning lift? The one with the mysteriously large “kiddie pool”? Do you ever see tall girls in spandex suits on one of those “pulling machines”? Do you ever just take a glance into that room and think “Shit… That looks painful”? That’s probably the Women’s Rowing team rigorously training for their spring sprint season. Since Women’s Rowing competes in both the fall and spring seasons, its crucial for the girls to train hard to keep increasing their fitness and strength over winter break. Cristina Pretto ’16 sees the holidays as an opportunity to get an upper hand on her fitness. She explains, “I don’t want to let my team down and not be at my best when I get back.” Jen Sager ’16 adds, “this is a unique time of the year because we are both training together and against each other to make top boats and make those boats fast.” Yet, with this intense inter-team competition, the Women’s Rowing team builds a platform of success through from their mantra, “one team, one boat”. This phrase, as Tyler Seckar ’18 explains, means that “each and every person is selfless enough to put in the hard work it takes each and every day to not only be better themselves, but make the team as a whole better.” The rowing team will be trucking their boats down to Gainesville, Georgia during spring break to get in some of their first on-the-water practices. Toni Bowden ’18 is enthused about the trip because it “allows us to really dedicate our time early on in the season to defining our stroke and getting a lot of miles in in a place where we don’t have the pressures of academics.” All four agree that there is nothing better than going fast with friends. To keep up with these fierce ladies, follow @trinwomenscrew on Instagram for some #SweatySnapchats and season updates!