Women’s Sports RecapMatthew Barnes, Sports Editor
Lacrosse:
The women’s lacrosse team finished 6-6 overall this season, placing fifth in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) and marking its best season to date. Some notable wins came when the Eagles defeated conference foe St. Andrews 17-11 in the final game of the season, along with an 11-6 victory on Senior Day against Missouri Baptist. The team ended up 4-4 in conference play.
Three players were chosen for the AAC All-Second Team: freshmen Mia Doron and Maddie White and sophomore Aubrey Curell. White led the team in scoring for the season with 26 goals, followed by Curell with 21 and four assists. The Eagles also had six players on the All-Academic Team: Milcah Cobb, Elle Crossman, Ana D’Ettorre, Jade Franchino, Abigail Peklo and Sarah Smith.
This was the best regular season finish in program history, and head coach Nicki Stewart is excited for the future. “I think we’re at a turning point in our program where we’re seeing talent and teamwork start to thrive,” Stewart said. “We were so close to conference this season; I think we’re hungrier for that now more than ever! I think we have some great core talent, and I’m really excited to see how we turn it up a notch next year.”
Softball:
The softball team ended on a high note, winning two of the last three games 8-3 and 12-0. The squad finished ninth overall in the River States Conference (RSC). Junior Deana Phillips led the team in hits with 55 and also posted an impressive .399 batting average.
Head coach Zack Parsons said that the pitching staff was very consistent throughout the season. While the team struggled offensively at times, the the players put in a ton of work this spring to improve their power numbers — increasing their doubles and home run production.
“We are really excited for the future of the team,” Parsons said. “We learned a lot about ourselves throughout the season, and I fully anticipate more production from the returners and the incoming class. There will be a good mix of veteran leadership and young talent that will hopefully lead to an even more successful year.”
Golf:
The women’s golf team is coming off of a third place finish in the RSC Tournament. At the awards ceremony concluding the tournament, Faith Wiley and Hannah McCrabb were named First Team All-Conference, while Claire Watts was the Champion of Character recipient.
Head coach Joe Barr said the team is very talented but needs to work on finishing rounds strong. The roster is made up of five freshmen and only one senior, so the youth bodes for a solid future. “We are very young and already potentially the best team in our conference,” Barr said. “The sky is the limit. I am hoping for many trips to the national championship.”
Tennis:
The women’s tennis team has caught fire as of late, winning seven matches in a row to capture its fourth straight RSC Championship. The group dominated the conference finals against IU East, sweeping the team 5-0, and finished the year 12-4 overall and 7-0 in conference play. The Eagles will head to Mobile, Alabama, on May 14 to compete for the national title.
They are made up of six freshmen and five sophomores, so the future is certainly bright for the program.
