As the semester comes to an end, so does the 2016 spring sports season. From the tennis court to the baseball diamond, Guilford College athletes have put hours of work into preparing for their final games and championship events.
“I think we have had a very good spring,” said Athletic Director Tom Palombo in an email interview. “All of our teams are very competitive within the (Old Dominion Athletic Conference).”
Golf
The men’s golf team has been nationally ranked throughout the season and most recently was ranked eighth in the Division III Southeast region.
Earlier this month, first-year Tommy Schick was named ODAC Golfer of the Week.
“(It) means a lot to me, but it is just a reminder of what my teammates, and I have been working on all year to get better,” said Schick in an email interview. “Overall, I think this season has been a great experience for the other two (first-years) on the team and myself, and we are looking forward to the postseason.”
The team placed second in the ODAC men’s gold championship this past weekend.
On May 2, the team will find out if it receives an at-large bid to the Division III National Championship at Midvale Country Club and Mendon Golf Club in Rochester, New York, May 10-13.
Tennis
The men’s team has a record of 5-9. They had a three-game winning streak midway through their season.
The team took third place in the 2016 ODAC preseason coaches’ poll, one of the highest marks in college history.
The women’s team has a 6-8 record. Earlier in the season, senior Fernanda Gonzalez was named the ODAC Women’s Tennis Player of the Week.
“As individuals, I feel like everyone has been improving in their own separate ways,” said junior Nora Prokosch, captain of the women’s tennis team. “Everyone is very motivated to do the best they can.”
Lacrosse
The women’s team has been hovering around the .500 mark most of the season.
“Every practice and game, we are challenged to push ourselves,” said senior Marina Bailey in an email interview. “We are rewarded when we learn new things and help each other on and off the field.”
The team is awaiting to see if they will play in the ODAC Conference Tournament, which begins on May 3.
The men’s team has a 7-8 record. Their next game is April 30 against Randolph College.
During the week of April 11, senior Adam Fiore from the men’s lacrosse team, was named Guilford College’s first ODAC player of the week in four years.
Softball
With a record of 24-16, the softball team ended its regular season with two victories on senior day, April 23, against Bridgewater College.
The team will also play in the ODAC Softball Tournament in Salem, Virginia, which begins on April 29.
“I have a great group of girls athletically and academically,” said Dennis Shores, head coach of the women’s softball team.
“We all love to win championships, but … the things that they learn on the softball field as well as (in) the classroom will set them up for life.”
Baseball
The baseball team closed out its season on April 24, in Alabama, with a series against Huntingdon College. The Quakers ended the season with a record of 17-23.
One of baseball’s biggest highlights came earlier in the season when the team beat Lynchburg College in a 14-inning game.
“That’s one of the longest baseball games in school history,” said Assistant Athletics and Sports Information Director Dave Walters. “To win that conference game as the sun was setting was … pretty exciting.”
Track and field
Both the men and women’s track and field teams sent athletes to the ODAC championships held at Lynchburg College. On April 23, the men’s team finished seventh, and the women’s team finished ninth in the standings.
After a season full of accomplishments and hard work, be sure to catch the Quakers in action for their last games and events of the season.
