Club Sports Begin Recruiting For Fall Seasons

RugbyImageBy Katy Shenk

Student Life Editor

  If you’ve found yourself looking for a way to stay active without the commitment of a varsity sport, Washington College’s club sports teams are just getting off the ground for the new academic year.

Although men’s and women’s Club Lacrosse teams have most of their games and tournaments in the spring, they begin recruiting and practicing in the fall season.

“The season is all about having fun. We like to play a lot of 6 v. 6 at practice and in games we play pretty competitively,” said senior Michael Gutkind, men’s club lacrosse president.

According to Gutkind, no background experience is necessary to join the club. Even team members who aren’t available for all practices can still participate in games.

In addition to forming new friendships with fellow teammates, Gutkind said that the club has a strong connection to its alumni, who are invited to pick up their sticks and join current club members at practice.

The club practices on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Interested students should contact Michael Gutkind at mgutkind3@washcoll.edu

Likewise, the women’s Lacrosse Club is also utilizing the fall season to recruit active members for the spring.

“During the fall, our highlight is just meeting the new and interested girls to try and determine how our spring season should be planned. We try to tailor our game and practice schedules to the need of the group rather than having a pretty much unchangeable schedule,” said junior Kirstyn Horsley, women’s club lacrosse president.

Also welcoming students from all skill levels, Horsley said that the self-run practices create a fun, low-pressure environment that doesn’t have the time constraints of a varsity sport.

Although current practice times are to be announced, last year the club practiced Tuesday and Thursday at 4 p.m.

Interested students should reach out to Kirstyn Horsley at khorsley2@washcoll.edu.

WC’s Running Club is bounding into their fall season, and for the first time will be competing in the Centennial Conference as a non-scoring team.

With support from faculty members Dr. Richard Gillin, professor of English literature, and Dr. Mark Keese, biology lab instructor, in regard to workouts and preparing for races, the club plans to attend four invitational meets throughout the fall.

According to junior Haley Zullo, club president, this semester the club will include both a recreational and competitive team to appeal to all levels of runners. To be a recreational member, students must attend at least two team runs a month, while competing members must make at least one per week.

In addition to the four conference meets, the team will also run in a road race on Nov. 10, open to both recreational and competing members.

The tentative practice schedule for this semester is Monday and Wednesday at 7 p.m., and Tuesday and Thursday at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Times are open to change depending on member preferences.

Interested runners should contact Haley Zullo at                hzullo2@washcoll.edu for more information.

The Equestrian Club also seeks to cater to students who desire different levels of involvement within the team, according to senior Rachel Terry, club president.

“Some members do choose to be highly competitive, and they attend every single show and practice three times a week, while some members just ride for fun and do not regularly attend competitions,” Terry said.

The club is divided into the English and Western teams based on riding style. The English team has competitions almost every weekend September through November, and again in the spring from February to April. The Western team participates in approximately four weekends of shows each semester.

In addition to a club meeting held once a week, members can schedule their own lessons depending on their personal schedules. The club rides at two barns, each about a 20-minute drive from campus.

Interested riders can contact Rachel Terry at rterrry2@washcoll.edu.

WC’s men’s Club Rugby team is also looking to recruit new players before jumping into their fall practices.

According to club president, senior David Mulhearn, former lacrosse and football players and wrestlers would be well-adapted to play rugby.

“There’s a position for everyone no matter what size you are,” he said.

The club practices two to three times a week and competes in about four to five games in the fall.

Interested players should contact David Mulhearn at dmulhearn2@washcoll.edu

Rounding out WC’s fall club sports offerings are soccer, field hockey, and women’s rugby. Students should contact the following club presidents for more information. Field Hockey: Deaven Maull (dmaull2@washcoll.edu), Soccer: Trae Hoffner (thoffner2@washcoll.edu), and Women’s Rugby: Alicia Vasquez (avasquez2@washcoll.edu).

Additional information about all club sports can be found on the Johnson Fitness Center website under “Club Sports.”

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