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Show THE FORUM - APRIL 18, ATHLETICS 2012 i 1 & r Amanda McIntyre - Staff Reporter As the years progress, the athletic rankings at Westminster continue to improve. Is it the better athletes, the coaches, the facilities or the education? For Joshua Fisher, athletic information and events coordinator, Westminster offers something that a lot of other schools dont winning traditions. Fisher said the winning traditions are bringing in more talented players to the college each year, which is the cause of the consistent progress. We the athletic teams will always be competitive at everything because of the lure that the school brings, said Fisher. Dechie Sumampong, a Westminster womens lacrosse athlete, said she came to Westminster because she liked the campus atmosphere and the personalized education, but playing lacrosse has been a major perk to her experience. Even though Westminsters athletic teams do not receive as much scholarship funding as other schools, athletes are playing because of their true love for the sport. Life would just be mundane without playing lacrosse, said Jake Arthur, a mens lacrosse athlete. Arthur said he has gotten so accustomed to balancing playing lacrosse, working, and keeping up in school that he has no idea what he would do with his time if it werent for playing I t I lacrosse. Sumampong said she has sacrificed getting better grades because of the time that lacrosse requires, but lacrosse is too important to her to not play. She said, Lacrosse keeps me I grounded and defines me as a person. I apply what Ive learned on the field to a lot of aspects in my life. Sumampong said it has been an amazing experience to grow with the team. The womens lacrosse team has gone from pulling players out of the gym and losing to high school teams, to recruiting players and playing undefeated. Were forced to go to D1 next year because were beating everyone, said Sumampong. Arthur stated that the mens lacrosse team has made a lot of progress the last three years as well. Now, we the mens lacrosse team would absolutely destroy a team that we played three years ago, said Arthur. Fisher said, Every year, the crop that is coming in is better than before. Not only are the players getting better, but so support from fans. The mens lacrosse tournament, called the Griffin Invitational, held on March 30-3- 1 and April 1 had the highest fan attendance in Westminsters hisis-th- e tory. The tournament drew a record crowd of 2,000 people to the stands. Fisher said, Every year we are getting more and more support, not just from students, but from people in the community. Fisher added that unlike larger schools, You know the people that are playing, so its fun to support them and root for them. Find out when and where Westminster will hold upcoming games at The h"TT current men's lacrosse record is 12-- 2. 9 |