Spring season sports have been anticipated all school year. Student-Athletes put in work in the off seasons from summer all the way to the winter months preceding the start of their school season. Varsity Lacrosse, Softball, Baseball, and Track and Field are in season and approaching district championships.
Track and Field is a more individual sport and requires players to participate in long workouts in practice as well as work out on their own time throughout the season in preparation for playoffs. Junior Julianne Hartigan has been a valuable member of the team for three years in which she has participated in intense practices along with going for runs on her own to build endurance for her best event, the two mile.
Hartigan said, “Our team has been preparing by extensive practices and prioritizing recovery”
Hartigan, along with her Track and FIeld team mates, follow a strict healthy lifestyle to fuel them for the intense exercise and boost physical health for upcoming Track and Field competitions.
“More goes into track rather than just running” Hartigan says, “Sleep, recovery, food, and mindset are all keys to success as we approach the championship series.”
Palmer Trinity’s Track and Field team’s hard work pays off as they are reigning district champions and expecting to go as far as state competitions this year.
The Girls Varsity Lacrosse team has also been hard at work not only focusing on individual skills but team cohesion as well. One of the Team Captains, Senior Valentina Camps, has been leading the team’s defense, focusing on improving their one on one defensive skills along with team communication.
Camps said, “After months of dedication and teamwork, the lacrosse team has finally found our rhythm on the field, and we are blending individual skills, from new players to long time players and are playing as one cohesive unit.”
The Varsity Baseball program has truly been growing and is showing potential in this year’s district championship. The baseball athletes have been working hard on their own and at practice. Senior Jake Pearcy says, “The baseball team has been working hard to improve and prepare ourselves for the playoffs recently through lifting in the weightroom, practicing our individual positions and spending time together as a team.”
Similar to the Lacrosse team, the Baseball boys have been practicing together, bonding on bus rides, going to group dinners after games, and they have grown bonds that are reflected on the field.
“Spending this amount of time together doesn’t just make the team better,” Pearcy says, “but it improves the chemistry between players.”
Varsity Softball at Palmer Trinity has existed under the mentorship of Coach Cerda for years now. Players, including her daughters, have been growing both individually and as a team. Numerous girls on the team work hard in the off season competing in travel club teams where they can elevate their game play in a competitive environment, or by staying in shape by playing other sports. The Softball team has a challenging district but they have been doing great all year -beating rivals like Gulliver 10-1.
Junior Caroline Crews has been on the Varsity Softball team since she started at Palmer in sixth grade and she knows the team and coach very well. Being a crucial member of the team, she plays sports like soccer and volleyball all year-round to stay in shape for the softball season.
“To prepare for districts, Coach Cerda likes to make sure we are both mentally and physically prepared,” Crews says. “We practiced a lot but she also likes to talk to us a lot and check up on how we are doing outside of the physical aspect of the sport.”
The team has a busy schedule throughout the season, playing 20 games before districts to ensure they are ready for the championship. With softball being a team sport, Coach Cerda has been focused on not only game experience, but also building a tight-knit team where the athletes feel united in gameplay and as teammates. She is a teacher at Palmer Trinity and the players use her room as a safe space to meet with her and one another.
Crews says, “Right before districts she had us all come to her room and watch a video she made of how important teamwork is with a few funny videos of our team and cute pictures of us after winning our games. It really brought team spirit and allowed us to bond right before districts.”
Many teams faced challenges and getting to districts was not an easy road. Girls Lacrosse only had one coach with experience for both Varsity and Junior Varsity. Varsity Softball struggled to have enough players with experience going into the season. Boys Baseball faced fierce competition throughout the season. And Track and Field face constant disruptions to their practice schedule due to spring season sporting events that occupy the track.
The Varsity Spring Sport Teams have triumphed over all these obstacles and optimistically head into the district season with teams expecting to make it to Regional Championships and even State Competitions. This year will set the tone for next season to be the best year yet. Go Falcons!
