After the cancellation of spring sports competitions, club sports followed and suspended all activities and competitions. Student-athletes from the University of Idaho club sports teams were left with unfinished seasons and heartbreak.
The coronavirus pandemic left the members of men and women’s lacrosse and rugby with a shortened season. Men and women’s lacrosse and rugby held their last practices before spring break.
During spring break, cancellations were announced and it left athletes and coaches with a transition from the life they were accustomed to.
Men’s lacrosse finished four games of their season before it was canceled. The Vandals played only one of their scheduled games in Moscow.
“We joked about the season getting canceled in our last practice before spring break, but we had no idea how soon the decision would actually come,” head coach of men’s lacrosse Colton Raichl said. “It was heartbreaking to hear, but we knew that it was decided by our league as safety for all the athletes, coaches, and fans.”
Women’s lacrosse season ended just before their scheduled tournament at Northwest Nazarene University.
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President Natalie Wiley and vice president Hallie Eriksen of the women’s lacrosse team were heartbroken after learning the news. As a senior, it was Wiley’s last tournament to play in college and her time as a Vandal ended sooner than expected.
“That was going to be my last tournament ever, and my entire family was going to be able to come. I was really excited for them to come and spend time with them,” Wiley said.
For Eriksen, it was the only game her family would be able to watch her compete in this season. Wiley plans to hold a Zoom meeting with the team to give out awards and plan how the team will move forward in the future.
For men and women’s rugby, both teams didn’t have a chance to start their season of competition. Jarod Serre, president of men’s rugby, prepared his team for the closure of the season.
“To say everyone was disappointed is an understatement,” Serre said. “We were just excited to get going and then everything got canceled right as we’re about to get in motion. We had a lot of new guys this semester and everyone was beyond ready to start.”
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For the women’s rugby team, with a month and a half of practices completed and a schedule of games planned out, it was disappointing for president Erica Linh when they found out the season would be canceled.
“We were all really disappointed because we had four to five games scheduled this season, and we’re not able to be in any of them,” Linh said. “(Competition) got canceled right before the weekend of our first game.”
Even with disappointment looming over the season, Linh and her teammates look forward to the future.
“We have all accepted that the season is over for this semester, but we are all excited for next semester,” Linh said.
Overall, it was disappointing for all athletes involved, as the pandemic has affected everyone’s daily lives. As the pandemic continues to affect lives around the country, there is still uncertainty when college student-athletes will be able to compete again.
Armin Mesinovic can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @arminmesinovic