Collegiate chaos

Coronavirus creates new issues for seniors continuing athletics in college

For high school athletes continuing their athletic endeavors in college, the Coronavirus pandemic adds a new level of uncertainty.

Without a spring sports season, seniors not only missed their last year of high school sports, but also critical months of training and practice for their first year as a college athlete. Senior Sophie Mayhugh, who will be playing softball for Highland Community College next year, said she has had to adapt to a whole new regimen.

“Now that we’re all quarantined, I haven’t been able to lift because I don’t have those weights at my house and it’s stressing me out,” Mayhugh said. “Even though I am still able to go outside to hit and throw, I am stressed about losing some of my strength.”

Senior Sam Palecki, who is committed to McPherson College to play baseball, said he predicts more competition for playing time given the fact that college seniors have been granted an extra year of eligibility.

“Most coaches aren’t going to choose a brand new 18 year-old kid over a 22 year-old man who played for them for four previous years,” Palecki said.

Even though all spring sport athletes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) have the opportunity to return for a fifth year, senior Justin Wingerter, who will be attending Southern Illinois University to play golf, is not concerned about the increased competition.

“For many athletes, it’s hard for them to practice because their gyms and practices have been closed and canceled, but fortunately for me, since golf courses are still open, I have been able to practice as much as I’ve wanted to during COVID-19,” Wingerter said.

While still able to practice, Wingerter said losing the opportunity to break records this spring made it difficult to keep going.

“I had written three goals on my bedroom wall with three different school records I was planning on breaking this spring,” Wingerter said. “Once I erased those goals from my wall, it was hard to find the motivation to keep practicing because I didn’t have any goals anymore.”

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Palecki said he was devastated when the season was canceled but understands he is lucky to already have a plan for next season.

“I was the most upset for players who haven’t signed with a school that have aspirations of playing at the next level, because they may never get a chance to prove themselves in time for coaches to sign them and make some of their dreams a reality,” Palecki said.

Another challenge is not being able to talk to teammates and saying goodbye for the last time.

“The whole entire school year, I was looking forward to March because I know that it’s softball season and I would get to be with my best friends every single day for three solid months,” Mayhugh said. “Even though we are still communicating, it’s just not the same at all.”

Every team’s goal is to make a run for the state championship, and not knowing who would have been crowned is something that haunts players and coaches alike.

“With the roster we had, there was no doubt we would’ve gone really far in the run for state,” Palecki said. “[Head baseball] coach [Tyler] Kincaid is a very straightup person — he gives no excuses and accepts none in return — so he just told us what was going to happen and how he can help us prepare for our future.”

Adding to the chaos of a canceled season, the announcement to end spring sports came during spring break, so most athletes learned of the news indirectly.

“I learned that my season was over when I saw a text on my mom’s phone,” Mayhugh said. “When I read that, I immediately checked my phone and our softball group chat was blowing up; Everyone was sending videos of them

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crying and I was just shocked and completely devastated.”

Mayhugh said she practices almost every day with her dad in her backyard, but she said she is still going to miss the traditions that come during senior year.

“Thinking about how I will never get my senior night and banquet makes me so sad,” Mayhugh said. “I am trying to be optimistic about it all, but it’s really hard because I have been looking forward to my senior season for three years now.”

Although no athlete expects their season to be canceled by a pandemic, Wingerter said it is important for himself, along with the many other seniors continuing athletics into college, to understand the big picture, and he is finding ways to move on from this letdown and prepare for the college season.

“Even though I got emotional about not having a senior season for golf, I have been thankful that I was only a senior in high school when this happened and not a senior in college,” Wingerter said. “I am fortunate enough to still be able to play golf competitively in college and try to break some school records at SIU the next four years.”

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