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SPORTS OVERVIEW

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SPORTS NEWS FROM CAMPUS

SPORTS Camaraderie of Competition

Lacrosse teams “grateful for the opportunity to play.”

In March of 2020, one of the earliest decisions Kimball Union administrators made surrounding COVID-19 was the cancellation of the lacrosse spring training trips. Soon after, both the girls lacrosse team, led by Head Coach Whit Willocks, and the boys lacrosse team, led by Head Coach Nick Antol, found their seasons canceled. Willocks and Antol entered the 2020-21 school year ready to bring the joy and camaraderie of athletic competition back to players’ lives. Their teams competed in abbreviated fall and spring seasons against other Lakes Region schools and found that lacrosse has a home at KUA. Here’s how it went.

What was it like returning to the field? Willocks: The biggest thing about losing last year’s season was it made us appreciate what we have. You don’t know how good you have it until you don’t have it. We played only 10 games this year, but we cherished every practice, every workout, and all of our time together. That played into the overall team atmosphere and the love they had for one another, and that translated on and off the field. Antol: We returned with 17 seniors this year. To have the fall together was amazing, and you realize quickly that you don’t need to have 20 games and a spring trip to make it special. It gave the guys an opportunity to get better instead of just focusing on winning. We had this mentality that you’re so grateful for the opportunity to play. We had 10 games scheduled, but couldn’t play two of them because our opponents had issues with COVID. We were so grateful just to have the next ones.

How are the KUA lacrosse programs doing? Willocks: We saw considerable growth in the program this season. We brought in some very skilled players and saw the overall level of play increase two-fold, a testament to senior leadership and the amount of buy-in and trust from the team. Even though we weren’t the most skilled, we were highly competitive. These players were always ready to learn and to challenge themselves and their teammates. They were hanging in at parts of the games with schools we didn’t usually keep up with. Antol: In the past, we didn’t have many kids who played spring sports. They came out of hockey and then decided to play spring sports, too. Now we have kids who are dedicated spring sports athletes. This is their primary focus. There’s more energy around it and on the campus. People are coming to the games and staying for them. We hadn’t beaten Brewster, New Hampton, or Holderness for 10 years and we beat them this year—all at home. I’ve been coaching in New England for 17 years and lacrosse has really improved. This is really exciting because we can be competitive not only in the Lakes Region, but further south and into Boston, too.

What’s in store for next year? Willocks: Female athletes at KUA are primarily multi-sport athletes. I value that, and I want them to be proud of it. I’m excited for what the future holds for girls lacrosse. I also attribute this to Nick [Antol] and his leadership and insight and the success he’s had. Antol: If we’re going to make waves, it can’t be two little waves. We’re going to join forces. I want all these players to find another way to break out of lacrosse and lean into the community in other ways. I want other people on campus to find them to be good people. We all give these kids a chance to completely develop into student-athletes. It’s not hard to sell a family on the KUA experience. This place helps kids turn it on. I feel super supported by the teachers here. And the student-athletes do better here than anywhere else, not because it’s easier, but because people care. K

HOMETOWN HERO

Former NFL linebacker Kasim Edebali ’09 returned home to Hamburg, Germany, where he was signed by the European Football League’s Hamburg Sea Devils.

DREAM COME TRUE

The Atlanta Hawks signed Nathan Knight ’16 as an undrafted free agent in the 2020 NBA draft. The 6-foot10 center garnered numerous awards during his senior year at William & Mary.

8-0

In the COVID-shortened season, varsity boys ice hockey finish the schedule with an undefeated 8-0 record.

“We played only 10 games this year, but we cherished every practice, every workout, and all of our time together.” —COACH WHIT WILLOCKS

HISTORIC RUN

Forward Mia Brown ’18 joined joined the Northeastern University women’s ice hockey team’s historic run, which ended with a 2-1 overtime loss to Wisconsin in the national championship game.

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Senior boys varsity lacrosse players will play lacrosse in college next year

WHISTLE-BLOWER

Girls Varsity Lacrosse Head Coach Whit Willocks has been at KUA for four years, previously coaching at Dartmouth College, Choate Rosemary Hall, and Andover High School.

FIRST TEAM

Boston College junior forward Taylor Soule ’18 was named an All-Atlantic Coast Conference first-team selection in March, just the third BC women’s player so honored.

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