UIndy dance adds another trophy

By Mia Lehmkuhl OPINION EDITOR

By Kassandra Darnell EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

As the Great Lakes Valley Conference and NCAA tournaments approach, the University of Indianapolis women’s lacrosse team is currently ranked No. 6 in the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association, according to UIndy Athletics.The GLVC tournament begins on April 28. Junior attacker Joey Fowler said the season has ultimately been very exciting, despite changes in the coaching staff and players transferring at the start

By Connor Mahoney SPORTS EDITOR

Starting the spring season back in February, the University of Indianapolis men’ golf team has now neared the end of their season. Meanwhile, the UIndy women’s golf team teed off their season in March. The men’s team wrapped up the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships finishing sixth out of 11 teams, according to UIndy Athletics. With a younger team this year, graduate student golfer Cam Carroll said there were opportunities to learn this season.

“I have personally just been trying to do my best to be a good leader to the guys on the team,” Carroll said. “And show them sort of the right way to practice and the right way to conduct yourself when you’re out on the golf course. I think everybody’s had a lot of learning moments this year. I hope for this program that moving forward, they can sort of implement the things that they learned from me.”

Throughout the learning process, the team has traveled to different courses around the country, according to UIndy Athletics. Carroll said a big lesson he has tried to teach is to stay positive.

“One of the big things I’ve tried to help people out with is really staying positive, and being in the right mindset out there,” Carroll said. “I’ve been in situations, a lot of times where you’re just out there and you feel lost, and you’re really just having a horrible time. Through my time at UIndy, I’ve sort of honed in [on] what it really takes to play good golf. And I really want to pass that on to the people who are younger than me.”

Performing on an individual level, Carroll and the rest of the team competed at the Ken Partridge Invite in Noblesville. Carroll broke the course record and program record by shooting 63 which was nine under par, according to UIndy Athletics. Carroll said that day he was able to put every aspect of his game together.

“I started off with a birdie, and I rolled in a put that was sort of a tough put,” Carroll said. “I had some good feelings the week prior to this one, in terms of my swing and my game. I just was able to put it all together… [it was] one of those rounds where everything sort of went my way.”

For the women’s team, as of The Reflector’s press time,they are competing in the GLVC Championships looking to win the competition and retain their title. Graduate Student golfer Elyse of the season.

“It’s [tournament season] also pretty nerve-wracking for our team, especially because we’ve had so many changes in the last year,” Fowler said. “So it’s a little different feeling than it has been in the past, but definitely exciting. And I think we’re anxious to get to the championships.”

Head Coach Elaine Jones said these changes were part of a rocky start to the season, creating a lot of challenges for the team as they got to know the new coaching staff and the underclassmen on the team moved up into more leadership losing three senior starters to injury. Additionally, the team was ranked No. 8 in the IWLCA preseason polls back in January, according to UIndy Athletics, and Jones said this served as a wake-up call.

“This team is not last year’s team…,” Jones said.“We were ranked low for a team winning the national championship; to be ranked eighth I think was a little reality check for the players, like, ‘Hey, this is going to be an uphill battle.’ I think we faced adversity throughout the season…. We’re just ready to prove ourselves.”

There have definitely been obstacles,

Jones said she felt the freshmen and sophomore on the team had to step up and take on more responsibilities to fill those extra spots. These players did not have a chance to be freshmen on the team and take the time to hone their skills as they had to play their best from the beginning, Jones said. And while the goal has always been to defend the title and win the championship, there is still improvement to be made before then, she said. According to Fowler, this also includes working on the chemistry among the offensive players.

“To win the conference tournament and things that we’re going to need to do is, I think offensively [is to] still continue to improve our motions and sets and our execution,” Jones said. “Defense, we’re still working in a couple players. We’re working our one senior we lost back into the defense. So every day we’re working on every part of our game. Just making sure we cover the details that it’s going to take for us to be successful to achieve the goal of winning the conference.”