Athletes play through unexpectedly cold season

Throughout this spring, both Bennie and Johnnie sports teams have had to work around the inclement weather that has come this April.

Track and field, softball, tennis and baseball have all had to adjust schedules due to rain, snow, sleet and high winds.

Softball has had to cancel and reschedule games in the past week, while tennis has only had one outdoor match so far. Track and field has had to reschedule and cancel meets as well. Softball has finally been able to play a game after more than a week, due to the rainy and windy weather.

According to head coach Rachel Click, the team had to reschedule five different doubleheaders, and another one was canceled.

“Rescheduling games takes a lot of effort from all involved… we are constantly checking our weather to see if it will be warm enough to play or if field conditions are good,” Click said.

The softball team has had to reschedule games against Stout, St. Olaf, Carleton, Bethel and Concordia and has canceled their doubleheader against University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Weather has mostly affected the softball team in the cold or when the opponent’s field is not playable. In some rare instances, an opposing team has sacrificed a home game to come play on CSB’s softball fields since their turf surface is more resistant to wet weather.

With the end of the semester coming up fast, there has been concern over whether the softball team will run out of time to play all the MIAC opponents they need to play.

“We are starting to have conversations about how that will impact who makes our six-team conference tournament and how that will impact seeding,” Click said.

In addition to the game delays, practice outside is continuing to be difficult. The softball team has had to be creative with indoor practices and fun games to keep up team morale, despite the weather. SJU baseball has run into similar issues as CSB softball with cold and wind but have been able to keep their schedule relatively unchanged.

“The weather so far definitely has not been ideal baseball conditions. There’s been some very cold days with a lot of wind, but we have played through it for the most part,” junior pitcher Casey Trapp said.

While games have continued to go on as normal, the baseball team has sacrificed their comfort.

With wind and continued cold, the Johnnies have had to endure the less-than-ideal conditions.

“The guys have definitely had to grind through these cold ones, but at the end of the day both teams are playing in it,” Trapp said.

While baseball and softball have been able to buckle down in the inclement weather, tennis has not been as lucky.

Both Bennie and Johnnie tennis teams have had to deal with lack of playing time outside, forcing them to play in an indoor facility.

“I think most the of the guys are upset about the foul weather, preventing us from having our matches outside. In the past few seasons, the weather has been relatively nice in April, and this is when we typically start having outdoor matches,” junior Peyton Fischer said.

The Johnnies have only had one match outside so far in the season, and it was a road win against Bethel.

The Bennies have yet to play on the outdoor courts, but have a game scheduled this Friday, April 22, on the CSB courts, as weather allows.

“For now, we are patiently waiting and hoping for dry courts and less wind,” Fischer said.

CSB and SJU’s track and field teams have been battling with the weather for a while now. Their first meet of the year, scheduled on March 26, was canceled due to snow on the track, and their most recent meet, scheduled for the Thursday before Easter break, was canceled due to high winds and snow.

“I feel we are fortunate since each week in April we have had the chance to compete. I know not every team has had the same luck,” CSB head coach Robin Balder-Lanoue said.

The Bennies were able to reschedule their April 14 meet to a day earlier, allowing them to compete.

The Johnnies have run into similar issues.

Their head coach, Jeremy Karger-Gatzow, explained that there is a list of possible meets, and the team will often travel to attend the best meet.

“Unfortunately, the weather has been terrible for a large section of the Midwest, and there haven’t been good options. Thankfully, we sent a group of 13 athletes to California last weekend,” Karger-Gatzow said.

While many running events are able to continue despite inclement weather, many field events have suffered with the continued rain and high winds.

“We are able to adjust practices for most athletes. However, the events that are only outdoors such as discus and hammer truly suffer,” Karger-Gatzow said.

Events like the pole vault and high jump have been moved inside on several occasions, due to dangerous conditions.

“The weather has forced us to go inside for some pole vault meets, but I do miss vaulting outside. I feel bad for some of the others who are forced to be outside in the cold, like the throwers,” senior pole vaulter Zoe Witham said.

Despite the cold and wind, both the men’s and women’s track and field teams have broken records and recorded top finishes.

“[The weather] hasn’t been super great for the team, but overall, there’s been some good performances despite the bad weather,” junior Joe Stauffer said.

The track teams are looking forward to warmer weather as the season progresses but will continue to adjust as needed.

“There is no doubt that our team is full of positive energy. Their attitudes and flexibility help to make the weather and tweaks to our schedule more tolerable,” Balder-Lanoue said.