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Tennis – Hilton Head Island, SCMen’s: For spring break the Macalester men’s tennis team journeyed down to idyllic Hilton Head, S.C., for a week of intense competition and unforgettable bonding. The men’s team went 3-3 in a series of closely contested matches that brought out the best in this spunky young crew. It was magical.

Women’s: The women’s tennis team also traveled south to the mystical island of Hilton Head, S.C. Channeling inspiration from classic sports films (i.e. “Rudy”), they battled each day and ultimately dominated all of their matches. Besides going 5-0, the women also enjoyed time on the beach and epic bike rides.

Softball – Fort Meyers, FL

With only 10 players, Macalester softball survived a week in Fort Meyers, Fl. Although the competition was tough, the softball team was competitive and collected three wins in 10 games. In addition, the team had a chance to win almost every game they played. Three of their losses were by a margin of two runs or less and one game was decided in extra innings. Up and down the line up, every player had a golden glove moment, spectacular plate appearance or amazing pitching performance, including a perfect game. While the beautiful weather and occasional tanning was relaxing, the team is ready to get back to work, and to the cold weather, and prepare for its home opener against Gustavus Adolphus, which has been postponed to April 9.

Women’s water polo – Southern California

The women’s water polo team had a great time at its spring break tournament in Southern California, finishing the trip 3-6 overall. The team did much better than it had in previous years, and overall the team was happy with its progress. The team played several close games against the nation’s top DIII teams and by the end of the trip was ranked 10th in Division III. The team is looking forward to its upcoming tournaments, and to hosting the Midwest Regionals April 17 and 18. More detailed stats can be found at http://athletics.macalester.edu.

Golf – Jekyll Island, GA

The men’s and women’s golf teams travelled to Jekyll Island to play in the three day Jekyll Island Collegiate Invitational. The tournament featured a combined total of 54 men’s and women’s teams from around the country, making it one of the toughest fields Mac golf has played in for a long time. Getting good practice was far more important than getting good results, and the whole team was pretty relieved to be practicing outside in 70 degree weather rather than in the field house. Perhaps the biggest accomplishment for the week was that none of the team members were eaten by an alligator – this was a legitimate threat, especially on the 18th hole.

Visit Mac golf’s spring break blog for more details:
macgolfspringbreak09.blogspot.com

Ultimate frisbee – Jekyll Island, GA

Women’s: The PurseSnatchers had a fantastic spring break on Jekyll Island, Ga. The week was filled with fun on the beach, great frisbee games at the High Tide Tournament, adventures to Savannah for St. Patrick’s Day, and some fabulous team bonding. After a 24 hour drive to Georgia, the team beat Columbia University and Smith University on days 1 and 2, respectively, and were seeded in the Chumpianship bracket, where they progressed to the semi-finals after defeating Colgate. The team is looking forward to sectionals on April 4th and 5th. Stay posted for the biannual Mac-Tommie cup.

Baseball – Phoenix, AZ

The baseball team played 10 games over eight days around the Phoenix area, going 3-7 in the process. (See the full baseball article for more information.)