Daily Archives: February 12, 2009

Consistently a dominant force in the Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League (PNCLL), the Whitman men have gone to their division playoffs every year since 1995. In a preseason poll, the team was ranked second in their league, which is made up of smaller schools in the Pacific Northwest who have men’s club lacrosse programs.

http://whitmanpioneer.com/sports/2009/02/12/through-their-eyes-lacrosse-gains-popularity-on-campus/

While neither program has become a varsity sport, the presence of the teams on campus and their role in the Whitman athletic scene is not to be belittled.

“The only thing that really separates us from varsity sports is the fact that our sport is not sanctioned by the school,” said sophomore Sunn Kim about the men’s team. “Other than that, we begin practice at 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and end when our coach [David Schmitz] decides to end practice.”

The student-coached women’s team also has daily practices, which junior captain Hailey Flanigan said become more intense each year. Much of this has to do with the influx of experienced players in the program.

“We used to get only seven people showing up to practice,” Flanigan said. “This year we’ve been getting 26.”

These numbers, indicative of the growth of the sport, mean the Whitman women can select a traveling team to play at away tournaments. This selection will be based primarily off of commitment.

“We want to privilege people who are dedicated,” Flanigan said.

The men’s team currently boasts 21 players, but welcomes players who are interested in the sport to come out and play.

Consistently a dominant force in the Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League (PNCLL), the Whitman men have gone to their division playoffs every year since 1995. In a preseason poll, the team was ranked second in their league, which is made up of smaller schools in the Pacific Northwest who have men’s club lacrosse programs. The teams play games most weekends, similar to varsity sports.

Kim says that there is a possibility of lacrosse becoming a varsity sport here at Whitman, but the process will take a few more years.
“In order to become a Division III team we would need all the teams in our division to add lacrosse as a varsity sport,” explained Kim.