As the end of the semester approaches, many sports seasons are coming to a close. This is a bittersweet time for seniors who are playing their last games as Loggers.
The fall teams have been having their last home games of the regular season in the last few weeks. These senior games are a chance to celebrate the commitment and success of the seniors.
This year’s seniors are an accomplished group. More than 20 seniors were named NWC Scholar-Athletes last spring for maintaining a 3.5 GPA during their season.
These athletes are committed in the classroom and on the field and epitomize what it means to be a student athlete.
Some teams have had impressive records for the past four seasons as seniors created or continued records of success.
Women’s soccer just received their 12th NWC title and saw 13 straight wins by the end of this season. Two seniors were recently all-conference First-Team athletes. Kylie Beeson (Everett, Wash.) and Hannah Hawkins (Everett, Wash.) both helped lead the team to victory and conference recognition.
Men’s soccer had another successful season and will be continuing postseason play when they move on to play in the NCAA Division III tournament.
Men’s soccer won the Northwest Conference this year, a title the team has not achieved since 2006.
Men’s and women’s cross country had a great season and finished second and fifth respectively at the Northwest Conference Championship. Senior Kathryn Flyte (West Linn, Ore.) finished out an impressive career, finishing third at conference and earning First-Team All Conference.
The football team will have their senior game Nov. 16 to celebrate a successful group of players.
Tieler Souza (Camarillo, Calif.) set a NCAA Division III record his freshman year for kick return yards. Jeff Walton (Sacramento, Calif.) has had a successful punting career and was named punter for First-Team All-Conference in 2012 and had an impressive 74-yard punt in the team’s winning game against Whittier earlier this season.
Women’s volleyball made it to the NCAA Division III finals during the 2012 season.
Senior Jackie Harvey (Santa Barbara, Calif.) was named a first team All-American athlete in 2012. Harvey and her fellow senior Jenni Brehove (Vista, Calif.) were named first team All Conference and Christina Chun (Pearl City, Hawaii) received a second team All Conference title.
Overall, seniors are leaving behind a legacy of hard work and dedication both in the classroom and on the field.
At a small school like Puget Sound, support for athletics is not as strong as it is at Division I schools, but there should be pride for the hard work and successes of Logger athletics and the seniors who lead their teams.
“It’s been an honor to represent the University through athletics,” soccer player Colin McIntosh (Olympia, Wash.) said. “I’m proud to be a part of Logger athletics and thankful for all of the support around us, including our coaching staff, the athletic department as a whole, the trainers and our fans.”
As seniors pass the torch to younger players they pass along advice to continuing athletes.
“I would tell future athletes to play for the love of the game and seize the moment,” soccer player David Leslie (Gresham, Ore.) said.
Congratulations to seniors and thank you for your time and dedication to Puget Sound athletics.
Though their time as Logger athletes has reached an end, now is as important a time as ever to remember the cheer: once a Logger, always a Logger.
