DIII Week will end on Sunday, April 13, but not before the UMW Track & Field team hosts an Area 11 – Special Olympic T&F Clinic on Friday, April 11, from 4:00-6:00 pm. Head Coach Stan Soper and Special Olympics Region Director Jim Garrett believe it will be the perfect tune-up and may provide the athletes a boost before Spring Competitions.
Also in the Eagles’ plans to celebrate DIII week is an exciting Saturday, April 12, at the Battleground Complex. Thanks to Head Coach Kurt Glaeser, boys from one of the largest youth organizations in the area - Stafford Lacrosse Association - will get to play their league game on the same field the Men’s Lacrosse program plays on, currently the team is ranked 14th in the nation. The Eagles have invited the boys to be their special guests at their 2pm conference game vs. Frostburg St.
Passion and sportsmanship are attributes of the “athlete” in the Division III “student-athlete” paradigm. The “athlete” plays for the love of the game, strives for excellence in all facets of life and perseveres through adversity. So, to end Division III Week, the Eagles will finish celebrating as they started – with a cookout! On Sunday, April 13, UMW Athletics is teaming up with the Admissions Department to hold the first Athletic Open House in school history! Hundreds of prospective student-athletes will be travelling to campus on the final day of DIII Week to hear from President Hurley, Director of Athletics Ken Tyler, and NCAA Faculty Athletic Representative/ Dean of the College of Business Lynne Richardson.
Following the opening remarks, the high school athletes will break into small groups and hear exactly what it’s like to be a student-athlete at the University of Mary Washington directly from our Head Coaches their and players. After a tour around campus and a stop in the campus bookstore, a trolley will shuttle our guests back to the Battleground Athletic Complex for a cookout at the Women’s Lacrosse 1:00 PM home game.
Through our celebration of Division III Week we hope the entire UMW Campus, Fredericksburg community, and even some future Eagles have gained a greater understanding of what Division III athletics is all about. The true measure of our success lies within our mission to provide student-athlete experiences that are safe and nurturing, and that will instill the values of leadership, teamwork, and sportsmanship. Our end goal is to graduate quality student-athletes who will become engaged alumni and active members of the community.
Happy DIII Week! Go Eagles,
Philip Pierce, SAAC Advisor