Junior Alexis Harrison is spending her fall semester studying abroad in Spain. We all wish we could live vicariously through her but we'll have to settle for reading about her daily life and adventures in Madrid and beyond. Enjoy!

1.Where are you studying abroad and how long have you been there?

Alexis: This semester I'm studying abroad in Madrid, Spain. I've been here for two months so far and am completely in love with this city.
2.Do you live in an apartment or with a home-stay family?

Alexis: I live in a home-stay with a great family. Most of my friends live with senoras, who are usually older women who live by themselves. For many of them, the only interaction with their senoras is when they cook for them. My situation is completely different. I live with a 65 year old artist, his 35 year old girlfriend, and their 5 year old son. It is very different because my padre stays at home, paints all day, and cooks our meals while my madre works all day and is not around much. I love having their son, Mateo, around because speaking with him has helped tremendously with learning the language. 3.What’s been the biggest adjustment to European/Spanish lifestyle?

Alexis: I think the biggest thing I have had to adjust to about the Spanish lifestyle is the Spanish lifestyle itself. They invade your personal space, spend hours everyday eating and drinking in the streets, are always dressed to impress and are completely relaxed about everything. Let's just say it has been an easy adjustment.
4.What is your school schedule like and what classes are you taking?

Alexis: The first month that I was here I did an intensive month of Spanish language study. I had three classes: Culture, Conversation, and Grammar. After that month, we have had the option to take a combination of English and Spanish courses but I have stuck with just Spanish courses. I'm taking Art of the Museo del Prado, which is an art history class where we get to visit the Prado six Fridays during the semester. I'm also taking a contemporary Spanish novel class, a Spanish film class, and a 20th century Spanish theater class. They've all been really interesting so far and I am definitely getting used to not having class on Fridays.
5.Have you met a lot of new people from different colleges and universities?

Alexis: I came here only knowing one other person so I have met a ton of new people which is great. My program, ISA, has kids from all over the country but most are from Colorado and California. I also go to an international university so there are kids in my classes from Denmark, England, Korea, Holland...
6.Have you been able to do a lot of travelling? If so, where have you gone?

Alexis: One of the best parts about being in Europe is that it is so easy to hop on a plane or train and go to another country for the weekend. So far in Spain I have been to Barcelona, Salamanca, and Toledo and then out of the country to Germany, the Netherlands, and Morocco. Over the next 6 weeks I'm also going to Switzerland, Denmark, Italy, and possibly Prague. 7.What do you miss most about the U.S.?

Alexis: The one thing I miss sooo much about the US is being able to eat whatever I want, whenever I want. As all of my friends know, eating is my favorite pastime. I like to eat a lot all of the time, usually pretty healthy. Living in a Spanish home-stay has been really challenging for that reason. (Usual contents of the pantry: bread, corn flakes, weird fiber cookies, and cooking supplies/ Usual contents of the fridge: bologna, pieces of fruit or vegetables that either aren't ripe or are moldy, uncooked meat) For me, that's a problem because we only eat two meals a day: lunch at 330pm and dinner at 10pm. I have resorted to buying food at school when I am hungry throughout the day because the few times I have bought cereal, cold cuts, or eggs and kept them in the kitchen, someone else eats them. It really isn't that bad; I just like to vent. But I can honestly say that I may never eat white rice again after this semester...I also miss H Crew
8.Anything else you’d like Generals fans to know?

Alexis: I can't wait to get back to Lex and see everyone!!

Alumnae Game 2010

The Generals rounded out their Fall season over Alumni Weekend against a great group of alums. The competition was held Saturday morning on Alumni Field and proved a fun event for all. The Generals of years past teamed up with current Juniors and Seniors to take on the current Sophomores and First-Years. The dream team of alums put on a good showing, scoring early and making some solid defensive stops (thanks in large part to their leaders in the back-field, Kathy Brown and Katharine Farrar), but were unable to come away with a victory.

It was nice to see some familiar faces and catch up with everyone! Now it's time for some hard off-season training - see you on the field in January!

Fall Play Day 2010

It was a great weekend to be a General! We hosted our annual Fall Play Day on Saturday, October 2nd. Christopher Newport University, Roanoke College, Swarthmore College and the University of Mary Washington all joined us for a beautiful day in Lexington filled with awesome competition.

The Generals played four 30 minute scrimmages and looked strong in all of them. Our veteran upperclassmen held it down on the turf, reminding fans of the success of last season and exciting them for what is to come in 2011. The many First-Years gave an impressive performance in their first ever intercollegiate competition.

We had the support of friends and family, including one very special supporter, Maggie. She and her family joined us for our last scrimmage and for a tailgate put on by the parents afterwards. It was great to see her and for our First-Years to get to meet her and her family.

We're excited for our last Fall Ball date this weekend - the Generals take on Generals' Alumnae! It's hard to believe four weeks of practice have already flown by - just means we are that much closer to the spring!

Catching up with Katie Flippen '09

This week we heard from 2009 Generals Lax Alum about how she's enjoying post-college life just down the road in Charlottesville:

1.Where have you been living in your first full year as a W&L grad?

Katie: I have been living in Charlottesville, Va. for a year now, and I’m enjoying it so much. Charlottesville is a really laid back city, so it’s been super easy living here in terms of being close to family and friends, as well as low cost of living and minimal stress! I recently moved to the downtown mall (it’s a bricked in pedestrian mall with lots of boutique-type shops), and I love it. I walk to work, walk to the gym, and live around the corner from a small little grocery. I rarely drive my car, and I absolutely adore my new apartment and my roommate- UVA ’09 grad, Augusta, so I am very happy.
2. Where do you work?

Katie: Since August of last year I have been with SNL Financial (SNL). It is a sector-focused research firm, and I recently took a position in the client services/ account management group. I travel to our clients—mostly banks, in the case of my accounts— and maintain the SNL relationship. I do things like help our clients use SNL’s product to map their bank branches to figuring out how their competitors are raising capital. It’s been a steep learning curve, but a really fascinating time to be in the Financial Institutions space.

One fun fact: The director of my group at SNL, Ellen Ritsch Boyle, was a W&L lacrosse player! She graduated in 2001, and I have enjoyed talking with her when I catch her in the office… about the cold winter days on the practice fields and even how bummed we are about the fire at the Southern Inn. Don’t worry, I genuinely tried to get her to play in the Alumni game in October, but she just had her first child and not enough time on her hands… 3. Are you enjoying your job?

Katie: I love my job! I started as an analyst in the research group and have recently been able to transition into the account management position, which is so much better suited for my personality. I love going places and meeting new people. I have no sales goals, so I just basically travel around the Southeast (my regional assignment—Currently, I’m in Atlanta) and meet our clients to make sure that SNL services suit the client’s needs. It’s challenging trying to figure out how our products can be solutions to so many different people’s workflows!
4. Do you have any future career or school plans?

Katie: My future plans are continuing to work for SNL. I’m so happy with how things are going that I can see myself staying in this job for a number of years. It may be that I move to Richmond in a year or two to work on my MBA. But, at this point, I’m just speculating… 5. What do you like to do in your free time?

Katie: I’ve participated in some social sports leagues, like a sand volleyball team I was on this summer and my favorite weekly class at the gym: Body Pump (ha!) Charlottesville has so much to offer in terms of the outdoors, so I spend a lot of time at the Farmer’s market or wine tasting or hiking… I also travel a bunch to DC and back to Norfolk/ Virginia Beach to see family and friends. 6. What has been the biggest adjustment from life as a student to life after college?

Katie: Hmmm—for me, a big adjustment has been sticking to a routine. At W&L, I was so busy with so many different teams, clubs, and activities, that now my work and social life has been relatively steady and consistent. I felt like at W&L, a group meeting for a class would randomly crop up on a Tuesday night or a game got rescheduled due to bad weather on a Thursday afternoon… etc. Now, I enjoy having some more control of my schedule, but I miss my hectic, busy W&L days too. I keep myself very occupied by cooking dinner and going running with my roommate, going to concerts, and traveling. Now I can sleep in on Saturday mornings instead of rushing to the bus in the Liberty Hall parking lot!
7. What do you miss most about W&L and Lexington?

Katie: What don’t I miss about W&L and Lexington!?!? I really miss being outside for practice in the spring time and the beautiful campus and Blue Sky, Southern Inn, the Bistro…! I also resent Charlottesville / James River because you have to pay $20 to RENT a tube for hot days when you just need to float down the river! Charlottesville and Lexington are not too much differentexcept for size. Charlottesville is also a college town with UVA being right down the road, but it’s more urban. I’m still minutes from the mountains and great outdoors but have all of the benefits of living downtown!

8. Have you kept in touch with your fellow Generals Lax alums?

Katie: I keep in touch with everyone that I can! I am extremely excited to be back in a few short weeks for the Alumni game and am so eager to see everyone. I recently saw Colleen in early August, which was HUGE since she moved across the country… and it had been a year since I saw her last. I was lucky enough to catch up with the entire Evans family for the evening. I also made it up to DC for Kelsi’s birthday about a month ago, and we partied with J-Got, Britto, and Cav! Mr. and Mrs. Robinson as well as Kelsi’s older bro and sis were in town—so I felt like I was just back with my extended lacrosse family. I miss everyone tremendously!

Maddie McKaig '12 Gets a Cat!

As mentioned by Colleen in the last post, Junior Maddie McKaig has a new addition to her W&L home. Meet Mr. Waffles!
1.When and how did Mr. Waffles come into your life?

Maddie: Mr. Waffles came into my life about two weeks before school started. I have wanted a kitty for awhile now, and when I got surgery this summer I had a lot of time to sit around and research cats. I adopted him through a local organization in Annapolis that had rescued him from Baltimore when he was only a few days old.

2.How has your life changed since the new addition?

Maddie: Being a mother is not easy. Waffles likes to wake me up early by pouncing on my face. I have to feed him twice a day, clean the litter box once a day, clip his nails, give him medicine when he's sick, and make sure he has lots of fun play time. Of course, all this work is well worth it since Mr. Waffles brings so much joy to my life.

3.What kind of cat is he?

Maddie: Great question. I'm pretty sure he is an American short-hair orange tabby cat.

4.What is Mr. Waffles’ favorite activity?

Maddie: Well, my favorite Waffles activity is when he takes a nap on my window sill. His favorite activity is probably trying to catch his own tail or climb up the side of the couch.

5.Where did you get the inspiration for his name?

Maddie: I found his name when I was looking at online pet adoption websites and one of the cats was named Mr. Waffles and I fell in love. He of course has several nicknames including, Waffy, Raffles, and Mista.

6.What does he like to eat?

Maddie: Mr. Waffles is on a strict kitty food diet, except for when my roommate Emily decides to feed him some of her Wendy's frosty.

7.Who is his favorite babysitter?

Maddie: Waffles is very lucky to have several aunts and uncles to look after him. I think Alli is actually his favorite though because she really loves him just as much as I do. We're starting to think that she may be mildly allergic to him, but this never stops her from coming over and playing with him.

8.Can we expect him on the sidelines at Generals Women’s Lax games?

Maddie: I would love to have him on the sidelines! He is an indoor cat, so he might get a little spooked but maybe when he's older I'll let Emily bring him to a game.

Catching up with Colleen Evans '09

Today marks the first day of Fall Ball and we couldn't be more pumped! We have an awesome group of talented student-athletes who are ready to take Generals lacrosse to a new level in 2010-2011.

This week we talked to 2009 Generals Lax Alum Colleen Evans and found out how her first full year has been living in Austin, TX:

1. How are you liking Austin after spending a full year there?
Colleen: I cannot believe that it’s been a year already (we moved down end of last August) but Austin definitely feels like home. My roommate Hillary Prey (fellow ’09 alum) and I have definitely enjoyed our apartment, the friends we’ve made, and the mild climate! Austin’s a great city because it’s very reasonable in terms of the cost of living and there’s so much going on all the time. It’s a really green city and everyone is very health conscious which I really like. Most importantly, it’s football season again, which is possibly the most fun time of the year since there’s an entire state that stops what it’s doing on UT gamedays . Home games here in Austin are so fun and the entire city tailgates and wears burnt orange. Since I attended such a small school I’m definitely taking advantage of the big school vibe UT provides.
2. Where are you working?
Colleen: Right now I’m working at Marsh, a division of Marsh & McLennan, a risk management/ insurance brokerage firm. I deal primarily with our corporate clients evidencing their insurance policies for 3rd party vendors (their clients). It’s been a huge learning curve since I essentially knew nothing about insurance before my training. It’s helped me understand so much about the way that major corporations conduct business and since we work in teams (mine is comprised of 8 people) it makes it fun. We have lots of competitions and I like that I’m busy all day every day. 3. Do you have any future career/school plans?
Colleen: While I’ve definitely learned a lot in this job, my ultimate goal is to merge by background in athletics and my degree in journalism to work in sports PR/marketing. Right now I don’t foresee graduate school in my immediate future, but having UT here and hearing about all their programs definitely has made me consider my options. But for the time being, I’m trying to evaluate exactly what I want to do and the best way to go about it, and we’ll see where I end up!
4. Have you taken up any hobbies since graduating?
Colleen: Graduating and suddenly having so much time without school work or lacrosse definitely inspired me to find ways to spend my free time. A bunch of my friends and I joined a softball league last spring, which taught me that catching a ball with a glove is a LOT harder than catching one with a lacrosse stick. I wouldn’t say it was the best showcase of my skills, but it was really fun to play recreationally with all my friends. Since Austin is the live music capital of the world, we take in as many (free) shows as possible. Over the summer they have Blues on the Green, which is a huge outdoor concert series in Zilker Park, where Austin City Limits is held so it’s great to take advantage of that. One of my friends here started doing Improv comedy with a local group so we like to go see him sometimes; it’s really entertaining and I’d never seen Improv before. Lake Travis, which is a short drive from Austin, is a gorgeous lake and we try to go out there whenever we can. A couple of my friends have boats so we wakeboard and tube and swim whenever possible. On Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day there are party barges. The sunsets out there are also incredible. 5. What’s the biggest difference between living in Lexington and living in Austin?
Colleen: The biggest difference for me was permanently relocating to a large city for the first time. While I studied abroad and spent time in big cities during internships, it’s much different when you make plans to stay long term. Having an actual commute and sitting in stop and go traffic on the way home is something I never dealt with in Lexington. Even after a year I still forget that I can get anything I need here in 10 minutes. Whether it’s things like Chick-fil-a, going to Target or catching a last-minute free show on a Wednesday half a mile from my apartment, (all of which I used to have to travel to Roanoke for), I’ve definitely gotten used to the amenities of a big city.
As much as Austin and Lexington are different, I have found similarities. I love college towns, and growing up in Lexington and having W&L and VMI so close was really enjoyable. In the same way, having UT here is a lot of fun…there’s always so much going on near the university and I love how much the whole city rallies around the college. There’s a beautiful area called the Greenbelt not far from where I live that reminds me so much of Panther Falls and we love to go hiking and swimming there. Lady Bird Lake has 10 miles of trails perfect for running and is reminiscent of the Chessie Trail.

6. What do you miss most about W&L?
Colleen: I miss a lot about W&L. For me a lot of memories I have of the school are tied in with my childhood growing up in Lexington. I miss my off campus house and roommates as much as I miss running around the law school in middle school waiting for my mom to get off work. I definitely do miss lacrosse the most. Having a reason to work the hardest you ever will and being able do it with my closest friends is not something you can duplicate after college. Thankfully, two of my best friends here played soccer for Richmond, so we can all reminisce together about missing college sports even though we had different experiences.
7. Have you kept in touch with your fellow Generals Lax alums?
Colleen: I have kept in touch with quite a few alums! I was able to see Kelsi, J-Got, Ellie and Britten over last Christmas break and I was recently in Lexington for a few day this summer and Flip came and I got to see her for the first time in a year (which is crazy!). Recently I saw pictures of Maddie’s new kitten, Mr. Waffles (so jealous) and I call my teammates when I can, and we do a lot of texting. I’m always encouraging people to come visit me in Texas and would love to host any alums who can make the trip. Whenever I head back east I do my best to see as many lax alums as possible. 8. Anything else you’d like Generals’ fans, parents or players to know?
Colleen: I highly recommend taking a chance and moving somewhere you know nothing about if you’re feeling restless and unsure after graduation. I knew very little about Austin and had only been once before I moved but making a big change is a lot of fun. Take a chance; you have your whole life to figure out what you want to do!

True Student-Athletes!

We are ecstatic that our 2010 team earned the 2nd highest team GPA in all of DIII women's lacrosse!! Our team's 3.458 GPA trailed only Bates College's 3.470 GPA. As such, the team was awarded Merit Academic Team Status by the IWLCA.

This is the second year in a row that our team has earned Merit Academic Team Status. Our 2009 team earned the 3rd highest team GPA in all of DIII women's lacrosse with a 3.438 GPA.

As proud as we are of our team's accomplishments on the field this past season, we are even more excited about their achievements in the classroom. Great work ladies!!

Katharine Farrar '11's Summer on Campus

This week we are checking in with co-captain Katharine Farrar '11 (Lexington, VA/Episcopal HS) regarding her summer working on campus at W&L as a part of the R.E. Lee Summer Research Projects:
1) How have you been spending your summer?
I have been working on campus in the Tucker Multimedia Center. My job this summer was to help develop a course that will be offered in the Education department; Methods in Teaching a Foreign Language. My main job in the development of this course was to create the student teaching unit. This opportunity was part of the R.E. Lee Summer Research Project here on campus.

2) How long have you been working on campus?

My work started on June 7th and will work for eight weeks total.

3) Where are you living?
I have been living with my parents in town this summer…I had to take advantage of the home cooked meals!!!!

4) What does your normal day look like?
I usually wake up around 8, get into work by 9, take a break for lunch and then work through the afternoon until I head to the gym. I mostly work on the computer all day; creating word documents, websites, lesson plans etc.

5) What has been the best part of your experience so far?
I would say that the best part of my experience so far would have to be that I am actually applying things I have learned in my classes over the past 3 years into something concrete. It is rewarding to know that there is a final product from the work I have put in this summer.

6) What has been the most challenging part of your experience?
Learning how to create a web page through the server that W&L uses has been the most challenging part of my experience. I am not too tech savvy when it comes to that sort of thing…I usually rely on Wilton, our handy dandy University Help Desk teammate, to do those things for me.

7) Is there anything else that you would like to share with teammates, alums and other blog readers?
I can’t wait to see everyone in the fall!!!

Kathy Brown '11's Organic Farming Adventure

This week we are checking in with Senior Defender Kathy Brown (Catonsville, MD/Catonsville HS) regarding her summer travels and working adventure in Oregon:

1) What have you been doing this summer?

I spent one month this summer out in Southeastern Oregon working on an Organic Farm. I found the opportunity through a work exchange website that a high school friend has used in her travels to Hawaii a few years ago.

2) Where did you live?

My friend and I were living on the farm in what was dubbed the "Cabin- Tent." It was a free standing tent that was set -up with two twin beds, a bedside table and lamp, along with a chest of drawers. It was pretty deluxe for technically living and sleeping outside. We even had our own screen room.

3) What did a normal day on the farm consist of for you?

A normal work day consisted of a fresh morning breakfast followed by watering plants/trees, weeding, tending to the vegetables, and occasionally planting or harvesting when needed. The mid afternoon was usually hammock time or free time to play with the two kittens on the ranch. Then dinner duties were split between me and my friend and another couple who was working on the farm. The group dinner usually stretched from sunset until bedtime more or less.

The day I just described actually sounds pretty tame and relaxing but there was never a normal moment on the ranch. Between the animals and the cast of town characters stopping by, the conversatioin was very colorful.

While we were in Lakeview, OR we managed to attend an "internal exercise" class that one of the farm owner's was hosting (imagine waking up at 6 to pound your stomach in search of what I only know as my "dahn jahn"), we elminated one of the farm chickens and ultimately made a lovely chicken soup, and attended what we thought was Oregon's most beautiful hotspring only to find ourselves trapped at the grimiest motel pool on the west coast.

4) What was the best part of your experience?

The ability to travel and meet people was really exciting. I saw Portland, and met up with Lauren Acker for dinner! Lived in Lakeview (the tallest town in Oregon), make a quick tip over the board to New Pine Creek, California and traveled to the lovely outdoorsy Bend, OR (with Beverly, the owner's 76 -year- old mother).

5) What was the most challenging part of your experience?

The work was tiring, but I don't really feel like anything I experienced on my brief trip lasted long enough to be truly challenging. Because of the length of the trip, any problems it was easy to put any problems in perspective and push through.

6) Anything else that you would like to share with teammates, alums or other blog readers?

I definitely recommend helpx.net or WWOOF-ing if you are interested in supplementing an extended travel trip anywhere in the world. They can provide an opportunity with some work and a chance to share a home and meals with an area resident. (The other couple on the ranch was from Moscow and they were spending 3.5 weeks of a 6 month venture WWOOFing)

Catching up with Kelsi Robinson '09

We hope everyone had a terrific holiday weekend and great summer thus far! We're catching up with 2009 Kelsi Robinson this week to see how she's enjoyed her first full year away from Lexington:1. Where have you been living since graduating from W&L in 2009?
Kelsi: Washington, DC

2. Are you enjoying where you are and what you're doing?
Kelsi: Yes! I love DC. It’s a lot of fun and there is so much to do. I love what I do because I get to be around kids all day. I’m teaching 7th and 8th grade Math this summer for a non-profit serving under-served children in the city, and then I will start teaching at a charter school in the fall.

3. Is it hard to believe it's been a whole year since you've graduated?
Kelsi: Yea, it really is! It’s so weird to have all of the ’10 alumni coming into DC now and realize that I’m no longer the “freshman of the real world”. Time flies, but it’s nice to be settled and feel like I finally know what I’m doing.

4. What's been the biggest adjustment you've faced since living in the "real world"?
Kelsi: There’s just a whole lot more to think about and many more responsibilities. You’re no longer just hanging out in the little W&L bubble.

5.What is the biggest thing you miss about being at W&L?
Kelsi: I really miss being on a team. I’ve been coaching lacrosse for a sixth grade club team and actually just joined a DC summer league which has been really fun, but it definitely isn’t quite the same. Fortunately, Benedetti is also on my team along with Amanda Strickler and Marge Batten (W&L Lax Alumn ’06), and Cav, Gotwald, Ellie, and Maddie are also nearby for the summer, so there will be some good laxer reunions going on for sure! The other thing I miss about W&L…spring term tubing down the Maury river.

6. Have you kept up with your fellow 2009 lax alums?
Kelsi: Yes, of course. It’s hard because we’re all so busy with our jobs and everything, but we have managed to stay connected.. Flip has visited DC a couple of times which has been awwwesome. But Bean’s a Texas girl now and hasn’t made too many northern appearances, but hopefully we’ll see her soon!
7. Any big future plans for the summer and beyond?
Kelsi: I’ll just be teaching and teaching and teaching some more. I actually am doing the Chicago half marathon at the end of July, so I’m trying to train for that (trying being the key word). Otherwise, I’ll just be hanging out and trying to enjoy some free time as much as possible!
8. Will we be seeing you this fall at Alumni Weekend for the Alumnae Game?
Kelsi: Hopefully! I think I have a wedding to go to that weekend so may not be able to get down, but I will do my best to get back and see everyone!

2010 Season Re-Cap

As many of you probably know our season came to an end on May 12th on a very rainy, very late Wednesday evening in Lexington. Despite a valliant effort from a tremendous group of student-athletes, we were unable to pull off a victory. The loss was heart-breaking for all, and especially for our four Seniors, but the Generals can truly say that they walked off the field that night having given everything they had. Our efforts to come from a four goal deficit to overtake Elizabethtown were led by Senior Meredith Freeman, whose heart and hustle inspired her teammates to take their game to a new level in the last 20 minutes of her W&L career. Each of the Seniors, Laura Cavanaugh, Meredith, Julia Gotwald and Britten Mathews have left their marks on our program in so many ways and we can only hope they understand our appreciation.

A few days after the game a fellow W&L athletic staff member stopped me to chat about how we had played and the outcome. After I re-capped the game and told of the emotions and sentiments felt afterwards she said, "the hardest part about making the playoffs is that unless you become the National Champion, every team ends its season with a loss." That statement may seem a little bit too obvious, but it taught me something. Nobody prepares you to lose. As athletes we spend a solid three hours a day and then some practicing, scheming and pep-talking ourselves for how we will peform to guarantee a win every Saturday. As coaches we watch film, plan practices, analyze and strategize until we feel our team is best prepared for victory. After a season-ending loss like Wednesday night's it's inevitable that a season like the Generals' 2010 season will be overshadowed with sadness, tears and maybe some regrets.

But that shouldn't be the case. This season the Generals' Women's Lacrosse team had much more to celebrate than to be disappointed in. The team set a list of lofty goals for itself in the beginning of the season and reached every one of them. We had a winning record with a schedule that ranks as one of the toughest in the nation. We beat tough non-conference rivals in Mary Washington and Catholic. We reclaimed the ODAC title and brought it home to Lexington. But it is what happened behind the scenes, what the fans and parents haven't seen, that is truly worth celebrating. The 23 student-athletes who make up the 2010 Generals' Women's Lacrosse team traveled a long, bumpy, snow-laden and difficult road to become the team they ended their season as. Through field changes, injuries, 6AM practices, terrible losses and even more terrible perimeter runs, 7-ups and no-drops drills, this team banded together to fight for what they had set out to achieve. Without the unity that grew amongst them we would not have succeeded.

So although none of us were prepared for that loss, I hope that we can all see past it and recognize the greatness of a season like ours. There is much to be proud of and my congratulations and appreciation goes to each member of this team for making this year what it was.

A special congratulations to our players for their well-desereved accolades:

All-ODAC team: 1st Team Julia Gotwald, Katharine Farrar, Emmy Mathews. 2nd Team Christina Benedetti, Kathy Brown and Wilton Megargel.

All-ODAC Tournament team: Katharine Farrar, Britten Mathews, Emmy Mathews, Maddie McKaig.

ODAC/Farm Bureau Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Emmy Mathews.

IWLCA All-Chesapeake Region team: 1st Team Julia Gotwald, Katharine Farrar, Emmy Mathews.

ODAC CHAMPS!!

We did it! The women's lacrosse ODAC trophy is officially back in the hands of the Washington and Lee Generals'! Our success on Saturday proved the tremendous amount of time and effort we've put into this season and how it has paid off. We played a solid game against Lynchburg who put up a hard fight but the Generals never backed down. We finished with a 14-6 win over the Hornets. Congratulations to All-Tournament performers Britten Mathews, Emmy Mathews, Maddie McKaig and Katharine Farrar.

We would not have been able to achieve such success without the dedication of every single one of our team members and the tremendous support from our families, friends, alums and fans.

We enjoyed a great tailgate after the game kindly put on by our tireless parents and supporters. They even arranged for the tent to be put up for us! Well not exactly, but we certainly benefited from the weekend's Alumni events. It was great to see familiar faces in recent lax-graduates who came out to cheer us on. Thank you to everyone who has supported us and cheered us on this season! There is more to come and we hope to see many of you this weekend when we finish out our regular season against CNU at 2pm on Watt Field for Senior Day. Our fate awaits us on Sunday evening when the NCAA Tournament brackets come out! We'll keep you posted!

Spring Break

It's hard to believe Spring Term is already here! Today marks the beginning of the third term for this academic year and the beginning of ODAC Championship week! We are pumped and ready to bring the title home after a Spring Break full of lax, lax and more lax. We were able to squeeze in a few team meals and one very colorful Generals Cup competition in between. The Juniors of Utah were kind enough to host us for a Franks' team dinner on Tuesday night.
Wednesday was game day and we prepared for our last regular season conference game against Guilford with a hearty lunch from Woods Creek Grocery.

After an awesome team win over Guilford, the team had to get ready for perhaps the biggest competition of the week, the inaugural Generals Cup. The Cup was comprised of tough lacrosse-related events, a heated round of trivia and culminated in a very tight race for first place in the scavenger hunt through Lexington. Entering this year's Cup were three very evenly matched and spirited teams:

Ninjas

Summer Heights High
Dancing Queens

The Ninjas jumped out to an early lead in the ground ball and possession events. Summer Heights was close on their heels until the Dancing Queens put themselves on the board by winning the 6v6 competition. The Ninjas were barely holding on to first place going into the trivia round. The Dancing Queens easily handled trivia for a win by showing off their knowledge of coaching and training staff birthdays, middle names and birth places, and W&L history. We headed into the scavenger hunt with a nail-biting difference in points between the competitors. Each team ventured into Lexington donning their stellar team uniforms to hunt down various information and objects from around town.

At the end of the day the Ninjas pulled through and were able to pull off a stunning victory.

Things we learned: Josh is from Illinois, not Indiana. Baner's middle name is Alexander, not Arthur. JGot and Emily can still play lacrosse even dressed as Jonah and wearing a cape, respectively. And Coach O'Brien's favorite restaraunt is not Frank's.

We hope to see many of you Wednesday when we beat Randolph Macon and advanced to the conference final!