After nearly a full year of waiting, hoping and training alone, SUNYAC spring athletes will rejoin their teams and begin play March 20, as SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras announced Tuesday at the Romney Field House.
This news comes after there were reports that Oswego State’s spring sports would have been able to begin practicing earlier in the month if not for snow. There is also a chance for fall and winter athletes to return to facilities later in the semester if COVID-19 rates remain low. While the seasons may be a lot different than normal, the athletes are excited to be back.
“It’s great I can tell you, our team is very, very excited,” said Kevin O’Donnell, a senior goaltender on the men’s lacrosse team. “I can tell you the rest of the athletes are excited as well, and we are ready to get back at it.”
One difference this year is the new division formats. In an attempt to limit travel, the SUNYAC will be divided in half along I-81, a proposal that was initially approved last summer when fall sports were expected to be played. One thing that was made abundantly clear by the athletes at the press conference on Tuesday is that they are all just happy to be on the field, regardless of who they have to play.
“I think the division style is great, it limits the travel, so better with safety protocols,” said Ryan Enos, a senior on the baseball team. “We’ll play whoever is on the schedule. We are just glad to be able to be here.”
Malatras said that only “low and intermediate risk” spring sports would begin play, which includes baseball, softball, as well as men’s and women’s lacrosse for Oswego State. A formal schedule has not been created for both track and field teams in the SUNYAC, but there will be a postseason, led with a SUNYAC Championship meet at SUNY Cortland.
One thing that stood out during the press conference was how appreciative the student-athletes were. Many of those at the event were seniors, meaning this season would be their last real chance to wrap up their athletic careers.
“All we can say is ‘thank you’ to everyone who was a part of putting this together,” said Leah Czerwinski, an outfielder on the Oswego State softball team. “ As a senior, it means everything to be able to play [my] last season before we get going into the real world. I think I speak for every athlete, we are beyond grateful to just be able to play because that’s all we wanted.”
Despite the overwhelmingly positive news for the teams, this is just the beginning. COVID-19 is largely looming, and teams must remain diligent at mitigating the spread. Malatras does not plan to cancel the season, but teams may be put on pause if there is a rise in positive cases. Student-athletes are up to the test, however. They have lived with COVID-19 for nearly a full year and will implement the COVID-19 prevention plan like they do a gameplan on the field.
“We want to lead by example, it feels good to finally have a plan in place,” Enos said. “We are going to follow the protocols as they give it to us. We are just thankful to finally get out there. They put all the steps in place, now we just need to execute.”
