UMW Colleagues,
Athletics is an integral part of the UMW community. This spring semester alone we’ve had the excitement of both men’s and women’s swimming winning the Capital Athletic Conference championships for the 16th and 26th consecutive times, respectively. We sent swimmers to the NCAA swimming championships and several came home as All Americans. Our women’s basketball team played in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Student-athletes at UMW receive no scholarship money for athletics—they play for the love of their sport!
Today we hear from junior Will Gatens from the men’s lacrosse team. Will is a history major from Yorktown. Read why Will chose to continue his education with us and play lacrosse for DIII University of Mary Washington.
I come from an area where lacrosse is still a developing sport with no school sponsored teams. When it came time to choose a college I wanted to find a place where I could practice and compete with the absolute best. I also knew that I wanted a school that emphasizes success in the classroom as much as it does on the playing field. I chose DIII because of its commitment to maximizing effort on and off the field in an environment that generates a full college experience. I love playing for Mary Washington because of the comradery and intensity that all athletes offer. Since arriving on campus as a freshman, I have been surrounded by other driven athletes that play for their will to win, their love of the game and their love of Mary Washington. Mary Washington is more than the school we all attend, it’s the team we play for.
Your student athletes would love to see you at their competitions. We have many baseball, lacrosse, riding, softball, tennis, and track and field events left this semester! Our student-athletes appreciate your support!
IT’S A GREAT DAY TO BE AN EAGLE!
Lynne Richardson
Faculty Athletic Representative
Dean, College of Business
