While many winter sports are heading into the postseason, spring sports are starting up again. With practices and tryouts starting February 29, our spring athletes are preparing for the upcoming season and sharing their thoughts on how they feel this year will go.

Last season was the first year our Falcon sports teams participated at the 5A level in the Northwest Oregon Conference and this brought with it new and exciting challenges.

Baseball

Last spring, the baseball team finished 5th in league and lost in the opening round of the playoffs. Returning player sophomore Matt Niebergall thinks that the team “can get better by working harder in practice and building better team chemistry.” While Matt hopes to make a deeper run in the playoffs, he stated that “We are only returning a few starters so our experience will be a huge challenge.”

Lacrosse

The lacrosse team had a successful end to the season last year finishing second in the Cascade Cup. They went 2-3 in league, finishing fourth overall, and 8-9 overall during the season.

Softball

Entering a 5A league for the first time was a little intimidating for the softball team, but nonetheless, they still performed pretty well finishing fourth in league. Senior captain Stevie Carlos believes that “the team dynamic this year is what is going to keep us going this year.” Stevie is most looking forward to the team bonding that her and fellow team captain Nicole have been planning but has acknowledged that “The biggest challenge we are going to face is filling the spots that we lost from last years seniors. They were our whole middle infield and they were solid players that contributed a lot to the team.”

Golf

The girls golf team is hoping for another great season. Last year they placed third at regionals and qualified five athletes for state and finished sixth overall. On the other side, the boys golf team is looking forward to improving on last season. The team finished ninth at districts and qualified one athlete for state.

Track and Field

The track and field team finished last season strong with many top finishes at the state meet and even two state champions. Returning athlete, senior Talya Holenstein, believes that “the biggest focus will be getting the whole team to where we want our performance level to be.”

Talya went on to state that “This year, as with last, we will continue to face challenges in the 5A division. I think the bulk of these challenges will come from within our own league, as we have some very talented opposition coming from many of the schools in the conference. Qualifying as many people as we can for state is the ultimate goal, one which requires a lot of hard work, desire, and mental toughness. If we can foster those three things within our team this year, I believe we will be in good shape for the season.”

Boys Tennis

The boys tennis team is looking to build on last year’s success. With a record of 12-2, the team finished first in the Northwest Oregon Conference. They qualified six athletes for state and finished tied for 6th as a team.

Girls Tennis

The girls tennis team had a pretty successful season seeing as they won 12 of their 16 matches and finished third at districts. Junior captain Jamie Loeffl thinks that “Everyone worked really hard in practice and I’m hoping we can keep that up. We can improve this year by connecting as a team. I think if we were to branch out to each other more, we would have more success as a team.” Jamie also recognizes the challenges the team will be facing this year. She believes that, “Because the team is so big, it’ll definitely be a challenge to get everyone involved in practice and give everyone an opportunity to play in the matches.”

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With the season beginning, our spring teams are getting ready to proudly represent their school. From baseball to golf, we can expect an exciting upcoming season showcasing the many talented athletes in our La Salle community. Go Falcons!