Images Courtesy of Sean Elliot
The spring semester is upon us—classes have started, the days are getting longer, and students are bundling up for the last few cold weeks of the year. At the same time, winter and spring sports athletes have begun their heavy training and play schedule. Here at The College Voice, we’re gearing up for a semester full of big wins, heated rivalries, and of course, many Camel of the Editions. As per TCV tradition, we’re previewing some of the biggest upcoming games featuring the hottest teams in the desert. While it only scratches the surface of our athlete’s potential, here is what to look forward to this winter and spring.
Track and Field
Coming off of a standout cross country season for both men and women, the indoor track has been heating up with fast times. On the men’s side, school records in the 60m dash, 200m dash, and long jump have fallen, while multiple top ten all-time results and Division III New England Championship qualification standards have been met. For the women, the 60m dash, 3000m, and indoor 4x400m relay school records have been broken, while more Camels crack the top ten all time and the New England Championship qualifier. While only the beginning of the indoor track season, there is plenty more to come from here.
Looking ahead to the outdoor track season, more records and national qualifiers are likely to come from the athletes. But for fans, the highlight of the season is the Silfen Invitational hosted here at home. Caitlin Bird ‘26, a women’s distance captain, said the team is already looking ahead to the home invitational.
“Our team is looking forward to training outside in warmer weather and already counting down the days until the Silfen Invite, our only on campus meet of the year,” Bird said.
The event follows a two day meet structure, with faster “elite” races taking place on Friday evening, while Saturday features a full day of competition. Each elite race features a pacer set to the national qualifying standard, incentivizing teams from across the East coast to compete.
“This meet is particularly special because we have our elite distance races under the lights on Friday night, followed by another day of competition on Saturday and concluding with our senior recognition & family potluck afterwards,” Bird said.
This year, the Silfen Invitational will be held from April 10-11 at Silfen Track and Field, and will be sure to be packed with excitement all weekend.
Lacrosse
After a 7-8 season for both men’s and women’s lacrosse teams in 2025, the groups should be eager to jump into games and turn their record positive. The men will be returning a strong squad including star attack Liam Horkan ‘26, who was recently recognized as a 2026 USA Lacrosse Magazine Division III All-America honorable mention. Horkan, in a fall interview with The College Voice, said the team has been making the physical changes necessary to perform at the top level in the NESCAC and the NCAA.
“We’re changing a lot of things this year and have a lot of new faces, and those changes make a difference in making a push to the NCAA Tournament,” Horkan said in the 2025 interview. “Even if we aren’t a part of that by the end of the season, just making that push is huge for the team.”
Other members of the team are also looking to step up their game. Liam Schwartz ‘27, a midfielder on the men’s team, thinks the Camels can make a mark in the conference this spring.
“We’re eager to break through and make a name for ourselves in the NESCAC this year,” he said. “We have a great group of talented players and some new faces stepping up, so we’re looking forward to competing against the best talent every week.”
As the men look to make progress on and off the field, so too do the women. Kate Coughlin ‘26, who plays attack, was also a recent All-America honorable mention by USA Lacrosse Magazine. After graduating two additional Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) All-Region team honorees, Coughlin will likely lead the women in their fight to improve their NESCAC and national ranking.
Both teams start their seasons on February 28, facing University of Hartford and Eastern Connecticut State University respectively.
Tennis
If you’re too impatient for spring events to start, you can catch the men’s and women’s tennis teams already volleying on the court. The season is split in two, with the first few games being played in the fall, while the majority of the season still takes place in the spring. In the 2024-25 season, the men finished with a 60-84 win-loss ratio in the singles category, and a 36-39 ratio in the doubles teams category. The women walked away from that season with a 47-67 singles record, and a 20-37 double teams record. Both teams look to improve their marks at their first match on March 1 at Wheaton College.
In order to strive for excellence this season, the program has made some staffing changes. Cam Chadwick, a former collegiate player and recent high school coach, was brought onto the team in September as assistant coach of both teams.
“I’m very happy to have Cam joining our program as the assistant coach,” said Jakob Klaeson, head coach of the program. “His experience, eagerness to be part of our journey, and passion for coaching and helping others make him a perfect fit for our culture here at Conn.”
Rowing
After a successful fall season, the men’s and women’s rowing teams are heading back to the water for their first race on April 4th and 5th. Last semester, both teams competed at the highly competitive Head of the Charles Regatta, with the men placing 27th out of 40 teams in the collegiate 4+ event. The women finished 32nd out of 37 teams in the collegiate 8+ event. Now, as they focus on the season ahead, the program is looking to take the next step forward in the division.
With their two returning All-NESCAC honorees from last season, Ryan Yanko ‘27 and Emily Fairfield ‘26, the team looks to be in good shape heading into the first meet. When the New England Rowing Championship rolls around again in May, the team looks to continue their success from last year after Yanko led the third-level boat to a victory. Fairfield also helped lead her team to a fifth place finish at the Wormtown Chase last year.
Keep an eye out for the program as they head to Clark University for their first event.
Sailing
Another program starting up again after their fall season, the co-ed sailing team is back in action this spring. Their fall season ended strongly,
Last spring, the co-ed team was selected for an at-large bid to the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) Open Fleet Race National Championship in St. Mary’s City, MD. They finished 35th at the championship, and will be returning many of their starting players this year including Skylor Sweet ‘26, William Hurd ‘27, and Izzy Wu-Karr ‘26.
Cecilia Roe ‘26 said she’s excited for what’s to come given their success last year at the national championship.
“The Camels are ready for another great spring season out on the Thames, with goals of making it back to Nationals in May,” Roe said. “Our sailors are kicking off their season with the Thames River Invite at home, so follow along throughout the season!”
Catch the co-ed and women’s teams competing at their first race of the spring season at the Thames River Team Race February 28-March 1 right here at home.
Women’s Water Polo
While the men wrapped up their season in the fall, the women’s water polo team is just getting started. Their schedule this year is packed full of travel days, with only their first two meets at home. After that, the women head to Grove City, PA, Honolulu, HI, and Washington, PA to compete throughout the rest of the season. But the team isn’t contained to just the United States. This past summer, the Camels had the opportunity to visit Genoa, Italy to train with the Italian national team. While spending much of their time training and learning from the best in Italy, the women still had time to see the sights and bask in the Italian summer sun.
In an interview with Camel Athletics in August, head coach Matt Anderson reflected on their experience.
“We are very fortunate to have a supportive school and great support by the friends of Connecticut College water polo,” said Anderson. “The experiences they get growing their intellect and curiosity through exploring these wonderful countries is unmatched. And the fact that they get to participate in matches against international teams is something that they will remember for many many years.”
When the team hits the pool for their first home meet on February 27, hopefully their international wisdom will pay off.
Winter Sports Wrap-Up
Though spring athletes are gearing up for their first games, winter competitors have been on the clock since the end of the fall semester. Here’s a brief summary of what’s been going on amidst the snow and ice:
- Men’s Basketball is currently 16-7 awaiting a final game against Bates before the NESCAC championship begins on February 21. The Camels are currently seeded 8th in the conference and will likely face Tufts in the quarterfinals. The women, currently 13-9, will face two more teams before heading to the NESCAC quarterfinals. Seeded 5th in the conference and aided by star first year Sofia Tavarez ‘29, they will likely face number four seed Trinity College.
- Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving have had a strong start to the season, winning all meets except one on the men’s side and picking up two wins on the women’s side. Standout sophomore Carrick Shea ‘28 has also been making a run for an individual NESCAC championship win, coming fresh off a conference record in the 100 IM last weekend.
- Men’s Ice Hockey sits 8-10-1 as they head into their first of five final games of the season. Will Lawrence ‘28 has been dominating all season, earning NESCAC Player of the Week on January 26. Lawrence was also recently named a semifinalist for the Joe Concannon award, which honors the best American-born player in New England at the Division II/III level. Women’s Ice Hockey fairs similarly well, standing at 7-11-2 before heading to Bowdoin College on February 13.
