In the beginning of the spring sports season there was plenty of discussion—especially here in The Mac Weekly—about the struggles of Macalester athletics and the apparent lack of action by the department and the administration to fix the problems. Nowhere were the consequences of the administration and community's inaction felt worse than on Macalester's women's varsity teams.

The women's basketball team had just limped through a difficult season which saw the squad only suit up six players for the season finale. The women's softball team, which already had a shortage of players, saw even more players leave before their first pitch of the season. The women's tennis team was about to begin a season barely able to field the six players necessary for a full team when it was resigned to canceling its spring break trip to Hilton Head, S.C. because it did not have enough players. And while the women's golf team has two excellent golfers, well, those are the only ones on the team and they'll graduate in a few weeks.

It is disheartening to see teams at a school where 58 percent of its students are female not have enough players to have substitutes on the bench. Yet nobody, myself included, ever said a word. It took a series of commentaries by Emily Koller '03 for the Macalester community to realize that something was wrong with the school's athletics priorities.

With few players and uncertain futures, nobody has given our women's teams a chance this season. But against all odds, our players are doing much better than anyone has expected. Yes, it is time for the administration to reevaluate its priorities when it comes to athletics—but it is also the right time for us to recognize just how well our women are doing this season.

The Leonard Natatorium, tucked into the small space between Kirk Hall and the Fieldhouse seems very unassuming from the outside. However, it's been home to Macalester's hottest teams in 2003. During the winter season, the women's swimming and diving team finished fourth place in the MIAC—their best finish ever. Liz Fitzgerald '04 won All-MIAC honors in the 3-meter dive while sisters Lisa ('03) and Heather ('06) Lendway reached the finals of their respective events. Head Coach Bob Pearson was named MIAC coach of the year for the second consecutive season. Not only were our swimming Scots outstanding in the pool, they also starred in the classroom as well—the team's combined grade-point average of 3.64 was the best in the nation for Division III.

This spring, the women's water polo team has also achieved outstanding success and gone one step further than their poolmates. Last weekend, they dominated the opposition to win the Heartland Regionals and once again qualify for the Collegiate III National Championships. But just how impressive is this achievement? Off the top of your head (besides the soccer teams), can you think of any players or teams at Mac that have qualified for national championship tournaments? Two years ago, women's water polo wasn't even a varsity sport at Macalester. Few of our players had much experience with the sport until they came here. Yet Macalester is now the home of the best water polo program out of all the small colleges in the Midwest. The odds will be stacked against the Scots when they battle California's water polo powerhouses next weekend, but this season has already been a success—and their future only looks brighter.

And what about the women's softball team? They finished 0–22 in the MIAC last season, and I don't think many expected them to do any better this year. But, as of Wednesday, they've exceeded everybody's expectations except their own. The Scots are 6–8 in conference play and are in sixth place—an implausible turnaround. Then consider that one pitcher—Alisha Seifert '05—has pitched 173.2 of the team's 176 innings this year and that the team only has 15 field players (that's less than one substitute per position), and you'll get a better idea of just how impressive their season has been.

For the women's track and field team, hurdler Kirsten Fristad '05 was the first Scot to earn all-MIAC indoor honors in three years and has been just as impressive in the outdoor season. Koller has won the 1,500-meter run in the team's last two meets. And while most Macalester students will sleep late and get intoxicated for Springfest this Saturday, the women's track and field team wakes up early for the Macalester Invitational meet, which starts at 11 a.m. Why not get up a few hours earlier and enjoy more sunshine at the stadium and see just how athletic your classmates are?

Since classes resumed this spring, 12 of the 14 Macalester Athletes of the Week have been female. Even the teams that struggle to have full rosters have had standout individual performances. Kristy Schaaf '03, who makes up half of the golf team, shot rounds of 78 and 79 to win the Wartburg Invitational two weeks ago. Schaaf placed second in the conference this fall. Can you believe that a college that only has two golfers was the home to the MIAC's second-best golfer this fall? And while the women's tennis team sometimes only needs two courts for practice, Melissa Lavasani '03 has had yet another excellent season at number one singles and has a winning record of 8–7, all against the Scots' opponents' top players.

The college's approach to athletics, especially women's athletics, could definitely use an improvement. But the women who represent Macalester on the fields, on the courts, in the pool and on the track are doing an excellent job and should be commended. Macalester should congratulate its female student-athletes for the work that they have done in the face of so many great obstacles. Our athletes have done their part by working hard and improving the states of their respective teams by winning games and meets—now it's time for the administration to do theirs.