Ex-NDP athlete on track

Alumni Report

By Bill Free | Sun Reporter

February 14, 2008

Lexi Kauffman (Notre Dame Prep) has left the cold and chill of the Baltimore lacrosse fields behind for the more balmy spring weather conditions and beach life down south while running track at UNC-Wilmington.

The freshman has exchanged ground balls and draws for relays, meet records and many hours of training.

Gone are 13 years of almost nonstop lacrosse games. It all has been replaced by a more laid-back lifestyle in the sun outside of Seahawks track practice sessions.

But practice is still practice: long hours at a high level of intensity.

"Our coach [Jim Sprecher] really pushes us, and we've been improving our times all along," Kauffman said of the team's indoor performance this season. "Our team keeps getting better, and we're still out to break our school 4 x 400-meter relay record [3 minutes, 53.77 seconds] we just set [in a third-place finish to North Carolina].

Kauffman ran the third leg in that record-breaking, 1,600-meter relay effort, one week after she eclipsed the school indoor record of 1:40.77 in the 600 with a time of 1:39.11.

However, the Baltimorean's time was beaten in the same race by teammate Amanda Darden (1:38.43).

Choosing UNC-Wilmington and a track career was easy for Kauffman after she had given up lacrosse after "some issues with my coach."

"I wanted to be down south by the beach," she said. "It's awesome. So nice."

Baltimore flavor

James Madison senior attacker Annie Wagner (St. Paul's), the returning Colonial Athletic Association women's lacrosse Player of the Year, is one of 14 Baltimore-area players on a talented team that has been selected as the preseason favorite to win the CAA championship.

Wagner led the CAA last season with 59 goals.

Joining Wagner at the top of the list of the Dukes' Baltimore-area players is last season's second-team All-CAA goalkeeper, senior Kelly Wetzel (Mount de Sales), who made 186 saves last season.

The rest of the Baltimore contingent: Emily Haller ( John Carroll), Jackie Gateau ( St. Mary's), Lauren Bradley (John Carroll), Meredith Torr ( Bryn Mawr), Brooke Rhodey (Notre Dame Prep), Kim Griffin (North Harford), Janice Wagner (St. Paul's), Morgan Kelly (St. Mary's), Diana Apel (Glenelg), Lexi Schwabenland (Broadneck), Meghan Wienecke ( Towson) and Jessie Heisterman (Broadneck).

Robinson honored

Syracuse sophomore quarterback Andrew Robinson (Calvert Hall) was one of 16 Orange football players named to the 2007 Big East All-Academic team.

In his first season as a starter, Robinson completed 154 of 292 passes for 2,192 yards and 13 touchdowns. The 292 passes in a season are third in school history, the 2,192 yards are fifth all time, the 154 completions are sixth and 13 touchdown passes are ninth.

Robinson has made the athletic director's honor roll all three seasons he has played football at Syracuse.

Contact Bill Free by e-mail at bfree7066@hotmail.com or by phone at 410-833-5349.