Cut & Paste: Displaced OU students adjust to life beyond Athens
When Ohio University made the decision to cut four varsity sports in January of 2007, it brought an abrupt end to many things. It was an end of rich traditions, an end to close-knit teams and an end of collegiate athletic careers. But for some, the decision really only marked the beginning. It was the beginning of a journey that would send them on an unenviable path from campus to campus in search of a new home that would harbor their efforts at fulfilling athletic dreams they once thought lost.
After the dust had settled, over 30-once-proud Bobcats were prepared to say goodbye to their Athens roots. They would trade their green and white for the colors of new alma maters across the country where they would again have the chance to play; an opportunity they knew they deserved, but would never again take for granted.
Bobcats to Bearcats
Shannon Lynes, a sophomore lacrosse player and Maryland native was unsure about her future for months after the cuts. However, as the quarter wore on, it was her past that guided her to the decision to transfer to a startup team at the University of Cincinnati.
“I thought about all I had done for lacrosse in my life. I thought back to the middle school camps, high school, everything,” Shannon recalled. “I made a lot of sacrifices. I wasn’t ready to give up on that.”
Fortunately for Shannon, four other OU players were not ready to give up on their talents either — or on each other. Shannon was joined in the fall by former Ohio teammates Lyndsey Marshall, Jess Kazaks, Lynsey Burton, and Lauren Kelly.
“It’s made it awesome,” Shannon said of their Bobcat bond. “Three of us live together. It makes a difference to have people who came from the same situation you did. We are comfortable with each other on and off the field.”
These days, Shannon is happier than ever about that time on the field. After suffering an ACL injury that kept her sidelined in her freshman season at OU, Shannon was determined to see her Division I aspirations through.
The team, in its first year, is meshing according to Shannon, who is looking forward to their inaugural season. Her first practice with her new team reminded her of why she made her choice to leave Athens.
“It was snowing. I was so excited,” she said. “If anything, these cuts have made me appreciate playing with these girls that much more. It feels so good to be back on a lacrosse field.”
Trading the Bricks for the Beach
The feeling of losing his team is still fresh in Matt Greco’s mind.
“It felt like getting stabbed in the heart,” said the former distance swimmer. “When it came down to making a decision, I couldn’t bring myself to give any money back to the university. I wanted to get away.” And Matt did just that. He landed over 1,000 miles away, at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton.
It didn’t take long for Matt to realize he wasn’t in Athens any longer.
“It was culture shock,” he said. “This is one of the richest suburbs in south Florida. Everything revolves around the upper class.”
Matt said the social scene has been one of the biggest adjustments.
“There’s no 50-cent draft night at Pawpurrs, that’s for sure,” he joked. “But in all seriousness, I miss the college atmosphere. I miss being around my peers and not adults. It is largely a commuter school and I go to class with a lot of 30-somethings. People drive up to an hour to meet up on the weekends.”
In the pool, Matt has faced some major adjustments as well. After suffering an ankle injury in the fall, he has undergone surgery, been forced to rest, but is close to being back to form. Matt calls the injury a “minor setback” in the big picture.
Overcoming obstacles has become the norm for Matt, and he said this is the reason his parents let him go so far away. He said his parents had seen him overcome a lot to keep swimming and it helped them understand his ambitions — even if that meant a southern migration.
“They made a big sacrifice too,” Matt said of his parents, who are now nearly 20 hours away. “They don’t get to see me swim as much. It used to be a three-hour drive. Now it’s a three-hour flight.”
On top of his injury, Matt has fought hard to adjust to both a new style of workouts, which are a far departure from Ohio’s distance-oriented program, and to a new team that Matt realizes will never replace what he had in Athens.
“I try to stay in touch with the guys as much as possible. People don’t realize how close we were,” he said of his Ohio team. Despite losing nearly $1,500 on a lease, struggling to get credits to transfer and dealing with the logistics of going to school 20 hours from home, Matt said losing this “family” aspect has been the hardest.
“More than anything I wish I still had a team at Ohio,” he said. “And I guess I miss the snow a little.”
New ‘Cardinal’ Direction
Jen Heup packed her bags for the University of Louisville in search of a new lacrosse team and a new athletic department. What she found was a new lifestyle altogether.
“When I was at Ohio I thought it was so stressful balancing lacrosse and school,” said Jen. “It doesn’t even compare. I’ve never known discipline like this, but I know I’ll come out a better person for it.”
Jen points to one major force responsible for this change: Coach Kelly Young. “I had heard she was crazy coming in, but I had no idea,” Jen said of her new coach. “From the outside she might seem crazy, but when you’re on the inside you realize she just wants the best from everyone, on and off the field.”
The goalie admits that it is not just Young keeping her in check, but also 22 other athletes, who are all three years her junior. Moving to a first-year start-up program found Jen joining forces with three fellow Bobcat transfers Danielle Hale, Colleen Nevin, Kendra Burawski, and over 20 freshmen girls entering the college arena for the first time.
“I’m the only 21-year-old on a team of all 18-year-old girls who are trying to adjust to college. It was nerve-racking,” she said.
This forced Jen to quickly assume more leadership and responsibility than she knew she had within her.
“I can’t believe how much more responsible and mature I’ve become just by being put in charge of a young group like this,” she said. “If I mess up, I mess up an entire team.”
The freshmen Cardinals surprised Jen as much as she surprised herself.
“I really can’t believe how much the girls have matured from when they stepped on campus until now. I don’t see them as freshmen anymore,” she said. “I see them as young women.”
After a rigorous fall schedule, these young women are ready to play some lacrosse. And so is Jen.
“I think we are definitely going to surpass people’s expectations,” she said. “We’ve put in so much work and the coaches have prepared us so well. It’s going to be insane. I can’t wait.”
The new team, paired with an athletic department that has welcomed them with open arms, has helped Jen move past her experience in Athens.
“Our athletic director was just named Street and Smith’s Sports Business Journal Athletic Director of the Year. Coming from a situation where I felt our administrators were some of the worst at treating us fairly, I knew that this was a good sign,” she said.
Jen notes that despite being a year removed and in a great program, it is still hard to forget about what she went through.
“All the girls know what happened to us at Ohio and they understand what a horrible experience it was. For a while they saw us as the Ohio girls and it didn’t sit well with us,” recalled Jen, noting that their situation set them apart from the others. “Now after everything we’ve already been through and accomplished as a team, we’re all Louisville girls. We’re all Cardinals,”she explained. “We’ve instilled in them that they need to play like there’s no tomorrow and cherish everything they have here because you never know what could happen.”
Shamus Eaton
Editor’s Note: Shamus was a member of the men’s track and field team that was cut from OU Athletics last year. He chose not to transfer and is currently a member of the men’s cross country team .
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