Duluth student athletes start their season by shoveling snow
The weather may be warming across Minnesota, but for northern Minnesota athletes in spring sports, the winter’s heavy snow is proving to be a lingering burden.
About a hundred athletes with Duluth Wolfpack Lacrosse spent their Saturday morning shoveling out a field at Ordean-East Middle School so they can practice.
Duluth Wolfpack is a co-op program with players coming from Duluth Denfeld and Duluth East high schools.
They haven’t been able to practice outside since their season officially started on April 3, according to Nicki Seibert, president of the Duluth Lacrosse Booster Club.
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The Twin Cities is experiencing a top 10 snowfall season, but while the snow is starting to melt in the south, snow still blankets the ground in many parts of the north.
Duluth is just a few inches shy of its snowiest season on record, with 131.7 inches falling so far. It’s also the third snowiest season on record in Brainerd.
“It’s a huge advantage” for the Twin Cities teams they’re scheduled to scrimmage, said Seibert, who added those teams might have access to indoor or covered fields.
Student-athletes split into two shoveling shifts on Saturday: the boys’ teams starting at 9 a.m. with the girls’ teams taking over at 11 a.m. Seibert said the school district required they stick to plastic shovels to protect the underlying field.
“Watching 47 boys and 50 girls, all ninth through 12th graders, you know, putting their backs into it and trying to get this icy, frozen mess off their field just so they can play their sport is actually pretty inspiring,” Seibert said.