By Shailey Klein
Oak Hall spring sports are gearing up to go into full swing this month. Oak Hall is fielding teams for five different sports: girls and boys lacrosse, boys baseball, boys and girls tennis, boys and girls track and field, and boys weightlifting. All sports were permitted by the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) to begin practicing with equipment on Jan. 20, excluding boys and girls lacrosse which hit the fields a week later on Jan. 27.
Although spring sports have begun, winter sports at the varsity level are still going on and are currently heading into postseason. Many Oak Hall students participate in sports for both the winter and spring seasons. Therefore, by school athletic department regulations, athletes must complete their winter sports seasons before heading to their spring sport. However, if an athlete’s team for the winter season is not practicing, then with coach’s consent, they are allowed practice with their spring sport.
Competition for boys and girls tennis, boys and girls track and field, and boys weightlifting begins the week of Feb. 10. The boys tennis team’s first match is at Columbia High School on Feb. 20, while the girls tennis team’s first match is at Mount Dora Christian Academy on Feb. 25. Both tennis teams’ first home matches are at 4 p.m. on March 3 against Eastside High School for the boys and Newberry High School for the girls. This is the second season both teams are able to utilize the new tennis courts at Oak Hall for home matches. The boys and girls track and field teams will be competing in its first meet Feb. 15 at Santa Fe High School and will be hosting a Class 1A/2A meet at the Oak Hall Track on Feb. 19. The boys weightlifting team will be participating in its first meet on Feb. 19 at Interlachen.
Girls and boys lacrosse, as well as baseball are approved to begin contests the week of Feb. 17. The girls lacrosse team, under new head coach Darren Johnson, opens its season on the road against The Bolles School on Feb. 18. The following day, on Feb. 19, the boys lacrosse team plays its first game at Episcopal School of Jacksonville. The boys team’s first home game is Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. against Pedro Menendez High School, while the girls team’s home opener is a district matchup on March 5 against St. Augustine High School at 6:30 p.m. The lacrosse teams play on the stadium field at Oak Hall for all home games. The baseball team kicks off its season, under new head coach Kevin Maris, at the Oak Hall baseball field on Feb. 25 against Wildwood High School at 4:15 p.m.
All of the spring teams look forward to competing at a high level with the hopes of bringing championships back to Oak Hall.
Photos courtesy of Veronika Schmalfuss