EU sports indefinitely postponed

Fall sports at Elmhurst University have been postponed until further notice due to 

COVID-19 restrictions. Elmhurst athletics will continue to follow the directives from local and national authorities, to explore competition opportunities for fall sports and student-athletes.  

“I think we were all disappointed initially when we heard we would not be able to play our season this fall,” stated Jeff McDonald, EU head football coach. “However, the health and safety of our student-athletes always comes first, so we completely understand the reasoning behind the decision.”

With extra practice time this fall, the Elmhurst football team is hopeful that incoming athletes will spend more time connecting with the returning students. 

“I feel that having our season in the spring this year is in the best interest for everyone. I don’t think this is a big setback for our team because all of the other schools in our league are doing it as well,” said Ryan Brenner, sophomore football punter. 

“It also gives us more time to improve and integrate our new players into our team so we can play our best, come game time,” explained Brenner. 

Similarly, for student athletes, the time buffer allows for more time in the weight room.

“Right now we focus on working out, practicing, and taking advantage of this extra time given to us,” shared Taylor Fuchs, member of women’s golf. 

The College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin has been tasked with exploring competition opportunities for fall sports to compete in the spring while maintaining full conference competition for the spring sports. Decisions about the possibility of fall sports officially competing in the spring will be announced at a later date. 

“We are now training to get ready for the spring season,” said Preston Chartier, freshman men’s soccer goalkeeper. “I think it’s great because I can continue to work hard to get myself ready and fine-tune my performance for the upcoming season.”

Currently, Langhorst Field and stadium, the tennis courts, R.A. Faganel Hall gym, and the weight room are all open for limited use. Social distancing and mask-wearing protocols have been put in place. There is also a limit of twenty people in the weight room at once. Each facility has a sanitation cart where students are required to clean all the equipment they use.    

Wendy McManus, director of athletics, is optimistic about the EU sports returning and offers encouragement to student athletes during this time. “How do we move forward? We begin to prepare for our return. We focus on our academics. We train like we never trained before. We engage with each other. We come back stronger than ever,” she declared.