When 10 senior student-athletes are competing in NCAA Championship Tournament action on 2023 Commencement day, St. Mary’s College of Maryland rolls out the red carpet a little early.
The senior members of the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams will be unable to attend the 2023 Commencement ceremony scheduled for Saturday, May 13, as they will be competing in the second and first round, respectively, of the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament.
The College held a Grad Walk for the 10 student-athletes on Thursday, May 11, under the same tent where their peers will gather Saturday. The Seahawks were joined for the ceremony by their family, friends and teammates, faculty and staff.
In her remarks, St. Mary’s College President Tuajuanda C. Jordan, PhD said of the graduating student-athletes, “You are the embodiment of the St. Mary’s Way. Thank you for your exceptional work. Your achievements that you bring to this day, your competitive efforts Saturday, and your good deeds in the years ahead add to the legacy of St. Mary’s College of Maryland.”
The Grad Walk program was significantly shorter than what their peers can expect Saturday, however, they did get a traditional commencement experience as administrators were in full regalia, the 10 student-athletes’ names and majors were read aloud, and each walked the stage and posed for a photo with President Jordan.
“We are excited to celebrate this special group of student-athletes who have excelled on the field and in the classroom, while representing St. Mary’s and Seahawk athletics at the highest level,” said Crystal Gibson, the College’s director of athletics and recreation, prior to the event.
The men’s lacrosse team picked up the program’s first-ever NCAA Division III Men’s Lacrosse Championship Tournament victory Wednesday afternoon, posting a 10-5 triumph over the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (10-7) in first round action.
The historic win propelled the Seahawks into the next round of tournament action. They face No. 5 Middlebury College at 12 p.m. Saturday on the campus of Union College (Schenectady, N.Y.).
The women’s lacrosse team will take on No. 11 Messiah College in first-round action on Saturday at 1 p.m. on the campus of The College of New Jersey (Ewing, N.J.).
The 2023 Commencement takes place Saturday at 10:30 a.m. on the College’s Townhouse Green. Saturday’s Commencement will be live streamed, as was Thursday’s event. Both links can be found on the College’s website at https://www.smcm.edu/commencement-2023/.
