There are several Simpson College athletic teams going out of state during spring break. All of these teams will be going to different places. The baseball, softball and men’s golf teams will be going on a trip for spring break.

“Well we actually [left] Thursday for Michigan,” softball coach Henry Christowksi said. “We [played] in a domed tournament in Marquette.”

The team played six games against UW-Oshkosh, UM-Morris, Hope, Marian, Concordia and St. Scholastica.

“It is a nice regional test,” Christowski said. “All but one team is in our region.”

After Michigan they will be making a trip to Kissimmee, Fla., where they will be staying for seven days. They will have played 20 games in a two-week span.

They were able to pay for this trip by doing fundraisers.

“Our fundraisers were mainly camps and clinics for young softball players,” Christowski said. “If they work enough, they won’t have to pay for the trip. If they didn’t get all the money in, they just have to pay the difference.”

Another team that is going on a spring trip is Simpson’s baseball team. They will be in Phoenix, Ariz., on Thursday, March 5 until Sunday, March 14. They also play 12 games against teams from across the nation.

To help fund the trip, the baseball team held fundraisers, including one fundraiser to help with security at the Metallica concert at Wells Fargo Arena. They also did a fundraiser with professional baseball player Casey Blake called, “Kids with Casey.” One last way to make money was to sell clothing items.

The golf team will also be making a trip during spring break. They will be going to San Antonio, Texas and will be playing in meets there all break.

One team that isn’t making the trip is the track team.

“We have the money to go on a trip,” sophomore mid-distance runner Louis Elbert said. “But nationals conflicts with our spring break, and we have a chance to send a few kids to nationals.”

Even though they aren’t going on a trip, they did have a fundraiser to help raise money for the team.

“We held a Friday fun night for the elementary kids called the lock in,” Elbert said. “The kids played dodge ball, went swimming and played basketball. We tried to give kids a good time before Christmas break.”

The Simpson men’s tennis team also won’t be making a trip out of state for break.

“We will not be making a trip this year,” Men’s tennis coach Daniel Finn said. “We go to Milwaukee for a match the Friday of spring break, but other than that we will be staying here.”

One reason that they will not be going on a trip is that they have limited matches that players can play in.

“The timing wasn’t good for a trip,” Finn said. “I decided to give them the week off. They have been working extremely hard and they deserved it.”

Simpson’s athletic teams have many opportunities during spring break to compete with teams across the nation. They can compare themselves and see how they stack up against other competition.