Hamilton lacrosse does college proud

Spend a little time with the Hamilton College women's lacrosse team, and it's easy to see why head coach Patty Kloidt's club is on the verge of a national championship.

Chemistry may be the most overused word in sports, but it aptly describes the force that pushes the Continentals. These women understand what it is to be a team and how teamwork extends the limits of each player. Those are lessons that will serve them well for the rest of their lives, whether their focus is work or family.

It is almost unthinkable that a school as academically challenging as Hamilton could produce a national champion. These are true student-athletes, whose days and nights are filled with the challenge of simply graduating from one of America's top colleges. And yet they somehow find the will to compete athletically with the best NCAA Division III has to offer.

Win or lose Sunday, the Continentals have achieved something truly spectacular.