Snowy fields, freezing temperatures and runny noses; these conditions add up to a messy aftermath for spring athletes.

“Our first game of the season against Dakota was canceled, because of the cold and snowy weather conditions,” junior Varsity Soccer center midfielder Jessica DeClerque said. “I was really upset about this, because we were all so pumped to play Dakota and start off the season.”

The harsh winter lasted longer than average and spring sports felt the effect. Metro Detroit received 94.8 inches of snow this season, breaking the previous record of 93.6 inches in 1880, according to meteorologist Brandon Roux. As a result, the snow led to trouble for athletic fields.

“We went down to Florida for spring training because the weather was too inconsistent here,” Varsity Baseball coach Jason Gendreau said. “Field conditions were so bad, we are about a month behind schedule due to the bad weather, but we are picking things back up and starting to get back on track.”

Three golf, one tennis, zero softball, one baseball, three lacrosse, and three soccer games were canceled or moved due to unfavorable weather conditions.

“We practiced inside for about two or three weeks and our first outside practice wasn’t until the beginning of April,” junior Varsity Softball pitcher Johannah Zweng said. “We aren’t even able to practice on the field, because it’s so damp and drowning in water. We have to practice on the grass, which is really unfavorable, because our cleets get stuck and the grass is squishy and doesn’t provide a good surface.”

With the record breaking snowfall, many practices were affected and spring sports struggled to stay on track. As the weather warms up, practices become more consistent and all seven spring sports are now able to practice outside.

“In all of my 10 years of being an Athletic Director here at Eisenhower, I have never seen this much snow and trouble for spring sports,” Athletic Director Christopher Corteg said. “Tryouts and practices were impacted and we have had a few game cancelation, but things have been looking better since Easter.”