Every new school year brings about new faces on the Trinity athletic fields and only adds to the pool of talent already present on campus. Hailing from all different parts of the country, the newest Tigers all share the common goal of strengthening their teams and making this their best season yet.

First-year tight end Brandon Greer made the final decision to attend Trinity University because of the equal emphasis placed on education and athletics, which would enable his optimal growth as a student and an athlete. Though his time on campus has been short, he has already noticed a significant change in his leadership and time management skills, which he attributes to the fact that the preseason training is designed to make the players students of football.

“The hardest part of preseason so far would have to be the 40 test. But in the end, all the hard work invested in preseason will pay off because of the success you feel after it is all done,” Greer said.

During preseason training, the players are put through a variety of different calisthenics drills that are designed to challenge their cardiovascular strength and help improve their rhythm.

Greer is also thankful to have an upperclassman teammate to act as a big brother and show him the ropes. The pairing of the teammates helps bring the entire team together and makes it feel more like a family.

“They look good overall. They arrived in good shape and prepared to fight for a spot. We hold high expectations for everyone, and they are stepping up and taking on challenges with good attitudes and competitiveness,” said assistant defensive back coach Hunter Ramsey.

Ramsey “˜13 played cornerback and returned punts during his time as a football player at Trinity.

Ramsey also added that the goals of the coaches this year are to find the first years that buy into the system and possess the desire to improve every day, both academically and on the field.

On the soccer pitch, although first-year outside midfielder Hannah Hommel is enjoying the challenges posed by the preseason practices, she does admit that Trinity is much more competitive than her high school soccer team at home in Colorado.

“There is a lot more competition here at Trinity and the coaching staff is much more intense than my high school coaches, but I am excited to meet new people and join the women’s soccer team,” Hommel said.

Hommel was originally drawn to Trinity University because of the incredible women’s soccer program, but was also impressed by the strength and rigor of the academics offered by the university.

Even though the class of 2017 is smaller than in the past, they are looking to contribute immediately on and off the field.