The reason has to do with coordinating athletic schedules with the academic year, which doesn't quite fit around the seasons as it once did. It makes for some challenging logistical conflicts as well as interesting choices for fans of multiple teams to make.

On the indoor circuit last weekend, multiple men and women track & field performers posted 56 post-season qualifying times in a variety of events at the invitational meet hosted by Yale. Highlighting these performances was a sub-four minute mile run by Hoya junior Andrew Bumbalough. Wow!

Even the Hoya natators, who week after week swim valiantly against high quality competition, savored a victory last weekend by the women's team.

But the yell of all the yells is reserved for the women's hoop team who took down #22-ranked Syracuse last Saturday and then St. John's in a comeback win last Wednesday for back-to-back conference victories. Improving to a record of 13-9, here is a team with a whole lot of upside. Now in her fourth season as head coach, Terri Williams-Flournoy and her staff have been putting together a winning squad -- brick by brick. This is no easy task as intra-conference play on the women's side is surely the toughest in the nation. One day soon though, they will be contending for more than just a winning record.

At this moment, coming off a wonderful winter week of Hoya triumphs, and with realistic hopes of even more success with an entire spring sport schedule still unplayed, the resulting feelings of optimism may be too good to last.

But for now, it sure feels swell.