o Four Boys’ High School Games played throughout the day
o Showcase of 1st public school in the District—Wilson HS--to play boys’ lacrosse
o Rock ‘N Roll National Marathon to run right by DC Lacrosse Classic!
o Nationally-ranked Gonzaga Purple Eagles to play in 2 p.m. game
o Winners Lacrosse to serve as beneficiary
(Washington, DC) – Breakout Lacrosse and the DC Lacrosse Association are proud to present the 4th Annual Breakout Lacrosse DC Classic on Saturday, March 17, at Gonzaga College High School in NW Washington DC.
The Lacrosse Classic consists of games featuring seven boys’ varsity lacrosse teams in the Nation’s Capital—Archbishop Carroll, Georgetown Day, Gonzaga, Sidwell Friends, St. John’s, St. Albans, and Wilson High School—along with invited guest Eleanor Roosevelt High School from Greenbelt, Maryland. The event is sponsored and directed by Breakout Lacrosse, one of the DC Metropolitan area’s fastest growing boys’ and girls’ lacrosse training companies.
The schedule of games is as follows:
10:00 Archbishop Carroll vs. Woodrow Wilson HS
12:00 Eleanor Roosevelt vs. Georgetown Day School
2:00 Gonzaga vs. St. Albans
4:00 St. Johns vs. Sidwell Friends
The previous Breakout Lacrosse DC Lacrosse Classics were held at St. Albans, Wilson, and Catholic University, respectively, with attendance ranging from 500 to more than 1,000 fans at the three previous events. Those were held at the end of the season, but this year the organizers decided the DC Classic would be a great way to commence the lacrosse season in Washington, DC.
The 2009 and 2010 Breakout Lacrosse DC Classics featured then Washington DC Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, who conducted the pre-game coin toss. The DC Lacrosse Classic joined the Baseball Classic, Wrestling Classic, Softball Classic, and All City Football Bowl in showcasing D.C. student-athletes and giving them an opportunity to play in a city-wide competition. While some of those events have come and gone, the DC Lacrosse classic is on year number four and going strong.
“The DC Lacrosse Classic has gained momentum each year, and what better venue than at Gonzaga, just a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol building and near so much important history to this city and country, ” said Breakout Lacrosse co-director Matt Breslin, who serves as DC Classic coordinator. “Also, while we locked in our date a year ago, before the marathon finalized its plans, it should be exciting to have such a big marathon taking place right by the field, making it a Super Sports Saturday in Washington, DC!”
Breslin urges spectators to strongly consider taking Metro. Metro’s Red Line stop at Union Station is just blocks from Gonzaga. While the Rock and Roll National Marathon and Half-Marathon start at 8, two hours before the first DC Classic game, runners will run by Gonzaga (which is around Mile 10) through the first two games. For those who are planning on driving, check your local listings to find out about road closures.
In 2010, Woodrow Wilson High School became the first DC Public School to field a boys’ high school lacrosse team. The Wilson Tigers are coached by Lucius Polk and Harry Alford, former college standouts and professional players—and DC natives, having graduated from St. Albans. Last spring, School Without Walls joined the ranks of DC Public Schools fielding a boys’ team, and Breakout hopes to add them to the Classic line-up in 2013.
Admission to the DC Lacrosse Classic is free for students high school age and younger and $5 for adults. Tickets may be purchased at the gate, or from each school’s head coach/booster club prior to Saturday. Commemorative DC Lacrosse Classic t-shirts, listing all participating schools, will be sold, along with game programs. Concessions will also be sold throughout the day.
Proceeds from the DC Lacrosse Classic will benefit WINNERS Lacrosse (The Washington Inner City Lacrosse Foundation), a nonprofit organization that was started in October 2000. WINNERS provides Washington, DC boys and girls from historically underserved neighborhoods the opportunity to learn the game of lacrosse and the life skills associated with playing a team sport. WINNERS Lacrosse uses the game as the vehicle to instill values, education and life sustaining skills that will give young boys and girls the tools to be successful on and off the field. Please go to www.winnerslacrosse.org to learn more about this great organization and how to support it.
“The Breakout DC Lacrosse Classic is a terrific event and we are excited to host it at Gonzaga,” said Purple Eagles head coach Casey O’Neill, the head of the DC Lacrosse Association. “In the summer of 2008, Malcolm Lester floated the DC Classic idea by me in a meeting over at Gonzaga, so it is nice to come full circle and play the 4th Classic where the event—or the thought of it—first began.”
DC Lacrosse Classic and DC Lacrosse Association founder Malcolm Lester has been asked to conduct the coin toss prior to the DC Classic nightcap, the St. John’s-Sidwell game at 4. Following the 2012 season, Lester will assume duties as Head of School at Grace Episcopal Day School in Kensington, MD, after 21 years at St. Albans.
“We are grateful to Matt Breslin and Breakout Lacrosse for keeping this event going,” said Lester. “Casey and I started the DC Lacrosse Classic and supported it, but Matt and Breakout took it over and strengthened it. The Breakout Lacrosse DC Classic is an excellent start to what promises to be a tremendous spring of lacrosse in the Nation’s Capital.”
Contact: Matt Breslin, 484.994.6564, breslinm@breakoutlacrosse.com
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