I’ll admit the fall and winter were difficult times to be Wildcats fans.

Injuries denied Northwestern athletics from reaching new heights and, as a result, there was far less postseason play than usual.

However, the spring brings a renewed hope that NU can end its year on a high note and the optimism can linger until Aug. 30, when the University of California, Berkeley football team comes to visit Ryan Field. Just as Opening Day symbolizes the beginning of spring for many people in this fine country, I see Spring Quarter as a way to either end the misery or extend the happiness.

Coach Kelly Amonte Hiller and the lacrosse team constantly lift us out of the winter doldrums with their dominance over the competition. They are the model of consistency that brings stability to Evanston when we need it the most. As I’ve stated previously, there are three guarantees in life: death, taxes and Northwestern lacrosse over Memorial Day weekend.

Meanwhile, the women’s tennis program has won 15 consecutive Big Ten titles, a feat few teams can match anywhere in the country in any sport. Coach Claire Pollard has lost a total of one match in the Big Ten Tournament in her 15 years at NU, and no one can tell me that is not impressive.

Softball is back to its glory thanks to an explosive offense and a talented pitching staff that is surprising many outside of Evanston. Coach Kate Drohan has her best team since the 2008 squad that won a Big Ten title on its home field.

This spring comes on the heels of the most success NU has had all year. Wrestler Jason Tsirtsis won a Big Ten and national title at 149 pounds as a freshman, becoming the Cats’ first freshman champ and first national champ since 2009. The women’s basketball squad made a spirited run to the third round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament, where they lost by a point to Indiana in a heartbreaker. To cap it all off, swimmer Jordan Wilimovsky finished fourth in the mile at the NCAA championships, the first top-five finish by an NU athlete since 2008. 

Those three events were the snowball at the top of a mountain beginning its descent. As the spring approaches, the momentum will continue and the snowball will start picking up more snow and becoming bigger. I am willing to bet on at least six of the seven spring programs making the postseason this year after only four of the other 12 teams either made or sent multiple participants to postseason competition during fall and winter. It was certainly a difficult time to wear purple in public and be proud.

If you couldn’t tell by now, the spring is arguably my favorite season of the year for NU athletics because of the school pride the success fosters. I’ve witnessed firsthand how this community rallies around the Cats’ victories on the field, and it’s an invigorating feeling. There’s something that switches on in our brains whenever NU has success that makes donning purple a fashion trend again.

Like most fans, the atmosphere is the best when our teams are winning, and although I know we are disappointed we couldn’t be more successful in sports, spring offers a chance at new hope. I can guarantee the spring will be a better time to be a NU sports fan and the success we are accustomed to seeing will not end soon.

So let’s cleanse that palate from the disappointment with a bevy of spring success.

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Twitter: @JoshWalfish