< the persistent rains of the past couple days, the entirety of West Field was submerged under a few feet of water as the banks of the Cannon River overflowed. The same thing occurred before Spring Break last year. After the water resided, sand from the river was left on the field, and had to be removed before the fields could be played on again. Given the amount of water on the fields currently, it is highly likely that West Field could be out of commission for a while, which would put a strain on the Football and Men’s Soccer teams who both use those fields to practice. The hard rain also closed the fields behind the Rec Center, canceling practices for many club sport teams.
In downtown Northfield, the rains have caused major problems, forcing roads to be closed. As of 8:00 p.m. last night the Cannon River was six inches short of the Northfield flood record of 22.2 feet. Officials were worried that the record would in fact be broken once water from upstream finally made its way down to Northfield.
Despite the problems to police, facilities, and athletic teams, students wasted no time making use of the new lake on campus. Students were seen throwing Frisbees and wading in the waters while they still had the chance.