Lance Larson Sr. • Guard Lakeville, Minn. Wow! I can’t believe my time at Saint Mary’s as a basketball player is almost up. It seems like yesterday that I was a little freshman who came in thinking he new everything with a chip on his shoulder. It is amazing what has occurred over the past four years. I will never forget the time I have spent here. I wish that we would have won a few more games, but in the end it really doesn’t matter about wins and losses. I would like to begin by thanking the people who have supported me over my last four years at Saint Mary’s starting with my family. If not for you I would never have been able to make it through to the end. I appreciate all of your cheering and support when things were good, as well as the time you spent listening and encouraging when things were not so good. I thank you for all the congratulations after wins and all the consolation after losses. Whether I played good or bad you have always been there to keep me going to the next game. Without you I would have never made it to the end. I want to thank all of my teammates from the past three years who have helped to keep me positive when I felt like I had had enough, and the courage to keep on working when I wanted to give up and quit. To the freshman this year I want to thank you for your passion and desire for the game. We have come along way since the beginning of the year with our relationships on and off the court. I know that I have had personal encounters with each of you and I hope that looking back on it you will see that my intentions were good and that I was trying to teach you something. I have nothing but good thoughts of what you have accomplished over this past year as a person and a basketball player. To my fellow seniors, I would like to thank you for being there with me. We have had a lot of good times playing basketball at Saint Mary’s, but more importantly, we have had a lot of good times becoming friends and growing up. I would like to thank the coaches for working hard at making us better basketball players and better men. We sometimes forget that basketball isn’t everything in life, however it does play a big part in who we become as a person and I believe that you have helped me to become a better person as a result of being here. Finally, to my guys, Josh and Luke, we have gone through a lot over the past two years. You two have been there more then anyone, whether it be when I was upset or when I was excited. I wish that we had more time together on the court, but I know that just because we won’t be teammates anymore we will always continue to be friends. We have shared so much during our time here together and made so many memories, which I will never forget. For that I am forever in debt to you. My advice for those of you who are coming back next year is simply to learn from the mistakes that we have made this year and don’t repeat them. Remember how much it hurt after your first loss and keep that in mind before you play every game. Don’t get caught up in the petty individual stuff. Nothing good ever comes from it. When the team is struggling look at yourself first and ask yourself what you can do better. Each game is an opportunity, which you have been blessed with, so don’t take it for granted. The game of basketball has given you many things; try to give something back to it before you are done. Always remember that basketball is just a game that you play for the competition, the fun, and the feeling that it gives you, when you forget this you are not playing for the right reasons anymore. Keep on working hard because no matter how good you think you are, I guarantee that someone or some team is out there better then you. Most of all take advantage of the time that you have here because it will go fast no matter how much time you think you have.