Athletes at the college level have always had a special bond.

When someone spends four years working on and off the field with a group of people, it is not uncommon for them to strike up a friendship or camaraderie.

Never has that been more apparent than with the Eastern women’s basketball team. Specifically, with the five seniors who will play their last regular season home game together Saturday afternoon.

Interviewing the team’s five seniors – forwards Julie Lipperd, Rachel Galligan, Lindsey Kluempers and guards Ellen Canale and Megan Edwards – two words kept coming up in recapping their careers as Panthers, sisters and family.

It shouldn’t surprise anyone the amount of success the team has had and the turn around that has taken place since these five walked on campus four years ago.

Any person associated with athletics will say that a certain level of friendship needs to be shared between a team to gain true success, and these five seem like the best of friends.

They have shared highs and lows with each other throughout their careers.

They’ve shared road trip memories. Memories of defeat and of victory. Heck, they even share a house on campus.

A wide variety of words could be used to describe their personalities, but a simple one would be most prevalent. Nice.

All five of them are incredibly genuine when they speak. They’re candid, yet friendly.

They’re always willing to give you a smile and a kind moment of their time, regardless of if they’ve just suffered their worst defeat or their most successful victory.

So when Lipperd, Galligan, Kluempers, Canale and Edwards take the court together for the last time in Lantz Arena, get off your couch, and go cheer them on in person. What they have brought to Eastern, and what they have brought the athletic department during their four years is truly special.

And while the success of the Eastern women’s basketball program should continue for years to come, it all started with them.

Collin Whitchurch can be reached at 581-7944 or cfwhitchurch@eiu.edu.