Siblings team up at St. Thomas

Chemistry on some St. Thomas sports teams stems deeper than on the field or court and into the DNA of sibling teammates.

Sophomore twins Jena and Dana Holmes both play for the No. 19-ranked St. Thomas softball team, and coach John Tschida said the hardest part is telling them apart.

“A lot of the time I’m up at bat and all I can hear is ‘Go Dana!’” Jena Holmes said. “I just want to turn around and tell everyone, ‘That’s not my name! Come on, figure it out!’ I try to keep in the feelings and just walk it out.”

Senior David Burke and his brother, freshman Danny Burke, play on the 2012 national championship-winning St. Thomas men’s lacrosse club team. Coach Peter Moosbrugger said it is rare to find brothers that are such good friends.

“I’ve never seen them get on each other. They’ve never yelled at each other,” Moosbrugger said. “I kind of was waiting for that to happen.”

David said the time he and Danny spent practicing in the backyard as kids is now helping the team.

“Knowing sort of where we’re going to be at the same time, we’re sort of always on the same brainwave,” David Burke said. “Things like that really come in handy on the field.”

And Jena Holmes felt that her sister’s success reflects on her too.

“We’re pretty happy for each other when we do good because it’s pretty much me out there,” Jena Holmes said. “If she does good, pretty much I’m doing good.”

Even with the advantages, the athletes said that if they had to trade their sister or brother to another team, it would be to a losing one.

“I’d have to say Gustavus,” Dana Holmes said, “just because they’re probably our rival in the conference, and I’d just love to beat her.”

Baihly Warfield can be reached at warf3860@stthomas.edu.