While most of the students on campus will get to hightail it home after taking their last final, some of the athletes, like basketball players and wrestlers, are spending a large part of their vacations practicing and traveling to games and meets.

"It stinks, but we know this is what we signed up for," sophomore wrestler Brian Cantalupi said.

Since they are all Division I athletes, traveling and sacrificing their free time has been a part of their lives for a long time. Most of the basketball players have been playing in out-of-town tournaments over Christmas since high school.

Nate Galloway, a sophomore on the wrestling team, said he has been travelling to meets for several years.

"I've kind of adapted," Galloway said. "I expect each year to be travelling."

The women's basketball team has only four days off to celebrate the holiday. Most of the athletes said they and their families have learned to adapt and accept the constraints that come with playing sports at a high level.

"They understand that if you're going to be an elite athlete these are the things you have to do," swimming coach Bill Dorenkott said. The swimmers on both the men's and women's teams are usually training year-round.

"My family likes to see me, but we do get a few days off and they come up for the home games," sophomore basketball player Amanda Brown said.

The athletes also have their second family, other players and coaches, to spend time with. Aside from time spent practicing and at games, there is a lot of down time for athletes during the break.

"We'll usually just go to one person's apartment and watch movies, play Cranium, just act goofy," senior basketball player Jess Strom said.

With signs of the holiday season almost everywhere they turn, the athletes are surprisingly not too affected by it: They know that the reason they are here is to compete and to focus on winning.

"We're here training, so our mind isn't really on the holidays," Galloway said. "It limits how much you can enjoy the holiday season."

Perhaps the biggest temptation for athletes, especially wrestlers, is overeating during Christmas and the holidays.

Wrestlers are subject to regular weigh-ins before matches, meaning they have to keep their appetites in check.

"It can be tough to keep the weight in line. You don't want to get too fat," Cantalupi said.

Adapting to a limited Christmas season is something athletes have found to get easier as they get older. Most said their freshman year was the hardest time to adjust to the change.

"It was a little tough for me my freshman year because you see all the regular students going home," said Brown.

Athletes said keeping their focus during the Christmas break is easier than in the regular season because competing is their only concern and finals are over.

"Once they can mentally get through finals week they can focus on getting their training done," Dorenkott said.

Even with all of the distractions and the sacrifices he has made, Cantalupi said the hard work will pay off if they have successful seasons.

"You want to spend more time with your family, but then you won't get things done," he said. "We just have to put the time in now, and there will be time for other stuff later."