The calm after the storm on Wednesday night overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains from Braeloch, an event venue in Vinton.

Photo by Stephanie Klein-Davis | The Roanoke Times

I love photographing championship games…I don’t care what the sport is. They’re always full of passion, moments and adrenaline.

During championship games, chances are pretty good that the winning teammates will rush the field after the game, which is my favorite part.

But if the two teams are close in scores, the last three minutes are agonizing for me…there’s so much pressure. Which team is going to win? I have to listen to my gut, because I need to be there the second the time on the clock runs out, to run out onto the field with the team.

Being surrounded by running, jumping, cheering, sometimes crying athletes makes my job so much fun. There’s so much going on around me, so much great energy, it seems to rub off on me.

This weekend I photographed a lacrosse championship game. (It’s been a while since I’ve shot a lacrosse game.) The game was close…there was a one-point difference in the scores leading up to the last few minutes of the game. I stood by the team I thought was going to win (and I was correct in my prediction), but the second the game was over, the entire team went running to the opposite side of the field to celebrate with their goalie!  So I did what any photographer would do, and ran with them all the way across the field.

Needless to say, I was a lot slower than they were. Anyway, here’s what I got.

Roanoke College sophomore Mike Perrino (center) celebrates with the rest of his team after they win the ODAC title game against Washington and Lee University Sunday. Roanoke College won 10-9.

-Rebecca Barnett