(Editor's note: The Day will be publishing a profile of a spring athlete for each day the high school athletic season is suspended.)

School: Williams School

Class: Senior

Sport: Boys' lacrosse

Position: Midfield

College choice: Amherst College

Chosen major: Undecided, but planning a pre-med track  

Athlete you grew up admiring: Lou Gehrig 

Favorite high school class: Ninth-grade English with Dr. Young

Checking in with James: “I switched to Williams in seventh grade following my older brother and my cousins. Although I didn't think about it much before I went, I've really liked the opportunity I've had to be able to pursue academics, athletics and the arts all at once, which I think was helped by the small-school environment.” 

What you need to know about James: Knowlton was looking forward to returning to action this spring and having a great end to his senior year after sitting out last season with a wrist injury. He did recover in time to play soccer, earning All-NEPSAC honors. “I've played soccer all my life and my whole time at Williams," he said. "For a long time I liked soccer more, but as I got better at lacrosse and my league became more competitive, I began to enjoy the more fast-paced and physical nature of lacrosse more.” When asked about the best moment of his high school lacrosse career, Knowlton couldn’t pick just one. “There have been so many memorable moments and plays over the years, it's hard to keep track," he said. "Every time I play, I feel like there's a new best moment with each groundball I pick up, each play I'm a part of and each goal I score.” He’s been involved with the student government, student ambassador group and the school’s singing group, Acafellas. “Acafellas is a lot of fun because I love to sing and it's a very different activity from the sports which I spend most of my time playing," he said. Knowlton picked Amherst because he wanted to attend a small liberal arts school where he could get to know his professors and classmates well and still have time for extracurricular activities and academics. Knowlton's message to his lacrosse teammates: “I'd just want to say thanks to my team for such a great experience over the years, especially because I've made some really good friends through sports. I was really looking forward to crushing it this year with such a strong team and I'm bummed that there are some really good younger players that I never got a chance to play with."