Winter Sports Recaps

Coach Steve Lachut

The Saint James wrestling team returned to the mats in 2021 after only practicing during the 2020-21 season. Given that, there was a lot of uncertainty regarding this year’s team. Although the team was 39 strong, there was a wide breadth of experience in the sport. Eleven sixth formers led the way, with all but one being a regular starter for the Saints. The group was led by captains Benson Riser, Asa Hammer, Colin Greene, and Sean Rowe.

In usual fashion, the Saints started the season with the Admiral Holloway Tournament which was highlighted by the second-place finish by Moses Warui (fourth form) at 113 pounds and third place finishes of Greene (132 lbs) and Hammer (138 lbs). A lighter-than-typical regular season was highlighted by victories over traditional public school powers Catoctin and Oakdale.

The Saints finished second in the MAC Dual Meet Tournament, dropping to eventual champion Georgetown Day by 20 points. However, the Saints didn’t give up and fought hard in the MAC Tournament the next week, finishing just one point behind GDS. Although the Saints were wrestling without several starters that day, the team still crowned four individual weight class champions: Greene (132 lbs), Hammer (138 lbs), and fifth former Ethan Zumbrun (145 lbs) and sixth former Daniel Peacher (285 lbs). Additionally, fifth former Danseh Yanou was voted to one of two at-large All-MAC spots for his effort finishing in second place at the event.

Although the Saints did not have the strong finish that they may have hoped, it was nice return to the mats, and a nice finish to the careers of these exceptional sixth-form students.

Most Valuable Player Colin Greene '22

Saints Athletic Award Asa Hammer '22

Most Improved Player Ethan Zumbrun '23

Coach Andrew Williams-Watson

To kick-off the 2021-22 season for Varsity Girls' Basketball, the team traveled to Highstown, NJ for the Peddie School Girls’ Tournament. We finished the tournament with an 0-3 record, but the girls fought extremely hard during each and every possession, and our very own Elise Bamforth (fifth form) earned All-Tournament honors.

Next up was the Madeira tournament in McLean, VA. Our first game was a successful one. Many of our younger role players had the opportunity to showcase their hard work and played very well against a scrappy Madeira team. The second game was a hard fought back-and-forth contest, but we came up short by three points.

After that tournament our season became an episode of a series of unfortunate events. Students were unable to return to campus until a couple of weeks into January due to COVID, and a handful of players couldn’t come back, which in turn made it possible for our mangers to lace ‘em up and play in the interim. Due to our continuity being disturbed and having our mangers joining the team, the rest of our remaining schedule was all about playing hard for 32 minutes and playing basketball the Saint James way.

Our Most Improved Player, second former Payton Dotson, started the season at the end of the bench. With her resiliency and her commitment to getting better every day, she earned her way to the starting lineup. The Saints Athletic Award went third former Claire Barnes, a player who always found a way to bring her best no matter what obstacles were thrown her way. Our MVP, Elise Bamforth, was the heart and soul of the team, and she is someone who signifies what it means to be a leader on and off the court.

This season was full of learning experiences, sacrifices, and player development. With so many key players returning next season, the future of the Saint James Girls’ Basketball team is a bright one.

Most Valuable Player Elise Bamforth '23

Saints Athletic Award Claire Barnes '25

Most Improved Player Payton Dotson '26

Coach Kevin Breslin

It is nearly impossible to speak about this year’s Varsity Boys’ Basketball season without discussing the same event that has dominated world headlines for two years. In the winter of the 2020-21 school year, Saint James, like most independent schools, canceled interscholastic competitions. During that year, athletics continued to be a foundational part of campus life as we hosted practices and several school-wide basketball competitions to foster the values of teamwork, selflessness, and dedication toward a common goal.

The 2021-22 season we have just completed will be remembered for the participation of those students who stepped up to participate in the basketball program of 2020-21. Many students developed their skills within our campus gates with an eye towards a return to the court for varsity competition in 2021-22.

Due to injuries and complications resulting from the pandemic, 23 students suited up in uniform for this year’s varsity competitions. At other schools a basketball roster is composed of 12 or fewer students. Our commitment to multisport participation and a school culture that values stepping outside of one’s own comfort zone fueled any successes we had this season.

Fifth former Kenneth Ho earned our Most Improved Player award through his invaluable contributions to our team on the practice court. This season marked the first time that fifth former Jack Ashby-Jacobs had played organized basketball, but he overcame his inexperience to make valuable contributions to the team in several games. Jack shared the honor of the Saints’ Athletic Award with sixth former Caly Ferguson for their shared enthusiastic commitment to the team.

Our on-court performance was led by the duo of fourth former Jeremiah Gorham and third former Jacob Ross. These two were the only students who were able to participate in every game this year and consistently excelled as underclassmen on a varsity team. For his efforts, Jacob was named the Most Outstanding Player for our season. The contributions of young players to our team has everyone excited for the future of our basketball program, especially the return of All-MAC selections, fifth formers Solomon Ball and Jayden Ross.

Most Valuable Player Jacob Ross '25

Saints Athletic Award Jack Ashby-Jacobs '23 & Caly Ferguson '22

Most Improved Player Kenneth Ho '23