7
the griffin
sports
Lions see mixed results High hopes hijacked en route to state final
XC team pursues nationals
A
henry harsel, managing editor fter finishing second in the cross country state championship, the boys varsity cross country team is headed to the Southeast Nike Cross Regionals in Cary, N.C. Nov. 29. Coming off an individual second place finish in the state meet, junior Eric Walz looks to head the team’s effort in the regional finals. “We’ve been dreaming of this. If we get our act together, there won’t be a team in the Southeast better than us,” Walz said. Junior Kristin Meek is the sole member of the girls varsity cross country team to join the boys in Cary. “I want it now more than ever. All of my training since June has been leading up to this race,” Meek said. Teams finishing in the top two at the southeast regionals will advance to the Nike Cross National Championships in Portland, Ore. Dec. 6.
Above: Junior Eric Walz outpaces Severna Park High School senior Kevin Hines during the state championship meet held at Hereford High School Nov. 8. Walz finished second in the race with a time of 15:56. Below: Junior Kristin Meek, the sole member from the girls varsity cross country team participating in the regional meet in Cary, N.C. Nov. 29. Meek earned tenth place in the state meet, finishing with a time of 19:42, leading the varsity girls cross country team to an overall fourth place finish.
lions notebook: fall sports VARSITY FOOTBALL finished with a 5-5 record, their best in over a decade. The season concluded with a 31-6 loss to Towson High School in the ‘Iron Bowl’. “Several thoughts come to mind,” head coach Daron Reid said of the season, “short of expectations, foundation for us to grow, entertaining rollercoaster ride [and] all the ups and downs.” VARSITY BOYS CROSS COUNTRY fell just short in their push for a state title, finishing second to Severna Park High School in the Maryland 4A State Championship Nov. 8. Eric Walz led the effort with his second place finish. VARSITY GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY finished fourth in the Maryland 4A State Championship behind a tenth place finish from junior Kristin Meek. Strong performances from the whole team guaranteed a top five finish in the meet. “Our team has the right mix of intensity, motivation and love for what we do every day, so these results reflect that work ethic and positive attitude,” Meek said. VARSITY VOLLEYBALL lost its chance at a second consecutive state title after losing 3 straight sets to Sherwood High School in the 4A North Regional Final Nov. 7, finishing with a 17-1 record. The team did, however, win its third straight Baltimore County Championship after an undefeated regular season campaign. VARSITY FIELD HOCKEY finished their season with a 14-4 record, losing to the Catonsville Comets 2-1 in the regional semifinals Oct. 27. The team had aspired to make a repeat appearance in the state semi-finals, especially following their 7-1 victory against Perry Hall High School in the second round of regional playoffs Oct. 23.
Junior Rabecca Rawlinson prepares to serve in the third set of the varsity girls volleyball game Nov. 7 against Sherwood High School during the 4A North Regional Championship Game at Sherwood. The Lions lost 3-0 to end their perfect season and hopes for a second consecutive state title. photo by elllie mathey
november 20, 2014
athletes
Varsity Volleyball
Transfer makes her mark jake ebright, staff writer er 6-feet, 2-inch height makes an impact. That’s what teammates say of varsity volleyball co-captain Olivia Finckel, a junior who transferred from St. Timothy’s School. “Being on the other side of the net when she’s serving is olivia finckel so terrifying,” senior co-capphoto by lucia tarantino tain Sydney Cohee said. “Girls on other teams try to duck and cover when she hits.” Cohee and other teammates cite her work ethic as a key contribution to the team’s 17-1 record, including leading the team to a county title. Junior teammate Mallory Svoboda praises Finckel’s energy and drive. “I just remember the Catonsville game,” Svoboda said. “I had never seen Olivia play so well and get so fired up. She got 13 or 14 kills. She just took over.” Recalling that game made Finckel smile, especially when she pictured a player who squared up as Finckel prepared to spike. “I swung the ball down the line, and it slammed the girl in the face,” she said. The swing shot, one the strongest hits in volleyball, sent the Catonsville player to the locker room. But is topping 6-feet ever a problem? For Finckel, whose grandparents met at the Baltimore Tall Club, the answer is no. “I love it. It makes me different and it’s more fun.”
H
For staff writer Doria Diacogiannis’s profile on the junior varsity athlete of the month, Kiley Bolonda, see our website: http://dulaneygriffin.org photo by lucia tarantino
Behind the plate
VARSITY BOYS SOCCER finished the year with a 15-2-1 record after losing to Howard High School 3-1 in the 4A North Regional Championship Nov. 4. Despite the loss, the team earned its first county title since 2000, finishing undefeated against Baltimore County opponents. VARSITY GIRLS SOCCER finished with a 9-6 record. The season concluded with a loss to Perry Hall High School 2-1 in the first round of regional play. “Next year is going to be a lot different because we’re losing a lot of seniors this year,” sophomore Kaitlyn Dabkowski said, “but I think we will do well.” VARSITY BOYS GOLF ended their undefeated season with a win in the Baltimore County Championship. The team won their division for the third time in four years. Junior Chase Wassel qualified for the state finals in which he finished 65th. VARSITY GIRLS GOLF finished their season by winning the county championship against Hereford High School by one stroke, and sending senior Kaitlyn Bingham to the state championships, where she placed sixth. VARSITY BADMINTON finished their undefeated season with three individual county finals gold medals, two silver medals and one bronze medal. The team reclaimed their county championship title, defeating Towson High School 8-3 Oct. 27. For our season wrap-up on all junior varsity teams, including the undefeated junior varsity volleyball county champions, visit our website: http://dulaneygriffin.org
Senior Isaiah Lamb sets example andrew sugarman, associate editor
“L
Basketball Provides an Escape ion Pride” holds great value to our athletes. It embodies our commitment to push harder, give more and never settle. Isaiah Lamb epitomizes that pride, on and off of the basketball court. Lamb’s dedication is part of what landed him on the Oct. 20 Sports Illustrated magazine cover. But he didn’t just stumble upon success. “I play basketball for about two to three hours each day, during the season and the offseason,” Lamb said. Competitive sports provided an outlet for him to take his mind off of life’s difficulties, specifically his family’s displacement. “It definitely took me out of the situation I was in, and helped me get through things,” Lamb said. The structure he found in basketball helped mold him into an upstanding student as well. Lamb is currently considering a handful of strong academic colleges, at which he is hoping to play basketball. Isaiah’s academic goal for this year is to see straight A’s on his report cards. On the court he aims even higher, hoping for a few stark improvements in his game. Isaiah said he hopes to reduce his amount of turnovers and increase his patience on the court. He is focusing on enhancing the men-
Visit us at http://dulaneygriffin.org.
month
tal aspects of his game. Calmness is key. “I talk to myself, let myself know that it’s over with, have a short term memory” said Lamb on turnovers, “Once it happens, I can’t do anything to get it back, so just forget about it and move on to the next play.” Isaiah Lamb has left a legacy even before the start of his senior season. He personifies the classic role model.
T
Football Priorities Need to Shift he cover of the Nov. 9 New York Times article, “Is Football the Next Tobacco” seems a bit hyperbolic to me. The article suggests that players’ lawsuits will eventually kill the sport. I’m tired of hearing about rising numbers of concussions, injuries and ensuing complaints. The results of such injuries need to be put
“‘Is Football the Next Tobacco?’ seems hyperbolic to me.” in perspective. Since 2004, 25 high school football players that have died from an injury they sustained while playing. Such situations have resulted in the decline of participation on football teams nationwide. As an athlete and a fan, I am distressed by the downturn of a sport I love to watch and play with friends. I’m disappointed by the hesitation that automatically accompanies the discussion of football. To relieve that hesitation, players should be more explicitly informed of the risks that accompany the game from a young age. Equipment modifications should be implemented. The protection for players needs to be fortified. The reality is, football has never been completely safe and never will be. But at least the circumstances can be improved.