Sports
Tuesday, June 4, 2019
11
Girls rugby team plays at State Championship Final
HIGHLIGHT REEL The latest developments in sports.
TRIUMPHS The boys lacrosse team won District Championships on May 24 against Downingtown High School. HEADS SOUTH
The crew team travels to Sarasota, Florida for Nationals from June 4 to June 7. The team qualified six boats at the Mid-Atlantic Youth Championship. BATS
The softball team won its game on May 29 against Garnet Valley and qualified for states, guranteeing them a spot at state playoffs on June 3. STEPS TO THE PLATE
The freshmen boys baseball team beat Ridley (5-3) on May 22. SIGNS
Senior varsity football player Blair Horning signed to play at Tufts University. WINS
The girls lacrosse team won District Championships on May 24 against Harriton High School. SAILS
The sailing team won their final regatta of the year on June 2. Ananya Kulkarni/The SPOKE
Going for gold: Senior Kayla Jones runs with the ball in the girls rugby game against Kiski Valley High School on May 20. The girls fell just short of victory during the State Championship game, though the team hopes to bring home the title next year.
Ananya Kulkarni Sports Editor
A whistle is blown. Athletes take to the field, sprinting for every last point, the girls fighting to the very end in an intense game against Kiski Valley on May 20. Although they were unable to bring home the State Championship title, the team went out strong with a final score of 17-15. “As a first year coach, I couldn’t have asked for a better group of girls to coach. Although our season just ended, I’m excited to get back out there and work ten times harder next season and bring that state champion title home,” said Jenna Ponto, head coach of the girls rugby team. According to senior co-captain Jordan Roe, the team has experienced drastic expansion since last year through a substantial growth in membership, increased
awareness by word of mouth and by introducing freshmen interested in playing a spring sport to the option of rugby. “In the past, the girls barely had the numbers to field a team, and this year they ended up in the state finals,” Ponto said. This season also marks the first time the girls rugby team has made it to playoffs in several years. Roe was proud of this achievement. “It’s proof of how hard we worked this season. As far as I know, it’s been many years since ’Stoga girls rugby even made it to playoffs, so the fact that we made it to the finals shows how skilled and motivated every single person was on the team,” Roe said. “We could not have had the success we did if even one person didn’t give 100 percent. But every game, everyone did their part to lead to our success. We worked as a unit, not 15 individuals on the field, and our record shows that.”
Part of the challenge was that many players entered the team having little to no experience with rugby. This meant that players had to learn as they went by playing games. “One of my favorite parts about rugby is getting to teach new players about the game and (watch them) grow and make it their own,” Roe said. Sophomore and first-year member of the team Jessica Reintjes is proud of the team’s season, especially the performance of her fellow teammates. “There were a lot of new girls, including me, who didn’t know much about rugby but worked really hard to learn about rugby and help create an amazing team,” Reintjes said. “The girls on the team make all of the difference. They all support each other and make an effort to help their teammates learn new things about rugby. My favorite part about work-
ing with the other girls on the team was just becoming a team and working together to make it a great season.” Roe hopes the team makes playoffs again next year and continues to improve their knowledge of the sport with every practice. “As a senior, I will not be a part of the team next year, but I am incredibly proud of every single person on this team. Even girls who got injured came to practice and gave everything they had in support even though they couldn’t physically play,” Roe said. “Rugby is a special sport in that way, and playing for Stoga Rugby has been some of the best times of high school, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without Stoga Rugby. I am so grateful for every coach, parent and player that is involved with the club. I’m surely going to miss it next year.”
Ananya Kulkarni/The SPOKE
Ready and in formation: The girls rugby team assembles for a scrum, a contest for possession of the ball where eight players bind together against eight members of the opposing team. The girls made it to states this past season.
Softball team maintains victory streak
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Cooling off: The varsity girls softball team gathers around the water jug during a game. The girls won 13 games before breaking their streak with a loss against Garnet Valley and recently qualified for states, a goal of theirs since the beginning of the season.
Reese Wang Design Editor
“My goal is to hit my spots,” junior pitcher Lauren Lofland says. Around her, the rest of the team stands in a circle, sipping their water bottles before the game. Like every other home game, without fail, the team gathers by “the tree,” a massive tree that provides shade over the left field line of D’Ambro-
sio Park, each girl naming a personal and team goal. The team set two goals this season: winning the Central League and qualifying for states. With their eyes on the prize, the girls varsity softball team ended the regular season with the best record in the Central League, winning the Central League title for the first time since 2007. Setting a streak of 13 wins until their first loss to Gar-
net Valley in May, the team placed in the top six of the district to qualify for states in May. Last year, the team missed qualifying for states by one game, which they attribute as a factor in their motivation this season. In preparation for the new season, the team held open preseason workouts starting in January. To make up for the graduation of several good hitters, the team completed hitting drills. The girls also worked on hitting their cuts coming in from the outfield, where players from the outfield throw the ball to the infield. Preseason workouts also allowed the team to address its other weakness, communication, by giving the upperclassmen an opportunity to bond with the younger players. The seven seniors on the team grew up playing together in Little League, leading to a strong varsity group good at communicating with one another. Whether their
future teammates played on the same team or an opposing team, the girls had already seen them play on the field by middle school. Despite the closeness of the team’s seniors before playing for Conestoga softball, the team had little trouble forming new bonds with the younger players. “We have a strong new leadership on the team, and we welcome (the younger players) with open arms,” senior co-captain Olivia Cepilik said. “That really helped us gain their trust, and now we play together and it’s awesome because we’re all friends. It’s not like we’re just playing with our teammates. It’s like we’re playing with our friends.” When Lofland entered the softball team as a pitcher, she appreciated the seniors’ welcoming attitude. “Since I was a freshman, I didn’t really get the world of high school softball. So (Emily Rycyzyn) kind
of showed me it. She always supported me and gave me positive feedback,” Lofland said. According to Rycyzyn, a senior member of the team, success comes from three factors: pitching, defense and hitting. The opposing teams had very little runs, thanks to Lofland’s pitching. The team’s countless repetitions of infielding drills allowed defense to perform smart plays that also kept the score low. Hitting drills from preseason and regular season practices paid off, increasing team morale and adding to the team’s success. With a combination of skills and high energy, the team qualified for states. “When everyone is hitting up and down the line, everyone wants to do well in the field and wants to keep the lead,” Rycyzyn said. “If we just keep our bats going into the playoffs, then there’s really nothing that can stop us.”
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