COVID-FREE CRUSADERS ARE BACK

SET

CRUSADERS

BY ROYCE IN | ART BY ERIN KIM

As the height of the pandemic comes to an end, so too has a very successful fall sports season. However, as covid restrictions have lessened in the past few months, athletes have been able to travel across the country and even internationally to compete. One may say that the Crusaders are back. We say it’s about time the Crusaders dominated the athletic scene once again!

TENNIS

The tennis teams made a comeback to the post-pandemic athletic scene looking strong and commmited. Varsity girls player Seohyun Choi (11) says that commitment and perseverance are crucial qualities that players have had to adopt this season. “[The team] practices on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.” Even on holidays or faculty work days where most students enjoy the chance to relax, the team was on campus, practicing. All this effort, however, pays dividends. At times where “[her] point determined whether [the] whole school would win or lose,” Seohyun was appreciative of all the training she put in keeping her skills refined. To Seohyun, this season “built lots of memories” and she is excited by all the extraordinary moments the team can reminisce about.

The volleyball teams were also back this year, with new faces and skills being seen by live audiences in the bleachers. According to Ju Seong Park (9) of the boys varsity team, the game has certainly “gotten a lot more advanced” compared to his middle school years. While traveling internationally in Japan, the team faced opponents of extremely high playing ability, which strengthened team bonding as athletes had to collectively adapt to completely new standards. Ju Seong says his favorite memory from Japan was moving around the city on the subway, as he felt that “the atmosphere was quite different.” “Volleyball

VOLLEYBALL

is a joyful experience [to have]”, Juseong states, and he hopes all players will never forget this season.

The cross country team made a return this year with a roster bigger than ever before, with over 65 runners participating. While stuck on campus last year, players were only

able to “compete against [themselves],” Mr. Kosh says. Now, however, they are back to physical races along with the addition of an international race in Guam. According to Heather Kwon (11), in Guam, runners encountered “courses and weather conditions that were really new to the team.” CROSS COUNTRY

From running beside teammates at school and submitting times in virtual meets to now running alongside rivals and competitors, players have “had to rethink and relearn how to compete,” according to Mr. Kosh. By “having faith in [their] workouts,” runners this year have not disappointed.