Training for fall and spring sports has continued this winter, keeping the field house warm. Canadian lacrosse player Michael Blaymires ’22 summed up his week of winter sports: “I get to lift Monday, play hockey Tuesday, lift on Wednesday, and then play indoor lacrosse Thursday and Friday, finishing with Saturday speed school.” A breadth of exposure keeps both sports fun and Blaymires is continually pushing himself to get better. “One of the great advantages of a tough year,” he says. “This time last year we weren’t playing lacrosse.”
Varsity hockey, basketball, and squash enjoyed COVID-conscious competitions with Hill School, Hoosac School, and Millbrook School over the past month.
Hockey saw big wins over Hill and Hoosac, but dropped a set of games against a more talented Millbrook school this past weekend. Brady Schultz ’23, Tyler Fogu ’22, and Ryan Walker ’23 led the way with big plays and big hits.
Basketball has enjoyed consistent scoring from Deandre Williams ’23 and excellent effort and leadership from Mark Engel ’21, Nzube Mekkam ’21 and Jude Tapia ’21. A last-second shot to win against Millbrook rimmed out, and the team is still searching for their first victory.
Senior squash player Whit Hazlewood ’21 tells the tale of a different type of success this year. “It’s so fun to be a captain of a whole new group this season,” he says. “Tjende (Djibo) ’22 and I were here last year, but the rest of the team is new, so it’s nice to be a leader for these new players.” Versus the Hill School, Hazlewood says he faced a top-20 ranked player worldwide, for his age. Although he lost, Hazlewood notes that he still won some tough points during the match.
The promising success and sobering defeats across all three sports proves that the process of improvement is never over. We are all hoping for more opportunities for safe interscholastic competition in the spring, as school policy dictates.
Roll Pride!
by Cyrus Rothwell-Ferraris