Spring Sports Review

Captain senior Nora Flint said that although the absence of last year’s season was costly, there has been a benefit to time off: a noticeable boost in the team’s morale.

“The year off made everyone super excited for this year,” they said. “I can definitely tell the energy is really good. Everyone’s happy to be there.”

The team lost their first four games of the season, which Flint said is attributable to an array of factors.

“The last time our team played together, we had eight seniors. They all graduated, so half of our varsity team is new,” they said. “None of us have really played together before, and we’re still adjusting to that.”

Additionally, to limit contact, the team plays another school multiple times in a row, a factor Flint said contributed to the softball team’s slower start. In spite of the challenges, the team remains optimistic.

“Last week we played a difficult team,” they said. “It’s hard to judge how our season will go when we’ve only played two schools so far.”

Beyond practice time, Flint said that this year the team has put in an increased effort to bond with teammates.

“It feels really social, just hanging out and then there’s some softball on the side,” they said. 

Moving forward, Flint said that the team is looking to making the playoffs at the end of the season.

“We have to win over 50% of our games. In the lineup this year, we play the tougher teams first, and then towards the end of the season we play the teams that we’ve typically been able to beat,” they said. “We’ll make sure that we keep our heads in the game and don’t give up.”

The boys track team is currently undefeated, winning the four meets they’ve had against Waltham, Lincoln Sudbury, Westford and Acton-Boxborough. Captain senior Eero Helenius said that the track team’s success comes from their hard work and undying spirits.

“The boys have definitely taken the chances that they’ve had by the scruff of their neck,” he said. “We’ve had a ton of boys running [personal records], and we have had a lot of people doing very well in events that they haven’t done before.”

Captain senior Jonathan Orelowitz said that the team’s dominance comes from the diverse skill sets of each athlete.

“We’re a very well-rounded team,” he said. “We have the best distance crew in the state, and we have very good sprinters, jumpers and throwers.”

Helenius said that a strong foundation of team chemistry has allowed the team to maintain connections despite the difficulty of team bonding this year due to COVID-19.

“You definitely lose an aspect of team culture and community that you would have otherwise, especially with such a big team,” he said. “But the team is very special and resilient in the culture that we’ve cultivated.”

The team is hoping to win the Dual County League (DCL) championship at the end of the season, Helenius said.

“After this whole year of training, to really lay it all out there, to show the DCL who we are, then definitely that DCL championship is going to be the one thing that we’re gunning for,” he said.

Orelowitz said that the team has also set goals beyond the DCL championship.

“Looking past DCLs, we want to do really well at divisionals, hopefully win that, and although it’s non-scoring, we want to send as many people as we can to all-states,” he said.

Strong teamwork helped the boys lacrosse team come into the season prepared despite COVID-19-related challenges, captain senior Will La Camera said. 

“Building up to the season, we had a strong preseason, and our chemistry was really good,” he said. “We had good senior captains last year who helped build [team spirit], and this year, we’ve taken another step forward in that regard. We’re all playing together as a team.”

The lacrosse team had a solid start to their season, with a few notable wins over Cambridge, La Camera said. 

“Then we slowed down a little bit against Westford, and we played Lincoln Sudbury on Monday… they’re the best team in the state,” he said.

Despite the loss, La Camera said that he was proud of the team’s performance at the Lincoln Sudbury game. 

“They were beating us the whole game, I’m gonna be honest. But everyone just kept pushing through it, and everyone was giving 110% through four quarters,” he said. “I was really proud, just having a team full of guys that are going to give it their all no matter what the score is.”

The team is facing a schedule full of stronger opponents this year compared to other years. La Camera said that they have six games against some of the top 10 teams in Massachusetts.

No matter their opponents, the team is playing well together and having fun, La Camera said.

“Everyone’s been trying really hard, which is all you can ask for,” he said. “We’re just having a good time out there. We’ve had some good results.”

Regardless of the scoreboard, La Camera said that it has been gratifying to see the team play with an optimistic mindset.

“We have a young team this year, but I’ve been impressed with how well everyone has worked together,” he said. “Everyone is trying hard and giving it their all.”

Despite the turbulent changes to daily life brought on by the pandemic, captain senior Jillian Reingold said that the girls tennis team faced relatively few COVID-19-related changes to their season. 

Instead of shaking hands with opponents, players now tap rackets with one another to show sportsmanship. Up until May 20, players were required to wear masks during practice and games, a precaution Reingold said was a hurdle to playing her best.

“It was hard to breathe in a mask, especially when running around a lot on the courts and especially in hot weather,” she said.

Reingold said everyone has been consistent in their attendance thus far, a critical factor of keeping up a strong team.

“To be on the tennis team, you have to make sure you’re committed, that you’re able to play every day, whether you’re playing a match or practice,” she said.

Reingold said she was surprised to find that there has been more team chemistry this year than previously.

“There’s more bonding [and] talking going on and a lot more team spirit,” she said.

Reingold said it has been inspiring to see players show immense improvement through their dedication and hard work.

“Everyone’s goal is to improve more in their game. So next year, when they come back and play, maybe they can end up being on varsity if they were on JV,” Reingold said.