After an extremely successful season for winter sports, just a few weeks was all the time some multi-sport athletes had until their spring seasons began. Although spring is not necessarily in the air yet, spring sports tryouts have begun, and after all the excitement of the winter season, spring teams have a lot to live up to.
Badminton, one of the seven spring sport teams, is not commonly talked about, aside from the year that the team members walked around with “Smash that Shuttlecock” written on the back of their t-shirts on game days. Last season in the IAAM Conference, they finished eighth out of 10 teams, but will hopefully have a better finish this year.
Men’s varsity baseball will have a long season this year, finishing in early May. Their first scrimmage is home against Patterson Mill High School on March 12 at 4:00 p.m. In the MIAA ‘A’ Conference, the baseball team finished third behind Spalding and Calvert Hall. New head coach Gary Steve Teter looks forward to the challenge of coaching in a difficult league and creating a powerful program.
The men’s golf team unfortunately landed dead last in the MIAA ‘A’ Conference last season. The quality of programs in the MIAA, according to golf coach Drew Forrester, is extremely high. After moving to the ‘B’ conference for this season, the team has high hopes for improvement.
JC finished third in the MIAA ‘B’ Conference for men’s lacrosse last season. Coached by Keith Hinder and assisted by English teacher Matt Blair, the team’s greatest challenge will be Friends School, which went undefeated in the season, 14-0. The Patriots’ defense helped them earn their third-place spot with only 89 goals scored against them, second to Friends’ 77.
Women’s varsity lacrosse just recently finished up their tryouts, and with three new freshmen – Caroline Sdanowich, Kara Klages, and Grace Richards – on the team, the team’s future looks bright. Led by college-committed seniors Erica Bodt, Leah Pace, and Carlee Ries, the women will have to take on the previously undefeated McDonogh and two other schools who finished higher than them in order to take a shot at the IAAM ‘A’ Conference title.
The women’s varsity softball team is adjusting to a new coach this season. Aiming to improve their previous 2-6 season record, the team will have to take on the ‘A’ Conference powerhouse, Seton Keough, along with the conference champion, Spalding, who knocked off Seton Keough.
Coming out of a “defeated” season of 0-10, the men’s tennis team will be struggling to make ends meet in the MIAA ‘A’ Conference. Right off the bat, JC will face Spalding, the previous winner of the ‘B’ Conference title, on March 29.
The men’s and women’s track and field teams unusually have all home meets this year, which is just how the schedule ended up. Adopting athletes from other sports, such as juniors Amy Slusher and Mackenzie Bailey, the participants hope to build a stronger team to defeat eight-time champion McDonogh, JC’s self-proclaimed rival. The All-Conference runners recognized by the IAAM for their last season were senior Heather Kirwan for placing second in pole vault and junior Kiana Wright for placing third on long jump in the championship meet.
Miranda is a Sports Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com