Boys Basketball: The boys basketball team in the past few years has enjoyed incredible success, winning two straight state championships in 2016 and 2017. This year, their expectations remain high. Despite the talented seniors the team lost last year, they are confident in the ability of new players to step up. Says senior Aidan Keefer, “The team personnel definitely looks different as we have eleven new guys this year. But they’re ready to go, and everybody is working hard.”

Girls Basketball: As the girls basketball team heads into another season, they are looking to increase their tournament success after a tough first round exit the previous year. With an experienced squad returning, they have the pieces to puzzle together a winning formula. A key to their success this year will be seniors stepping up to fill the scoring holes left by last year’s graduating class, according to senior Maggie Pimlott. “We have a very small team with just ten on varsity, and it is going to be a tough year, as last year’s leading scorers are gone,” she says.

Wrestling: The wrestling team has been successful in the past few years, with their top competitors placing high in state and national meets. This year, those who have previously done well in competitions look to continue their results and lead the younger talent. “While we may have a small team this year, we have some good young wrestlers and a handful of strong veterans. We have a bunch of kids with the ability to make a deep run at states and beyond,” says senior Eli Zibello.

Girls Hockey: After a restful off-season, the girls hockey team is back on the ice and ready to develop an even stronger team than years past. Although they lost seven seniors, several returning players are stepping up to lead the team. Working together as a unified team is a large focus for this year, according to junior Maggie Bayly. “Hockey is a mental game, so we want to stay positive … and just be a team out there on the ice, working together as one,” she explains.

Boys Hockey: Coming off a second straight division championship last season, boys hockey is looking to get serious results in the state tournament. Despite losing some star players, an experienced attacking group and some key new additions will continue to raise the bar for this program, according to senior Casey Rideout. “The lads are shaping up really well this year. We lost a couple key players from last year, but the core of our team is still here, so we are looking to improve on our results from last season,” he says.

Gymnastics: After a record setting season last year, the gymnastics team is ready to take the next step forward and get some critical victories in Division 1 meets. The team is hoping that a new level of commitment and dedication across the board can help them set even more records and take big strides towards the next level. Says junior Gilli Danenberg, “This year we have a new coach and a whole new dynamic and we are so excited to come together and beat our records from last year.”

Boys Swim: The boys swim team is set to jump into another season with a talented group of underclassmen ready to propel them to new heights. Says senior Julian Baxandall, “I have great hope for our season. … We have a number of new competitive swimmers and an environment that promotes intensity, self-improvement, and team spirit.” He and the rest of the team hope that this environment can translate to wins at critical meets.

Girls Swim: The girls swim team is excited to begin a new year and continue to make leaps forward. The experienced swimmers hope that an environment of intensity and a strong team dynamic can make those new to the program ready to compete. Says senior Miya Duffy, “The team is a lot bigger this year. The underclassmen are ready to make a big impact and CRLS can expect great things, both this year and continuing on.”

Fencing: With motivated competitors filling each blade discipline, they hope that focusing on a strong team dynamic and across-the-board consistency can bring them key wins at states. Says junior David Lee, “Our goal for this season is to do well at states. We have always had a strong team and have placed relatively well in the past, but I feel like this year we can go even further. … There are a lot of skilled fencers from the previous years that have come back, but there are also a lot of new talents that are showing a lot of promise for the team.”

Girls Indoor Track: Although the girls track team is fairly small compared to the rest of the league, the team is feeling confident in their abilities to cooperate and improve this winter season. According to junior Sophie Wright, “If we continue to work hard, the size of our team will not prevent us from being successful.” With cooperation from each team member, girls indoor track is hoping to improve their times and distances and win more meets.

Boys Indoor Track: The boys track team is fresh and ready to go for the season, which consists of shorter sprints after the long-distance cross country season. With this change, the team is nonetheless looking for big contributions from many of their top cross country runners. “I feel like the varsity team has started to really step up in terms of effort and how connected we are to one another. I’m looking forward to running with the boys,” says senior Jeffrey Chen.

Sun-Jung Yum also contributed to this piece. This piece also appears in our December print edition.