Photo by Tiffany Xiao/The Choate News
On April 10, Choate teams faced off against Hotchkiss and, one week later on April 17, took on Taft.
Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse
Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse had an intense game against Hotchkiss. Co-Captain Dylan Allen ’21 shot an impressive 8-meter, free-position goal. “It feels surreal playing again after having no season last spring,” said Co-Captain Natalie Schwab ’21. “Dylan and I kept on saying to each other how weird it felt to be wearing our white uniforms riding the bus again on our way to compete.” A week later, Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse showed great improvement in their game against Taft. Miya Imaeda ’22 and Dylan Allen ’22 came up with some big-time goals during a three-goal run in the second half. Schwab said, “The week leading up to game day, we knew our main priority would be working together on our defensive slides, and we definitely executed on them during the game. ”
Girls’ Varsity Tennis
Girls’ Varsity Tennis had a successful start to their scrimmage season in their match against Hotchkiss. Sasha Pavlick ’21 felt that “being back for fun competition was really exciting,” and that “spending time outside felt refreshing and brought the team together.” After playing its match against Hotchkiss, the team focused on hitting balls early and improving their doubles strategies — their hard work paid off in a strong match against Taft. Zeynep Orucu ’22 played well in her long match, and her teammates were excited to watch her play hard. Emma Detoc ’22 said, “All the girls did really well in their matches despite the bad weather and a tough week of practice. We are excited to continue practicing because we have already improved so much.”
Girls’ Varsity Golf
Girls’ Varsity Golf played a match at the Wallingford Country Club against Taft last week. The team has been doing well this season, spending practices working on their mechanics and personal growth. Captain Mia Scarpati ’21 said, “Our team has some strong freshmen this year, which is super exciting. Practices this season have been super productive, and we are just happy to have the chance to compete in interscholastic competition.”
Varsity Baseball
When asked about the baseball game against Hotchkiss, Co-Captain Bo Goergen ’22 said, “We had a good game last Saturday, although it was only an exhibition.” He added, “It feels great to finally be out on the field again and the boys played well. Covid-19 guidelines do affect us, as we are not allowed to count scores, but other than that the game feels pretty much normal.” A week later against Taft, Varsity Baseball had one of their toughest games of the season. Regardless, pitchers Mark Fernandez ’21, Glenn Halliday ’21, and Ryan Sweeney ’21, all performed well.
Varsity Softball
Although Softball did not play against Hotchkiss on April 10, the team had an incredible home game against Taft last weekend. Alex Hassett ’23, Bella Hassett ’24, and Marie Hamill ’23 pitched a no-hitter and a near-perfect game. During practice, the team has been working on its team cohesion and batting mechanics. Isabel Maida ’23 said, “Throughout the game, everyone kept a positive attitude and good sportsmanship, and we were happy to see our hard work pay off with our hitting.”
Track & Field
Both Boys’ and Girls’ Track & Field teams competed in virtual meets against Hotchkiss and Taft. Co-Captain of the Girls’ Track Team, Sarina Kapoor ’21, said, “At the end of the meet, the entire team gathered at the finish line to cheer on the runners in the 4×4. In years past, both competing teams would be lined up along the inside of the track during this last event to support the runners.” A highlight of the meet was when Jayden Khuu ’21 ran the 3000 meter race, as he was the only Choate runner to do so.
Varsity Ultimate
Choate’s Ultimate Frisbee team had an action-packed scrimmage against Hotchkiss. Adama Sowe ’23, who was playing in her first game of ultimate ever, said, “Although this year has brought about unprecedented times, it was great getting to start sports again. I truly missed the energy of playing actual teams and, surprisingly, the competition aspect as well.” Taft does not have an Ultimate team, so the team did not compete last weekend
Boys’ Varisty Lacrosse
For their second game of the season, Boys’ Varsity Lacrosse faced Hotchkiss on the Choate turf field. Choate started out strong with Zephyr Simus ’23 winning the first face off. This momentum climaxed during the third quarter when Ben Wable ’23 scored off an assist from Alex Reitman ’22. Unfortunately, Hotchkiss’s defense proved to be difficult to read. Chris Buchetto ’23 said, “The outcome was tough, but it was great to get back on the field.” Boys’ Varsity Lacrosse did not have a game against Taft.
Boys’ Varsity Golf
The Boys’ Golf Team has had a productive season so far and played well against Hotchkiss. Tynan Davidson ’23, said, “Golf has been a wonderful experience. My teammates are encouraging and well-experienced players.” Unfortunately, one week later, the team faced a challenging course and an experienced team at Taft. Nevertheless, the team worked hard and took the match as an opportunity to develop and improve. Vas Konachenkov ’22 said, “Despite the obstacles in our way, we gave it our best and are excited to continue playing and improving as the season progresses.”
Boys’ Varsity Tennis
Boys’ Varsity Tennis had an impressive showing against Hotchkiss in both singles and doubles matches. Hugo Chung ’22 said, “It was great to see the team so motivated.” Choate’s momentum carried into their game against Taft a week later with all players excelling against a blundering opponent. “The team was focused 100% from the start and we managed to stay focused in every single match,” said Oscar Hellandsvik ’22. Boars tennis wishes to carry its strength into next week.
