Fall Sports Roundup
Middle School Cross Country
Middle School Cross Country had a tough but successful season, placing second in Middle Chinook League. Throughout the season, 13 runners trained, studied and recovered on a daily basis. They worked through the pain and sweat during interval, endurance, and tempo running. They worked through rain, mud, sticks, branches, and logs from the terrian of each course.
In each competition all ten female runners placed in the top 50% of the finish line. Our runners learned that through hard work, dedication, resilence and proper recovery methods they could succeed and push their bodies to the next level with great success.
The team: Cecilia Cobbs, Natalie Fah, Michelle Foster, Caroline Hall, Dutch Hanson, Julia Henning, Sophie Jeter, Saul Kontos-Cohen, Cindy Li, Josh Nehls, Anna Parrott, Maxine Pendras, Emily Smith
-Coach Matt Brooke
Middle School Cross Country had a tough but successful season, placing second in Middle Chinook League. Throughout the season, 13 runners trained, studied and recovered on a daily basis. They worked through the pain and sweat during interval, endurance, and tempo running. They worked through rain, mud, sticks, branches, and logs from the terrian of each course.
In each competition all ten female runners placed in the top 50% of the finish line. Our runners learned that through hard work, dedication, resilence and proper recovery methods they could succeed and push their bodies to the next level with great success.
The team: Cecilia Cobbs, Natalie Fah, Michelle Foster, Caroline Hall, Dutch Hanson, Julia Henning, Sophie Jeter, Saul Kontos-Cohen, Cindy Li, Josh Nehls, Anna Parrott, Maxine Pendras, Emily Smith
-Coach Matt Brooke
Middle School Varsity Volleyball
This 2015 season was very strong, with the Middle School Varsity Gators going undefeated in league and only losing one game during playoffs. Each girl worked very hard, and it showed through their improvements throughout the season. Two games I would like to highlight were the matches against Carbonado and Chief Leschi. Those were the first couple of games we were matched in talent, and the girls were able to show and execute everything that they have learned. I was very proud of the focus, determination, and passion that the girls showed on and off the court. They were hard games, but the girls stepped up to the plate and gave it everything they had. Congratulations to all of you for your hard work and excellent season!
The team: Abby Givens, Kayleigh Shaw, Wyndham Gray, Lilly Gray, Kahlen McConnell, Alexandra Bessler, Maeve Hunt, Kayla Mathurin, Ella Salam, Jade Cheathem, Lauren Janguard, Grace Donahue
-Coach Alexis Ross
-Coach Alexis Ross
Middle School JV Volleyball
Both JV volleyball teams experienced strong, skill building seasons. JV1 concluded the season 2 and 2, with both losses to a very strong and experienced Carbonado team. JV2 concluded their season with a 3-1 record, their only loss to a Lighthouse squad they came back to beat in the playoffs.
With 29 players on one court we definitely had some challenges and hectic practices but the players came to practice ready to work every time they entered the gym. When the girls stepped on the court for their matches it was obvious that they had been listening and internalizing the building blocks of passing and serving and were incorporating those techniques into their play on the court.
If there is one thing I want these players to take away from their experience this year is that they, the players, own their successes. A coach can drill technique and be the disciplinarian and/or the cheerleader when necessary, but what a coach can’t do is play the game for them. Everything that happens once they hit the court is all them. The thing that makes me the proudest of these girls is that every time they stepped foot on the court they played like champs. They dug deep, played aggressively and took risks. Without exception every player has improved this season. Their individual and communal successes are testament to their perseverance and determination.
The teams:
JV1: Bailey Black, Ellie Crist, Paisley Cristobal, Emily Feliciano, Tess Gandhi, Eva Gleitz, E-Kat Kontos-Cohen, Ananya Kukreja, Buanand McConnell, Sitara McMillan, Soni Nigram, Maya Robinson, Cora Shandrow
JV2: Mary Belisle, Katherine Christiansen, Molly Cobbs, Kate Collie, Merryn Coumou, Abbie Crist, Willow Flint, Terah Gruber, Emma Harrison, Tara Hutchinson, Ava Johannes, Simran Khan, Emma Len, Abigail Montoploi, Savannah Seher, Elle Svensson-Stewart
- Coach Erin Gann
The teams:
JV1: Bailey Black, Ellie Crist, Paisley Cristobal, Emily Feliciano, Tess Gandhi, Eva Gleitz, E-Kat Kontos-Cohen, Ananya Kukreja, Buanand McConnell, Sitara McMillan, Soni Nigram, Maya Robinson, Cora Shandrow
JV2: Mary Belisle, Katherine Christiansen, Molly Cobbs, Kate Collie, Merryn Coumou, Abbie Crist, Willow Flint, Terah Gruber, Emma Harrison, Tara Hutchinson, Ava Johannes, Simran Khan, Emma Len, Abigail Montoploi, Savannah Seher, Elle Svensson-Stewart
- Coach Erin Gann
Middle School Boys' Soccer
The Middle School boys’ soccer team is the Middle Chinook champion for the 2015 season. The team played thirteen games and won twelve and lost one.
The Middle School boys’ soccer team is the Middle Chinook champion for the 2015 season. The team played thirteen games and won twelve and lost one.
Throughout the season our main objective was to create a style of play that is physical, fast and competitive. Considering the diverse physical, emotional and skills abilities of the 24 members of the team, that created some challenges.
We played twice out of our league games against Charles Wright Academy. We lost both games. The second game, however, was exceptional. We moved the ball, possessed it in the middle of the field and used fast brakes to score. The score was 8:5, a great game to watch. During the game all boys stepped up, from the ones who play club soccer to the ones without competitive experience. It is a great phenomenon to witness the unification and molding of a cohesive team.
The team: Riley Comstock, Tristan Beaurpere, Nic Ferencko, Tommy Hanly, Leo Bessler, Bret Myers, Carter Nelson, Ethan Wasyluka, Chai Kwa, Carson McKee, Connor Stockton, Julen Givelber, Eric Holland, Aeron Ward, Henry Carroll, Ben Lee, Geoffrey DalBalcon, Ukweli Dennis, Michael Liu, Daniel Peterson, Josh Piatok, Elijah Grinstaed
The team: Riley Comstock, Tristan Beaurpere, Nic Ferencko, Tommy Hanly, Leo Bessler, Bret Myers, Carter Nelson, Ethan Wasyluka, Chai Kwa, Carson McKee, Connor Stockton, Julen Givelber, Eric Holland, Aeron Ward, Henry Carroll, Ben Lee, Geoffrey DalBalcon, Ukweli Dennis, Michael Liu, Daniel Peterson, Josh Piatok, Elijah Grinstaed
-Coach Emil Verbovskil
Upper School Cross Country
The 2015 cross country season was very successful and marks a turning point in the Annie Wright program. After several years of not even having enough athletes to officially score as a team, the 2015 squad truly embodied the word “team” in every way.
As a coach, I couldn’t be more proud of the six girls who represented AWS throughout the season. They fully committed themselves and strove to be the best they could be. They set realistic goals and worked incredibly hard to achieve them. Just a typical practice session consisted of one hour of weights followed by several miles of fast, interval runs.
Throughout the season, the team members learned to push their perceived limits both physically and mentally. In competition, they brought a level of dedication that has been unparalleled during my tenure at AWS. The girls improved with each race – showing the ability to push themselves and pull from deep reservoirs they didn’t know existed.
As a team, the Gators placed third overall in the league championship meet. Freshman Anna Haddad was the Gators’ top runner, earning all-league honors and qualifying for the State meet. Sophomore Sofia Huboly also earned all-league honors, narrowly missing a State qualifying time. After successful seasons on the track, Juniors Elle and Meghan Hansen pushed their limits by more than tripling their race distances from just months ago. Iris Li, a sophomore competing in her first year, took more than five minutes off her time. And after battling through blisters and shin splints throughout the season, senior Saya Fyock stayed tough and ran her best times when it really mattered.
The future looks very bright for this group. With only one senior, the core of this team will be returning. The girls have committed themselves to year-round training with a goal of qualifying for State as a team next year. Go Gators!
-Coach Troy Droubay
-Coach Troy Droubay
Upper School Soccer
The Upper School Girls' soccer team showed great improvement over the course of the 2015 season. They set goals to improve and to focus on team unity. The team showed great effort and energy throughout each game, with the highlight from the year a big 2-0 win over Eastside Prep.
The girls honored their fellow teammates with the following awards: MVP: Rachel Wasyluka, Most Inspirational: Cate Farrell, Most Improved: Claire Eveskcige. Emma Bock and Tana Givens were given the Coaches Award.
The Team: Madison Archuleta '16, Emma Bock '16, Tana Givens '16, Gabrielle McCarthy '16, Katherine Olivieri ‘16, Virginia Walkey ’16, Emmanuelle Beaurpere '17, Cate Farrell '17, Audrey Linehan '17, Lexy Sullivan '17, Militsa Zaklan-Miller '17, Mariella Beaurpere '18, Phoebe Brown '18, Claire Eveskcige '18, Amber Moody '18, Sydney Simon '18, Rachel Wasyluka '18
-Coach Niki Taylor
Upper School Varsity Volleyball
The volleyball team finished its 2015 campaign with a 12-3 record overall, with a 9-2 record going into league playoffs. Highlighting the season was winning the league playoffs and finishing second at the District tournament, earning the Gators their eighth entry to State Championships. The Gators fought a long hard 5-set match against their cross town rival Charles Wright in the first round of State Championships, and sadly lost to the Tarriers for the first time in over 10 years. The team put forth a valiant effort to stay alive in the next must-win match, however the earlier loss proved to have taken its toll and the Gators lost in three sets to Naches Valley.
In addition to the team's outstanding team accomplishments, individual stats demonstrated why the team was ranked in the top 10 in Washington State. The Gators were definitely Junior strong, with Annika Cedarstrand leading with 84 kills and 16 blocks. Annika earned the Emerald City League MVP, where she joins four other AWS alumnae (Tori Smith 2013, Lani Kalalau 2012, Stephanie Gann 2009 and Li Murphy 2008).
Junior Abbey Turner led the team with the best overall hitting average percentage of .305, team high dig stat at 81 and first team league honors. In addition, Junior Britnie Casillas posted 230 assists, team high ace stat at 52 and first team league honors. Lauren Leeden helped her Junior class sisters, adding 62 kills, 16 aces and 56 digs. Seniors held strong with Cia Jones adding to the team stats with 58 kills, 12 aces, and 45 digs, and Esmee Lai closing out the defensive stats with 36 digs. The single varsity sophomore, Raquel Berman, strutted her stuff by posting a respectable 27 kills, 15 aces, 11 blocks and 28 digs.
- Coach Rodney Kalalau
- Coach Rodney Kalalau
Upper School JV Volleyball
This season was great! We had a ton of new faces eager to get their hands on the ball this year, tallying up the roster with a high total of 25 players. I could not have asked for a better group of girls. Each player was ready to play and gave it her all. We will miss our senior Lilian. She had so much knowledge and experience to share with all the new girls. Looking forward to another killer season next year! Go Gators!
The JV team: Tana-Isabela Anulacion, Molly Bryant, Sasha Chang, Olivia Dahl, Lauren Donoso, Clare Farley, Allison Fitz, Sarah Harper, Rachel Holland, Amy Wenxin, Lillian Li, Holly Shadko, Eliana Sunderland
-Coach Mackenzie Jones
The JV team: Tana-Isabela Anulacion, Molly Bryant, Sasha Chang, Olivia Dahl, Lauren Donoso, Clare Farley, Allison Fitz, Sarah Harper, Rachel Holland, Amy Wenxin, Lillian Li, Holly Shadko, Eliana Sunderland
-Coach Mackenzie Jones
