Fall Sports Roundup

 

The racing team, with 57 Lower Schoolers, competed in three cross country races against five other local schools and two Annie Wright Lower School triathlons comprising swimming, cycling and running. Here are the top runners from each grade:

 

K Girl – Katie Broadenax

K Boy – Alexander Ostrom

1st Girl – Norah Blake

1st Boy – Tyler Weston

2nd Girl – Evelyn Lorance

2nd Boy – Cooper Dicks

3rd Girl – Sophie Neeves

3rd Boy – Ayden Lorance

4th Girl – Natalie Blake

4th Boy – Will Carroll 

5th Girl – Gracie Anwar

5th Boy – Steven Imke

 

 

We had two teams: Grades 4 & 5 and Grades 2 & 3. The Grades 4 & 5 team finished the season with a 5-2 record, led by Wilson Dicks at quarterback and Chancellor Gray as our leading receiver in touchdowns with 12 total. Dolan Wynne recorded 3 interceptions for touchdowns, while Finn Howard and Miles Defebaugh anchored the defense as our leading tacklers. Riley Dinicola and Will Carroll were amazing wide receivers and running backs, able to skillfully catch and run the ball. The younger team was led by running back Cooper Dicks and quarterback Gus Guadnola. Charlie Finch added some offensive touchdowns and great defense.

 

 

More than forty Lower School students in Kindergarten to Grade 5 participated in soccer skills-building sessions twice a week after school. Mari Nelson coached the Kindergarteners and Nortac Director Scott Nelson coached the older students. This focus on skill development prepares students to play competitively for Annie Wright and other teams.

 

- Mike Finch

 

 

 

Having a sport where all you do is run can make it difficult to inspire young athletes to join. Luckily, however, this year we had 22 amazing runners, all of who put out a strong effort. As a group we ran, giggled, fought through pain and injuries, and survived heavy downpours. Throughout the season we had a total of four meets, each around 1.5 miles long. The first meet we struggled a little; however, in the second meet the Annie Wright girls came in 2nd place and then first place in the third meet. The Annie Wright boys also made progress as their times and places climbed the ladder. In the league championship, Annie Wright girls came in 3rd and boys came in 4th. Each runner finished with a personal record, marking a successful season in their coaches’ and hopefully their own eyes.

 

Top girl runners were: Anna Parrott (10:05), Caroline Hall (10:13), Lauren Cook (10:47), Maxine Pendras (11:16), Elle Svensson-Stewart (10:51) and Julia Henning (11:40). Top boy runners were Ranbir Pental (11:14), Saul Kontos-Cohen (11:20), Alec Beck (11:20) and Logan Hancock (12:17).

 

 

- Matt Brooke

 

 

Coaching 11-14 year-old boys can be a challenge. They can be aggressive, physical, socially awkward and at times emotionally sensitive. It does help if there is strong leadership and a preexisting skill set for soccer, which is a very complex, dynamic and fast-paced game. Building a cohesive team, camaraderie and understanding of team tactics and strategies are essential.

 

Losing games is an opportunity to learn and build upon skills and strategies, and we had that opportunity three times this season. As a coach, I hoped that our young athletes learned from these matches and benefited from the teaching and training. Our last game against Crosspoint Academy proved they had. The Warriors were a talented and dangerous team. We played at their field. They opened with a goal against us, but our boys were focused and ended the first half with a score of 2:2. They went on to showcase their skills, physical abilities and tactical savvy in the second half. That second half play was the most satisfying game I have ever seen. We were utilizing space, passing, running in to open field and finishing our attacks with a “whip.” The final score was 8:2 for us, and we clinched the Middle Chinook championship title for a seventh year on a row.

 

 

- Emil Verbovski

 

 

 

This year we had an amazing squad of 39 girls. The Gators had 12 players on the varsity squad, 19 on JV, and 7 swing players. Our varsity was led by captains Grace Donahue and Wyndham Gray while our JV was led by captains Abbie Crist and Nadine Gibson. 

 

Varsity had a strong season, falling only to Carbonado and Rainier Christian. JV went undefeated in all league matches. Many of the JV players were also able to play in a few scrimmages. Our friendly rivalry with Carbonado continues, as they were again our biggest challenge. The players showed resilience and adaptability, and learned valuable lessons in accountability with wins as well as the losses. Overall, all teams showed incredible improvement in skill, confidence, and teamwork. The season ended with a fun intra-squad scrimmage between the JV teams and the 8th graders playing against the Middle School faculty.

 

The end of the season awards went to Grace Donahue (MVP); Merryn Coumou and Adia Carei (Most Improved); and Nadine Gibson (Gatorship)

 

 

-Jen McConnell & Nate Jones

 

 

 

Cross country had five strong athletes compete this year, with three returning runners and two new recruits. This small but mighty group represented Annie Wright’s freshman through senior classes. One of the most rewarding parts of the season was seeing the effort and commitment of this tightly knit band of athletes. Their work paid off in the form of consistent improvement from all the runners. The girls faced grueling workouts, with an average practice consisting of one hour of weight lifting followed by a five to six mile run. On other days, we’d focus on speed work, running up to sixteen 400s at a taxing pace.

 

Our team competed in six league meets this season – one as close by as Wright Park, with most being held north of Seattle. The girls represented AWS well at the district meet on Whidbey Island. Anna Haddad placed 7^th out of 84 runners and returned to States as a sophomore, for her second, consecutive year. She ran a strong race, placing 28th in 20:12, taking off 40 seconds and 15 places from last year. The team was led in spirit and tenacity by Meghan Hansen, our sole senior, who will be greatly missed next year.

 

Another year has passed quickly, but we’re already looking forward to next season and recruiting a new crop of runners to build on our solid base. With some strong 8^th grade runners in the Annie Wright Middle School this year, the future is looking bright.

 

 

-Troy Droubay

 

 

The Upper School Girls' soccer team continued to focus on improvement and a "Team First" attitude this year.  There was great progress with each game, especially with individual skill on the ball and team defending.  The team worked hard and supported each other throughout the season, ending with a big 2-1 win over Eastside Prep on Senior Day.  

 

Cate Farrell was recognized with an Honorable Mention on the Emerald City All-League Team. The girls also honored their fellow teammates with the following awards: MVP: Cate Farrell, Gatorship Award: Elle Hanson, Most Improved: Chloe Frey. The coaches recognized Lexy Sullivan and Emmanuelle Beaurpere with Coaches Awards.

- Niki Taylor

 

 

Annie Wright Upper School's varsity volleyball team finished the regular season undefeated, with a record of 13-0 in the Emerald City League and an overall record of 15-2. After the regular season, the team defeated Forest Ridge to win the league tournament, earning them an automatic bid to the state championship tournament in Yakima. They won their first round, placing them in the upper bracket, the first time Annie Wright volleyball has achieved this placement since 2009.

All four seniors received all-league honors. Britnie Casillas was named MVP; Annika Cederstrand and Abbey Turner are 1st team; and Lauren Leeden is 2nd team. In addition, Jeff Grosshans was named Coach of the Year. Britnie was also voted onto The News Tribune’s All-Area Volleyball 2^nd Team, an honor that is very rare for any student from a small school.
 

-Jeff Grosshans

 

 

I really enjoyed coaching the JV team this year. Some of our strengths this season were the strides we made in passing and defense. The girls were able to pass some very tough serves and dig hits from the opposing teams. Although we struggled with our serving during games, I was very proud that the girls never gave up trying to perfect their overhand serves during practice. At the beginning of the season, the JV girls were playing the positions they were standing in; by the end of the season, each girl had a designated position and was excelling in that position. This was a huge amount of growth. I look forward to next year!

 

 

-Sarah Squiers

 

 

C Team
The C team this year brought together players from all over the world. Many of our athletes had never touched a volleyball until August of this year, while others had been playing for over two years. When we first met in the small gym, controlled passing as a team was a challenge. It took many weeks, but we could eventually keep the point going for several rallies.

 

Our greatest strength was our enthusiasm and love of the game. When it was announced that C-team might only practice 3 times a week until 5:15, there was practically a revolt. Players demanded we stay longer, come every day (including some Saturdays), and continue to work on skill development and position defense. The highlight of the season would have to be the final game. It was a nail-bitter that went down to the final game in a best of three series. The C team played valiantly, they played like champions, and they won.

 

 

- Jeremy Stubbs