Winter Sports Update

Winter Sports Update

By Patrick Rita

Sentry Staff Reporter

 

Basketball:

The Varsity Boys Basketball team responded to their pre-holiday skid by winning three out of four games at their annual Falls Church Tournament over the winter break.  After losing to many district opponents before the break, the Patriots started the New Year strong by defeating rival Washington-Lee in overtime at home. The team also won by a wide margin against Hayfield, a game they were not expected to win.  Although they have had to deal with countless illnesses and player ineligibility, this team has found ways to persevere.  This was at full display in their overtime thriller against Stuart High School, where Yorktown won by just two points.

The Varsity Girls Basketball team has struggled to find much success this season but they are looking forward to more district games to prove that they are district championship contenders.  After a recent victory at Wakefield, the team has developed a new, positive attitude that they look to carry with them in their tough stretch of district games.  In contrast to the boys’ team, the girls lost three of their four games in the Lady Crusader Basketball Tournament over the winter break at Riverdale Baptist High School.  However, that tournament is a thing of the past now that the team has developed their own swagger and confidence.

 

Swimming/Diving:

The Boys Swim/Dive teams jumped out to a hot 5-0 record, all against district opponents. However, their true test came against W-L, the only team to beat the Patriots last year. This meet came down to one, final race, with Yorktown winning by just one point, soiling Washington-Lee’s Senior Night. It was a major victory for the Swim/Dive teams that they will need going into the rest of the season.

The Girls Swim/Dive teams have performed much like the boys, crushing every opponent they have faced. Their meet against W-L was not nearly as close, but was still a confidence boost that propelled them to the District meet.  At the District meet, the girls performed very well, winning the National District Title.  They are also looking to make their presence known at the Regional meet, where many swimmers are looking to qualify.

 

Wrestling:

The wrestling team ended their winless streak on January 9th in a meet that included Woodson, W-L and Stonebridge.  They then backed it up with a tie in the Annandale Duals meet at Annandale High School.  The team appears to be catching their stride at very opportune time, seeing that the post-season is now in full swing.  A challenge that has plagued this year’s team has been learning how to make up for the many seniors on last year’s team that graduated, many of whom won the District Tournament at their respective weight classes.

 

Gymnastics:

The Gymnastics team is much improved this year.  They are hovering right around the #2 seed in the district as the district meet approaches. There are many underclassmen on the team this year, which means there is a bright future for the gymnastics team.  A major accomplishment for this year’s team has been winning their first meet in a couple of years.  With multiple schools participating, it is difficult to win a gymnastics meet, but this team finally broke the ice and earned a victory.  This could be the success they need to change that #2 seed to a #1 seed as they prepare for the district and regional meets.

 

Indoor Track:

In relation to the district, the Indoor Track team is right around the middle of the pack this year.  Much like the swimming, wrestling and gymnastics teams, the district tournament coming up will be the true measurement for how the teams place and for which athletes qualify for the regional and state tournaments in their respective meets.  On a positive note, Coach Stripe is very proud of the fact that every member of the Indoor Track team has improved in some way since the first meet.  Hopefully, everyone can keep up their improvement through the end of the season and into the spring track and field season.

 

Rifle:

The rifle team has only lost one match this season, and is taking control of the Potomac High School Rifle League, consisting of schools from Fairfax to Maryland.  According to Coach Traci Yates, this is one of the strongest teams that she has ever coached and is led by seniors Chrissy Thomas, who is ranked the 6th best air rifle shooter in the league, and Duncan Worrall.  There are also a few up-and-coming underclassmen that have will carry the team when Thomas and Worrall graduate.  Yates says that the team will be looking good heading into their Regional Championship and looks to place very high.

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