As the Viking Winter Athletic Season approaches its halfway mark, the team identities for all sports have begun to form. With just a month or so left in the season, the mid-point serves as a time for teams to target what they need to improve on as they grind their way to potential post-season success! Good luck to all Viking athletes as they come down the final stretch of regular season competition!

Girls Basketball

The girls basketball team has improved immensely compared to last year’s squad. The girls currently possess a record of 6-4 and hope they can continue to build upon the momentum that they have created thus far. The team’s current leading scorer, sophomore Zaria McBride, expects to lead the Vikings to victory over rival Bexley this Saturday the 18^th!

Swimming

After an impressive finish at the Canton North-East Classic, a meet filled with Division 1 talent, both the male and female swimmers have proven their ability to compete. With MSL Meet next week and states just one month off, seniors Mitchell Dreisbach and India Sherman will continue to push their teammates to new heights in the pool. The swimmers have multiple home meets throughout the next couple of weeks, so continue to support them as their schedule becomes increasingly important.

Bowling

In Academy’s 3^rd year of having a bowling program, the success is already starting to roll in! The guys squad has an exceptional 9-0 record right now, while the girls are currently 4-2 after a close loss to Whetstone on Wednesday. The teams are captained my Emma Farrenkopf 15’ and Max Smith 15’ and Aaron Brown 15’ respectively! For those who are unaware, the bowlers often compete at HP Lanes, which is only 10 minutes from Academy. There are 3 more meets at HP for the bowlers, and the bowlers hope the student body can find time to watch their team knock down its competition!

Wrestling

The wrestlers continue to dominate their competition. They entered the season returning with significant talent in the junior class, and that experience has certainly paid off. The team is currently 3-1 after a tough loss to Mt. Gilead, but even with that loss, multiple wrestlers placed individually in the meet! Juniors Dan Jones, Reed Clark, Taylor Smallridge, Tim Leathery, and Sam Wittman have all been very reliable this season, and as the MSL meet approaches you can expect a commendable finish from the Vikings as usual!

Written by Lee Solomon’14

Boys Basketball

After a slow start, this years boys basketball team is off to a promising start. Led by captains Jonathan Kornberg and Grayson Wise, the team restarts league play next week. Be sure to make it out to the next big game against Bexley next Friday!

Written by Sarah Fornshell’16

Photos courtesy of Bob Lee