The weather’s just beginning to warm up, and already Academy’s pre-season records show that our sports teams are already on fire.
Captains: Grayson Wise ‘14, Reed Clark ‘15, Tyler Krumlauf ‘14, Conner Nelson ‘14
The boys began with a shaky start and a little bad luck, losing their first scrimmage to Olentangy Orange. A rained- out game followed for the second game. High hopes for improvement from the 7-7 record of last season are still strong. It’s important to keep in mind that this is only Academy’s third year of boys lacrosse.
Dan Jones’15, Josh Collins’15, Reed Clark’15, and goalie, Matt Schmidt’16, are expected to hold down the goal and defense end of the field this year. While potential leading scorers Grayson Wise’14, Carter Kissler’15, and Otis Klingbeil’16 should be watched. It may have been a rocky scrimmage, but all the hours in the gym and Cherry Bottom field have to pay off someday. Expect an upset from the underdogs.
Girls Lacrosse
Captains: Rachel Theis ‘14, Courtney Gittins ‘14
The start the season with a win. They claimed their first victory over Naples Gulf Coast High School during the last week of Spring Break. The girls opened strong in this game with a score of 14-3. Unfortunately, they then lost in their first Ohio game to Thomas Worthington 12-13. The loss came after an intense sudden death overtime. However, coming this close to a D1 school like Thomas says a lot for the teams talent. Luckily, this loss won’t count in their tournament ranking. The offensive line organized and directed by Courtney Gittins ‘14 and Kat Restrepo ‘14. While the defensive line is led by Rachael Theis ‘14, Paige Berliner ‘14, and Kelly Brown ‘15. As the last line of defense, Lawson Stump ‘16 holds up the back of the field in goal. This stellar lineup and strong leadership show a promising season ahead.
Boys Tennis
Captains: Ryan Jung ‘14, Evan Alexander ‘14
The boys opened with a shutout over Thomas Worthington on the first Tuesday of April, 5-0. The next day, they also beat Lexington High School 4-1. Seemingly normal, but this was a huge game since Academy lost to them last year in the D-II state championship. It’s almost as if the momentum from last year never died. Hopefully the teams talent will carry them far enough to defeat top ranked opponents this season such as Mason High School, Sycamore High School, and Cincinnati Country Day.
Boys Track
Captains: Jake Tuckerman ‘14, Jack Lint ‘14, Aron Aziz ‘14, Isaac Sheumaker ‘14
The guys kicked off their season with a bang. Defeating Worthington Christian, Patriot Prep, Gahanna Christian, and Horizon Science in their first meet 163-73, the boys are off to a great start. The meet embodied a true team effort with point contributions by new and veteran members alike. Most impressive were Academies placement of first, second, third, and fifth in the mile. A potential foreshadow for the luck in long distances to come this season.
Girls Track
Captains: Jill Woodard ‘14, Maddie Burns ‘14
The girls followed the boys with the winning trend. They also raced against Worthington Christian, Patriot Prep, Gahanna Christian, and Horizon Science for their first meet, and easily stole the meet. 2014 will be a year to remember for girls track because of the high potential in the invitationals and state meet. One of the strongest runners on the team, Julia Rizk ‘15, looks to race in the 400m and 800m this season. There is an equal combination of old and new talent, including Audrey Grammel ‘17 and her contribution in the 3200m. Other people to keep an eye out for are Jill Woodard ‘14 in field events, Jessica Hile ‘16 in throwing, and Maddie Burns ‘14 in hurdle events. So much talent on one team can only lead to success this season.
Baseball
Captains: Lee Solomon ‘14, Charlie ‘14
The boy’s baseball team follows suit with many of the other spring sports teams and starts their season off with a win. They began with a huge shutout over Fisher Catholic 13-0 in only five innings. Following their streak, they beat Pleasant High School 11-2 the next day. Within the first two games both Scott Mackenzie ‘15 and Grey Harmon ‘16 have already pitched no hitter innings. Great pitchers, a strong outfield, and two college sport committed captains combine perfectly for a powerful team.
by Christina Lee’16
