Underclassmen Excel in Off-Campus Sports
Credit: Kit Greenberg
Kit Greenberg, a nationally ranked diver, often wakes up before dawn to train for diving.
November 20, 2015
Hackley’s underclassmen have already shown o their athletic talents on the elds this fall, but some, like freshman Kit Greenberg, sophomore Spencer Diaz, and freshman Danny Casper, have hidden athletic talents that they do not have the chance to show off at Hackley.
When she’s not horseback riding or playing Hackley Varsity Tennis, Freshman Kit Greenberg is in the water. Kit is a dedicated young diver who was ranked sixth overall at AT&T USA Diving Nationals last year. She dives with the High Dive Champions, who train at Purchase College.
Kit trains every day, waking up on Wednesday mornings before 6 a.m. to dive before school. Her competition season begins in the winter and lasts throughout the summer. She has earned her rank- ings through regional and national meets all over the country and in Canada.
is past summer, Kit ranked nationally 21st on platform, 20th on the one meter springboard, and ranked 18th on the three meter springboard. “When I was six,I started by diving o my uncle’s house in Wisconsin, and then my mom saw an ad in the paper, and the rest was history,” said Kit; she loves the adrenaline and rush she gets while ying through the air.
Sophmore Spencer Diaz is a key member of the New York Saints ice hockey team. He practices in Monsey, New York three times a week, but he travels all over the country and even to Canada for games with his team. The New York Saints are ranked within the top 30 in the country. Spencer ha also been a member of North Jersey Avalanche, a team that was ranked in the top ten in the country.
What started as a family bonding experience became a lifestyle for this competitive sophomore. “I started playing hockey when I was six years old because my grandpa used to always talk about the Rangers and we would watch hockey on T.V. together. Now, I love how fast paced it is, and the non-stop action. I’ve made countless memories and met some of my best friends playing hockey. I love getting to compete against some of the best kids in the country because it inspires me to work harder so I can improve as a hockey player,” said Spencer.
Freshman Danny Casper excels at something that you don’t hear about every day. He curls for the Ardsley Curling Club at the Ardsley Country Club. He comes from a family of curlers. His cousins and his uncles have been to Junior Nationals, and his uncle actually coached one of the Olympic teams.
Danny practices for two hours every day, but he doesn’t have an actual practice schedule. He competes as a junior (ages 12 to 21) on a team of four people. His team has won a lot of events and is doing well. “Ranking wise, you really only win or you don’t. If you win a lot of events people start to know who you are but you are not ranked,” said Danny.
Curling takes up much of his time, but for Danny, it’s worth it. “I love the strategic aspect of the game. What bothers me the most is that people don’t think it is physically challenging, but it requires stamina, balance, and strength,” said Danny.