Winter Sting Opens a New Athletic Year
Hackley Winter Athletes Poised to Find Success in 2016 Against Horace Mann, Riverdale, and Masters
Credit: Robert Hallock
Junior Gabe Welch waits for the right time to strike. He later went on to pin his opponent.
February 16, 2016
Despite the cold weather and piercing winds, Winter Sting kicked off the 2016 athletic year with successful wins by Boys’ Swimming, Wrestling, Girls’ Basketball, and both Boys’ and Girls’ Squash. The stands at each sporting event were overflowing with fellow students, fans, and loud cheer.
Boys’ and Girls’ Varsity Squash led the way with stinging wins over Riverdale and Masters, respectively. Girls’ Squash had an amazing match, in which every Hackley squash player defeated their opponent in the minimum three sets needed to win a match. In impressive fashion, #9-seeded Hackley Senior Elana Stern defeated the #1-seeded girl from Masters in three matches.
Boys’ Squash also had a great day, going 7-0, winning every matchup. Junior Wyatt Khosrowshahi won his match against Riverdale’s best player who was recruited by Amherst late last year. Junior Tucker van Eck also beat his personal record of his shortest match ever, beating his opponent in a lightning-fast eight minutes. “I am really thankful to everyone who came out. The fans really created a great atmosphere for my teammates and I to come out and play our best. I’m really excited for the rest of the year as our team is definitely one of the strongest teams we’ve ever had in my time here at Hackley,” said Wyatt.
Next, Hackley Wrestling defeated Horace Mann in a nail-biting victory, winning 36-30, albeit not having their full, healthy lineup. Senior Captain George Germanakos won his bout eleven to six, almost pinning his opponent multiple times. “Winning the Sting this year against our biggest rival, Horace Mann, was a very close match. Every match mattered a lot. Jack Kneisley, our freshman at 126 pounds came up big with a pin that helped us clinch the win. Even with a lot of underclassmen on the team and losing important seniors this season to injuries and disciplinary reasons, everyone has really stepped it up. This year isn’t going as well as it could have, but we are making the best out of the talent we have. It’s exciting to watch all the underclassmen in their matches. They are showing a lot of potential,” said George.
Across from the Zetkov Athletic Center, Hackley Boys’ Varsity Swimming thrashed Horace Mann 109-63. Hackley Boys placed first in every event. Sophomore Ryan Schaum swam the 200 yard freestyle in 1:48. Sophomore Liam Bogart placed first in the 50 yard freestyle and 100 yard freestyle swimming times of 22.98 seconds and 49.41 seconds respectively. Girls’ Swimming improved, but fell short in their conquest for the win late Friday evening. One bright spot in their loss was Senior Sarah Schlesinger winning the 50 yard freestyle.
Girls’ Varsity Basketball continued their winning streak to three games, beating Riverdale 46-26. With this victory, Girls’ Basketball is now 7-3 on the season. Despite losing to Riverdale 57-51, Boys’ Varsity Basketball had some bright spots with Senior Darius Inzar dropping dimes and Junior Jordan Patrick playing tough defense.
Junior Andrew Chung was frustrated, but hopeful with both his performance and the team’s performance after the game. “Even though we lost, I am still proud that the team never gave up hope and fought until the end. Despite the early blunders that we committed, our effort in coming back in the second half showed how good we could be. I think that with each game our team chemistry is growing and with more practice we’ll get even better,” said Andrew.
