The anticipation for this year’s Sting radiated through the Johnson center, filled with school spirit. After being canceled for the past two years straight, Hackley hosted the 2023 Winter Sting. With the venues filled for all the games, athletes and coaches appreciated the support and loved the environment.

“This was my first time playing at Winter Sting and the energy was very cool. It was definitely the biggest crowd we have gotten for any of our games and it was awesome to play in front of,” sophomore Jack Perlman said.

The Boys’ Varsity Basketball team faced Poly Prep, who entered the game as the #1 seed in the Ivy league. The boys battled hard, but after Poly separated late in the game, the boys fell to Poly by a score of 62-47. Senior Captain Isaiah Ndzibah led the team with 15 points.

One notable Hackley victory was the Boys’ Squash team. The boys matched up against Poly Prep and looked to stay undefeated in the Ivy league. The team did just that, securing a dominant 5-2 victory and moving to 6-0 in the league. The boys currently sit as the #1 seed and look to continue their hot streak going into the NYSAIS tournament.

Up in the fencing studio, Hackley fencers were hard at work against Scarsdale High. Boys’ foil came out victorious with an impressive win against the strong Scarsdale team. Girls’ foil and épée also had notable strong performances that night.

The Hackley wrestling team had a tough matchup against Poly Prep, losing by a thin margin. In the last match, Hackley came up short 33-36 and lost the overall meet by 3 points, proving themselves to be a strong and committed team.

The night game of the Sting featured the Girls’ basketball team up against Poly Prep. Hackley jumped out to an early lead but Poly battled back scoring with 11 seconds left to take a one-point lead. The girls lost by a score of 68-67. Junior Captain Alessa Mendoza led the team with 23 points.

Although Hackley did not come out victorious in most of the events, seeing families, alumni, and students pack the Johnson Center for the first winter Sting since Covid, served as a reminder of Hackley’s great supportive community.