MS boys’ tennis rallies to victory

Despite having only two returning players, boys’ middle school tennis achieved an impressive 5-3 record and took third place at the Greater Orlando Athletic Conference championship tournament. The Saints have been dominant since the tournament’s inception in 2001, winning 11 team championships. The team was led by top seeded 8th grader Maneesh Rajulapati, along with 8th grader Matthew Mapa, who won first place among the second seeds.

MS girls’ tennis smashes the competition

The girls’ middle school tennis team stormed to the top of the district, posting an 8-1 record and claiming second place at the Greater Orlando Athletic Conference championship tournament. The girls had a six game win streak, beating Lake Highland twice and finishing ahead of them in the final tournament. The Saints have won eight team championships since 2001, and did not disappoint this season. The team was led by 8th grader Emily Wilhelm, who placed first at the tournament out of first seeds, and the doubles duo of 7th grader Kelsey Silberbusch and 6th grader Reyna Mapa, who placed first among second seed doubles teams.

MS boys’ lacrosse rebuilds

The boys’ middle school lacrosse team finished with a 2-5 record during this rebuilding season. Along with many inexperienced players, the team had a tough schedule against multiple club teams.

“We didn’t have one standout player this season, but we did a great job working as a team,” coach Mike Hopkins said. “We stress teamwork as a major aspect of the game and believe that it is critical for players to work together if we want to be successful.”

The team will continue to work hard in hopes of improving for next year.

JV girls’ lacrosse shoots to the top

The girls’ JV lacrosse team amassed a 12-3 record over the course of the season, despite being in a district with powerhouse teams such as Winter Park, Hagerty, Oviedo High and Lake Howell. The team consisted of 31 players, with 28 of them currently in middle school. Head Coach Rita Kienle was very proud of the team.

“The success of our JV program isn’t just about winning,” Kienle said. “The winning is just the icing on the cake.”

Kienle added that she considers a season a success based not only on competitive success, but also on players’ daily improvement and on the frienships they made. Compared to last year’s 9-4 record, the team has vastly improved and recently won its final game against the dominant West Orange High School.

MS baseball improves and triumphs

The middle school baseball team earned a 3-6 record this season, a strong improvement from last year’s winless season. However,, the team lost in the Greater Metro Orlando Conference (GMOC) tournament to Windermere Prep in April. Coach David Langdon said the future looks bright with 6th graders Thomas Kienle and Charlie Lehr having left a big impact this season.

JV softball steals some superb victories

The JV softball team finished with a 3-5 record, despite having a young and inexperienced team. The Saints’ biggest rival this season was Lake Highland, whom they beat earlier in the season. Some of the top hitters this season were 8th grader Sidney Seybold, 7th grader Katie Wright and 8th grader Sophie Robinson. According to coach Ralph Mazza, 8th grader Sophie Carr did a solid job pitching for the team this year. Though facing the diffuclty of having an inexperienced team, Mazza looks forward to building on this season and winning even more next year.

MS boys’ track sprints to success

The boys’ middle school track team demolished its competition, earning first place at the Greater Orlando Athletic Conference championship in April with a score of 156-90. The team’s biggest rival was The First Academy, whom they beat at every meet. The team was led by 8th grader Orlando Cicilioni in distance running, 8th grader Caleb Hodges in sprinting and 8th grader Cole Best in throwing. Best never finished below second place in any meet. According to coach Ryan Bowden, the team has definitely improved since last season.

“I think we’re a stronger team overall, and I think our boys really stepped up this season,” Bowden said.

The team hopes to have an even stronger season next year.

MS girls’ track finishes as runner-up

   The girls’ middle school track team finished a successful season as the runner up at the Greater Orlando Athletic Conference championship, barely losing to Lake Highland. The team was led by 7th grader Leah Keefe in distance running, 7th grader Grace Wheeler in sprinting and 8th grader Clara Dowdy in throwing. Dowdy has won first place in every single meet in shot put and discus.