It comes as no surprise that the 2023 sporting season started with a bang! There’s just one month left in the Fall regular season, here’s a recap of your Pirate’s successes so far.
Arranging a tough preseason for varsity football has set them up for a 2-0 record in league. Keegan Charupoom ‘24, Caden Olsen ‘26, and Justin Diniz ‘24 continue to increase their running yardage thanks to a tough line led by Amani Wilson ‘24. Adding to the Pirates’ triumphs, Tommy Dayton ‘25 leads the defense in tackles and Reggie Bell ‘26 leads the team in interceptions. JV is currently 1-1 in league and looking to battle their way toward a winning season during their next three games.
Wearing their flu shot band-aids like superhero-themed tattoos, the Pirate cross-country team returned to the dusty singletrack and steep hills of Toro Park to compete in PCAL’s Center Meet #2. The boys’ varsity squad was led by Marcus Finley ‘25, who went out hard and hung on for a blistering 17:24 and 7th place. The girls were led by Scarlett Ingram ‘24 with a time of 24:07 landing her 24th place and Amy Rong ‘25 coming in right behind her at 24:41 for 26th place. The JV boys took to the trails behind leader Alex Rushing ‘25, who proved he’s back on form with a season-best 20:21 for 12th place. Finally, the 20-strong frosh-soph boys stormed the course like true pirates, Ian Evangelista ‘27, who seemed to float rather than run to a personal best 20:14 and 7th place.
Girls’ varsity volleyball has showcased their stellar skills on Stevenson’s new court dedicated and renamed the Bill Hankinson court. Stevenson’s lightning-fast start bodes well for the team to compete for their first league championship.
Stevenson’s offense revolves around captain Grace Von Schack ‘24, a returning setter, outside hitter Ava Edwards ‘25, right-side hitter Emma Sonderguard ‘24, and explosive forces on Stevenson’s front line, middle blockers Gina Da Silva ‘25 and Lucia De Marignac ‘25. The Varsity team went undefeated in the gold bracket at the Rancho San Juan Volleyball Smash Tournament. With the help of the team’s strong defense, Taylor Onitsuka ‘24 and Claren Wong ‘24 the Pirates are currently 6-1 in league and pushing hard towards their first possible league title.
Leading the varsity Pirates tennis team for Singles is Lynn Fu ‘25 and Ashley Barsamian ‘24 both with a 9-1 record. In Doubles we have the power teams of Mia Schlenker ‘24 & Sophie Sparano ‘24, Jessie Chen ‘26 & Cici Li ‘26, and Sloane Escher ‘27 & Karen Baker ‘27. Stevenson is 6-0 in league, with an overall record of 10-3 looking to hang their first banner since 2017.
Girls varsity golf started their season with a huge win at the 9th annual Helen Lengfeld Memorial Tournament! Continuing into league play the girls are currently placed second overall after 12 rounds. Consistent medalists have been Coco He ‘26, Lucinda Wu ‘27, and Nikki Iniakov ‘25. Additionally, Nikki Iniakov set a record-low 28 over nine holes at Spyglass!
Water polo season is in full swing and made even better thanks to a generous donation and installation of a state-of-the-art scoreboard at the Morgan Family Pool. Both boys and girl’s teams are using this new scoreboard for home games and tournaments. Players, coaches, and parents alike all share how this new addition elevates the brand of Stevenson Water Polo.
The boys’ water polo team is currently 5-0 in league; Tate Escher ‘24 with 123 saves in 13 games and Laird Welch ‘26 with 64 goals in 12 games are two of many key players for the Pirates’ triumph. On the girl’s side, with Anna Mitchell ‘25 in goal with 58 saves in 10 games, and Emmerson Ferriera ‘25 scoring 43 goals in 10 games, the Pirates are currently 4-0 in league hoping for a repeat championship season.
Now that we are halfway through the season, both field hockey teams have achieved a high level of success. JV has scored in nearly every game; Varsity is currently 4-1 in league play with a postseason on the horizon. Varsity Coach Rosanna says “Overall, the first half of the season has been full of opportunities to learn and grow as individuals and as a program. I am extremely proud of the efforts our students have made this year. It is a pleasure to coach such dedicated and driven student-athletes.”
The Stevenson Sailing Team competed in the first regatta of the season– NorCal 1– held at the Richmond Yacht Club on San Francisco Bay on September 23. Twenty-one pairs from sixteen schools raced in the more experienced Gold Division. Max McCormick ‘24 and Nick Fernandez ‘27 placed 2nd overall after six races, while Abbie Zhang ‘24 and Sadie Marinerstein ‘24 placed 11th.
Stay tuned for the rest of this Fall season as many of your Pirates make the push for postseason play! Follow us on social media @rls_sports to keep up to date with the day-to-day highlights and recaps of your favorite Pirate teams.
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