A Successful Winter Sports Season
Winter sports have exploded onto the scene this semester, with many teams having explosive openings into the new sports. In indoor track, the team has had “a strong start to the season” with hopes of doing their best in future meets and races. In some events, like the men’s 4x400, the team has already won medals and achieved outstanding feats. Runners Alex Kho, Tristan Strand, Shiloh Hay, and Ronan Marston achieved a time of 3:39 together, placing first ahead of everyone else, along with all of the team members getting sub-55-second splits. Three of the four members of the team are underclassmen, showing real potential for future seasons where all they can do is get better and improve their times. Early in the season, ninth graders Vivian Ostfeld, Alex Kho, and Tristan Strand all qualified for nationals in their respective events. Sophomore Shiloh Hay, who runs the 300 meters and 55 meters hurdles, says the team is “meeting and exceeding goals” and that “this is the best track season in a while.” Shiloh joined track to improve his stamina but found that the team environment where everyone has a place is a great way to spend the winter. He says that the team and coaches are all helpful and give each other suggestions on any way to improve. They look forward to a stellar finish, hopefully just as strong as they started.
The Riverdale Hockey Team “came out of the gate swinging this year,” said Senior Center Daniel Keswin, starting with an undefeated 6-0 season. Junior Oscar Green, the team's goalie, described the season as going “amazing” and that the team “is playing great with a lot of young talent.” Both players correctly predicted a win versus rivals Fieldston last Friday when the Falcons slaughtered the Eagles with a final score of 8-2. The team hopes to continue its undefeated run this season and close out the back end of the season, identical to the front. Daniel, who describes himself as a facilitator, has been playing hockey since he was 5. After taking a brief sabbatical, when he heard that Riverdale was starting a team last season, he “decided to get back onto the ice, which was the best decision that [he] ever made.”
In men’s basketball, Riverdale has had a slow start to the season with a 2-9 record. Fortunately, they are gaining momentum with a recent overtime win against Horace Mann. Captain Jack Davis is “disappointed in their record” but says that it is “a year of learning with a new coach and new system” and that “they are excited to get better together and hopefully get more wins." Jack and the team's senior players aim to “set the younger players up for success now and in the future.". The team hopes to gain chemistry and get some wins in a potential playoff push. Despite likely being a low seed, their goal is to “play their best basketball come playoff time.”
In Girls' Varsity Basketball, the team is off to a solid start, with a 6-5 record. Captain Point Guard Stella Good says, "the team is starting off well and is consistently in the top 4 teams in the ivy league.” Even though “the team does not have a lot of height,” says Captain Claire Marriott, the team agrees that defense is their strong suit, and their superb chemistry keeps them going. Fortunately, the two captains put the team's goals before theirs and make sure that the team stays bonded, which is easy for them since they have been playing basketball together since 4th grade at camp, and are optimistic throughout the season even if the shots aren’t falling that day. The team's goals for the season are to “make the playoffs and hopefully win a few games during them.”
Hopefully, all Riverdale Sports Teams will have successful ends to the season and play their best to conclude an exhilarating season.
