This past fall sports season was an admirable one for Walsh Jesuit. Congratulations on a hard fought season, Warrior athletes, and thanks for plenty of memorable moments.

Fall Sports (in alphabetical order):

Cross Country—Boys

Boys’ cross country had another solid season and placed well in districts, but the team did not move on to states. But senior Nate Ondracek reached several milestones this season, such as qualifying for states for the third consecutive year as an individual runner, winning the North Coast League (NCL) Boys’ Cross Country MVP for the third straight year, and taking first place in the NCL Cross Country Championship meet. Nate capped off an incredible career at Walsh Jesuit by placinging 58^th in the state meet. Congratulations to Nate on making the W shine. Next season, the team looks to promising underclassmen to fill Nate’s shoes.

Cross Country—Girls

 After a season filled with many runners achieving many personal records (PR), the girls’ cross country team ended their season by achieving 6^th place at the district meet. There the team all ran their best PRs, but it was not enough to overcome the tough competition in their loaded district. On the other hand, junior Amelia Figler ran a PR of 19:55 and placed 15^th out of 91 individual runners at the district meet, good enough to advance to the regional meet. The team was very young overall and shows lots of potentia,l including first year runners and varsity letter winners freshman Katie Williams and sophomore Danielle Zsembik.

Field Hockey

As a relatively new girls team (this season marked only the 2^nd year as a WJ varsity sport), the field hockey team finished the season with a 3-8-1 record. The team will only further expand and grow over the next few years. One of the biggest highlights of the season was Senior Night when the team defeated Orange 4-0 to finish the seniors’ home career off with a win.

Football

The Football Warriors’ record (0-10) does not reflect the team’s persistence and solid performance. Every game was close, and the team experienced several late-game heartbreakers. On another note, several eager sophomores stepped up due to injuries among veteran players and had a major impact on the team. One of those players is sophomore Bobby Perebzak who stepped up at defensive end in week four and became a dominant force on defense, recording several sacks each week of the season. As for the future, the team has promising talent in the freshmen and sophomore classes, both filled with players who have gained valuable varsity experience. Additionally, the team is expecting to have a new head coach next year.

Golf—Boys

The boys’ golf team had a successful season, advancing to the OHSAA State Tournament this year. The team placed 2^nd at the NCL Boys’ Golf Championship and finished 9^th at the state tournament with a team score of 352-333 = 665+109. Sophomore Ben Coors was a co-medalist at the OHSAA District Tournament with a score of 71. Next year the team will be led by current junior Colton Levy and sophomore Ben Coors, both of whom have lots of experience and shoot in the low 70 range.

Golf—Girls

Winning the NCL Girls’ Golf championship and making it to the district tournament topped off the girls’ golf season. In addition to being the NCL Champs, Coach Bill Reilly was named NCL Girls’ Golf Coach of the Year. At the district tournament, the team placed 9^th with a team score of 349. Seniors Audrey Zedella and Tina Geiger both had great seasons, and the next season the team will lose them both to graduation.

Soccer—Boys’

The boys’ soccer team finished with a 9-6-3 record. They fell in the 2^nd round of the playoffs to Stow-Monroe Falls High School. Junior Michael McShannic was named NCL Boys’ Defensive MVP for his defensive efforts. Throughout the season the team was led by the strong efforts of senior captains Sam Thompson, Nick Labbe, and Colson Brown. A notable feat was achieved by Danny Romanchok, a freshman who made the varsity team. Next season the team will look to two-year varsity letterman junior Michael McShannic and third-year varsity letterman junior Jack Dawson as leaders of the team.

Soccer—Girls’

After finishing with a regular season record of 16-1, the girls’ soccer team has plenty to be proud of. Although ranked 5^th in the state and 35^th in the country, the team lost a heartbreaker to Hudson 0-1 in overtime in the district semifinal. Nevertheless, the Lady Warriors racked up plenty of awards. The team captured the NCL Championship this season. As for individual awards, junior Morgan Pentz was named NCL Girls’ Soccer Offensive MVP, and senior defender Halle Rogers was honored as NCL Girls’ Soccer Defensive MVP. The team graduates several seniors who have a ton of varsity experience over the course of their careers, including four-year starters Halle Rogers and Bella Rosalina. Next year the team will be led by goalie Kiera Sarka and offensive player Morgan Pentz, both juniors.

Girls’ Tennis

The girls’ tennis team won the NCL Championship this season and had several players earn league honors. Senior Lilly Joyce was named NCL Singles MVP while senior Katie Devine and junior Tatum Carmichael were named NCL Doubles MVPs. Coach Rocco Cona was honored as NCL Tennis Coach of the Year.

Girls’ Volleyball

The girls’ volleyball team had a very successful season with a record of 16-10. The team captured the sectional title over Copley, won the district title by defeating Stow, and advanced to the Regional Semifinal. In that contest, the Lady Warriors lost a heartbreaker to Massillon Jackson 3-1. Throughout the season, the team was led by the exceptional play of senior Dana Dull. Sophomore Amelia Smith gained lots of valuable experience as the team’s starting libero and will be a key contributor to the team in the future. Next season the team will lose experienced seniors Dana Dull, Jackie Deininger, Claire Constantino, Kortney Holland, Katie Freund, and Maddy Ligan, so the team will look to several underclassmen to step up.

Congratulations to all the Warrior athletes on making the W shine, and best of luck to all the senior athletes jas they move on to their college careers.