Max Giles ‘21, Case Hummer ‘20:
The girls’ spring sports teams are gearing up for their season.
The girls’ spring track team is looking to build upon their successful season last year, where they finished 2nd in the Inter-Ac and at PAISAA. The team is full of young talent that is excited to start training and upperclassmen captains, Julia DePillis ‘18, Molly Giles ‘18, and Jillian Rotman ‘18, that are looking to continue their success. Doug Borgerson, Middle School Athletic Director and Girls’ Track Coach, says, “The team is full of enthusiasm, energy, and willingness to try new events.” He claims that, “A positive attitude along with the great preparation that has been done throughout the winter is what makes our team have such great depth.” The team is improving this year and is hoping to compete for both the Inter-Ac and PAISAA Championships. Borgerson attributes the team’s success to a willingness to try new events. He explains, “This is why [we] are always able to finish within the top 3. That is our greatest strength, our depth.”
The softball team, similar to the track team, is coming off a successful season finishing second in the Inter-Ac’s and making it to the semi-final game of the PAISAA tournament last year. They are planning on performing even better this year. Kelly Edwards, Upper School Math Teacher and Softball Coach, describes her team as, “Very fast, fluid and with great talent.” Although this year’s team is young with many underclassmen, they hope to shape the roster for the years to come. They have built from the ground up after losing five seniors and, even though the team is different than last year, it is full of talent and plans for success this spring.
Last year, the crew team often finished in second place behind Conestoga, but intends to take over first place this upcoming season. Last year, the girls’ novice team came in 6th in the City Championships. The squad of sophomores plan to improve their ranking this year. The team, led by Molly Konopka, Classics Teacher and Crew Coach, is encouraged to broaden their athletic horizons and explore the running sports at EA to improve their conditioning. Konopka states, “Our team is asked to be very responsible every day. They need to rush to the bus and arrive at the river in all kinds of weather. Our early-morning practices demand a great deal of dedication. The student-athletes need to be prepared for cold, wet, windy and adverse weather.” The crew team’s depth and drive is leading them to a promising season on the river. Konopka, commenting on the team’s dynamic, states, “Our team is very supportive of each other and makes practices productive on most days. It is fun to see such dedication to improvement.”
After losing only three players to graduation and with nine returning seniors on the team, the 2018 girls’ lacrosse squad is reminiscent of the 2017 Undefeated Inter-Ac Champions. Varsity Head Coach Josie Tomaino explains, “I feel very optimistic and excited for the upcoming season. We have many experienced and talented players returning as well as a large, hardworking freshman class. While we have a lot of work to do and a very difficult schedule ahead of us, I feel confident that we will rise to the challenge. We’re ready to win the Inter-Ac again and take back the PAISAA title.” Tomaino adds, “We’re really looking to immediately build upon our current systems. We’re adding new sets to our attack to take advantage of all our talent and we’re implementing new formations and strategies on defense to become even harder to beat. We’re very focused this year on playing as a unit and being even more dynamic in all areas of our game.”
The girls’ golf team is setting up for a strong spring season. Their biggest competitors will be Notre Dame and Agnes Irwin. Historically, Notre Dame has been their biggest threat. However, they lost many of their players from last year. This year, Agnes Irwin poses a threat with two particularly strong players. After bringing a record number of players to the Individual Championships last year, the golf team’s captains feel cofident heading into this year’s matches. “I am so excited for the season. The team is small this year but I think we have a lot of talent,” shares co-captain Abby Baggini ‘18.