Fall has always been a great season for Storm King’s student-athletes, with our teams collectively winning eight conference championships within the last five years. This year, after the addition of the girls cross country team to the fall athletics roster, it didn’t take long for Athletic Director Joseph Graziosi to declare the Drive for Five – five league championships, that is. “We are now represented in all of the five championship sports offered in our conference, The Hudson Valley Athletic League. Now we can pursue the goal of winning all five championships offered in the fall season – a feat that has never been accomplished by any school,” says an enthusiastic Mr. Graziosi.
With all the teams just past the mid-season mark and sporting exceptional records, the possibility of reaching this lofty goal is very real. Boys Cross Country is leading the way with an overall record of 9-0 so far. Following close behind them are the female harriers who currently stand at 7-1. The boys and girls varsity soccer teams have also earned the outstanding records of 11-4 and 6-4 respectively.
To round out SKS’ fall roster, the girls volleyball team is holding on to its #1 ranking in the league for the second week in a row. After their latest win against Oakwood, their league record stands at 7-1 and 11-3 overall. “The varsity team is having a great year so far, playing beyond my expectations,” explains Coach Jeanette McMahon. “Not only are the girls improving their individual skills, but they have really gelled together as a team. The captains provide great examples of leadership to the rest of the team, and they all have a lot of team spirit.”
According to Ms. McMahon, the first game of the season was the most difficult against a tough rival – Faith Christian Academy. Since their initial loss, the girls on the team have dedicated themselves to improving. Their efforts later paid off with a series of decisive wins, including a satisfying victory their second time against FCA.
“The varsity starters of Captains Catherine Zeng, Caitlin Jones, and Rory Tobin, and Linyin Wang, Coco Chen, and Margot Yang have a superb ability to execute a great pass from the opposing team’s serve or spike to the setter, and then attack the ball with a strong spike,” continues Ms. McMahon. “Watching the plays many times back and forth to see which team prevails is very exciting – some of the best volleyball I’ve ever seen on the Mountain. Our next home game on Saturday, November 3, against NYMA will be tough, so we are working hard in practices to keep our record unblemished!”