As winter sports are approaching, many seniors have bittersweet feelings about their last season. Whether they are competing in basketball, winter track, bowling, swimming, or ice hockey, they all hold fond memories of team bonding and group achievements, and hope to set a similar tone for the underclassmen.
Long-time winter track athlete senior Aviv Mosayov reflects on one of her greatest accomplishments: competing at New Balance Nationals.
“Our coach at the time, Mike, was so proud of us for making it, and the general air around the race was so exciting,” Mosayov said.
Going into her last season, Mosayov hopes to carry on former coach Mike Ippolito’s legacy by being a source of positivity for her teammates.
“After going through a long cross-country season where I was the ‘veteran,’ I learned that I have to keep the mindset that our old coach had. During pep talks before races, I often heard myself saying the same things that he used to tell us, and that’s because they were true!” Mosayov said.
Arhaan Gandhi, a senior swimmer, emphasizes the connection he’s built with his teammates.
“Joining freshman year, I was really hesitant, but now I realize that I didn’t just join a sport, I joined a family and community. I hope to convey that to the incoming members of the team because we are more than just a team,” Gandhi said.
Similarly, senior of the hockey team, William Park, highlights his favorite moments of team bonding.
“From late-night games, bus rides home were one of the best parts, especially being with older teammates to look up to. I was so lucky to have these experiences as a younger player, and those earlier days have helped me grow as a person and a skater,” Park said.
This year, Park strives to be a leader in the same manner that his past teammates have.
“I’ll make sure to be supportive of all underclassmen and lead by example. I’m also looking forward to leading our team into a stronger season and definitely beating Tenafly,” Park said.
Senior of the bowling team, Nora Colwell, also highlights her goal of serving as a role model.
“As a senior, I definitely want to get to know all the new players and make sure they feel welcome, and I also want to preserve all the traditions that are a big part of what makes being on the team so fun,” Colwell said.
Colwell remembers how exciting it was to qualify for sectional finals last season, and hopes to continue making similar strides.
“I would say my favorite moment was last year when we beat Fort Lee to make it to the sectional finals because we only won by 2 pins, so it was really close. We got to go to the finals in North Brunswick, and I also made it to individual finals with two other girls on the team, so it was really fun to experience that together,” Colwell said.
Reflecting on his last few years of wrestling, senior Marco Suarez especially recalls his first time competing.
“The feeling I got when I finally pinned my opponent down was unreal, very different from the feeling of winning a football game, because I knew that I had actually accomplished something by myself in what felt like a long time,” Suarez said.
Suarez, unfortunately, won’t be able to compete this season due to a concussion from football, but he still plans to support the team in any way he can.
“I know our starting lineup this year is going to be very strong, and I am fully expecting a successful season,” Suarez said.
Joel Mathew, senior of the boys basketball team, also emphasizes the importance of maintaining a strong team despite losing some players.
“For this season, a lot of teams think that we are gonna be bad since we lost our three best players last year. We want to prove to the whole county and Northern Jersey that we’re still one of the top teams in Jersey.”
As the other senior athletes mentioned, Mathew looks forward to seeing the team’s efforts pay off.
“We’re really excited for this upcoming season, and we’ve been working really hard for the past couple of months,” Mathew said.
