Swimming
With the arrival of spring sports, the swim season is officially underway, as coaches and athletes are preparing for a season of competition and growth. While the first meet of the year is not until March, swimmers have been in the pool since Feb. 3, working to connect with new teammates and rebuilding their endurance.
According to head coach Bill Barthold, this season is unlike any before.
“This is the largest sign-up number that we’ve ever had,” Barthold said. “Last count was 104 swimmers and we typically get around 70 every year since we don’t cut anyone.”
While the rise in the number of swimmers is certainly exciting, it also requires more efficient management of pool time by coaches, as well as the conditioning of additional swimmers in preparation for the upcoming season.
“It’s a matter of getting to know the new swimmers and getting them conditioned and working on their technique,” Barthold said. “The challenge is if they haven’t been swimming then we have to get them ready in basically a month’s time.”
Despite having lost many key seniors, the returning athletes are confident in their ability to step into leadership roles and maintain the same strong team dynamic as last year.
“Last year a lot of people were willing to take on leadership roles, but they also knew when to take a step back and help other people step up,” said senior Keira McLintock. “I’m pretty confident that the seniors this year will be able to fill that role and keep up not only team spirit but also our scores.”
Moving forward, the team is focused on two key aspects: confidence and commitment.
“Something we can improve on from last year is having everyone be more confident in swimming in all of the events and making sure we have enough people in each event at the meets,” said junior Lily Anagnoson.
Along with building confidence, Barthold emphasized the importance of dedication.
“The biggest thing we need to work on is commitment,” Barthold said. “I don’t expect them to be the fastest in the world, I just want them to be the fastest they can be. And that takes commitment.”
With the first meet set for March 7 hosting Carlmont, the team continues to work hard in the pool, hoping to kick off the season with a win.
Reporting by Phoebe Harger.
Baseball
Ending last year’s season with a record of 15-11 overall and 9-5 in league, the Dons baseball team head into the new year with big goals.
Despite having a winning record, the team was underwhelmed with their performance last year, hoping for better results this season.
“We underperformed with the talent we had,” said senior pitcher Dalton Kane, “We weren’t a bad team at all, we were third overall in the league and I thought we should have been better than that.”
Senior pitcher Josh Jacobs, who committed to play college baseball at Claremont Mckenna, attributed last year’s rough season to the lack of experience on the field.
“We had a lot of juniors that were playing and starting, and we only had a few seniors,” Jacobs said. “Majority of our team were juniors that didn’t have any varsity experience.”
However, he feels that will translate to a stronger performance this season, as many of the players now have a year of experience under their belts.
“We have the experience and we have the talent again this year to be able to go far in whatever [Central Coast Section] division we are in and [the Peninsula Athletic] League,” Jacobs said.
Kane agreed, having high hopes for this season.
“We should win the league,” Kane said. “Hopefully go far in CCS, but definitely to win the league is our number one goal.”
The Don’s strong returning talent, especially on the mound, will prove to be a valuable asset in achieving this feat.
“Our defense is really good, pitching and in the field,” Jacobs said, “Our pitching has stayed the same, and we have a few new guys that can contribute, but the main guys are the same.”
Offense is a different story, as it has been unpredictable in the past.
“Hitting, historically, has been kind of up and down,” Kane said, “It’s hard to tell because it’s only been a few days and we don’t know where we are yet.”
The game to win will be the team’s yearly matchup against Carlemont, a top competitor for the Dons.
“Carlemont is our biggest rival,” Jacobs said, “We play them once instead of our usual two game series so it’s a lot more tense so I am hoping that we … really dominate.”
The baseball team will play its home opener on Feb. 20 against Archbishop Riordan at 4 p.m.
Reporting by Quinn Shirley.
Softball
Badminton
Aragon badminton finished last season with an impressive 10-2 in the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division, placing second right behind Carlmont.
This year Aragon’s badminton season is kicking off with a new head coach, Christopher Zografos. No stranger to the coaching scene and the Don community, Zografos coached baseball, basketball, volleyball and most recently Aragon football, before taking on badminton. While badminton is something new for him, he is eager to help out the players alongside other coaches.
“[I’m] lucky to have a good staff with me: returning coaches from last year,” Zografos said. “My main goal is to help the students in any possible way I can help, making sure things are in order for them to have a smooth, fun, successful season.”
In the lead-up to this season, former players have been working outside to prepare.
“Since summer and until now, I’ve been signed up for club [badminton],” said junior Kevin Ho. “I’ve been playing a lot after a recommendation from a former teammate, and it’s helped out a lot since. I’ve improved a lot, according to some of my other current teammates.”
Another former player who went undefeated in the district has been working non-stop.
“Training is usually two to three hours, two to three times a week,” said junior William Ye. “[In the drills,] we restrict ourselves from doing certain shots so we focus on other ones.”
As the season begins for badminton, Zografos plans to make conditioning an integral part of the team.
“Coming from football background and other sports background, when it comes to certain techniques I’m lucky to have a great staff with me,” Zografos said. “We’re trying to make things fun, try to make things competitive, and try to get the heart pumping and get some running in always. [This is] because I always believe whatever sport it is, if you’re in the best shape, you always have a chance.”
Technical goals aside, Zografos also wants to improve overall team connection.
“I really want the kids to have a great experience this season,” Zografos said. “I want them to be able to help each other … My goal is to see the team camaraderie, to continue to build for freshmen, to be able to lean on seniors … culture wise, and … every day just get 1% better.”
The team’s first league match will be a home game against Hillsdale on March 6 at 4 p.m.
Reporting by Sora Mizutani.
Boys golf
The boys golf season is in full swing as the spring sports season gets underway. With tryouts starting on Feb. 3, golfers have been focused on refining their skills and building team camaraderie ahead of the season.
This year’s leadership will look much different than last year’s, as the team welcomes back former head coach Jim Daniel, returning to the squad after many years away from coaching.
“I want the guys to have a really positive experience,” Daniel said. “I want to have fun and laugh, but hopefully we can also compete. And if we win while having fun then that’s great.”
Senior George Stubbins shares the same goals as his new coach, aiming to have fun throughout the season and have success throughout the Peninsula Athletic League. However, Stubbins believes there is a need for improvement if the team wants to reach their full potential.
“We can definitely improve on working on our individual skills, especially during practices,” Stubbins said. “It can be improved by better utilizing our short game areas.”
Other golfers are looking to prioritize improvement over enjoyment.
“We could all be more well rehearsed in practice,” said senior Andrew Lingenfelter. “Maybe work a little harder instead of having fun and enjoying as much.”
Hoping to balance fun and focus, Coach Daniel is looking forward to supporting the players throughout the season.
“I’m excited to watch a lot of kids play golf and hopefully help them when they need help and encourage them,” Daniel said.
With their eyes on both individual improvement and team success, the golfers are ready to take what they’ve worked on off the range and onto the course.
Reporting by Phoebe Harger.
