Week in Sports

April 21, 2017

Each year as we head into late April, league play for team sports begins as does the hunt for a playoff spot. Be it on the track, pool, court, or field, Cate student-athletes are all pushing for a chance to extend their season and keep the good times going all long as possible.

Cate’s girls varsity lacrosse team is in a great position for a postseason spot, especially after their 21-12 win at Newbury Park on Wednesday, April 19. In that game, Brie Walker ’18 tallied eight goals, while Katherine Grossman ’17 had six of her own. The contest featured two of the top ten teams in the Max Lax Los Angeles Top 10, so the win will help improve Cate’s playoff seeding when the time comes. Until then, the team will look to stay undefeated in their final two games of the regular season.

The girls varsity lacrosse team isn’t the only undefeated squad on the Mesa. The boys varsity tennis team currently sits at 13-0 after a win against Santa Ynez High School. The depth and experience has helped carry this team, including great leadership from seniors Kevin Ha ’17, Mason Mackall ’17, and Christian Herman ’17. Kevin’s brother Ethan Ha ’20 has also helped propel the Rams to the #2 ranked spot in the latest CIFss Division 3 rankings.

Both the boys and girls track teams have had solid weeks, running in the historic Russell Cup at Carpinteria High School. One of the oldest meets in California, the Russell Cup brings together roughly 60 schools from all around southern California. The Rams left their mark, winning the 4X100 at the Fresh/Soph level. Elle Smith ’19, Sarah Polowczak ’19, Neema Mugofwa ’20, and Rivers Sheehan ’19 brought home top prize for the Rams in that event, while Kyril van Schendel ’18 represented Cate proudly in both the 1600 and 3200.

Cate’s baseball team had a good start to the week. After losing to Thacher for the first time since 2007, the Rams bounced back nicely with a convincing 4-1 win over previously undefeated Foothill Tech. Joel Revo ’17 threw a complete game and allowed three hits. After no hitting the Toads last week, the Cate southpaw has allowed just three hits and one run over 14 innings of work. His battery mate Ethan Cassulo ’19 delivered the knockout blow in the win over the Dragons; the sophomore belted a two-run double that gave Cate all the breathing room it needed.

In the pool, the Ram swimmers had a tough week in a loss to Malibu. Depleted by injury and illness, the Rams fought hard in that meet, even taking the boys 400 Free Relay race thanks to big efforts from Marcos Brasil ’20, Kaiser Ke ’19, Andre Pincot’18, and Julien Maes ’17. Ke also had a personal record in the 100 breaststroke. With a few of her teammates out, Maddie Goodman ’18 stepped up for the Rams, competing in the 500 free for the first time.

Most recently, the boys varsity volleyball team has faced some ups and downs. After dropped a contest against a powerful Foothill Tech squad, the Rams rallied for a solid three-set win over Fillmore High School. Like their swimming schoolmates, the volleyball team has also had to deal with some injuries. However, a deep bench and some great leadership and selfless play from players like Carson Williams ’19, Chase McCaw ’17, Henry Dawson ’17, and Parker Matthews ’18 have kept the Rams competitive and ready to close out their season on a high note.

The boys varsity lacrosse team dropped a tough contest against Dos Pueblos this week, letting a three-goal halftime lead slip away. Even in defeat, the Rams are learning and growing. Will Bowlin ’18 has been a big scoring threat for Cate all season, chipping in four goals in the Dos Pueblos game. Henry Walsh ’17 had one of his best games in a Cate uniform, adding four goals of his own. The Rams have 4 games left in the season and will look to improve in each one.

The sunny spring weather is signaling the approach of the academic year’s end. As temperatures get hotter, so does the competition. The majority of our teams are in contention for a postseason berth so look for the play to ramp up as we near the home stretch. Our student-athletes and our coaches will continue to work hard to put a product on the field that we can all be proud of.