This Week in Athletics

September 30, 2022

What a great start to the year it has been in athletics. Since Outings Week concluded, it has been nothing but competition here on the Mesa. The excitement from wins and disappointment from tough losses are both present, and we are so grateful to feel all of it.

Girls volleyball has had a successful season to this point, holding a record of 8-5. Captains Gigi Geyer ’23 and Mel Davidson ’24 are leading a young core in a tough league. The team’s newcomers (Fallon Erickson ’26, Oyin Opawumi ’26, Emerson Evans ’26, and Lain Biles ’24) have fit in seamlessly and added great energy, and the group’s stifling defense and opportunistic offense has them right in the thick of a league championship race. With only a week and a half to go in their regular season, the Rams look to continue their recent success and finish strong in hopes of a postseason birth.

The boys water polo team has gotten off to a good start as well. A now veteran team with four senior starters has surprised many teams with their aggressive play. The Rams’ early season success can be directly correlated to the play in goal by Emmett Mack ’23, who has been a brick wall at times for opposing attackers. Up front, it has been the shooting prowess of Cyrus Symington ’23 and Wade Nieman ’23 pacing the attack group. The Rams suffered an early league defeat at the hands of Malibu, but have rattled off two straight wins against Villanova and Bishop Diego. They will look to continue that streak as the calendar turns to October and the second half of league play begins.

Cross country has only had one meet to date, but they sure did not disappoint. The girls group, led by a very strong group of veterans, handily took out the field at the TCAA Preview Meet finishing with seven of the top eleven runners, including positions two through five. Seniors Kendall Thorne and Emily Allison, along with sophomore Francesca Sutch, are determined to continue the success of previous years. And if meet one was any indication, the girls team is going to be more than fine as they strive toward bigger goals. The boys team finished third behind a very strong Foothill Tech team and narrowly behind the team from Ojai. Led by the other half of the Sutch tandem, Seb ’24 came in third with other Rams scattering themselves throughout the top 20. Both teams look to continue their success when they travel to the Twilight Invitational at Lake Casitas next Wednesday.

Football has jumped out to a 2-1 start on the year. After a heartbreaking road loss to open the season at Flintridge Prep, the group rallied after a bye week to knock off a gritty Leadership Military Institue team that was poised to make their mark on the reigning CIF Champs. After last week’s win in dominating fashion against the Santa Clara Saints, 65-14, it was time for a quick refocus for the Rams as the Toads come to town this Friday. In what will be a first, due to some rescheduling needs for both schools, the Rams and Toads will square off in the first of two contests in the regular season this fall – the other coming over Family Weekend, on Saturday, Oct. 22. The long-standing rivalry between these two schools will see another chapter written under the lights at Carpinteria High School, Friday, Sept. 30 at 6:00 p.m.

Girls tennis is doing more of what girls tennis has done for so long now, and that is win. After suffering a couple of losses early in the season, the relatively young group has gone back to their winning ways, once again making them an extremely tough opponent in the Tri-Valley League. With Alyna Takayashi ’24 and Frances Davis ’24 setting the tone from the top two singles positions, and the Chang sisters, Ella ’23 and Colette ’25, making it tough on opponents in doubles, the Rams are once again proving that they can play with just about anyone. There are still many matches to be played in the regular season and the team hopes they are able to put themselves in position once again to be there at the end for a league title and CIF playoff birth. Up next is a tough week for the team as they will face San Marcos, Thacher, and Providence all in a four-day span.

Thank you to all who have been able to make it to games in support of our student-athletes. We hope to see many more of you as the year continues.

Go Rams!