Autumn Athletics

Fall sports can be hard to juggle with the inception of the school year, but student-athletes have proved they can prevail and stay determined, both as a member of their team as well as a student in the classroom.

 

“It’s been a terrific fall sports season, especially because the freshmen have really stepped up in several sports,” said Melanie Horn, Director of Athletics. Every varsity team has had invaluable contributions from freshmen this year, which shows the probable success in the future of Westridge athletics.

 

Golf has fought hard this season, with Sarah L. ’22, leading the Tigers to victory in most of their games. Sarah L. will be competing in CIF for golf this year, after placing fourth in the preliminary playoffs. Along with her success, many new freshman and sophomores have joined golf, and even though only the top six players compete, the rest of the team is learning valuable skills. “I joined golf because I wanted to try something new, and now that I’m on the team, I really value the skills I’ve learned and the friendships I’ve formed,” said Danielle D. ’21.

 

Varsity Tennis proved their fight at every match, with incredibly close scores in some matches. Head Coach Gene You coached the tennis team this year alongside Assistant Coach Linda Ohanian, a 19-year-old on the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Pro Tour. The Varsity team started with twelve players this year but lost one early in the season due to an injury. Every match was played with only one sub, which was stressful for the Tigers, but they managed and ended up having a fulfilling season.  During their October 18th match against Mayfield, the Tigers only lost by two games, 74-76.

 

“I know our record did not reflect the way we played this season. I really did feel like the team was so close this year, and that helped us stay happy even when we lost. It was frustrating at times because some of our matches were lost by such a slim margin, but it is good to know that we are at the competitive level with the rest of the teams in the Prep League,” said Emily H. ’21. Junior Varsity tennis remains undefeated in the Prep League, protecting their streak of eight years. They are hoping for a win against Providence so they can extend their winning streak to nine years.  

 

Varsity Cross Country had a stellar season, with individual members of the team setting new personal records. The team sometimes practices off-campus, which can be hard to manage with the amount of homework Westridge gives. Jazzlyn Gutierrez is leading the Tigers, having set a new personal record last week with a 5k time of 21 minutes. Cross Country is a notoriously grueling sport, with runners being susceptible to injuries and weather conditions. Runners have to run on hilly courses, sometimes in extreme heat. The Mt. Sac Invitational was from Friday, October 19th 21st, with the top runners advancing to the later weekend days.

 

Varsity Volleyball went 6-6 in the Prep League this season, a record that took them to CIF. During their first-round game against Glendora on October 18th, the Tigers lost by a score of 0-3; a disappointing loss for the Tigers, especially the five seniors, but the Tigers showed their strength through a season that endured a lot of transformations in terms of losing players.

 

“I was very proud of Varsity’s effort this year because losing some of their top players and still being able to be competitive in the Prep League was impressive. Varsity really came together and bonded as a team. Abby Yuhan - her first year on Varsity as a setter; that was seamless. She did a really great job and improved as the season went on. Julia Cruz just digs everything up in the back, and Krystal Raymundo, who can play literally every position, is so selfless and is exactly what the team needs every year. I’m very proud of their accomplishments after losing key seniors,” said Horn.