Girls Tennis
The LACES Girls Tennis season was one full of hard work. Having many new players, leading to only a few wins. Still there were some things they want to improve on.
“We lost a lot of good players last year, so it was kind of a rebuilding season. We also have a lot of new seniors this year, so it’s been mostly training new players and seeing what they can do,” said Mr. Chung.
Player to Watch: Clementine Petty
As a sophomore on varsity, Clementine Petty has worked her way up and becoming the number 2 player on the team. Working with her teammate and also friend, Cirrus Dodd and Petty have helped each other improve on their skills.
“She really puts in the work, during summer break and winter break, she plays during the boys season and participates in their conditioning. On top of that she plays singles which is difficult for some players, and she started with doubles last year,” said sophomore Gabriela Aleman.
Girls Volleyball
This season was arguably the best season the girls volleyball team has had.
“As a Coach, I feel I have gained more confidence as the season has passed, as for the girls, I saw their growth so much and we have won most of our games,” said junior varsity coach, Ms. Audrey Hong.
The team has showed lots of improvement along the season, having multiple wins, in fact winning the majority of their games, with a record of 14-11.
“Mr. Paschen, our head coach, has mentioned that this years junior varsity team is the best he has ever seen,” said Hong.
In addition to junior varsity, varsity has also experienced a successful season having multiple wins, with a record of 16-13.
“I think our season has been pretty successful so far, there were a couple of games where I think we should have won, but overall we have worked really hard this season and I think it’s been showing.” said varsity captain Minji Kim.
Player to Watch: Giorgia Blanco
Freshman Giorgia Blanco has not only been supportive towards her teammates, but also the support she gives her coach, Hong. Being relatively new to the sport Hong has received help from her team.
“She’s constantly hyping up the team and on top of being a very skilled player she is our libero the libero has to be very grounded and reliable. She is also very helpful for me as i’m a new coach,” said Hong.
Girls Golf
This season the girls golf team has seen many improvements, they have seen some promising players, many of which are freshman and sophomores. Although the golf team has seen promising results, they still have some room for improvement.
“I think something we can improve on is just more practice, practice harder, and more time on the golf course,” said Coach Henry Walker.
Player to Watch: Iren Paek
Her love and dedication for the game has really helped her to stand out from the other freshmen and sophomores.
“She practices on and off the field she practices with the team and practices by herself which really shows how much she loves the sport,” said Walker.
Girls Flag Football
This year with the introduction of a new coach, Kevin Goodall, and the continuity of Marlon Shows coaching, both coaches are excited about the improvement.
“I think that we have already seen a lot of improvement and we are going to finish this year strong. We are going to continue building on that momentum and hopefully finish with a couple of victories to finish out the season,” said Shows.
Being a relatively new sport at LACES, coaches are excited about the new players joining, wanting them to learn and enjoy the game.
“It’s been a learning season, this is the second year we’ve done it and for a lot of girls it’s their first time playing competitive football, so we’re trying to have fun, learn more and be more competitive,” said Shows.
Player To Watch: R’Riana Else West
The all around dedication and effort she has put into the game, contributes to West standing out.
“I would say freshman Riri Else West stood out the most, since she’s playing both sides of the ball and she’s learning as she goes,” said Goodall.
“ I would say her competitiveness helps her stand out, since she loves to win and that’s why she plays both sides of the ball,” said sophomore player Kimani Rochard-Simmons.
Cross Country:
This season the team has experienced a mix of challenges and successes, the cross country team has had to cancel meets due to it being very hot. Despite those changes they had their first race of the season and won against Palisades.
“At first when I got into Cross County last year there were about 6 girls but now there are about 10,” said sophomore Sara Barron
Player To Watch: Spencer Doi
Sophomore Spencer Doi stands out as one of the team’s top runners. Not only for this athletic performance but for his leadership qualities.
“Spencer Doi is also one of the top runners on the team, they present good leadership among their peers,” said sophomore Tobin Tyler
Water Polo
Despite losing many seniors this year, they also gained many skilled freshmen. Some of which have shown promising results in the near future. Although they have lost the majority of their games there have been improvements.
“If I compare last year’s game against San Pedro, to this year’s game against San Pedro, we did better this year,” said Ms. Sherry Stewart.
With the arrival of their new coach, Coach Leo Kim, many aspects of the team have changed.
“He brought a great positive energy to the team, the guys seem to really respect him, and they are showing up to practice for him. He has definitely been a big reason the team is doing better overall their year,” said Ms. Stewart.
Player to Watch: Roberto Hidalgo
Last year on the Junior Varsity team, Sophomore Roberto Hidalgo was an impressive team player focusing more on defense. In addition to that he was also a starter.
“He has had such an improvement over the summer, he’s gotten so much faster, so much stronger. He’s gotten bigger too, he’s ridiculously strong and he can move through the water better than almost anyone I’ve seen,” said Cai Bloom Furedi, one of the water Polo captains.
