SPORTS

‘They Went Beyond’: Reflecting on Archer Athletics’ ‘record-breaking year’

By Cybele Zhang and Carina Oriel|May 27, 2016

From left to right, Cat Oriel, Saskia Wong-Smith, Cybele Zhang and Summer de Vera, all ’18, smile before dinner at the Olympic Collection. Wong-Smith won MVP for varsity swim.

With a week left in the 2015-2016 school year, spring sports conclude their seasons, while the rest of the community reminisces about the fall and winter sports seasons. On Monday, May 16, athletes, parents and coaches gathered at the Olympic Collection for the annual Sports Awards Night hosted by the Archer Athletic department.

Each team gathered one by one as coaches and players recalled memories of their seasons and recognized team members who made a significant impact this year. Additionally, teams broke personal, school and league records, which shows how far the athletics program has progressed in the past 20 years.

The athletics department announced the winners of three major athletic awards: Rookie of the Year, Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Athlete of the Year.

All winners are “nominated by her coaches and voted on by a panel of Archer coaches and athletic staff”, according to the Athletic Awards description.

Infographic by: Cybele Zhang '18 — Infographic by Cybele Zhang ’18

According to the Athletic Award description, Rookie of the Year is “a 9th grade athlete who plays a pivotal role in the Archer Athletic program.” This year, Morgan Dennis ’19 won that award for her participation on the freshman volleyball team and varsity softball team.

The Scholar-Athlete of the Year was Leandra Ramlo ’16, who ended her senior year with a 4.58 weighted GPA. She participated in varsity cross country, soccer and track. The award is given to “an athlete who is a critical member of the Archer athletic program while achieving high marks in the classroom.”

Christian Luhnow ’16 was named Athlete of the Year because of her influential contribution to the varsity volleyball team. The award is given to “an athlete who plays a pivotal role in the Archer athletic program.”

Additionally, each team gave Most Improved, MVP and Panther awards.

The event held a living voting to determine the 2016 Play of the Year and 2016 Team of the Year.

Varsity softball won Play of the Year for a “1-3-2-5-1 pickle double-play,” according to a school-wide email from Athletic Director, Denny Lennon.

Varsity swim was named Team of the Year for their second consecutive Liberty League Championship and 9th place finish at CIF-SS Division 4 Finals.

Click below for highlights from this year’s teams.

Archer Sports Awards Night 2016 – Highlight Reel from The Archer School for Girls on Vimeo.

Directed & Produced by Kristen Benjamin
Executive Producers: Elizabeth English, Samantha Coyne Donnel, Denny Lennon, Archer Athletics

Q&A with eighth grade pitcher of middle school softball team

Players on the varsity softball team gather on a field. Junior Avalon Garland said all of the positions, ranging from the pitcher to basemen, have to work together to create a strong team. Photo by Archer Athletics.

‘We have to rely on each other’: Players on varsity softball depend on each other to succeed

I work on breaststroke technique in preparation for a league swim meet. My favorite aspect of meets is encouraging my teammates in their races. Photo by Wilma Wong.

Commentary: Defining my own success in the world of competitive swimming

Senior Lacey Thompson dives into the pool. The varsity swim team won first place in their first league meet Tuesday, March 5, at Crespi. Photo by Archer Athletics.

Varsity swim coach Wilma Wong reflects on coaching career, Archer swimmers describe her impact

With their water bottles in hand, Chloe Hayden (’24), Maya Acutt (’25), Alex Bridwell (’27), Sophie Cousens (’27) walk across the West LA College field during their first track and field meet of the season. The team has faced challenges due to its size, but the runners have persevered through them and stayed committed, Athletics Assistant Madison Witt said. Photo by Archer Athletics.

‘Small but mighty’: Varsity track and field adapts to challenges with team size

Comments (0)

As part of Archer’s active and engaged community, the Editorial Board welcomes reader comments and debate and encourages community members to take ownership of their opinions by using their names when commenting. However, in order to ensure a diverse range of opinions, the editorial board does allow anonymous comments on articles as long as the perspective cannot be obtained elsewhere, and they are respectful and relevant. We do require a valid, verified email address, which will not be displayed, but will be used to confirm your comments. Because we are a 6-12 school, the Editorial Board reserves the right to omit profanity and content that we deem inappropriate for our audience. We do not publish comments that serve primarily as an advertisement or to promote a specific product. Comments are moderated and may be edited in accordance with the Oracle’s profanity policy, but the Editorial Board will not change the intent or message of comments. They will appear once approved.

All The Oracle Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest