By Nathan Albrinck ’16, Sports Section Editor
The 2014-2015 Country Day sports year was extremely successful. Among the achievements were an undefeated football team, an 8th place finish at the girl’s golf State Tournament by Kacie Bradfish ‘15, multiple State Championships by swimmer Allie Wooden ‘15, a Regional Final baseball team, a 5th place finish by Darryn Jordan ’16 in the 100, and a team and doubles state championship for the boys’ tennis team. This year’s fall sports teams are looking to continue this success into the new school year.
The cross country team returns most of its runners from last year, while also adding an eager group of new freshman, bringing their roster to more than 20 runners. Led by Senior Captain Max Luebbers, the team will begin their year on August 29th with their home meet, the CCDS Invitational.
Coming into this season, the football team has won over 20 straight regular season games. They return powerhouse running backs Darryn Jordan ’16 and Nick Sam ‘16, while losing their starting quarterback and three starting lineman. Seniors J’Quaan Waite (quarterback) and Sam Jenkins (offensive line) among others will look to fill this void. Their schedule this year is much harder and is highlighted by games against Summit on September 25th (Homecoming) and CHCA on October 23rd.
The boys’ golf team is one of the youngest fall sports teams, yet has found great success early in the year, finishing 1st at the Madeira Invitational and beating Cincinnati Christian 176-183. Contrarily, the girl’s golf team is comprised of two sophomores and six seniors. After losing State Qualifier Kacie Bradfish ‘15, the girls’ will have to be resilient this year, but will hopefully find success in their 2015-2016 season!
The girls’ tennis team also has a strong freshman presence, encompassing almost half of their players. Already, they have played well against CHCA during the Country Day Invitational, winning matches in both singles and doubles. They will rematch CHCA on August 31st at Camargo Country Club.
The volleyball team returns five starters while also gaining many underclass players, fashioning a strong mix of youth and experience. They will have a JV team this year after not having enough players for one last year. They begin their season August 20th against Mars Hill Academy.
The girls’ and boys’ soccer teams last year reached the Regional Finals and Semifinals respectively. They set their sights this year even farther. The girls’ team, for example, is using the motto “One Team, One Dream,” referring to a State Title. Collectively, the two teams gain nearly 20 new freshman, who will develop under the leadership of captains Katie Jamison ’16, Lauren Buczek ’16, Olivia Brown ’17, Sean O’Brien ’16, and Soham Basu ’16. Brown is a recent soccer commit to the University of Dayton. Overall, the soccer teams’ prospects for the fall season look strong. The boys’ start their season on August 22nd against Dayton Christian. The girls’ start the following Monday against McNick.
Good luck to all of Country Day’s sports teams over the next year!
