LIONS DEN
While the season was over for Horace Mann’s Varsity Cross Country teams, First-team All- Ivy athlete Ben Noble (12) competed at the New York State Federation Cross Country Championship last Saturday at Bowdoin Park. In a field consisting of New York State’s top 300 cross country runners, Noble ran a tough race, finishing 165th, nine places better than last year’s team MVP Sam Himel ’08. Noble’s time of 18:47 was well off his personal record of 17:13, but the tough course and rainy conditions last Saturday accounted for the difference. “The race was a complete mud bath,” Noble explained. “Everyone was covered in mud up to their waists, so it’s not surprising that the times were 30-40 seconds slower.”
The Girls’ Varsity Basketball team kicked off its season this week with scrimmages against St.Lukes School and Taft. Between the two scrimmages the team played eleven 8-minute periods and finished with a 10-1 record, the only loss coming in a period against Taft yesterday evening. Starting the season on an exciting note, the Lions won the last period in the final seconds yesterday when tri-Captain Laura Fels scored a clutch lay up. The moment turned scary though when Fels twisted her ankle on the play. All was well though in the end as the team walked away otherwise unscathed and prepared to start the regular season.
“We knew the Maroon Monsoon was there when a band of painted faces showed up, with instruments, just making a lot of noise,” Field Hockey co-Captain Isabel Hale (12) said, recalling her Homecoming game in September. “When I saw them, I knew it was time to turn it up,” she said, describing how Field Hockey cruised to a decisive 6-0 victory over Marymount. In its third year of existence, school spirit group the Maroon Monsoon has been moderately successful in supporting teams during the first trimester, said 16 varsity athletes interviewed. Led by Catie Barile (12) and Ethan Schwartz (12), the Monsoon rallied the community for a strong showing on Homecoming but has attracted fewer fans thereafter. Last Sunday, only about 15 students showed up to Volleyball’s state championship game against Spence, and only about 30 came to Boys’ Soccer’s state championship game against Poly, despite the Monsoon’s efforts.
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For the Boys’ Varsity Swimming team, defending the Ivy League title began during the extensive pool training of Water Polo season. All but four members of the Swimming Team participated in water polo or swam extensively outside of school throughout the fall, Head Coach Michael Duffy said. “Our core group of swimmers have been in the pool since August,” Duffy said. “With the advent of the Middle Division Water Polo team, we have boys in the pool six months a year for six years. That’s a major factor to our strength in the water.”
With a completely revamped starting lineup, a first-year varsity head coach, and a brand new playbook, the Boys’ Varsity Basketball team will look to stay competitive in what will surely be a rebuilding season for the inexperienced squad. When the Lions open league play on December 16th against Fieldston, not a single player from last year’s 5-man starting lineup will take the court. Four of those spots are vacant due to the graduation of four seniors, while Charlie Sadaka (11) is sidelined until late February after having shoulder surgery during his football season.
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Trashketball – The Bei Division
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