As the winter season is right around the corner, Westminster athletes reflect on their successful fall seasons. From the boys cross country team winning another state championship to the volleyball team advancing to the final four for the first time in three years, the fall of 2023 was special for Westminster athletics. 

Despite the cross country team facing adversity early in the season, the team still found success.

“No one ever gave up, everyone tried to do their best,” saif senior captain Joseph Jacquot. “The team won the Wendy’s Invitational, that was a pretty big victory for us.” 

In addition, at the state championship, the Westminster boys team averaged the fastest times for a team in the history of the state meet. The cross country team had 3 individuals finishing in the top ten for the 4A region: Joseph Jacquot ‘24, Esfan Daya ‘24, who finished second, and Jacob Jacquot ‘26, who finished 4th. Joseph ran the fastest time in all classifications which also was the second fastest time ever. 

“It was easily my best race effort,” said Joseph Jaquot when asked about his race. 

Even though many seniors are leaving next year, Joseph believes his little brother Jacob, along with Liam Loughead ‘25 can lead the team to win yet another state championship next year.

On the other hand, the girls cross country team also celebrates a stellar season.

“Our season started well but we definitely had to adjust a lot of the practices due to the weather,” said senior Ava Ramsey. “Coach Fuqua handled it very well and mixed up the indoor workouts with new pool interval workouts and indoor track runs. From the start, the team was very close and had great energy which only got better as the season went on. We had a great showing at the region meet, with lots of girls dropping time and finishing their season strong. Our top 7, Lucy Johnson, Frazier Braintwain, Luca Plyer, Ava Ramsey, Sydney Watson, Anna Wickliffe, and Colby Friedan, all ran solid races at state with Lucy placing 13th and Frazier placing 17th at state. We placed 5th overall, and next season looks promising with a bunch of talented younger runners.”

The senior captain also highlighted many runners on the team including Lucy Johnson ‘25, who had a season PR of 19:45 and was their number one runner this year. Frazier Braintwain ’24, who had a season PR of 19:49, was the team’s second runner who dropped a substantial amount of time from last season. The team looks to be led by Johnson and many other underclassmen who hope to bring another state championship back to Westminster.

Similar to many Westminster fall sports, the volleyball team had also experienced a very successful season, finishing their season with a 46-12 record.

“This season has been really good, and over the course of the season, I saw how hard-working and passionate the girls are,” said Senior captains Ellie Myers.

Some highlights of the season include Ellie Myers ‘24 reaching 1000 kills, Lucy Shi ‘25 earning her 2000th assists, and the team reaching the Final Four of the 4A state tournament. Another outstanding player was Toni Odujebe, a freshman who was a dominant force offensively for the Cats. The volleyball team, led by Coach Jaimie Maxey, has a young core and looks to continue their success next season. 

The Westminster football team had a fantastic season despite losing to Stockbridge in the second round of playoffs. 

“I’d say that overall, this season went great. Although we had our ups and downs and narrowly missed out on the region title, we made it to the second round of the playoffs, surpassing our goals, and competed with a very strong Stockbridge team,” said Braedon Willis ‘25. Many outstanding players on the team include Wade Penn ‘24, Lawton Sodemann ‘24, and Armstrong Jones ‘24, who all were able to take on big leadership roles in their position groups and make numerous big plays on the field. As for the offense, Wade Penn and Fain Barton led the strong rushing attack which allowed Michael Buhay ‘25, who played phenomenally as a first-year starter, to throw the ball when the field opened up. 

“I’m excited for the future of the team,” said Willis. “We will miss the seniors, but I’m sure that the rising seniors such as Johnny Jackson and Michael Buhay will take on leadership roles in a commanding fashion. We also await Brand Morgan’s return from his season-ending injury and are excited to see what he can do during his senior year. Sophomores Jack DeButts and Robert Douglass will also be working hard in the weight room this offseason, and I’m sure they will be huge for us next year.” Despite the new region adjustments, under the guidance of coach Gerry Romberg, the Wildcats will turn to Buhay and the rest of the football team to lead the Wildcats to another state championship run.

Lastly, the BatCats, Westminster’s Softball team, wrapped up their season with a regional tournament appearance along with finishing first in their region. 

“We had a notable win over Lovett,” said Senior Helen Slawson. “That was our first time beating them in five years.” The BatCats finished with a 16-10 record and an 8-0 region record, but ultimately fell to Northwest Whitefield in the region tournament. Cameron Hill ‘24 had high praises for Kate McDonald ‘26 and Addie Tsang ‘27 (both first team all-region players). Kate, who had the second-highest batting average on the team, was also an important defensive asset in the outfield. 

“They tested her there during the summer, and she absolutely stepped up for the opportunity,” said senior Cameron Hill. “She excelled at second base last year, so it is safe to say that her contributions as a utility player for our team are highly valuable.” The BatCats, like many fall Westminster athletic teams, look to continue their success next season with their young core of talented players. 

Fall of 2023 was an amazing season for Westminster sports and as the winter and spring seasons begin to swing into action, be sure to support the Cats at every opportunity possible!

Edited by Presley Tsang