By Suie Choi ‘20, Sports Editor

As winter sports come to an end, it is officially time to spring into a new season of sports. The spring sports season consists of seven teams:

Women’s Lacrosse

After a good season last year (7-10-1) in which the team advanced to the prep tournament semi-finals, women’s lacrosse is looking forward to an even stronger season. The team will be led by co-captains Dafne Hernandez ‘20 and Aubrey Wright ‘20. When asked about the upcoming season, Hernandez says, “I am excited to play with the new team. Although we will face struggles this season–especially with the new 2020 Girls Lacrosse Rules–it will make us a stronger team.” A few players to watch for in the upcoming games are Kate Fishbone ‘22 and Dafne Hernandez ‘20, who were both recognized as Honorable Mention from SEC, and Kaitlin Weiss ‘21, who made last season’s First Team All Conference. With a determined gritty mindset and strong camaraderie, NAGLAX is definitely a team to look out for in the spring.

Men’s Lacrosse

Despite losing key players, including Jack Snyder ‘19 and Will Mulligan ‘19, the men’s lacrosse team, like the women’s, is looking to continue another strong season as well. This year’s team will be led by Connor Epstein ‘20 and Joey Schachtel ‘20. Koby Cohen ‘20, a key player, is excited about the season, “With a new coach, NAMLAX is beginning a new era and we can’t wait to get started.”  Hopefully, this year’s lacrosse team will be able to emulate the same success that they have been enjoying over the last few seasons.

Track and Field

Both the men and women’s track and field teams had an impressive season last year. Last season, the men’s team won the Prep B State Championships, taking the title for the sixth straight year with a close victory over Montclair Kimberley Academy. Additionally, the girls’ track team won the Super Essex Conference title and defeated Malcolm X. Shabazz High School by a score of 145.5-131. The boys’ team will be led by Jackson Powers ‘20 and Nazir Surrat ‘20; the girls’ team will be led by Kira Lu ‘20 and Jordan McCray-Robinson ‘21. Both teams hold reigning titles and are looking forward to continuing their win streak into this season.

Men’s Tennis

Men’s tennis had an outstanding record last year of 23-3, placing themselves as Tournament of Champions Finalists and winning the Essex County Tournament. While the team did lose some of the varsity roster from last year, including Alex Kotzen ‘19 and Aaron Ramos ‘19, who are both now competing in college, there are many talented young players who are ready to fill these big shoes. Co-captain Phillip Kim ‘20 feels good about the upcoming season and looks to provide strong leadership for the rest of the team: “While we did lose some key seniors from last year, we also have a lot of skilled players who are ready to carry on the torch, such as Nick Kotzen ‘22 and my co-captain, Sam Goidel ‘21. I have no doubt that the team will thrive this coming season.” The men’s tennis team is hopeful and determined to repeat last year’s success. #WeOverMe

Softball

The softball team is looking for a strong rebound from last season. This year, the team will be led by co-captains Lilly Rosenberg ‘20 and Olivia Mudrick ‘20. Despite losing three key players from last year, including Samantha Burgraff ‘19, the team is growing and hopeful to improve from last year. When asked about the upcoming season, Rosenberg says, “I feel really confident about this season! We have 14 players this year which is the greatest amount I’ve seen in my 4 years here and we have a lot of new talent coming in.” Furthermore, Mudrick adds, “We have a lot of new players this year and everyone is eager to start practices. I’m looking forward to winning some games with them in the next few months!”

Baseball

Despite losing six seniors from last year, the baseball team, led by Colin Murphy ‘20 and Lucas Rich ‘20, is eager and ready to begin the season. With many returning players and the addition of new freshmen, the team has a lot of potential. Co-captain Colin Murphy ‘20 is confident about the season: “There is a lot of talent and ability on both the roster and the coaching staff. We are all excited to take the field opening day and I am confident that we will have an incredible season.” NA fans will find the men’s baseball team interesting to watch as they strive to reach their potential and improve from last year.

Golf

Golf had an incredible season last year with both individual and team accomplishments, earning the North Jersey Non-Public B title with a score of 325 and a spot in the Tournament of Champions. NA Golf had not won this title since 2010. This year, the team will be led by Molly Ryan ‘20, Andrew Wilf ‘20, and David Cohen ‘20. Co-captain Ryan is excited about the season: “Our team has almost doubled in size this year. I know that with our young talent in addition to our close-knit team, we will only continue to improve.” Furthermore, a player to watch out for this season is Nate Drogin ‘22, who as a freshman won the 2019 Prep B individual title and placed first in the Essex County Tournament. The golf team is determined to achieve the same level of success this year.