Boys Basketball- William Bassett
The Lancer Boys Basketball team has a long history of victory. Coach William Bassett is looking forward to another exciting season. He says “This team will have talent, but not a lot of experience, so it will be fun seeing them grow as the year goes on.” The returning star players are senior Juan Morel, varsity starter for the past 3 seasons, and sophomore Parker Spencer, who played varsity time last season. Some other players that are sure to contribute to the team this year are Sean Kramer, Jordi Cassar, Griffin Neal, Quinn Speller, Porter Swenson-Cardwell, Gabe Lombardi, and Matthew Shampine. Coach Bassett tries to set a practice environment centered around teamwork, discipline and preparation in order to have a successful season.
Fencing- Hugh Teel
Lancer Fencing is ready to build off the success of the last few years, and is looking forward to another great season. Women Epee and Foil are returning with complete teams from last year, where they finished first and third in the state. Men Epee and Foil are also returning with solid teams. Women’s Epee returning stars include Hazel Siu, Maple Siu, Lauren Gerboth, Isabela Zwier and Jolina Campisi. Women’s Foil returning stars include Kyijong Tenzin, Jiarou Liao, and Isabela Haque. For men’s Epee, Aidan Dupont and Atlas Hoff are the returning key team members, with Tom Bourez and Jacob Pierce returning for men’s Foil. Coach Teel hopes to continue to grow the team, with 15 novice fencers this year. The exciting meets for this season are the Novice Tournament on February 10 in the Field House, and the ECC Tournament on February 24 in Griswold. Coach Teel likes to run a fun but structured practice, where the more experienced fencers help out the less experienced.
Indoor Track and Field- Jay Criscuolo
Boys and Girls Indoor Track and Field coach Jay Criscuolo is looking forward to a focused and successful season. He is also excited to see how the cross country runners from this past season carry their training into indoor track. The star returning runners include Lexi Collins, Avery Maiese, Sarah Conti, Jay Zimmermann, Elliot Childs, and Jon Booth. Some new athletes that will play a key role in the team this season are Elle Dibuono, Ava Tucker, Brodie Scott, and Ian Rush. The ECC Championship on February 3rd is a meet that Coach Criscuolo is looking forward to. Focusing on time management, and trying to go outside on the turf are two hopes for practice this year.
Wrestling- Chris Gamble
Coach Gamble and the Lancer Wrestling team has a solid team this year, a combination of strong returning athletes, as well as new faces. The new wrestling room that is now by the old gym should bring changes to the program and hopefully a strong start to the season. Four returning wrestlers placed in the ECC and Class S tournaments last year. Junior Lucas Gannotti placed 2nd in both the ECC and Class S state meets last season. Senior Devon Powers placed 2nd in ECCs and 3rd at the state meet. Junior Braeden Sollima placed 6th in both the ECC and state tournaments, and senior Zach Ruest placed 5th at both tournaments. Coach Gamble is confident that he has a strong group of wrestlers returning from the ECC and state level, as well as other varsity members that he has hopes for this season. The ECC tournament and the midseason tournament at Xavier High School in Middletown are the meets that are expected to be the most exciting for this year. The environment Coach Gamble tries to set for practice is challenging both mentally and physically. In addition to that, he tries to keep it positive and upbeat, and has a hope that each athlete improves each day to reach their full potential.
Competition Cheer- Kirsten Maskell
After 5 consecutive ECC championship wins, a lot is resting on the Lancer cheerleaders this year. Head Coach Kirsten Maskell is looking forward to seeing how a new group of athletes will work together, and use each other’s strengths for a successful season. Returning cheerleader Rebecca Roarke is coming back for her 8th season cheering at WHS, and will be a vital part of the team once again. As returning ECC champs, that will be an exciting competition for the team, and they are hoping to redeem themselves at the state competition with a clean routine. Coach Maskell tries to build an environment of confidence, hard work, team work, and positivity.
Boys Swimming & Diving- Amy Poulton
The boys swimming and diving team is ready for its first co-op season with Ledyard High School. Captain Alex Startz says he is excited to see how the season goes with the new coaching staff. Some other returning swimmers include captain Ethan Jones, Louis Dhervilly, and Andrew Bertrand. Niko Vajdos from Ledyard, and Waterford freshman Mason Huoppi and Aries Dupont are some new team members that are sure to be key members of the team. The senior meet is an exciting meet to recognize the commitment of the swimmers. Startz says swimming is a very demanding sport, and keeping the practices upbeat yet disciplined is the way for everyone to best succeed while pushing themselves to get faster.
Girls Basketball- Kaitlyn Sullivan
Much like the boys team, the girls basketball team is young but ready to win. Coach Kaitlyn Sullivan is looking forward to watching them grow and improve. Some key returning players include Lucy Walker, Sadie Tiven, Jennie Macca-Barnes, and Cate and Emma Smathers. Sarah Davidson, Brianna McNeil, Audrey Steward and Serafina Weymouth are some new players that will help the team this season. The Go Gold game and rec night, as well as the East Lyme game are predicted to be the most exciting. Coach Sullivan tries to find a balance between fun and competition during practice.
