By: Kayl Margarette Unida
The Lady Knights welcome a whole new season of fall sports. Goals are being made , cheers are loud and encouraging, races are being finished, swings are looking sharp, balls are being set, blocked, and served. Let us keep marching on.
Starting off with the soccer team, this year’s captains are Rosalie Rondeau and Lilly Jesperson, and the team currently has a winning record. Their first game was at home against Port Allegheny, where they won with a score of 5-1.
Captain, Rosalie, shared some insight into how she contributes to the team as a member, and, most importantly, as co-captain of the team. She explained, “As a captain, I am always doing my best to make sure every girl feels encouraged, valued, and belonging on the team.”
Now onto the cheer team. This year’s captains are Sam Anderson, Kendyll Tome, Paisley Lawson, Ava Fitzgerald, and Hannah Gentz, where they led the cheer team to help support our football team during their first game of the season at Iroquois. The Squire interviewed Sam and asked how the team prepared for this season. She said, “We had summer practices and crash week, where we went over stunts, stunt groups, and cheers.”
Furthermore, this year’s girl’s cross-country captain is Izzy Grosch, where she led her teammates at their first meet in Titusville. The Squire asked Izzy how cross-country has helped shape who she is as a person, and she said, “XC has helped me grow as a a person by teaching me to never give up and push myself even when things get hard.”
As for the volleyball team, this year’s captains are Paisley Lawson, Gabby Hodak, Meredith Smyth, and Alanna Byrd. They have a record of 3-3 so far into the season, and their first game was September 1 at home, where they lost in four sets. The Squire asked Alanna what her favorite thing was about volleyball, and she said that the people and the relationships she has built through volleyball have been the best part. She continued to say that she will forever be grateful for the teammates, the memories they’ve built all together, the feeling of playing on court, and celebrating wins and losses with them.
Moreover, Marching Band includes both girls and boys into one group, and The Squire asked Carly Russell, line leader and drum major, to give some of the younger members advice, and she said, “To live in the moment, and to always perform like it is your last time.”
Eisenhower co-ops some sports, like tennis and golf, with Warren Area High School. The Squire was able to get some insight from Jade Stewart on how tennis has helped her grow as a person, and she said, “Tennis has helped me open up to new people. Joining on the Warren team as the only girl from Eisenhower was difficult, but I ended up making some amazing friends on the team and forming a love and passion for the sport.”
To add onto that, The Squire interviewed golfer Kate Shippee, who has an average of 78.75 for the region. She is the only one on the team who is in the district 10 tournament. The first match was at the Country Club of Meadville, and she played with girls from McDowell and Meadville. In the region, it is Warren, Meadville, Erie, Harbor Creek, and McDowell. The golf team has had five region matches and around 10-12 tournaments so far into the season. According to Kate, Warren came in third or fourth as a team this year and she is second in the district.
This year, make sure to stay tuned for the upcoming games, races, and matches. Keep up with all our team schedules by going to www.wcsdpa.org/page/athletics and support your Lady Knights! You can also find student section themes on the Pig Pen page on Instagram. Don’t forget to wish these teams good luck in their seasons and The Squire thanks all the interviewees for taking their time to accommodate us.
Photos from: Izzy Grosch, Alanna Byrd, Kate Shippee, Rosalie Rondeau, Jade Steward, and Kayl Unida.
