The 2017-2018 School Year Has Been One of Growth for The Academy’s Athletic Program.

by Kate Reardon, Athletic Director

Our student-athletes continue to build our school’s culture of kindness through displays of teamwork and sportsmanship on and off the field, court, and trail.

Thanks to increased participation this year, our cross country runners were able to log the school’s first official meet results with a full team running.  Not only that, but the girls earned the program’s first-ever wins at the varsity level. The team finished the season with a 7-5 record, highlighted by two wins over Lynn Classical and Landmark at a home meet here on campus.

Our field hockey club spent the fall season building a foundation for future program growth.  The five club members impressed all present with their positivity, creativity, and willingness to make the best of any situation. The team could be spotted on campus and at Iron Rail partaking in any number of activities, from skills practice, field hockey, and baseball to core workouts, t-shirt making, and more.

The soccer team finished the season with a 6-8 record. Up from 10 players last year to 20 this fall, depth of roster was a key component of the team’s success. Over the course of the fall, the team worked to develop as a unit on the field. The back line played solid defense all season, and the midfield and attacking players communicated well in their efforts to create plays moving up the field often capped off by a beautiful shot on goal. Despite a number of injuries, the team continued to develop as players showed a willingness to fill different roles.

Volleyball had a fantastic season, finishing with an 8-4 overall record. The season was bookended by two firsts: the first game of the season marked the first win in program history, and the final match of the season gave the program its first-ever win over a varsity opponent. The contributions of new players along with the improved skills of returning Penguins made a clear difference in the team’s performance.

With a roster double the size of last year’s squad the basketball team was able to take on a heavier game schedule, including the program’s first-ever match-up against a varsity opponent when the team faced off against Christian Covenant in early February.  The team scored a program-high 43 points in a thrilling overtime game at Lowell Catholic in January and set another program record with 7 wins this season. The team finished with an overall winning record of 7-6.

Our swimming club spent the winter season building a foundation for future program growth.  Mid-season the team loaded up into the van and traveled down to Wayland where 7 swimmers from APH took on the 20+ swimmers of the host team in our swim program’s first ever interscholastic competition.  On display at the meet were impressive sportsmanship and encouragement on the part of both teams, for their teammates and opponents alike.

This past winter also marked the inaugural season of our fitness center program, which will continue to be offered in seasons going forward.  Each afternoon from Monday through Thursday a group of students makes use of our new fitness center, enjoying a variety of exercises introduced by our fitness center coach as well as some fitness activities of their own choosing.

In addition to continuing with a new season of the fitness center, the spring season offers opportunities in tennis, track & field, and softball.  The tennis team looks forward to starting the season against Amesbury before heading into the April vacation. When they return, the team will take on local opponents such as Masco, Newburyport, and Marblehead.  Track & field will be using the track facility at St. John’s Prep once per week in addition to utilizing our own campus and the nearby Iron Rail fields in preparation for the program’s first-ever meet this spring.