Winter Sports Predictions

This year's Jamesville-DeWitt High School and Christian Brothers Academy Varsity Boys' Ice Hockey team wants to improve upon last year's performance where they hovered around .500. Captain Nick Firman, junior, leads this team of returning players that includes sophomores Deke Burns and Brendon Flanagan as well as juniors Harry Kalet and Dan and Dave Distefano. "This group of kids have been playing together for a long time and we have a lot of team chemistry. That will hopefully pay off this year" says Firman.

Assistant Coach John Parker is enthusiastic for this year's more experienced team. He hopes to go deep in sectionals with a run at the state championship. Team chemistry will help them achieve this goal. Kalet explains that they are "tight as a team, and get along well."

Varsity Girls' Indoor Track finished last season as champions in their league and section. The team lost some key runners, but Distance Coach Emily Rowles hopes that top distance runner and senior Eileen Cody can lead once again.

Among the returning scorers are sprinters Amanda Tan, Marae Tearney, Lindsay Royer and Natalie Mannion, all seniors, and pole-vaulter Avery Share, a junior. Share says that this year's season will be fun as well as hard working and competitive.

Varsity Boys' Indoor Track also finished last season with league and sectional crowns. Coach Rowles predicts that the team will do well once again. However, this season will be more competitive because the section is tougher. This means the meets will be closer. Key returning runners include distance runners Bumkoth Jiak and Max Smith, both seniors, and Austin Davis, a junior, as well as sprinters and jumpers David Salbert and Eric Semmel, both seniors, and junior Ira Griffen.
Smith adds that the team will do well because of the number of returning contributors. "The team has put in a lot of extra training and will probably repeat as sectional champions," says Davis.

Though they only lost three meets last year, the Jamesville-DeWitt High School and Christian Brothers Academy Boys' Swim Team is eager to perform even better this season. Returning key scorers include sophomore Garrett Farchione, juniors Ryan Byrnes, Eric Jorgensen, Matt Kopp, and senior Russell Farchione.

Though the Boys' Varsity Volleyball Team had a dismal performance last year, new Head Coach Jason Hays says they are determined to do better this year. With a fresh start and good turnouts at open gym, Coach Hays is eager to start the season.

Key returning players include Devan Ramachandran, Peter Doss, and Dmitriy Bakrukov, all seniors. Ramachandran is very optimistic for this season despite lacking several players from last year's team. Coach Hays hopes that this year's new players will contribute.