Varsity Baseball Preview

By Sam Hickey

With the start of March Madness people at Darien High School should have only one thing in mind: the start of the baseball season. This season is shaping up to be an interesting one with a mass exodus of top-tier senior players leaving last year, leaving only four younger players that played on varsity throughout last season. The three captains, seniors Richard Brereton, Jamie Schofield, and Andrew Winsch, are going to be heavily leaned upon for their experience and leadership.

Despite the losses there are some interesting players to look out for. Winsch will look to lead a promising pitching staff.  Junior Casey Brown will look to make big improvements over last year in a more prominent starting role. Sophomore center fielder Justin Jordan and sophomore catcher Sean O'Malley are young elite players who could provide the Blue Wave with some offensive help.

When asked what the expectations are for his team Winsch replied, “ I think we have a great chance to play well even though we lost so many great players. Some people might have us written off, but we all know what this team is capable of great things. ”

 Darien will open up against Fitch at home this Saturday, April 2nd at 11am.

 Photo: Senior Andrew Winsch

Wave Hockey Takes Down Prep in State Championship (4-2)

By Cameron Cirillo

The Varsity Boys Ice Hockey Team took on Fairfield Prep this past Saturday (3/19) at the Yale Whale in New Haven, Connecticut. This was the CIAC State Championship game. The Varsity Boys Team won the State Championship last year against Greenwich. It is remarkable that the group of boys carried out back-to-back State Championship victories. The four goals scored by the DHS team, were put forth by three captains: Jake Kirby, Sam Knowlton, and Jay Dickson (2). The first two goals for Darien were scored in the 1st period, which game the team the early advantage. Prep followed with a goal in the 2nd period, and Jay Dickson answered with two instant goals. Late in the second period, another goal was put forth by the Fairfield Prep team. However, the DHS Varsity Boys held onto their two goal lead for the win.

It was evident that all players on the team performed well. Ben Brown, helped the team with three outstanding assists. Coach Budd, said: “I felt like we had the skill and the character to give ourselves a chance to get back here” This was for sure accurate. Congratulations to the DHS Varsity Boys Ice Hockey Team on their incredible title, and  21-3 season.

Wave Boy’s Swim and Dive Comes Home From States with Silver Medal

By Ellie Nelson

On March 16th, the Boys Swim and Dive team scored second place at the Class L championship meet at Wesleyan University. Wave finished with a total of 745 points, falling short to New Canaan who took home the gold with a total of 788 points. The team had a ton of influential swimmers, including seniors PK Brannigan and Zac Pear. During this meet, Brannigan beat the school’s existing record of 47.15 sec for the 100 free with 46.64 sec. Pear beat two previous school records: the 200 free record was 1:42:53 and is now 1:42:05, and the 100 butterfly was 51.94 sec and is now 50.5 sec. The divers finished with strong scores as well, taking four of the six top positions. Junior Timmy Luz came in second with 517.90 points, sophomore Wiley Schmidt was fourth with 460.75, senior Steven Kreuch fifth with 459.05, and sophomore Owen Stevens sixth with 456.55. Coach Dennis Flores said, “It was a battle and I couldn’t be prouder of the amount of hard work we have done this year.”

Photo Above: Senior Robby Waters lookin' fly.

Profile: Karate Q&A With Senior Paige Adams

By Madeleine Ostertag

From football in the fall to tennis in the spring, sports are a staple at Darien High School. However, many of our athletes can be found off of the rosters of your traditional sports team. We sat down with senior Paige Adams, who has been practicing Kempo Karate for almost four years to find out more.

N; What do you like most about Martial Arts?

PA: I think what I like most about doing a Martial Art is the practicality of it. Sure, quite a few of the moves are decorative, but a lot of the basic principles are very useful reflexes to have. I love the confidence I have too— knowing that I can defend myself is really empowering.

N: What is your biggest achievement as a martial artist?

PA: Hands down, my biggest achievement is my black belt. I received my first degree black belt on January 18th of this year. It's pretty much what martial artists work for since they begin training— it's like the physical representation of all of your accomplishment and hard work. The test was several hours long of the most grueling physical exercise I've ever done in my life paired with a lot of bruising, but the feeling was honestly amazing.

N: Do you see yourself continuing to practice Martial Arts through college?

PA: In terms of continuing Martial Arts at college and beyond, I'd love to keep coming back. I've basically spent almost the last four years of my life with like this second family, learning new things that I'm capable of every time I go in that I never would have imagined myself doing. Even now, I've had to take a few weeks off to rehearse for the DHS Spring musical, and it feels really weird not going in and practicing and seeing everyone. I'm not sure logistically how my training is going to look post-graduation, but I think I'll find a way, because I'm not quite sure who I'd be without it, honestly.

Wave Hockey Takes Down New Canaan

By Cameron Cirillo

The Varsity Boys Ice Hockey Team took on New Canaan this past Wednesday (3/9) at Terry Conners Ice Rink. This was the first round of the CIAC state tournament. The team has its next game against St. Joseph's on Saturday, March 12th. If the team goes on to win this matchup, they will play the winner of the Notre Dame West Haven vs Notre Dame Fairfield game. The three goals scored put forth by the team were Owen Collins, Herbie Hazelton, and Max Romeyn. Senior Luke O’Neil, a player on the team said: “We took some bad penalties in the beginning, but we battled for the win. I am satisfied with a win, but there is always room for improvement.” The team has expressed their immense excitement for their next opponent. The DHS team lost to their upcoming opponent, St. Joseph's, recently and are seeking for revenge. The team is striving to make it to the finals once again for a back-to-back state championship win. Come out and watch the team perform this Saturday! For seniors who enjoy the game of hockey, this could be the last time you could ever watch them play. The game is at 4:00 PM, at Bennett Rink, at a neutral location, in West Haven.

(Courtesy DAF)

Darien Girls Ice Hockey CIAC State Champs: A Review of the Championship Game

By Kallie Coughlin

Last Saturday, March 5th, the Girls Ice Hockey Team played and beat East Catholic 2-1 in the CIAC state finals. This game was held at the Bennett Ice Rink in West Haven, and was definitely a game to remember. In the third quarter, the team was up 2-1 (goals scored by senior captains Marissa Baker and Georgia Cassidy) and Darien got a penalty. This penalty required two of Darien's players to sit out, forcing them to play in a 6 v 4. This could have been the make or break moment. But luckily, according to Baker, Darien, “killed it. You could not even notice Darien was down two players, it was awesome.”

In addition to the great game the forwards and defense played, Junior Goalie Emily Gianunzio had an outstanding game. Gianunzio finished the game with 30 impressive saves, only letting one in. Cassidy explains, “We would never be where we are without her.” She really helped keep us in this game.”

Overall, the team had a near perfect season. They were FCIAC and CIAC champs and had 24 wins in the regular season.

Gianunzio in the net earlier in the season against Ridgefield. (Photo Courtesy of: DAF)