Bennett Durando
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Willie Zempel
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SOCCER
Statesmen soccer finished its regular season at 18-5-1, winning Conference,and ranked sixth according to stltoday’s large school area rankings.
It competed in the CYC Tournament at the end of September and rode a dramatic semifinal victory against CBC to the championship, rallying on goals from juniors Antoine Givens and Trey Paloucek to advance.
After the victory, men’s basketball coach Jay Blossom tweeted: “Congratulations to @WebsterHSSoccer on a program changing win!” Webster went down 2-1 to SLUH in the tournament final, and now it is looking to contend for a state championship.
The team has beaten other powerhouse schools like DeSmet, Summit, Lindbergh, Collinsville, Kirkwood and last year’s State winner Rockhurst.
This is the first year Missouri high school soccer has had four classifications, and Webster stayed in Class 3 while the largest 64 schools in Missouri moved up to Class 4.
SWIMMING
Men’s swimming is a team of sophomores and two seniors.
WGHS awarded its Athlete of the Month in September to sophomore Michael Greaves. “I try to stay committed to showing up and doing my best to support the team,” said Greaves. “Everyone has a chance (at qualifying for State), but it’s a four year commitment if you do. I think in the next few years, we’ll get increasingly better, and we’ll have more state contenders.”
TENNIS
Women’s tennis started Districts on Sept. 29, where it faced Gateway, which apparently only had two players, and it advanced.
Then it lost 1-5 in the next round to Visitation Academy.
Women’s tennis has had its best season in years. It finished the regular season with a record of 8-3, beating teams like Ursuline Academy, Oakville and Nerinx Hall. Webster tied with McCluer to take second place in Conference.
The Varsity doubles, led by seniors Allie Thomas and Kelly Keefe, took first place in the Webster Groves Doubles Tournament.
Thomas has been the number one player on the team since she was a freshman, where she made it to the State tournament. On Oct. 3, Thomas won the individual District 3 title and won in Sectionals, so she played in the State tournament. Thomas placed seventh in State after she lost to the eventual champion, Caroline Pozo of Lafayette.
CROSS COUNTRY
Men’s cross country has contended in State competition this year, but senior Tyler Lawson, who holds the school’s 5K record, has been hampered by an Achilles tendon injury. The team hope to have him ready to compete to go to state, after the conference meet on Oct. 15 and the District meet on Oct. 25.
“It definitely affects State,” said sophomore Colin Gilker. “We have (senior) Lamont Wilson always encouraging us to get big though,” he joked. Team chemistry has been a factor all year, according to Gilker. The team won Conference, with Lawson being the individual winner for the meet.
The women’s cross country team is also coming off a State run last year. The team is led by Varsity senior Emma Johnson.
The women’s Varsity cross country team won Conference also with Johnson placing second and Lawson placing first.
Lawson finished with a time of 17:19:47 on the 5K, followed by junior Lucas Bennett, Wilson and junior Billy Howells coming in third, fourth and fifth.
Johnson finished a time 19:28:40, followed by sophomore Emma Harrelson who placed fourth and junior Christy Boschert, who placed sixth.
FOOTBALL
After a tough start to the season losing 58-12 to Francis Howell, the football Statesmen have bounced back to win four straight games. Last year, Webster lost to Parkway Central in the Missouri State semifinals.
Webster is ranked second in the state in class five, according to the STLtoday football rankings. The team is led by senior quarterback Rob Thompson, Mizzou recruit senior wide receiver and defensive back Cam Hilton and senior running back Nick Delgado.
Thompson said, “I feel good about our team this year. I think if we play good, we will go all the way. We’re a very deep team with a very good chance.”
The class of 2015 has never experienced playing in the Dome while in high school, so the team hopes for a JV Turkey Day, according to Thompson. They start the playoffs on Halloween, facing Chaminade or McCluer North at Moss Field.
SOFTBALL
Statesmen softball finished the regular season 15-11, which has it positioned in stltoday’s high school area rankings bubble (of schools just outside the top 10).
“I can tell especially the seniors really want to win,” said sophomore Maggie Pool. “They want to go out with a bang. They’ve been working out some kinks to make the team as solid a squad as possible. They really do want to fight for that big ‘W.’”
Senior pitcher Madyson Stallcup has made the most news for the team this year by breaking the WGHS’s personal all time wins record, previously 39.
The team finished its season losing to Kirkwood in Districts 2-0 with a record of 15-12.
VOLLEYBALL
Women’s volleyball will make a run into Districts after defeating Nerinx Hall for the first time in school history, according to Maxpreps.com.
The team finished 23-6-1 and “on the bubble” in large school rankings, according to STLhighschoolSPORTS.com rankings.
The team is led by Texas A&M Corpus Christi volleyball recruit senior Mallory Moran with over 200 kills this season.
Other crucial seniors this year are Laura Workman, Hanna Albers and setter Rachael Sondag.
Webster won the Sub XIIS Conference after defeating its rival Kirkwood, but later lost to Kirkwood in Districts on Oct. 21.
