Wow, it’s been quite a sports week. While we also have a lot to be proud of here at CA, athletics gives us some ready-made opportunities for shout-outs because the outcomes and statistics speak for themselves. With that in mind, allow me to indulge in a little appreciation for our student-athletes.

 

In all cases, Seniors have been leading the way for their teams, capping off strong careers with clutch performances. Among them are a number of Division I-bound athletes, showing the incredible dedication and perseverance these young men and women have shown in their chosen sport.

 

In Golf, our Girls Team chalked up their fourth straight State Championship on Tuesday in a rain/snow-shortened tournament in Eagle. Senior Caroline Jordaan, after three straight years of being the state runner-up, took home the individual championship title, matching her twin brother Richter, who won the #1 singles title in Boys Tennis in the fall. Caroline has been a steady force in a dominant run for CA’s golfers, as the Girls Golf Team has won at both the 3A and 4A level. Caroline will be golfing for the University of Denver next year.

 

The Girls Soccer Team took on Jefferson Academy in the 3A State Finals on Tuesday night at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Seniors Mari Annest, Catie Groves, and Lily Fox really made their presences felt, as each contributed in major ways to delivering a 3-0 CA victory. Mari finished the year with 39 goals and 16 assists in 19 games, breaking the school record for most goals in a season. She will be playing at Northwestern next year. Meanwhile, Catie, who scored the impressive third goal on Tuesday, is headed to Richmond to compete. Overall this year the team scored 107 total goals to their opponents’ 5, garnering 16 shutouts along the way. They defeated 4A and 5A opponents Valor Christian, Grand Junction, and Grandview, the latter of which eventually won the 5A championship. Before the 3A title game on Tuesday night, the CA team was ranked 17th in the nation for a school of its size.

 

One day after the soccer game, our Girls Lacrosse Team took the field to defend its State title. Once again the opponent was Cherry Creek High School, which has been to the Girls Lacrosse championship every year since 1996. Remarkably, CA with a total Upper School of 412, beat Cherry Creek, which has 3600 students, for the fifth straight year. David meets Goliath. Over the last four years, CA has been lucky to have Senior Sloane Murphy compete for us. A CA lifer who is headed to play for USC next year, Sloane scored 57 goals, assisted on 19 others, and won 49 draws during her senior season. The final game was the end of a remarkable career for Sloane, and, as is her usual custom, she humbly gave her teammates all the credit after the game. Other Seniors on this team include Maggie Silliman, Cleo Smith, Gracie Buyers, and Aly Gallagher, all of whom played four years at an incredibly high level. With a 19-0 record this year, the CA Girls Lacrosse team is ranked 19th in the nation amongst all high schools. They scored 319 goals vs only 75 against.

 

The Baseball Team is headed to its second State Championship Tournament in three years this coming weekend. Numerous Seniors give this team a veteran presence, as Davis Ebel, Ari Fierer, and Emmett Ela have been fixtures of the program for four years. And Senior Graham Osman, a left-handed fireballer headed to Arizona State next year, has put together an incredible season. In 51 innings pitched, Graham has only allowed 14 hits, NO earned runs, and has struck out an astonishing 123 batters. That means he strikes out 80% of the batters he faces; not even Nolan Ryan back in the day could match that feat. If you have come out to see a CA game at home this year, you’ll know that pro scouts have shown up to watch Graham pitch and have clocked him on their own radar guns. Good luck to the team as they compete in Greeley on Friday and Saturday.

 

Not to be outdone, I should note two other Seniors competing in sports outside of the spotlight. Monika Williams was a Silver Medalist in FOUR different track events this past weekend, running in the 400 meters, 800 meters, 100 meter hurdles, and 300 meter hurdles. Colorado Academy partners with our neighbor Denver Christian and competes at the 2A level in track and field. For two consecutive seasons, Monika has earned the most points for the team with her incredible speed. She will be running for Howard University next year and will be our first Division-I track athlete in many years.

Also, swimmer Ben Freeman has compiled a notable career in the pool. Again, because CA doesn’t have enough swimmers for our own boys team, we partner with Mullen, just down the road. At the State Meet, Ben finished 3rd in the 200 freestyle, setting a new Mullen school record, and 5th in the 100 freestyle. He also helped the team to second-place finishes in two of the relay events, again setting a school record in one of them. Overall, the team did an incredible job at the 4A level, finishing fourth, even though they only had eight swimmers in the various events. Ben will be heading to Swarthmore next fall, where he will be competing for their swim team.

Needless to say, we are very proud of these student-athletes for their commitment, their achievements,and for representing CA with character and class.