Dedication and teamwork are the watchwords of winter sports at Colorado Academy. Here are just three recent examples that highlight some of CA’s student athletes:

 

The CA Girls Swim Team, led by Head Coach Beckie Mutz and Assistant Coach and Middle School math teacher Jason Koza, does not have a tremendous amount of depth this season; there are just 16 swimmers on the squad. Six of those athletes went to the 4A State Swimming and Diving Championships this past month. Kate Rydberg, Katie Cahn, Ariana Goldman, Mia Brierly, Anne Younger, and Ali Altman represented CA against many bigger schools and did exceptionally well.

 

Brierly, only a freshman, placed third in the 100 back (57.57) and fifth in the 200 IM (2:07.63). The girls, overall, finished 17th at the State meet out of 33 teams that qualified for the postseason. The experience of this concluding meet is unparalleled, and the support that the girls and coaches gave each other is priceless. The girls are creating a foundation that future CA swim teams can build upon.

 

The Girls Basketball Team is achieving its own success and putting together the strongest season in at least the last 10 years. Leading the way is three-sport standout and captain, Marin McCoy. McCoy was honored at the conclusion of the girls’ game vs. Lutheran on Friday, February 13, for reaching the 1,000-point mark in her career. At 4:35 in the second quarter, McCoy put up her one-thousandth point as a Mustang basketball player. A brief presentation, prior to the boys’ tipoff, highlighted her achievement. McCoy will conclude her Mustang athletic career as an 11-time varsity letter winner in volleyball, basketball, and soccer. She is a captain in all three programs and has garnered All-League, All-State, All- Region, and All-American honors along the way. As a member of the 2014 CA Girls Soccer Team, she was the leading scorer on the State Championship Team. McCoy is also a focused student who will be attending Swarthmore College in the fall of 2015.

 

Junior Christian Hyatt was also exemplary in his efforts vs. Lutheran on the basketball court. His hard-charging, never-say-die attitude led his team to a 69-65 win against the number one-ranked team in the state. Due to the fact that the game was on President’s Day break and most CA kids were out of town, Hyatt led his team in front of a partisan Lutheran crowd even though the game was played on the CA campus. Hyatt went off for 23 points and was 12 for 12 from the foul line, sealing the victory down the stretch with some key plays on both ends of the floor. The boys, who could have been seeded fourth heading into the ever-tough Metro league tournament, moved up to second seed, and Lutheran which would have been seeded first with a victory over CA, was seeded fourth.

 

Testing your resolve against tough opponents in pressure-filled settings is the norm for any topnotch athletic and educational program. These types of experiences, coupled with what Mustang student-athletes accomplish in the classroom and on the stage, in my opinion, are unparalleled. Our coaches, students, and community can be proud of these athletes’ mettle. Check the CA website for details and come catch both basketball teams as they compete in the State Tournament the first two weeks of March.