Sports

The 2007-2008 school year has been an extremely eventful one in the dramatic world of Stuyvesant sports. We’ve seen new teams. We’ve seen old teams get new fields. We’ve seen teams lose tied games. All in all, we’ve seen nine months of the hard work, obstacles and resilience that high school sports are all about. A recap of some of the major people, places and events that defined our athletic program this year:

Spring, 2008: Lacrosse Arrives At Stuy

In spring of 2007, several Stuyvesant juniors petitioned Assistant Principal Health and Physical Education Martha Singer to create boys’ and girls’ lacrosse teams. In the fall of 2007, Singer requested that the Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL) sanction Stuyvesant lacrosse. The PSAL quickly approved, and it was soon made official that lacrosse would be added to Stuyvesant’s varsity athletic department. The boys’ team was coached by varsity football head coach Brian Sacks, while the girl’s team was coached by Holly Younglove, a middle school physical education teacher. “Our plan is absolute, basic fundamentals. We’re trying to get them moving and ready to play,” Sacks said.

In the first Stuyvesant lacrosse game in history on Thursday, March 27, the Peglegs played against the more experienced A.P. Randolph High School lacrosse team. The game went into sudden-death overtime with a score of 1-1. In the extra session, Stuyvesant scored with little more than three minutes left, sealing the first win in history.

The girls’ lacrosse team, the Huskies, played their first game a few weeks later on Thursday, April 10 against Queens High School of Teaching. Stuyvesant scored two early goals and held on to the lead to win their first game by the score of 3-2.

Winter, 2008: Car Accident Disrupts Racewalkers’ Season

The racewalking division of the girls’ track team was treated to a visit from Tim Seaman, a racewalker who finished 20th in the 2004 Olympics. “The girls here on the team are really, really dedicated,” Seaman said. Unfortunately, a car accident occurred on Saturday, January 12, en route to a tournament in New Hampshire, in which junior Lucia Hsiao bruised her lung, junior Valerie Piro suffered a spinal chord injury, and coach Erin Taylor fractured her neck. Hsiao is back at school, but Piro and Taylor are still recovering. “That the six of us walked away nearly unharmed, it’s almost a miracle,” senior and co-captain Huili Zhu said. In March, senior and co-captain Nina Yang, along with juniors Dan Ping He and Connie Cheng qualified for the National Championships. Yang and Cheng were disqualified for violations of racewalking’s strict technique requirements, but He placed 14th in the nation with an 8:26 mile.

March 7, 2008: Rebels Lose 40-40

After finishing the regular season with a 10-8 record and earning the 31st seed in the 32-team playoff bracket, the Runnin’ Rebels, Stuyvesant’s boys’ varsity basketball team, played the eighth-seeded Seahawks of the High School for Food and Finance in the first round of the playoffs. When a tough four quarters drew to a close with the score tied 40-40, the Rebels got ready for overtime—or so they thought. Although the scoreboard read 40-40, both referees’ books read 40-38, in the Seahawks’ favor. Video evidence attained by both The Spectator and senior Steven Cao showed that the referees had failed to account for a basket scored by junior Nolan Becker in the fourth quarter. “The book had us only scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter, whereas the tape clearly showed us having six baskets,” senior and captain Jake LaMountain said. Coach Phil Fisher brought this to the PSAL’s attention, but, according to their regulations, video evidence cannot be used as evidence to protest a decision. “The referees always want to do the right thing,” Fisher said. “Here, the right thing is not being done.”

May 21, 2008: Hitmen Stop Short After a Roller Coaster Season

Like the football team, the Hitmen, the boys’ baseball team, also experienced the luxury of having Pier 40 made into their home field. Their old home field, at Dewitt Clinton High School in the Bronx, was difficult to travel to. Coach John Carlesi and assistant coach Matt Hahn orchestrated the switch with the PSAL. They began their season undefeated at 6-0. After their first two victories, senior and co-captain Mark Chiusano warned against getting too excited. “You can’t tell too much from 2-0,” he said. Indeed, the Hitmen could not maintain their winning streak, losing an astonishing eight straight games. With only two games left in the season, both against Beacon High School—the highest ranked team in the Manhattan West A Division, the Hitmen’s playoff hopes seemed dashed. A 0.500 win-loss record is the minimal requirement for playoff contention, meaning that the Hitmen had to win both the remaining two games to reach playoffs. As unpredictable as the bulk of the season was, Stuyvesant’s end to the regular season was just as capricious. They defeated Beacon in both games to qualify for the playoffs in timely fashion. In their first round playoff game against Herbert H. Lehman High School, nonetheless, Stuyvesant lost by the score of 3-1.

May 23, 2008: Mimbas Seeded Third After Perfect Season

After an 11-0 2007 season, the girls’ soccer team, the Mimbas, were knocked out of the playoffs with a 3-0 semifinal loss to Benjamin N. Cardozo High School. But on Thursday, March 27, the Mimbas extracted revenge, beating Cardozo 2-1 in a scrimmage match. They haven’t stopped winning since then. En route to an 11-0 regular 2008 season finish, the Mimbas scored 36 goals the whole season, while giving up only two. They shut their opponent out in seven of their victories. They began the season without two of their previous star seniors, Dara Frank (’07) and Cailey Simmons (’07), and a new coach, Adam Goldstein. None of these changes, however, have hurt the Mimbas in any way. “Regardless of who our coach is, the Mimbas are the Mimbas,” senior Sara O’Conner said. The Mimbas played their first round playoff game on Friday, May 30. A joint McKee Vocational High School/Staten Island Technical High School team is seeded first and Bronx High School of Science is seeded second. In a scrimmage match earlier this season, the Mimbas tied with Bronx Science.

April 6, 2008: Stuyvesant Cricket Makes Playoffs In Inaugural Season

In spring 2007, the PSAL announced that it would sanction cricket in spring 2008. Stuyvesant, which had an already formed cricket club, put together a team quickly, with many members of the cricket club joining the PSAL team. They named their team the Yorkers, after a type of bowl (the equivalent of a pitch in baseball), but also a homage to being the only cricket team in Manhattan. “It would be great if we can make the playoffs as an inaugural Stuyvesant varsity cricket team,” senior Chaitanya Medicherla said. Although they lost their first game to Prospect Heights Campus High School by a tight score of 89-88, they went on to finish the season 6-4, and fulfilled Medicherla’s goal of making the playoffs.

Fall, 2007: Peglegs Star on Field and On Screen

Stuyvesant’s varsity and junior varsity football teams, the Peglegs, enjoyed a visit from Jets safety Eric Coleman, a new home field in Pier 40 and recognition on the big screen with the screening of CSTV’s documentary, “The Peglegs of Stuyvesant High.” Coleman spoke to members of the Peglegs and the cheerleading squad about nutrition, health and personal football experiences. Those who asked him questions received autographed memorabilia. In past seasons, the Peglegs had played home games at Brooklyn Tech’s field, making it difficult to practice and travel to games. Although years in the making, the move to Pier 40 was finally arranged this fall between the PSAL, coach Brian Sacks and Assistant Principal Physical Education and Health Martha Singer. “The film has given [viewers] a newfound respect for city football, and really how great the Peglegs are, and how hard they work,” Sacks said. Nevertheless, the Peglegs failed to make the playoffs, finishing the season 6-4. In other news, sophomore Cassandra Lee became the first female player in Stuyvesant history to start as running back. “I get a shower stall all to myself,” Lee said.

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