Indoor Track – Owen Stout
The Track and Field team is among East’s largest, so when coach Jon Beyle naturally isn’t able to oversee everything, senior Owen Stout steps up as a leader.
“I give tips and tricks that work for me during practice and meets, and continually try to make my teammates better,” Stout said
Throughout last season Stout was consistently one of East’s best-performing sprinters and hopes to continue his success on the track this year.
“I’ve always had a desire to get better as an athlete… and seeing forward progress brings me a sense of accomplishment,” he said
— Jordan Huang
Girls’ Basketball – Abi Stone
Captain and junior Abi Stone is working to build a strong team for the future of East girls’ basketball.
“We lost a lot of seniors last year and we really felt the impact of that,” Stone said. “The thing I’ve talked to my team a lot about is… basketball is my favorite thing to do, I live for it, I breathe for it… and I’m always playing, but I know my experience is never going to be the same as anybody else’s experience on the team”
The girls’ basketball team is feeling the effects of low recruitment during the height of the pandemic and has only two upperclassmen, but a large amount of freshmen and sophomores ready to learn. Stone wants to make the team an enjoyable experience for new players.
“The main thing I’ve had to do is just tell them, buy into the season,” Stone said. “If you’re going to spend the time here, if you’re going to be practicing, going to games, taking a large chunk of your time, you might as well commit and put in as much effort as you can… go above and beyond to make it fun.”
In her third year as a varsity player, Stone hopes to defeat rivals and to have team improvement throughout the season.
— Ananya Cox
Wrestling – Joshua Resnick
For senior Joshua Resnick, co-captain of the wrestling team, wrestling is more than just a sport.
“I started wrestling because I liked the idea [of] knowing how to defend myself,” Resnick said.
Resnick has been wrestling at East since his freshman year and his current goal is to qualify for the state championship.
According to Resnick, there are many more people joining the wrestling team this year, and he is glad he is able to serve as captain to guide them.
“I feel great about the team this year. Last year we were building our team so now we have a strong foundation,” Resnick said.
Currently his record is 5-1 this year, and he won second place in the boys 152 lb. division at the Red Wolf invitational.
“Before you start a match… you get nervous and you start overthinking,” Resnick said. “But once the whistle blows, instincts kick in [and] you just start. You start doing what you’ve been practicing and you feel comfortable and confident.”
After wrestling for four years, Resnick hopes to continue after high school.
— Linda Li & Avery Tortora
Swimming and Diving – Isabel Berge
East Swimming and Diving, more commonly known as the “Watercats,” has had a strong start to their winter season, defeating both Northern Durham and East’s rival, Jordan High, with record-breaking times.
Senior Isabel Berge, varsity team co-captain and freestyle swimmer, has been a leader in and out of the pool by encouraging spirit weeks and rallying team support on social media.
“Swimming is not an easy sport, but my teammates and coaches really make sure that we are always in a supportive, fun-loving environment,” Berge said. “I have no greater pride than being able to captain a team I love so deeply.”
Berge is now in her fourth year of high school swim. With her experience and morale, she stands out as a reliable captain and an accomplished athlete.
— Jane Kim
Men’s Basketball – Dillon McCafferty
East hopes to have a successful season in their last season with Dillon McCafferty, a senior combo guard who is committed to play basketball at Skidmore college next year.
As East’s boys basketball season continues to progress, McCafferty continues to expand his game in new ways.
“I’ve made a big emphasis on improving my defense… I wasn’t happy with my defense last year, so I spent the offseason getting stronger and getting better on that side of the ball.” McCafferty said.
McCafferty has been on the varsity team for three seasons, and this season marks his second year as a team captain.
“Becoming a leader was crucial… We have a pretty big team so keeping everyone motivated and bringing the energy every day is a big part of my role.” McCafferty said.
— Ben Parry
