Boys Basketball

Last season: 15–5, lost in first round of FCIAC tournament, lost in second round of LL tournament.

Coming off of one of the strongest seasons in recent memory, the Wrecker ballers will be out to fill the shoes of last year’s senior class, consisting of Luke Yeager ’11, now playing at Grinnell College, Gabe Seidman ’11, the team’s leading scorer, Jake Felman ’11, the team’s post man and a few others. Team captain Mike Argosh ’12 said that things can go just as well as they did last year.

“Similar to last year, we will be successful if we play together, play tough defense, and play smarter than our opponents,” Argosh said.  “We have always been at a disadvantage height-wise and athletically so we have to do those things well to make up for that.”

Head Coach Colin Devine says his team can step up to the challenge of having big shoes to fill.

“Every season brings new challenges and circumstances; our team is working hard,” Devine said. “This year’s team has players stepping up to the challenge.  Argosh and Peter Rankowitz ’13 have had great off-seasons, as have Pat Kohlman ’12 and Mike Garrity ’12.”

Girls Basketball

Last season: 8­–12 (7-11 FCIAC), did not qualify for FCIAC tournament, lost in first round of LL tournament.

            Year after year Staples girls basketball has found a way into the CIAC tournament. Under Head Coach Ed Huydic, the Lady Wreckers have qualified for the end-of-season state playoff tournament for 25 consecutive years.

“We want to win games that we have lost in past that have been very close. Finishing has been an issue for us, we’ve lost a lot of games by two or three,” Captain Remy Nolan ’12 said. “Improvements will be to get our turnovers to a minimum, attack the basket, and finish the lay up. We have some talented underclassmen this year that will help us to your success.”

Gymnastics

After placing first in FCIACs a year ago, the Staples Gymnastics team is ready to work hard on the mats, beam and bars like it has in the past. With strong senior leadership in captains Katie Blumenfeld ’12 and Emily Fishman ’12, the girls are looking to accomplish all they can with talented returning gymnasts, and new additions to the team.

“We have three new girls on the team with high level skills, so we’re hoping for our team score to increase,” Blumenfeld said. “We’re working to get all of our routines clean and improve on things like presentation amplitude, execution and adding more difficulty to our routines. All in order to compete at FCIACs and beyond.”

Boys Hockey

Last season: 14-6, Lost in Div. III State Final

Staples Hockey has had a strange three years. In the 2008-09 season, the Wreckers were a dominant force in Connecticut hockey. It went 12-8 en route to lose to no. 1 St. Joseph in the state final. In 2009-10, Staples dropped out of the scene and finished at a non-impressive 3-16. With determination and will power, the Wreckers resurfaced again last year, only to fall once again in the Div. III State Final to Watertown-Pomperaug. Aaron Liu ’12, senior captain for the team has high hopes for this season.

“We have a good returning team and some good new players and we are hoping that our chemistry will carry us,” Liu said. “Everyone is up for the challenge this year and we want to return to the state championship. It was hard losing last year but if anything it gives us more inspiration to win this year.”

Girls Hockey

After winning only one game last season, the girls’ ice hockey team will be forming a co-op team with Trumbull High School. The Lady Wreckers will have two new coaches, Paula Dady, who had coached Trumbull already, and Amy Cobb, a new addition to the coaching staff. At home games, the girls will sport Trumbull jerseys, and Staples jerseys at away games.

Captain Kenzie Furman ’12 said she hopes the team can win a few more games this year. She added, “We’d also like to generate a little more student interest in the program because if more underclassmen join we’ll be able to field our own program and not have to combine with Trumbull next year. We’d like to play more competitively against stronger teams like Darien and New Canaan,” Furman said.

Boys Swim and Dive

            Last year’s Boys Swim and Dive team got out of the pool from the LL Championships in fifth place, and the Open Championships in ninth place. A top 10 finish in the State Open is always an agreeable finish, but the Wreckers want to improve this year.

“A lot has changed from last season, but so far we’re off to a great start,” Kyle Bacon ’12, a captain on the team, said. “Although there were quite a few strong swimmers and divers that recently graduated, the team is looking much stronger as a whole this year.”

Boys/Girls Indoor Track

The boys’ team coming off a stellar year where the 4×400 relay won the Connecticut and New England titles, the Wrecker runners are hoping to replace some of the runners in that relay with only one returning member of the relay in Jon Heil ’12. Besides that race, the trackies finished second behind a strong Danbury team in both the LL Championship and the State Open.

“Our workouts are longer than our shorts,” Dean Hefnawy ’12, a runner on the team, said.

For the girls, who finished third in the LL Championships and ninth in the State Open, involving underclassmen in the races will lead to good results.

“I am really excited about the season because there are many emerging underclassman that will contribute to the team’s success,” Alex Popkin ’12, senior captain, said. “I hope to advance into the championship season with good times and more experience, beating teams we lost to last year.”

Caroline Smith ’12, another captain, added, “We are coming off a strong season last year which means that the returning girls are familiar with training hard towards the team’s goals, many of them will see great results.”