Soaring Scenes of Spring Sports Season

John O’Connell '28 Assistant Sports Editor

Sports seasons are long and filled with highs and lows. Being an athlete can be emotionally challenging; some years may feel like failures while others yield success and memories. Regardless of the success or failure of a team, most teams at Hopkins have a specific moment from this spring that they cherish and will look back on fondly in the future.

For multiple teams on the Hill, beating a specific rival was the highlight of this spring season. As renowned novelist Louisa May Alcott remarked, “Rivalry adds so much to the charm of one’s conquests.” For the Varsity Baseball team, beating Hamden Hall at home on April 15 was not just a win against their biggest rival–who was also the first place team in the league–, but it was a “statement game” that helped solidify the team’s place in the playoffs, according to captain Tommy O’Connell ’26. O’Connell declared that “everybody played well.” On the turf, Varsity Girls Lacrosse triumphed over Hamden Hall on May 1st. A close game between two evenly-matched teams that nearly went Hamden Hall’s way, this matchup was forced into overtime by a last second tying goal by Beatrice Lundberg ’27. Senior captain Lexi Schneider ’26 described overtime as “very high intensity and nerve-wracking to be on the field.” Notwithstanding, Izzy Bricker ’27 came in clutch with a goal, achieving victory and creating a memorable moment that stands as the highlight of this season for the team. Schneider said, “It was a really incredible moment, and everyone was so happy, so I would say it was the most special moment of the season because of the energy and how we all came together as a team.”

On the tennis courts, beating longstanding rival Greenwich Academy 4-3 on May 7th was the highlight of the Varsity Girls’ Tennis season. The victory cemented the team as the 2026 Fairchester Athletic Association (FAA) Regular Season Champions.

Captain Jayda Robik ’26 remarked on the rivalry: “Winning against Greenwich Academy means so much to us because it’s a match we train for and think about all season leading up to it.”

For other teams, the most special moment of the season was more lighthearted. The Varsity Softball team, despite having pulverized many teams this year, including rival Hamden Hall, with a final score of 18-0, declared that its most special moment was stopping for food after beating Holy Child 6-2 in Rye on April 7. History teacher and Softball coach Tim Phipps drove the girls to a rest stop on the highway and, as captain A’nai Alvarez ’26 recounted, “Most of the team was there and it was a great team bonding experience. We treated it as a team dinner almost and loved every second of it.”

For the Varsity Girls’ Water Polo team, a seemingly disastrous mistake actually turned out to be their season highlight. Two and a half hours into the bus ride to a game at Deerfield on April 2, the van had to turn around because a phone was left at Dunkin Donuts. Spending more than four hours in the van did make the team late to the game, but it also–and more importantly– turned out to be a memorable experience because it led to quality social time. According to senior captain Josie Sirowich ’26, “We got to bond in the van and play fun games like contact! We were all laughing because [Coach Fabi] left her phone and [Coach Nevis] was so confused.”

For the sports that attend large competitions, certain races made the cut for the best moment of this year. For the Varsity Girls Crew team, the regatta at Lake Waramaug on May 3 was the highlight of the season. Facing off against 11 other schools, the team achieved much success. In the G3 race, the Hopkins boat, led by

Anyanna Osakwe ’28, Yeva Sosnowitz ’29, Anyaora Osakwe ’29, and Naomi Schwartz ’28, beat highly competitive schools like Northfield Mount Hermon and Hotchkiss. Captain Caryn Kim ’26 recalled, “We got to see the race [from] right next to them. We were cheering them on so loudly, it was so much fun!” Kim concluded that while the windy conditions made her race extremely difficult, it was “nice to face a challenge together.”

For the Boys’ Track and Field Team, the Penn Relays on April 24 were the highlight of this spring. The team shattered school records, making the most of the memorable opportunity to race at such a high level in such a unique (and overwhelming, per Senior Captain Henry Weinstein ’26) venue: Franklin Field at the University of Pennsylvania. Weinstein described the environment: “The whole show of it all is ridiculous, but there is no time to breathe.” Weinstein broke the school record for the 4x100 relay along with Lukas Roberts ’27, Dylan Gerard ’27, and Bodhi Chiravuri ’26. He vividly depicted the moment they broke the record: “As I looked up at that billboard and saw us slashing the record by .5 seconds, few things compare to that feeling, doing it on that big of a stage with all that pressure.”

With varying degrees of seriousness, the highlights of this spring season all share one thing in common: joy. These moments serve as quintessential examples of why athletes enjoy being part of a team and devoting so much of their time and energy to a sport every day. Regardless of whether a team shattered school records or won only a couple games, each team cherishes a special moment that they will smile about when they look back on the Spring 2026 season.

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Soaring Scenes of Spring Sports Season