I hope you enjoy reading about our winter sports teams and the progress they have made so far this season. Our coaches strive to build men for others and help our student-athletes grow closer to God through the participation and pursuit of excellence in sports. We want to form leaders to serve with and for others; develop the mind, body, and spirit of each student-athlete, and build programs that foster a culture of champions, all for the Greater Glory of God.

 

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Swimming is often thought of as an individual sport, but I am teaching the boys that swimming at Loyola is a team sport. Every member of the team participates in a weekly practice that allows us to bond and work on relay exchanges. Swimmers from all different club teams represent Loyola swimming, which can make it challenging since different clubs have different practice times and locations. Having the team participate in weekly practice allows the boys to time to work together and develop a since of team that will carry into dual meets and champions.  The 100-mile swim provides the team the opportunity to serve others by raising money for charity through swimming.

 

The swim and diving team has four team captains to help lead the squad to a successful season. Jack Holman, Teddy McQuaid, Ethan Daughtery, and Harry Belbot all were selected for their leadership qualities and their willingness to serve others.

FROSH

 

The 2023-24 varsity indoor track team is off to a good start. The Dons competed in league meets at Loyola during the first two weekends and there were many positive signs in multiple events.

 

The season will start to heat up in late December as the Dons will head to Dickinson College in Pennsylvania for an invitational and then some of the varsity Dons will try to take a bite out of the Big Apple at the Armory Holiday Classic in New York City over Christmas. January and the New Year will see a return to Prince George’s Center for league meets and the MIAA Championships.

 

The Dons hope to position themselves to place high in the championship meet and then some of the top Dons will move on to hopefully qualify for Indoor Nationals in March.

 

In a season with a 4-7 record, maybe the team’s best performance was a 6-1 loss in early December to a strong Squashwise team, as five of the matches went the full five games. It was a match that on paper doesn’t immediately seem close, but both the effort and mental fortitude exhibited is exactly what both the players and coaches see as important for growing throughout the season. The team has had to battle through injuries and sickness, rarely playing at full strength. Players, when needed, have stepped up. Our #1 Graham Fields has faced superior competition and held his own. Our #3/4 Will McDonald has been a gamer, winning both convincingly and playing clear superior opponents tough. Aiden Treacy has been lower in the top seven and through his hustle and court smarts beaten seemingly stronger opponents. Furthermore, five of the team’s seven losses occurred on Saturday, December 9, in a six-team robin-robin day of intense squash. Even with no team victories, everyone improved over the course of the day.

The team heads toward the Christmas break aiming for a .500 record. The break should give the players a chance to get healthy as the team aims for peaking in mid-February and the MIAA playoffs and the Nationals in Philadelphia. 

 

To date, JV swimming has worked on its conditioning and on skill development in terms of stroke technique, body position, and turns. The squad held their own against Georgetown Prep and Gonzaga then had their first MIAA test on Wednesday (12/13), which resulted in a victory over Calvert Hall.

JV wrestlers won The Raymond B. Oliver tournament by a landslide. They outscored the second place team by 120 points. The following week they placed third in the Ken Berlett Senior Classic with a total of 203 points. The JV team is competing well in the MIAA.

 

The 8^th grade basketball team is 0-4 after a quick start to the year. It has taken us a little while to get going to start games, but our 4^th quarters have been great. We will be looking to put together a run before the Holidays and pick up our first win soon.