By Cesar Mendez – Staff Reporter

The 2022 season for the Jonathan Law boys cross country team was one for the ages. 

This season was filled with new PRs and a bunch of new experiences for all of the runners.

“Some goals I set for myself in the beginning of the year was to improve as a leader and run faster,” senior captain Liam Fedigan said.  “I was able to keep the team together throughout the season.”

Fedigan, along with all of the other athletes, couldn’t have done it without putting their bodies through loads of hard work and practice. 

“Our practices consisted of usually about 20-25 miles per week which included a long five to six mile run after a meet,” senior Rishabh Nair said.

Practices help some of these students-athletes going throughout the season 

“Practices got really hard at times and there were times that I didn’t think I could make it,” sophomore Dalton Evans said. “But, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger so I kept pushing.”

This season was filled with loads of students athletes beating their own PR’s. 

“I wanted to break 20 minutes in a 5K going into the season,” senior captain Dallas Fasanella said. “ I ended up breaking 19 minutes with a time of 18:53, so over all I exceeded my expectations.”

One of the biggest highlights from this season was the performance of Fedigan, who went All-State in his final high school campaign. This is his second time going All-State in his cross country career. 

Members of the team always have a great time running and competing between not just the other schools, but with each other. 

“During practices, I was always looking forwards to run and hang out with my friends,” senior Jake Ackley said.

Having a good time was always on their mind and having parents supporting their kids made it a while lot better.

“Theres a lot of excitement while running,” junior Tanner Matchett said. “Having parents screaming at you to run faster and catch the next person was good motivation.”

Fedigan said he is sad to see his high school career come to a close, but he is excited to run in college next year.

“Now I have to set goals for next year for colligate running,” Fedigan said.  “I will also be setting goals for Law as I will be coming to a lot of meets and will still hold a part in Law cross country.”

By Kayla Markowitz – Staff Reporter 

A group of junior and senior girls from Jonathan Law are preparing for this year’s Powder Puff game against Foran.

Powder Puff is a flag football game with teams made up of junior and senior girls and they play against rival Foran. This year the game will be Tuesday, November 22, at 6:00 p.m. at Foran.

Law won last year’s Powder Puff game 8-6 in double overtime.

“Coaching Powderpuff is so enjoyable because it’s something so new. These are all varsity athletes who learn the sport in just over a week,” Head Coach Mr. O’Reilly said. “They go from not knowing what a first down is to remembering 40 plays in just nine days.”

Senior quarterback Sabrina Lawless is looking forward to playing with the rest of the team 

“We’re definitely clicking together very well, getting through on our runs, knowing where we’re pushing certain girls,” Lawless said. “We’re working together very well.”

Senior running back and wide receiver Elly Van Waveren is certain that they will get a win for Law. For the past two weeks, the team has been working on offensive and defensive skills.

“I strongly believe we will beat Foran again this year,” Waveren said. “Our defense is so strong I don’t see how they could score on us and offense is nonstop perfecting all of our plays.”

Senior outside linebacker Demi Carrapico is pumped for the upcoming game and excited to showcase what the team has been working towards.

“At first it was a bit of a slow start, but we’re definitely picking it up. It’s looking really good,” Carrapico said. “I know that we can implement that on the night we go against Foran.”

Junior Liv Hudak is excited to be on the team and loves collaborating with her friends and teammates.

“We’re all getting used to the positions and we’re doing really well as a team,” Hudak said. “I love that all my friends are there with me and I love the position I am playing.”

The girls enjoy working together and everyone is excited about their upcoming match. 

O’Reilly is confident they can take Foran and get a victory 

“There’s never been a game I coached in, where I didn’t think we were gonna beat Foran,” O’Reilly said.

By Bobby Black – Sports Editor

The Jonathan Law boys soccer finished their season with a record of 3-10-3. 

Two of the captains on the team, Declan Wywoda and Eliot Melgar, made All-SCC and the team finished just short of qualifying for states and SCCs. 

“My favorite part of the season was when we tied Notre Dame West-Haven,” Wywoda said. “We were so excited for just a tie but competing with that level of competition and pulling away with a point was great for our morale.”

The team was able to compete against some of the best teams in the state. 

“My favorite part of the season was when we got some good results against top level teams in the state such as Fairfield Prep, Notre Dame, and West Haven,” Melgar said.

The team may have missed out on the postseason, but Melgar said they are proud of the way they progressed despite being a very young team.

“Our team didn’t reach one of our goals of the season, which was to make states, but we did create a foundation to build from with many returning players for next season,” Melgar said. 

The team knows that they have to work hard to prepare for next season. 

“Even though our team didn’t reach our goal of winning the division and making states the team got better each and every game and by the end of the season we were playing at a really high level which I was proud of,” head coach Mr. Gruber said. “Going into next season the boys know it’s going to take a lot of work in the offseason in order to get where we want to go and many seem willing to put in the work so I am excited for what next season brings.”

The team looks to be approved for next season with a lot of returning players.

“I think that our team can improve our aggressiveness and intensity when we play,” Wywoda said. “When we showed those attributes, we showed we can compete with anyone in our league.”

Gruber believes the future is bright for Jonathan Law boys soccer.

Each game is important and the boys know this moving forward,” Gruber said. “I believe the foundation has been laid for a couple successful seasons in the future.”

By Olivia Augustine – News Editor

The Law girls swim team recently wrapped up its season with SCCs and states.

Many of the girls swimmers made states and SCCs this year, with many qualifying both. Two team goals for this season were for the team to qualify for the postseason and improve their individual times.

“From a performance standpoint, our goal each year is to have every swimmer and diver improve their times and scores from the beginning of the year to the end,” head coach Mr. Rosner said. “On a different level, our goal is to have the girls come together as a team, and learn how to be leaders.”

This year, the team took time to get to know each other better. 

“What I enjoyed most about the season would be how close the team bonded and how much fun we had together,” senior captain Olivia Coddington said. “Since our team was so close we were a family and were constantly joking around with each other, supporting each other, laughing, and all around having fun; which is what made this season so enjoyable.” 

Swimmers and divers set goals for themselves to accomplish during the season. 

“Making SCCs and states was a goal that I set for myself at the beginning of the season which I have now achieved,” senior Katie Servas said. “ It was a great opportunity to compete with other girls who have been working all season as well as push myself to swim my fastest.”

The team getting closer helped them with doing better this season. 

“The thing I enjoyed most about this season was seeing how close the team got and how well we worked together,” senior captain Aislinn Burns said. “It was great to see all of our hard work pay off and the amazing team dynamic created by the coaches and team members.”

Swimmers and divers set goals for themselves to beat throughout the season. 

“Making it to SCCs finals felt awesome,” senior captain Macie Rascoll said. “It felt like all of the work that I had been putting in the entire season was finally paying off by being able to move on to the next round.”

By Ella Franzman – Sports Editor

The Jonathan Law volleyball team ended its regular season on October 26 with a 10-10 record. 

The team qualified for the SCC Tournament as the 12th seed and defeated 5th seeded Lauralton in the first round. The Lawmen are now preparing to head into the second round of the Class L State Tournament on Thursday, November 10. 

“We have been working extra hard on all of our weaknesses as a team along with a lot of defensive work,” senior captain Paige Jolley said. 

The team played in the first round of the state tournament, and was able to get the win over Waterbury Career Academy(WCA). 

“The team is excited. They want the W’s,” head coach Ms. Loch said. “They are working harder in practice and discuss the other team’s game play, positioning on the court and help each other out.”

Since the team graduated a lot of impactful seniors, they have had to fill many positions with underclassmen. 

“Our team’s attitude has been really positive going into the postseason,” junior captain Ashley Borecki said. “We are all very competitive and have that drive to win.”

The three captains – Borecki, Jolley and Nicolina Salanto – have all been a huge help to this team’s energy, they have been able to help shape their team and guide their team to these wins. 

“I think the team’s attitude has been very much in the mindset of us wanting to prove something to everyone because our record doesn’t show our capabilities,” Salanto said. “We all want to make it as far as we can and especially me and Paige since this is our last season.” 

Jolley and Salanto both played volleyball all four years of high school and both played full varsity for two years.

“I think the girls are more intense and aggressive on the court toward the end of the season since they are more trusting of each other’s game play,” Loch said. “They start to “mesh” as a team a little more and play better together.” 

Salanto has kept a very specific game day routine this year. After school, she leaves 45 minutes before the team needs to be at the gym to go to Walgreens to get a Peach Mango Bang. She then goes to school and parks in the same spot and waits 40 minutes until they have to be in the gym because of how excited she is.

Salanto then said every game day she has co-captain Borecki do her hair even if it’s as simple as a braid. 

Loch said she has he own routines before each match.

“I always have to write out my lineup visually in court positions and always high-five Paige before she goes on the court for each set,” Loch said.

Jolley made All-SCC Second Team this year. She also broke a school record for the amount of digs in one game with 52 against Lauralton.

By Tim Firla – Staff Reporter

The Law boys soccer captains lead the team in what hopes to be another successful season. 

The boys soccer team is currently 1-4-1 on the season. The four captains for this year’s team are senior Oren Sedelmaier, junior Declan Wywoda, junior Cooper Fitzgerald, and junior Eliot Melgar.

“It is a great responsibility,” Wywoda said. “This team is super young and I look forward to working with the younger guys and seeing them improve. It comes with many responsibilities and I am ready for all the challenges to come because I know that if we work hard and work together we can win.”

Players are also excited to be back into the swing of things and are looking forward to upcoming games.

“I’m excited for the rest of the season because after our great team performance last night against Notre Dame we showed we can compete with anyone,” Sedelmaier said. “We showed fight and proved we aren’t going to be an easy team to beat and our future opponents have to watch out.”

Head coach Mr. Gruber had high praise for all four of his captains. 

“Cooper Fitzgerald is determined, loves soccer and is a leader on and off the field, Eliot Melgar is the best communicator on the team and pushes his teammates to get the best out of them, Declan Wywoda is a multi-sport athlete that brings wealth of knowledge and what displays what hard work means both on and off the field, and Oren Sedelmaier plays a huge role on the team by always working and looks out for everyone on the team making sure we are as one unit,” Gruber said.

Everyone has a positive attitude and feeling towards the team. They all have a different connection to the group.

“I feel good about the program,” Melgar said. “It is well run and I have high hopes for a good season.” 

Every captain has made a special effort to make the team stronger and make them all feel like they are one big family. 

“They are good leaders,” sophomore Christian Mead said. “They are always trying to get the best out of our team.”

By Tanner Matchett – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law football team is off to a strong start in the 2022 season. 

The team has wins against East Lyme, Bethel and Bassick and Branford. The team has been led by senior quarterback John Neider and senior linebacker Jack Sellmen. 

“Being 4-0 just comes along with all the hard work we have put in the offseason,” Neider said. “The major difference between this year’s team compared to past years is how much everyone has invested into getting better in the offseason.”

Captains Neider and Sellmen provide great examples for the team, keeping their heads high and pushing them to be the best they can. 

“They have been guiding our team and have been keeping us in check,” sophomore Michael Merchant said. “We have pasta parties on Thursdays before game day and we just go over our plays.” 

The team has performed to a high level, scoring points in bunches in their four wins so far this season. They have scored over 40 points in all four games this season (46-0, 48-0, 49-7, and 45-21). 

“We have to stay consistent by keeping each other up and staying confident,” junior wide receiver Michael Neider said. “We are all confident and trust each other which is the most important thing.” 

The Lawmen have seven games left in the season with games against Lyman Hall, Guilford, Stratford, Sheehan, East Haven and their cross-town rivals Foran on Thanksgiving. 

The team has a bye week upcoming and will take time to recover and get ready for its next game, and a chance to go 5-0. 

By Kayla Markowitz – Staff Reporter

The Law girls soccer captains are ready to lead the team to a great season.

The girls soccer team is off to a 3-4-2 start which includes wins over Lyman Hall and Shelton. This year’s season is led by three captains: senior Sabrina Lawless, senior Demi Carrapico, and senior Elly Van Waveren.

“Responsibilities about being a captain are making sure you are a leader on and off the field and always being there for your teammates so they can always have someone to rely on,” Carrapico said.

This season, the girls are working hard towards all of their goals and getting new to all the new freshmen and new players on the team.

“At the start of the season, we knew we were getting a lot of new players so one of our team goals definitely was to learn how to play together ’cause we’re a very young team,” Lawless said.

The girls are working towards learning to play together and adapting to all the new players on the team. They are also working hard on new skills.

“So with that, using a lot of communication, stuff like that, focusing on communication, just learning how to play together is one of our biggest goals going throughout the season,” Lawless said. 

The team is also working hard toward other goals like SCCs and states along with beating their rival, Foran, this season.

“Some team goals would, of course, have to be beating Foran this year and making either states or SCCs,” Carrapico said. 

The captains also agree that the soccer team is like a second family to them and the girls are very close-knit.

“My favorite part about being on the soccer team is how much they feel like a second family to me,” van Waveren said. “We’re all very close and love hanging out outside of soccer.”

The girls are all held to high expectations and have leadership responsibilities. All three captains have many responsibilities in order to have the best season they can have.

“To be honest, they have exceeded my expectations of captains,” head coach Mrs. Francisco said. “Being good leaders on and off the field is a given. I also expect my captains to unite the team, enhance the team chemistry, keep the team organized, and share their ideas on how to better the team during practices.”

The captains also want to do their best to make this team feel like a family for everyone in order for the best season possible

“I feel that the captains make the team come together,” freshman Fiorella Gargiulo said. “Without them, I think we wouldn’t have as strong a connection as we do. Being one of the four freshmen on the team, I was really nervous with everything new, But, Elly, Demi, and Sabrina made everything more relaxed.”

By Harry Fisher – Sports Editor

And they’re off!

Two weeks into the fall sports season, the Jonathan Law boys and girls cross country teams are off to an incredible start. These teams have put in a tremendous amount of time practicing to get better.

Coach Phillips, Coach Schulte, and Coach Loschiavo have been supporting these student-athletes daily after school and on the weekends. These veterans know the ins and outs of every course, and are ready to develop and motivate all runners. 

All-State runners Liam Fedigan and Claire Moulton have hit the ground running. They showed their dominance on the Sheehan course last week and are ready to lead the team to victory in future Invitationals.  

In the first meet of the season at Sheehan, the top five Law runners for the boys team were Fedigan, who ran a 17:19, Jake Ackley at 20:51, Matt Berendt at 21:51, Dallas Fasanella 21:28, and then Tanner Matchett at 22:40. 

The Law girls came out strong and were the largest girls cross country team in attendance at Sheehan last week. Moulton finished second overall.

Fedigan has been a leader for the boys for three years now. He has had two terrific All-State seasons, and he looks to have an outstanding senior year. He passes his work ethic on to the other runners and is constantly working to motivate the team to try their best.

Coach Phillips is excited to see what the boys team can accomplish this season.

“I have always looked forward to the beginning of the season,” Phillips said. “The excitement for a cross country runner when his goals are met. As we work toward the league in-state meets, our daily practices contain hill work out and finishing strong at the end of a race with good form. We always talk about working together to lower our time. I have always said that if we can get five people under 20 minutes we would be competitive with most teams and we are getting close to that point already. We are led by Liam Fedigan, but already seeing lots of improvement by Jake Ackley, Matt Berendt, and Dallas Fasanella along with Tanner Matchett in our top five.”

Moulton also set high standards for the team and relentlessly encourages everyone to run their best race. 

“I’m very excited for the season and happy to be back together with the team,” Moulton said. “Something I want to accomplish this year is getting my time to sub-21 (minutes) and to make the First Team SCC this year, which I hope to do considering freshman year I made SCC honors. Then last year I made the SCC second team. Making the first team would definitely be fun.”

Coach Loschiavo has high hopes for the teams as well.

“I am so excited to see for the season to start,” Loschiavo said. “I feel like we have a great team this year and a special group of runners that are eager to run and strive for success whether inside or outside of the classroom. One thing I want to accomplish this year is to have every runner at least run better than they did at the start of the season and watch them progress. I think some of the keys that might help law push toward SCCs and states is working every day to get better and better and to put in work even outside of regular practices. I feel like this will be better for you in the long run and make the team have a better result at SCCs and states. The number one thing I would like to accomplish this year is I would love is to see is our top 7 run under 21 minutes. The reason for this makes us more competitive when we get to the bigger state and SCC meets.”

The team is motivated to compete and is on pace to make its mark in the Connecticut cross country scene.

By Bobby Black – Sports Editor

The Jonathan Law football season began win a win over Bethel on September 9.

The team is looking to start strong this season under head coach Mr. Haley and captains John Neider and Jack Sellman.

“Our team has been preparing for Bethel by studying film, working hard during practice, and by staying focused,” Neider said. “We are staying healthy and keeping ourself in good shape to prepare for the long season ahead of us.”

On September 2, Law faced Brookfield in a scrimmage to get prepared for the regular season.

“No one is ever fully prepared to play Week 1, so we treated Brookfield as Week 1,” Haley said. “I believe we’re ready to go, and if you ask the team, I think they’d agree.”

The football team finished 6-4 last year.

“Our goal remains the same – to first represent our values in the way we conduct ourselves; second, win the division; and finally, put ourselves in a position to be practicing on November 25th,” Haley said.

This year, Law is in Class M for the state playoffs and the SCC (Southern Connecticut Conference) for the regular season games.

The team opens up their season with two away games but get to suit up in their black uniforms for East Lyme as their home opener on September 23.

Although the season has just started, Haley is looking forward to two very important games in the second half of the season.

“Game-wise, no big secret here, Branford and Sheehan,” Haley said. “All the one week at a time cliches apply, but those two are definitely on my radar.”

In the season opener, Law defeated Bethel 46-0.

Cam Upchurch returned an interception for a touchdown and junior Amadeus Betancourt had two touchdowns to lead the Lawmen to victory.

“This game doesn’t matter much next week,” junior Michael Neider said. “We will look back on the game but then move on from it and improve for next week.”

Photo courtesy Eric Relucio

By Truman Martin – Entertainment Editor

The Jonathan Law boys soccer team started the fall season Saturday at home against Hamden. 

They look to keep the momentum going after an impressive season last year. Their record was 16-2-1, which is the best record that Law has had in over 20 years

“This season I’m most excited about stepping up and competing against the best teams in the state erach game we play, because If we want to be the best we have to beat the best and our main goal is to win our division and states.” Boys Soccer Coach Mr. Gruber said. “It won’t be easy but we will be a hard working team that never quits and strives to get better each and every day.”

The boys soccer team has lost a lot of players since last year. Last year’s team had 12 seniors, so the new and remaining players have some pretty big cleats to fill.

“We are feeling pretty good about how we are going to do,” Senior Captain Oren Sedelmaier said. “We lost a lot of people last year but we have returning players who are ready to step up into a bigger role.”

The upperclassmen, while still setting goals for themselves this year, also have their sights set on preparing the underclassmen to step up in the coming years.

“We have a very young team with a lot of potential.” junior Cooper Fitzgerald said. “Their development is my top priority for this season, as it can set us up for success next season.”

With these expectations, the newer players are setting their own personal goals for this season as well.

“My main goal for the season is to make the state tournament and become a team that can compete with the other top teams in the state.” Sophomore Ryan Nastasia said. “We play some of the best teams in the state, including SCC champions and Class L semifinalists Xavier, SCC semifinalists Notre Dame-West Haven, Fairfield Prep who is always a strong State Champion contender, and Daniel Hand who has won 3 of the last 4 Class L State Championships.”

By Caden Simpson – Social Media Editor

The Jonathan Law girls soccer team kicked off their season on Thursday, September 8 with a home game against Hamden.

The team’s next home game is September 27 against Lauralton Hall, and the team could not feel more confident about upcoming games. With several incoming freshmen and the varsity team growing, the girls soccer team is in good shape for the 2022 season. 

“This summer the girls spent two days a week conditioning and completing agility workouts,” head coach Mrs. Francisco said. “ The girls are also participating in summer league games to prepare for this season.”

The team has many goals set for this season, one of them being making it to states.

“My goals for this season would be to have a winning record and make it to states,”  senior captain Elly Van Waveren said. “I hope the team can connect passes and have chemistry on and off the field to improve performance.”

The teams has multiple big games coming up, including an away game with rival Foran on October 10. 

“The Foran game is the most important game of the season,” senior captain Demi Carrapico said. “Because Foran is our rival school everyone comes out to watch, making it really exciting to play.”

The team has another game against Foran on October 27 at home, which is the last game of the regular season.

“I am really excited for this season,” sophomore Maddy Baranowsky said. “We have some big games coming up and I think that our team will play really well together, despite losing some of our strongest players.”

The girls soccer team lost several seniors from last year’s team, but Francisco is optimistic about this team’s performance this season.

“Graduating seniors will always be missed, however this season’s captains are doing an incredible job of stepping up and helping the younger players find success at the same time,” Francisco said. “The best players make those around them great’ and I think that encompasses our team to a ‘T.’ I’m excited to see all of the success that our team earns.”

Senior captain and goalkeeper Sabrina Lawless is not worried about the team’s performance this year either.

“I think the team will really pull through,” said Lawless. “Although we lost strong players, I believe that our team will be able to play together well and have the ability to build chemistry with one another to better ourselves on the field.”

By Maya Rosado – Editor-In-Chief 

The Jonathan Law girls volleyball team kicked off the new season with a win over Brookfield on September 12.

The girls have been putting in work everyday and have high hopes for the season. The team is led by three captains: seniors Paige Jolley and Nicolina Salanto and junior Ashley Borecki. 

“For this upcoming season we are definitely right on the cusp of being ready,” Salanto said. “We lost five seniors so this is a new group at the varsity level but we’ve been working hard since the first day of tryouts and the growth and improvement is very visible day to day.”

The team has a busy game schedule with 19 games between September 12 and October 26. 

“It will take some time to prepare and get used to playing next to a new person,” head coach Ms. Loch said. 

The team is very excited and hopes to show their skill in the state tournament. 

“We all have high expectations as a team and we are constantly striving to get better,” Salanto said. “Our goals are simply to not only qualify for states and SCCs but to go deep into the tournament.”

There is a lot to look forward to as the team moves into the start of their first game. 

“This season I am just very excited to play, we have a really solid team with awesome people,” Borecki said. “The dynamic is so fun, and I can’t wait to see it all come together on the court come game time.”

The girls always have a lot of fun together and bond really well. Players on the team often look forward to simple things like being around their friends. 

 “I am most excited for the bus rides and games,” junior Helen Chizmazia said. “I also enjoy just having fun with my teammates and getting to know everyone.”

The girls also have different goals they want to achieve individually.

“I really want to work more on my swing and get it the best it can be so I can get kills,” Borecki said. “Also, defensively I want to be more consistent with my passes and make it easier on the setter.”

Overall, all the players aim to improve themselves to make the team even stronger than years prior.

By Helen Chizmazia – Social Media Editor

The Jonathan Law girls swim team recently dove into its fall season.

The swimmers have been preparing by doing dry land captains practice and swimming over the summer. Team members are hoping to have a successful season. 

“I think as a team we will do really well and I think we will compete really well,” sophomore Ella Franzman said. “I’m super excited to see how we do this season.” 

Franzman is a sophomore who has been on the team for two years. 

The season’s first meet was on September 8 at 5 p.m. at Foran against Woodland. 

“The first meet went well,” junior Gianna Gagliardi said. “We, unfortunately, did lose by 12 points to Woodland High School but we kept our sportsmanship and still had a good time and competed to our best ability.”

Gianna Gagliardi placed second in the 200 freestyle at her last meet. 

“The people who stood out at this meet were Natalia Gagliardi and Olivia Coddington,” Gagliardi said. “Natalia made states in her 50-yard freestyle and her 100-yard freestyle”.

Sisters Gianna and Natalia Gagliardi have been swimming for Law girls swimming together for two years now. 

The team also competed with a 200 freestyle relay performed by Aislinn Burns, Gianna Gagliardi, Sarah McCann, and Natalia Gagliardi. 

“Olivia Coddington qualified for states as well, her dives were amazing. She scored a 195.20, well above what is needed for states, (160 needed for states) she was outstanding,” Gianna Gagliardi said. 

Senior Macie Rascoll is in her fourth year competing on the Law swim team. 

“My favorite part of the season is getting to spend time with each other and bond at activities like pasta parties and secret psycher,” Rascoll said.”Another one of my favorite parts is when we push each other to get better and it all pays off in the end.”

There are three captains on the team this year: Coddington, Aislinn Burns, and Rascoll. 

“I think as a team we will do great things this season, we lost a lot of seniors but we also have lots of incoming talent and I’m very excited to see what we do,” Rascoll said. “Overall we have a great team and such a tight-knit group so I think we will be successful while having fun at the same time.” 

Burns said she enjoys her role as captain.

“To prepare for this season I swam over the summer to get back in shape, and I helped run captains practices to meet the team and start conditioning for the season,” Burns said. 

She added that some of her favorite swim memories have come outside the pool.

“My favorite part of the season is getting close with the team, having fun, showing sportsmanship, and watching the success of all of my teammates,” Burns said. “I love when our hard work and dedication pays off.”

Mr. Rosner coaches the Law girls swim team along with assistant coach Mr. Lui. One of their team’s goals is to make it to states and SCCs for the 2022 season. 

“My favorite part of the season is the postseason,” Franzman said. “The postseason is my favorite because I really think about how hard I’ve been working all season to get to this point.”

Last season Franzman made it to SCC and State meets in multiple events. 

The Law girls swim team will continue to improve throughout the season and keep competing in various meets. 

“I am hoping that I will end my Law swim and dive career on a successful note, especially after all of this hard work,” Rascoll said. 

By Helen Chizmazia – Staff Reporter

Law’s girls and boys track teams finished the 2022 spring season strong. 

The teams were very successful as a whole with several athletes going All-State. They placed well in the SCC and state meets and had athletes qualify for the New England Championships and Nationals as well. 

“I loved that the students went into each meet looking to improve and PR,” girls track coach Ms. Corriveau said. “There were so many times that I asked individual athletes to step up to a challenge and they ran with it – no complaints.”

This is Corriveau’s first year coaching girls outdoor track. She was impressed by how close the track team became as the season went on.

“To me, it seems that most of the bonds are made on bus rides and in the bleachers,” Corriveau said. “Spending hours together in one location for a meet really helps kids to create a community of friendship.”

Corriveau has years of coaching experience from volunteer coaching for indoor track and field. 

“Even when things seem to be going downhill (rain delays and timing issues) I always remind the team that it might not be perfect, but we’re together and we are making memories that we will look back on and laugh about next year,” Corriveau said. “Our shared experiences really tie us all together.” 

Junior Shane Pritchard has competed on the track team for two years. 

“There were a ton of overall accomplishments not only individually but as a team, we won the Quinnipiac Division title,” Pritchard said. “We broke the school record in the 4×100 and we qualified for nationals in the 4×100 as well.” 

Pritchard is a sprinter for the indoor and outdoor seasons. Pritchard is a member of the 4×100 boys team that has qualified for Nationals. 

“Team bonding is important to make sure we all stay focused and get things done when we need to; it improves the team so much by helping one another out and showing us we aren’t just a team we’re a family,” Pritchard said. 

On the girls side, sophomore Caden Simpson went All-State for the past two years in a row. Simpson qualified for Nationals in the 55M hurdles. 

“This season I went all state and came in 9th at New Englands for the 300M hurdles,” Simpson said. “I think it was a good season for me although there are definitely things that could be improved on.” 

Simpson said she enjoyed the season on and off the track.

“The friendships we’ve all created with each other makes us a better team, and personally I know that I would not be where I am without my teammates and coaches being there for me and supporting me throughout the season,” Simpson said. 

Senior captain Aiden King had a standout season for the boys team in the pole vault.

“We obtained a divisional title which was great,” King said. “We have a few kids participating at Nationals. At states, we came in third place despite being one of the smallest schools in our class size.” 

King was the state champion in the pole vault which led him to go All-State for his senior year. 

“I set several personal goals for myself in the beginning and I was able to accomplish the majority of them,” King said. “I obtained the school record in the pole vault with a jump of 13 feet.”

Working and training during the off season helped King reach his goals. Team bonding really helped King in his athletic career because sportsmanship was one of the things that drove him. 

“The great thing about the kids on this team is that everyone is here for each other,” King said. “We are all flexible to help one another out.” 

For the girls, senior Sydney Simpson was one of the team’s standout performers.

“My favorite part of the season this year was watching the growth of both myself and my team,” Simpson said. “Everyone put in their best effort this season and it was incredibly rewarding to watch all their hard work pay off. One of my favorite memories this season was beating Foran at our last home meet. It was also one of my better meets personally.” 

Simpson said she will miss the bonds she shared with her teammates this season. She will attend Yale University in the fall. 

“The team spends a lot of time together between meets and practices, even going to the beach after practices if the weather is nice,” Simpson said. “I think this really added to our success on the track because we wanted to see each other do well and everyone cheered each other on.” 

By Harrison Fisher – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law golf team recently finished a tremendous 2022 season.

The team closed out the season with a 9-5-1 match record. Every member of the golf team improved from the start of the year and the starting lineup has achieved some personal best scores.

One of Law’s goals each match was to have the starting lineup shoot in the low 40s so they could continue to be competitive in every match. 

Mr. Koorejian has been the Law golf coach for the past 20 years. He worked hard this season to ensure the team had the right chemistry to achieve victory. 

“We had an excellent season,” Koorejian said. “We are very happy with all the young talent and how our scores improved throughout the season. All of our goals were met. We improved individual performances from last year, made States, and even defeated Foran twice this season. We really had a successful year.” 

Koorejian said he is already excited for next season to start.

“The next step for us is for this year’s players to return next year,” Koorejian said. “Playing over the off season, improving skills and even getting more players for the team would be a great addition.”

Mr. Maurutis has been an assistant coach to Koorejian for the past two years. As a former Law golfer himself, he knows what the expectations are for every match. 

“The season went very well,” Maurutis said. “We consistently improved throughout the season, and I am proud of the hard work our players put into every round. They were all committed to improving their scores. I believe we accomplished many of our goals this season. We consistently improved our scores, had many highlights, and competed in the State Tournament at Tallwood Country Club.

Maurutis said he is excited for the talent that is returning nest year.

“There is definitely room for improvement,” Maurutis said. “However, we competed and beat many teams this year. We are a very young team, which is a good thing. We need to keep practicing and continue to lower our golf scores.”

Maurutis mentioned several highlights from the season, including Anthony Fino making a 20 foot putt to beat Sheehan by one stroke, the team’s lowest score of 176 against Shelton, Jaden Archuleta’s consistency of scoring low, Dylan Soule’s eagle against Branford, and the team’s performance at the State Golf Tournament.

Archuleta is a sophomore golfer and was the best player for Law throughout this season. He shot in the low 40’s several times and was the leading scorer for Law. One of his goals is to have the entire starting lineup to shoot in the 40s.

Senior Anthony Fino was a role model and a leader for all of the new Law golfers.

“I think we had a really good season as a team and individually,” Fino said. “I did not know what to expect having lost six kids from last year, but everybody played really well and had a better season then I expected. I did accomplish all my goals this season. I wanted the team to have a winning record and myself to have a winning record. We both accomplished those goals. I am very happy with the results we had this season. Going 9-5-1 is a big accomplishment for the team. It also shows that there will be an improvement because most of the match players expect for me we’re all underclassmen. I think the biggest thing I can do to improve my scores is to work on my chipping because the short game always can improve my score. I think the biggest moment of the season was against Sheehan at their home course. We were tied coming to the last hole, and I made a 15-foot putt to win the match by one. That was definitely a big moment for the team and myself because Sheehan is a really good team.”

The Law golf team’s goal is to continue to improve their scores over the next couple of years and to continue to build on this program for generations to come. 

By Isabella Gecaj – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law boys lacrosse team recently finished a successful spring season and achieved a goal it spent five years trying to reach.

The boys lacrosse team won six games in the regular season, the second most in school history. They also won a home game for the first time in five years.

“Our goal as a team was to get a home win this year and we accomplished it numerous times,” senior captain Luke Henricksen said. 

Head coach Michael Ayala said he knew the boys would persevere this season. 

“I knew it was going to be a tough year,” Ayala said. “But by the end of the season we had built some chemistry. Furthermore, the culture and attitude I hoped to instill had come to fruition.”

Ayala looked beyond skill and dove deeper into the attitude of his players. He looked for certain attributes.

“The always ready mentality (R- respect E – effort A – attitude D- discipline Y- Why not US..) and also the tradition of “Long Live Law”, where the names may change but the traditions will remain,” Ayala said.

The team sees its growth and aims to do more.

“I think we improved tremendously as a team as we won lots of tough games and we were only one game away from states which is a big improvement from last year,” junior Connor Chirco said.

Several Law players set individual records this season.

“We broke a few records such as the single game points record which was set by Luke Henricksen with 12 points total (7 goals, 5 assists) and the single game scoring record set by Conor Chircio with 8 goals in one game,” Ayala said. “Likewise Conor Chircio received Second Team All-SCC honors.”

The Lawmen grew individually and as a team. 

“We improved with better chemistry and feel for the game as it’s a team sport and having good chemistry is very important,” junior Louis Sabo said. “I improved on my saving ability along with communicating with my team on defense where they need to be and when they need to slide.”

Not only were they able to do more with their games, but they were also able to do more outside of competing.

“This year we were really happy to have our first team dinner in a long time, we also had an awesome family vs. players game and senior cookout event, and we had our second annual girls vs. boys Law lacrosse game,” Ayala said. “All these events and fans really made this a special year and I look forward to doing it all over again for years to come.”

By Zack Sulkis – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law boys tennis team has completed its 2022 season with a hard-fought match against Joel Barlow on May 31 in the Class M State Tournament.

The team was missing two of their veteran players, putting them at a disadvantage from the start, and they lost 5-2, including two matches that went to tiebreakers. 

“I feel we had an excellent season, especially coming off a record breaking year and graduating nine seniors,” head coach Mr. Maxwell said. “We played a much tougher schedule and still finished 12-8 while qualifying for the state tournament. We battled in every match and grew so much on and off the courts during the season, which matters most.”

The team had one of their toughest schedules ever and still had many hard-fought matches. They managed to hold their own facing most of the top teams in Connecticut and even had captains Dan Folloni and Julien Roy qualify for the doubles state tournament. 

“Dan is by far the best player in Law mens tennis history and I believe him and Julien were probably the most dominant doubles team, at least in recent years,” sophomore Arshaq Ahmed said. “The match against Joel Barlow was just unfortunate timing due to the fact we knew we were going to be missing two seniors but the scheduling unfortunately couldn’t be altered. Still proud to be a part of this team.” 

The team is losing some major talent with five starting seniors graduating but Maxwell has faith in junior Rishab Nair to lead the team next year, as well as other members of the team who will be returning. 

“I started playing tennis last year and I began playing tennis because my brother played on the team and he told me to join,” Nair said. “I like tennis for the competitive nature of the sport and how there are many ways to improve and become better.”

The team became very close with each other on and off the courts this season, everyone on the team had nothing but nice things to say about each other.

“I feel like we had a great season with all of us trying our hardest and getting along so well and it definitely showed in our scores,” freshman Sean Luxeder said.

By Maya Rosado – Staff Reporter 

The Jonathan Law girls tennis team recently wrapped up its season with an exciting finish. 

The girls ended their regular season with a record of 13-7 and were seeded #14 for the 2022 Class M Tournament. 

Law beat #19 seed Ledyard 6-1 in the qualifying round and fell short to #3 Branford on in the first round. 

The team has had many accomplishments this season including one of senior Lucia Pino who broke the school record for career wins (59) with her victory against Ledyard in the state tournament. 

Pino breaks the record previously held by Monica Pydipati (Class of 2019) and did it in less than three years.

Law also had three girls make the SCC All-Conference team: Pino and first doubles players Caroline Doyle and Olivia Hudak. 

“I feel like the season went extremely well this year, and I’m so proud of everything we accomplished,” Doyle said. “Everyone put in 110% and I couldn’t have asked for a better team.”

The team bonded extremely well and the girls created lots of new friendships. Leading the group was senior captains Pino and Sophie Maselli. 

“The best part of the season was getting to travel as a team for states,” said Pino. 

Doyle said she was happy that the season was more “normal” than the last two years.

“The best part of tennis this year was easily being able to do things that we couldn’t last year,” said Doyle. “We had pasta parties and went out to eat after away matches, and through those we got a lot closer as a team.”

The girls are very happy with how their season went and strive to be even better next year. 

“At the beginning of the season we wrote down personal goals as a team and one of my main ones was to become more consistent with my serve,” junior Sabrina Lawless said.  “I definitely felt happy with my improvement.” 

Pino also qualified for The State Open Individual Tournament at Wesleyan University on June 6. She advanced to the second round and had a hard fought loss to the #1 singles player from Joel Barlow.

“The season went very well, as I felt I was able to succeed individually and as a team,” Pino said. 

Head coach Mr. Kulenych was very impressed with the girls this season.

“Coming into the season, we had a lot of players in new spots, and as the season went on, we had to deal with rain, injuries, and a very difficult schedule,” Kulenych said. “But the girls stay focused and continued to work hard and I could not be prouder of how the season turned out.”

Kulenych said while he is excited for next season, he will miss the team’s three seniors – Pino, Maselli, and Nihitha Kothapalli.

“Our seniors have been incredible leaders on and off the court for us the past four years,” Kulenych said. “It’s impossible to put into words what they have meant to our team. They are incredible players but even better people and they can’t be thanked enough for everything they have done for us.”

By Christian Andriolas – Staff Reporter 

The Jonathan Law baseball team recently finished the regular season with a 12-8 record and were able to make a good run in the state tournament. 

After beating Waterford 9-1 in the Class M quarterfinals, the Lawmen played Woodland in the semifinals. Despite losing 3-0, the team is happy about the season. 

“We were very happy with how the season turned out,” junior Cole Pleimann said. “A lot of people doubted our talent, and we proved those people wrong. The most important thing in any sport is to have fun, and that is exactly what we did. We built a community as a team and raised the standards of being a lawmen baseball player. We became a family throughout the year, and I could not ask for a better team.”

With the regular season coming to a close, the team learned a lot about themselves and what helps them win. 

“We learned that if anything goes wrong we will have each other’s backs,” junior Jeanero King said. “We knew if we played as a team and believed in each other, everything would come together.” 

Despite losing the last two regular season games, the team still had hopes heading into states.

“After a couple good practices after the losses, we were confident going into the first round of states,” sophomore Brian Goglia said. 

To start the tournament, the Lawmen got a 9-0 win in the first game fueled by a great pitching performance from senior captain Jaden Wywoda. 

“I felt our team played one of our best games yet,” Wywoda said. “Our defense made plays and I felt fantastic throwing. My slider was the best it was all year and I was able to locate my fastball wherever I wanted.”

The second game against Watertown was an 8-7 nail biter, where the team came back after being down 4-1. 

“I went in knowing that I had to keep the game where it was,” junior Aidan Ryan said. “After I got the final out of my first inning the bats woke up and it was a breath of fresh air. After that inning, I went in pitching with a lead but the fatigue soon got the best of me when I handed it over to Brian, who closed the game out and had one of the better performances of the year.”

By Olivia Hudak – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law girls lacrosse team finished the season with a record of 7-10. 

This year’s varsity captains were Lindsay Konlian, Hailey Boyle, Avery Fletchner, and Maya Rosado.

The girls team qualified for the state tournament and lost a hard-fought game against Fitch in the first round.

“I feel the season went well,” sophomore Helen Chizmazia said. “The team had a lot of fun playing together and learning about the sport.”

The team is happy about their achievements this season and how far they were able to go with their record and qualifying for states. 

“The season went great individually and as a team,” Rosado said. “We reached our goal and qualified for states and had a lot of new players make a big impact on the field.”

This season, team members formed very strong bonds with one another that worked towards their chemistry on and off the field. 

“The best part of the lacrosse season this year was getting closer with my teammates,” Konlian said. “I enjoyed getting to know everyone, especially the freshman. I am sad that I will be having to leave them.”

Overall, the girls were extremely happy with the team and individual accomplishments they were able to achieve.

“My personal goal was to score three goals in one game,” senior captain Hailey Boyle said. “I was able to do in our game against New London so I did achieve my personal goal.”

By Caden Simpson – Staff Reporter

With a record of 19-4, the Law softball team recently finished one of its best seasons in years.

In the state tournament, Law won its game against Killingly (6-3) on May 31 but lost a close game against Bristol Eastern (5-4) on June 1. 

“This was such a fun ride,” softball coach Mrs. Bludé said. “We know we have talented players but to be able to go far and make memories that will last a lifetime for each individual is even more important than the record.”

Members of the team not only showed their love for the sport but for their teammates, which enhanced their ability to play well together.

“When I say the girls love each other, I say it with no exaggeration,” Bludé said. “We have always instilled the idea of FAMILY and with each season comes a tighter and tighter bond.”

The team worked hard this year to make it as far as they did and the effort showed.

“There was never a dull practice,” All-State shortstop Talia Salanto said. “We had such a great dynamic on and off the field which made it easy for us to really play as a team for games and work hard while practicing.”

The seniors were big staples of the team this season, but the team is excited for the roster it will bring back next year.

“The team is definitely losing some of the most valued players,” All-SCC Second Team catcher Nicolina Salanto said. “But we gained and continue to have valued players on the team which will help go even further next season.”

Senior captain Grace Kantor said that much of the team’s success this season could be credited to the girls’ closeness off the field.

“We made it to the SCC Championship game and the second round of states, which would not have happened if not for the teams grit and dynamic,” senior captain Grace Kantor said. “Our record would not be the way that it is if not for the pasta parties, team bonding, and overall love we have for each other. It’s going to be really hard to leave a team as great as this one.”

By Ella Franzman – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law softball team is currently 12-1 and has already qualified for states. 

After losing to Amity in the semifinals of the SCC Tournament last season, the Lawmen are hoping to make it back to the SCC tournament and go even farther. 

“Our postseason goals are to make it far in states and the SCCs,” senior captain Grace Kantor said. “We are feeling really good about the postseason, and I think if we keep playing the way we are now, it’ll help us when the time comes.”

Last year, the team lost to North Branford in the quarterfinals of the Class M State Tournament and they are looking for redemption. 

“The team does more bonding with each other and we are made up of a great group of girls that play well together on and off the field,” freshman Mady Bull said. 

The Lawmen are already half way through the season but continue to take it one game at a time.

“Everyone is always locked in on game day, we are all loose and having fun,” sophomore Talia Salanto said. “It might not always seem like we’re all focused but that’s just the way law softball does things.” 

Law had a total of 36 runs from their games this past week against Amity, Foran, and Sheehan. 

“As a team we are all so excited about how the week went and our bats were on fire,” Kantor said. 

The Lawmen beat Foran 10-0 with home runs hit by Courtney Hanson and Bull. Hailey Oliver also had the winning RBI. 

“We are not getting the recognition we were hoping for but we know where we stand and being the ‘underdogs’ is making each game we win more special,” Salanto said. 

After losing some key players last year, the underclassmen have been able to step up and fill in those gaps.

“Our girls determine the lineup, this is done and practices and games based on performance,” head coach Mrs. Blude said. “At the varsity level, we put together our strongest “team” and fortunately that starting group has been so successful they are creating opportunities for subs to get more playing time than in years past.”

With two pitchers that are both very versatile and are interchangeable on the mound and at shortstop, the duo makes it challenging for any opponent. 

The duo also pitched two no-hitters in a row, one against Mercy and one against Branford. 

“My mindset on game day is to win, getting in the zone and preparing to win allows me to push to my fullest, and leave everything on the field,” Kantor said. 

Kantor also hit a three-run homerun against Mercy, making the score 11-0.

By Maya Rosado – Staff Reporter 

The Law girls tennis team is returning and excited for their upcoming season.

After a record-breaking season last year, the tennis team is ready to take on their next challenge. Last season, Law earned its first SCC Division II regular season title and its first SCC Division II Tournament title with a 6-1 victory over Branford. 

“Last year was a dream season for us and now the goal is to build off that and continue to get better,” head coach Mr. Kulenych said. “We are happy about last season but we aren’t satisfied. The goal is put in the work every day to make this season just as special.”

The win was the first Law girls tennis conference title since 1980 (in the CCIAC). Law’s captain Lucia Pino was named the SCC Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

The girls are excited to have a non-COVID year of tennis after missing their 2019-2020 season and having a shortened season for 2020-2021. 

“I am most excited to get back to a regular match schedule and play schools that we didn’t have the opportunity to last season,” junior Caroline Doyle said. “I’m excited to see how far we can go with some new competition.” 

The team is most excited to get back to normal and have a regular match schedule.

“I am most excited for experiencing wins with my team,” junior Samantha Burns said.

The girls have high hopes for the season and are determined to be even better than last year. 

“I am most excited to see how we do as a team this year,” senior captain Lucia Pino said. “I have high hopes as we move into the start of the season.” 

Through two matches, the team is 2-0 with wins over Abbott Tech and Mercy.

The girls not only hope for success as a team but also individually.

“Individually, I want to do my best every match in order to help our team succeed as much as possible,” said Pino. 

Senior captain Sophie Maselli is excited to begin her final tennis season.

“This season, I am excited to continue our title as ‘Champs’ and to advance far in the state and SCC tournaments,” Maselli said. “As this year is my last, I’m really hoping for an amazing season. I can’t wait to watch our entire team thrive on the courts this season.”

By Harrison Fisher – Staff Reporter 

Spring is in the air and it is shaping up to be a great outdoor track season. The “Nation of Domination” is coming off a successful indoor track season and is ready to bring its talent outside. Sprinters, hurdlers, and jumpers are all ready to compete at a high level and everyone is ready to try to bring another State Championship back to Lansdale Ave. Advocate Staff Reporter Harrison Fisher interviewed the track coaches and some standout athletes as they get ready for the spring season.

Head Boys Track Coach Mr. Beler

“We have the same goals as indoor. The goal is for a Division championship, an SCC championship, and a state championship. The goal is to win every day: if every athlete gets better every day, we did our job. The goal is always improving and winning a team title, a full season COVID-free, and watching our athletes improve into champions.”

Head Girls Track Coach Ms. Corriveau

“We plan on doing a lot of practice with pacing, speed, and endurance. We simply want to build on the skills we’ve gained and continue making progress. I’m looking forward to seeing how much the students will rise to the challenges in each of our meets. I want students to focus on progress, reaching their goals (both as individuals and as a team) and have fun.”

Junior Liam Fedigan

“Yes, the goal is to always run faster. However, it is most important to stay healthy. I am also trying to build more of a community within the distance program specifically. But yes the goals are almost identical to what they have always been. This season I want to be a good leader and public figure for Jonathan Law track. This year I want to teach others and get them motivated to do well on the track and in the classroom. I really want to promote the student athlete life. I am really looking forward to running outdoor track this year. I can’t wait to run with some new and longtime teammates. We are definitely capable of accomplishing a lot this year. Everyone needs to stay calm and determined. We need to stay committed and be ready to come to perform every day.  It is not easy, but it can be very very rewarding.”

Senior Aidan King, SCC Pole Vault Champion

“I’m going to prepare for the season by making sure to work hard at practice every day. I want to build team chemistry in the preseason, so by the time meets begin, we will be ready to go. My goals and expectations are not the same. I honestly did not know what to expect from this team and from myself.  However, now I understand that we are very capable of prospering as a team. I want to win a State Championship, break a lot of school records, and go All-State in the pole vault. I am really looking forward to embracing the community feel that track season brings. It’s always a really enjoyable experience no matter what type of day it is.  I am very confident in the team’s capabilities. We are a deep team this year with many stand-out athletes. If there is a team that can do it, it’s this one.”

As you can see the “Nation of Domination”  is ready to compete once again. We know that this team will put in the work, and their goal is to capture both the SCC Championship and State Championship. Personal goals will be achieved and records will be broken.  Fans can look forward to a successful outdoor track season.  Good Luck, Lawmen!

By Truman Martin – Entertainment Editor

For the Jonathan Law baseball team’s 2022 season, the coaches are focused on building a winning team.

This year’s varsity team captains are Kian McEnerney, Jaden Wywoda, and Michael Cosmas. Some important and key players include Wywoda, junior John Neider, Cosmas, and McEnerney.

“We always want to be able to compete for a chance to win a state championship,”  head coach Mr. Simler said. “In order to do that, we set goals each day to get better so that we are playing our best baseball by the end of May when the State Tournament begins.”

The players are setting goals for themselves this season as well.

“My goals are to have a successful season and have the team go over .500,” sophomore catcher Bobby Black said. 

After two years of canceled and shortened baseball seasons, everyone is excited to get back to a normal season this spring.

“For the season really I am most excited to be around the players and other coaches” assistant coach Mr. McPartland said. “A huge part of why I do what I do is because of the relationships I form with the players and coaches.”

The players are also just as excited as the coaches.

“What I’m looking forward to this baseball season is winning,” junior pitcher Jeanero King said. “We have a lot of potential on this team and I believe we can have a good run.”

As of April, the baseball team is 1-2 with a win over Bunnell and losses to Lyman Hall and Hand.

By Christian Andriolas – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law boys lacrosse is ramping up to start the spring season. 

With many new faces, the captains of the team have to take an even larger leadership role. 

“The main issue coming into this year for the boys lacrosse team was the lack of players,” junior captain Jack Sellman said. “We were able to overcome this by recruiting any athlete around the school, creating a larger team with many natural lacrosse players.” 

Many of the new faces include younger players who are ready to work.

“Since I’m new, after figuring out the game, I am ready to go to work,” freshman Jack Dastasio said. “The more hard work and focus I put in, the more opportunity I will get to play.” 

Along with new younger players, but the team has experienced ones as well that are ready to step up. 

“All the returning players are willing to put in the work to improve both themselves and newer players, and excited for another season,” sophomore Kiernan Wilson said.

In preparation for the regular season, the team played a scrimmage against Stratford/Bunnel on Saturday, April 2, and won by a score of 8-2. 

“I feel the biggest takeaway from the scrimmage was that good teamwork leads to success,” junior Connor Chirico said. “It was nice to get a win against a team like Stratford as it was important to us.”  

With the confidence gained from the scrimmage, the team now has higher expectations for the season.

“The goals for the season are to focus more on the skill level of younger players, and rebuild our program yo have high standards, that requires players to act responsibility on and off the field,” junior Matt Hagerty said. 

With development of young players and everybody holding themselves accountable, the Law lacrosse team is ready to have a strong season. 

By Isabella Gecaj – Staff Reporter

Lucia Pino is a senior at Jonathan Law and the captain of the varsity girls tennis team.

Pino is the team’s #1 singles player and has gone All-State twice. As it is her last year on the team, Pino is ready to go out on a high note.  

“I am excited to move on to college but hoping to make this last season special,” Pino said.

Last year, the girls tennis team won the SCC Division II regular season and SCC Tournament titles and made it to the semifinals of the Class M State Tournament.

But winning is not the only thing on Pino’s mind. 

“I think our team is looking strong this year as we have a slightly different line up,” Pino said. “I think we are going to be very successful.”

Pino has set several team and individual goals for herself.

“This season I am looking forward to winning as much as possible,” said Pino. “But also creating a strong bond with the team.”

The girls team work together in achieving their ambitious goals. Overall, it is Pino’s leadership skills that will take them forward. 

“Not only is Lucia our best player, but from the moment she got on the team, she has been our leader on and off the court,” girls tennis coach Mr. Kulenych said. “She works hard in the classroom and on the court and she is a perfect example to follow for the younger players on the team.”

Her skills have helped the team grow at an exponential rate.

“Whenever I’m having any trouble with my forehand or my backhand or my volleys she will kindly help me,” sophomore Olivia Hudak said. “She’s great at teaching you  something when you’re struggling with it and will make it very easy to learn.”

Pino’s work ethic and passion is what takes her far. 

“Lucia gets a lot of attention for her awards and records, and deservedly so, but what people don’t see is what makes her great,” Kulenych said. “She is always working – before practice, during practice, after practice – to get better.”

Kulenych said having Pino atop the lineup is a luxury that most teams do not have.

“Having Lucia at the top of our lineup gives us an advantage over every team we play and allows the rest of the pieces of our lineup to fit into place,” Kulenych said.

Pino, meanwhile, is excited for this year and beyond.

“I am looking forward to playing tennis at the next level and believe I’m ready to move forward with my tennis skills,” said Pino.

By Olivia Augustine – News Editor

The Law girls lacrosse team is getting ready for the start of the spring season.

The team has hopes of having a successful season. The team also has hopes of qualifying for the state tournament.

“My goals for the girls lacrosse team this season include successfully having a winning season,” head coach Ms. DiDangi said. “With a younger team, there is much room for improvement as well as growth.”

The lacrosse captains are excited to work with and lead the team.

“As a captain I plan on giving my team an enjoyable, winning season,” senior captain Hailey Boyle said. “I also plan on helping everyone as much as I can skills-wise, wherever I see they may need help, I’ll use my experience to help them grow their skill set as much as I can.”

The captains are also excited to work towards achieving team goals.

“What I enjoy most about playing lacrosse is being a part of a team that works toward a common goal,” senior captain Lindsay Konlian said. “As a captain this year, I also enjoy being a leader on and off the field.”

Playing with people who are passionate about the same sport creates a special bond between the team.

“What I enjoy most about playing lacrosse is bonding with the team at games and practices and getting to play the sport I love surrounded by other teammates that share the same passion,” junior captain Maya Rosado said.

The team is ready to be together this year on and off the field after the last season.

“This season I’m looking forward to being able to spend time with the team on and off the field since we weren’t really able to last year,” junior Elizabeth Ryan said.

By Kaitlyn Goldberg – News Editor 

The Law boys tennis team is back in action this spring and is hopeful for an exciting and successful season. 

Last season, the team was undefeated during the regular season and won the SCC Championship. This season, the team wants to repeat that success and qualify for the postseason.

“As coach my goal this year is to play tough every match and work hard each practice,” head coach Mr. Maxwell said. “As a team our goal is to make the SCC Tournament and the CIAC Tournament.”

The team is having to face more challenges this year, with only two returning players and a more difficult schedule.

“My goal for this season is to create a good foundation for the future team,” senior captain Julien Roy said. “Last year, we lost seven of our starting players so we have a lot of roles to fill and with the seniors leaving after this season. That’s even more space for new talent and if we get the new players to adjust to the team and improve their skills, I’d consider this a successful season.”

With playing some more advanced teams this year, the team is going to have to have some new strategies to make sure they can play the best that  they can. 

“The team is going to prepare intensely for every match,” senior captain Dan Folloni said. “Every day we will train to fix any weaknesses. We will change our lineup depending on which schools we are facing.”

The team’s practices are also going to be very important this year, especially for the new team members. 

“We have many new players this year, so our practices will be vital to our success,” Maxwell said. 

The new players have been up to challenge so far and are becoming great additions to the team. 

“Because our team was moved up a division this year (thus facing more difficult teams), we are discussing using some advanced strategy, opposed to mostly only conditioned fundamentals than we have previously,” Roy said. “Towards the end of our last season, we faced a lot of insanely good teams with niche techniques and I feel that has naturally caused us to be more targeted/specific in our practicing, and so far our new teammates have shown a lot of passion for the sport and team (shout out to them) so I have a feeling that there will be a lot of practicing outside of what we’ve scheduled and that will help our teams preparedness.”

By Sydney Simpson  – Editor-in-Chief 

The Jonathan Law softball team is starting off their season on April 2 with a home game against New Canaan at 12 p.m.  

Following their impressive 14-5 season last year, which got the Lady Lawmen to the quarterfinals in both the SCC tournament and the State tournament, the team is excited for what is to come in the near future. 

“We had a great run last year and this is going to be a continuation of that with many returning starters along with some talented freshmen,” said coach Ms. Blude. “The girls are hungry.”

The girls have been working hard throughout the offseason in order to get better in hopes of reaching their goals this year. 

“During practice I work my hardest in areas where I need improvement, whether that be pushing myself to make better plays, or staying after practice and hitting some more,” senior captain Grace Kantor said. “As a team we are putting in a lot of effort to be the best we can which includes going through situations, and utilizing our pitchers for live hitting.” 

The first step for the team is to make the State and SCC tournaments, and from there they hope to make it past the point they did last year. 

“My goals for the season for this team are very high due to the talent we have on the team,” junior captain Nicolina Salanto said. “I think with the talent we have and the different strengths we have in different areas, we should expect to win every game we play in and my goal this season is to come back with a championship win.”

The Law softball team is unique in the way that they are such a close-knit group of girls. Any player that you ask would agree that the bond the team has transfers onto the field and helps them to play better. 

“I am very excited to see the team everyday and for team bonding,” senior captain Michaela Sullivan said. “Last year the relationships between the teammates were so close that we were with each other during and after softball practice everyday and I am looking forward to building that same relationship again.”

The closeness of the girls contributes to their competitiveness, and to anyone who watches a Law softball game, it is impossible to deny the ambition that the team possesses. 

“What I love about softball is the competitive fire my girls come with on a daily basis,” Blude said. “I look forward to seeing them develop and also look forward to the challenge as a coach to draw out the best in each in two short months.”

As they are looking forward to crushing their upcoming season, the seniors on the team share their thoughts about this being their last season of Law softball. 

“It’s really sad that this is my last season because I love the game and I’m going to miss this team so much,” Kantor said. “This really motivates me to do well and help the team go far because I want to make the most of this season. I feel like we have such a great chance and I am really excited to see us do well.”

By Helen Chizmazia – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law boys swim team is wrapping up its 2021-2022 winter season.

The team has been continuously striving to keep winning all of the meets and further  improving their swimming skills for the competitive races. Team members are working to achieve personal best times at every meet. 

“I’m pleased with how the season is going,” head coach Mr. Lui said. “The veterans on the team are providing great leadership for the new swimmers this year. It’s been a pleasure watching everyone improve each meet.” 

Like all winter sports teams this season, the boys swim team had to follow COVID-19 protocols.

“We wear masks as long as we’re on the pool deck or inside the locker room,” captain Elliana Markowitz said. “Anywhere that’s not the pool. We stay pretty far apart as well.” 

Markowitz continued to swim with the boys team even after her fall season, freeing up her senior year because of her bond with the winter swim team. 

“I did it this year because I have done it in years past due to playing volleyball, and now that I am a senior I did not want to switch teams in my final year,” said Markowitz. 

Markowitz is going to college next year and is waiting to hear back from quite a few schools. Markowitz is joined on the team this year by co-captains Mason Turner and Jayden Cruz.

“Seniors Eliana Markowitz, Mason Turner, and Jayden Cruz all are having great seasons and winning big races for us,” Lui said.

This is Lui’s third year as the head coach of the boys swim team.

“I’ve always been passionate about swimming and helping kids achieve their goals,” Luis said. “I’ve been swimming since the age of five and it’s taught me important life lessons. I hope to instill those life lessons into the team.”

Lui is a strong advocate for a healthy and positive team environment for his swimmers. 

“I believe our biggest accomplishment this season has been creating a positive team culture that includes swimmers from both schools,” Lui said. 

Markowitz has achieved 20 personal best times this season. 

“As captain, I try to keep everyone on track for practice by leading stretches and getting everyone on the bus, out of the locker room, and in the pool on time,” Markowitz said. “I try to bring the team together as much as possible and encourage sportsmanship.”

By Zack Sulkis – Staff Reporter 

Jonathan Law’s wrestling team finished their regular season February 3, and looking back, this season was huge for senior Gary Schulte.

In only his second season wrestling, Schulte managed to have a record of 5-1 in the SCC and earned the #2 seed at SCCs for the 170 pound weight class. 

At SCCs, Schulte unfortunately didn’t place; however he get a decision win over another 170 from #1 Xavier.

“Coming out of the regular season, I felt great, and while I didn’t get the results I hoped for in the SCC meet, I learned a lot”, Schulte said. “And I’m going to use that knowledge to my advantage in the state tournament.”

Schulte is a member of the football team, wrestling team, and is a thrower for the outdoor track team at Law. Schulte is a true varsity athlete in his conditioning, leadership, and work ethic. 

“He’s a good role model for everyone on the team, when we are all tired and want to give up we just look at Gary giving 100% and we feel empowered to push ourselves,” sophomore Benjamin Girandola said. 

Schulte joined the wrestling team his sophomore year. With the 2020-2021 season (his junior year) being canceled due to COVID-19, Schulte thought it might set his skills back compared to other seniors in the state. 

“COVID-19 definitely set me back in my skill compared to other seniors, but I didn’t let that discourage me,” Schulte said. “I kept my head up and worked hard at practice to make up for the lost time, and it has definitely paid off.”

The re-roll is definitely one of Schulte’s most dominant moves on the mat. It seems no matter what is being thrown at him while he’s on bottom he can just re-roll himself out of any scenario. In his match vs Xavier, Gary re-rolled his opponent six times during the six minute match.

“Gary’s re-roll is great; it gets everyone on the bench hyped because it is such a difficult move to hit sometimes and Gary just makes it look so simple,” sophomore Alexander Ciarleglio. “I need him to teach me how to hit it better before he graduates.” 

By Isabella Gecaj – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law girls basketball team recently completed its regular season and is now preparing for states.

The girls team has an overall record of 12-8 and qualified for SCCs and states. Law is the 14 seed in the Class MM State Tournament and will host the 19 seed, East Haven, on February 28.

“The girls have worked tremendously hard and have improved as a team,” head coach Mr. Young said. “We are hoping to finish strong going into the tournaments.”

The girls make the most of their time in preparation for States.

“I think we will do well if we continue to work well together and push ourselves,” senior captain Jenna Wasserman said. 

Team members know what they want and what they must do to achieve their goals. 

“At the beginning of the year our main goal was to win our division and we were able to do that, finishing 8-0,” senior captain Mariyah Reid said. “We were excited to get the first ever banner in girls basketball history.”

Despite their success, players have not stopped striving for team and individual goals.

“Personally, I have accomplished feeling more confident on offense and taking more shots,” sophomore Chloe Haasch said.

The girls have supported each other and worked together to improve collectively. 

“We are a strong defensive team, so I think something that could have gone better is our offense,” Wasserman said.

The girls know what they must do as a team to make their dreams a reality.

“Personally I have felt that something that could have gone better this season was our offense,” junior captain Sabrina Lawless said. “We had a lot of missed opportunities from missed shots, whether it was free throws or a three.”

They know what they need to work on, but they do not let that drag them down. 

“Our defense is very strong but being able to score a little more each game would make our wins more comfortable,” Lawless said.

The team has dealt with the ups and downs of having a COVID-19 time season.

“The team has done an excellent job with our crazy schedule,” Young said.  “I missed not being able to practice more but the girls have been resilient.”

They have pushed through and are more than ready for states to begin.

“I feel like we have accomplished so much as a team already, and that if we continue to work hard like before we can make it really far,” Reid said.

Wasserman had some advice for her teammates as they all prepare for states.

“Advice I would like to give to my teammates is that it’s ok to make mistakes, so don’t let mistakes ruin the rest of your game,” Wasserman said. “Mistakes are just a reason to work harder and get better.”

Lawless said the key is to play loose and have fun.

“My advice is to not be so serious while playing,” Lawless said. “To make sure you are having fun and to not leave mistakes with you while playing because it can make you more worried about the mistakes instead of just playing basketball.”

Young said he is proud of what the team has accomplished and is excited for the state tournament to begin.

“This is a great collection of girls and I am grateful to be their coach,” Young said.

By Christian Andriolas – Staff Reporter

The indoor track season has almost concluded, with the exception of State Opens for those who qualified. 

On Saturday, February 6, the SCC Championships brought many accomplishments from Law athletes including first and second team All-SCC selections. 

“The selections mean a lot to us,” senior captain Thomas Bretthauer said. “It all culminated into a great meet and represents the work we do as a team.” 

As well as the All-SCC selections, Aidan King was the pole vault champion, coming in first place at the meet.

“I could not believe I won,” King said. “Going into the meet, I was not expecting to win, but it gave me a lot of confidence that I was able to get up as high as those guys.” 

This past Thursday, Law competed in the Class M state championships, coming in second place, only a few points becoming state champions. 

“I feel we had higher goals,” sophomore JT Nelly said.  “But I’m proud of our season, and that next year we can reach our goals.” 

Even though the track team didn’t get the trophy they wanted, they are proud of how they performed throughout the season. 

“It was a very successful season,” Coach Beler said. “We broke six school records, had a great showing at states, and all of our athletes showed considerable improvement throughout the season.” 

With many seniors graduating this year, the team will pass the torch to new athletes to lead them next year. 

“We have many people on the team now that will prove themselves in the upcoming seasons,” sophomore Jack Bretthauer said. “We have many sophomores and juniors that qualified for states and we expect more from them in the future.” 

Here’s a list of those athletes and what the events they participated in. 

Boys: 

Shot Put: Solomon Mercado with a throw of 43-9.25

Pole Vault: Aidan King with a jump of 11-6

1600m (1 mile): Liam Fedigan with a time of 4:35.53

3200m (2 mile): Liam Fedigan with a time of 10:15.70

Girls:

55m hurdles: Caden simpson with a time of 8.75

4x400m: Lauren Davis, Sydney Simpson, Caden Simpson, and Elly Van Waveren with a time of 4:47.83

By Maya Rosado – Staff Reporter 

The Jonathan Law gymnastics team recently finished another successful season.

Law competed in the SCC Championship meet on Thursday, February 10, placing second behind champion Daniel Hand.  

The final score of the meet was Daniel Hand 141.3, Jonathan Law 133.7, Mercy 122.45, Foran 117.35, and Hamden 109. 

Law sophomore Natalie Morell repeated as champion on the uneven bars with a score of 8.9. She was also third in the all-around (34.7).

“Our team did very well,” junior Olivia Coddington said. “We got second place in the SCC championship and have performed very well throughout the whole season.”

The team came out of the meet with three All-Conference gymnasts: Morell, senior Mackenzie Powers, and senior Emma Nelly. 

Not only did the girls perform well at SCCs but they won big against rival Foran, defeating them 133.05-116.65. 

Law’s Emma Nelly (34.15) won the all-around followed by teammate Natalie Morrell (33.9) and Foran’s Ginger Schmidt (32.4.) Nelly was first in vault (8.55), beam (8.7) and floor exercise (8.7). Morrell was first on bars (8.9) and Nelly was second (8.2). 

The Law girls most enjoyed spending time together at meets and practices.

“My favorite part of the season would probably be the meets,” Coddington said. “They are full of energy and show how close our team is.”

Coddington is going to be captain her senior season from 2022-2023 and has big plans for the team. 

“My goals for next season is to work on my weaker events and improve,” Coddington said. “As well as getting personal best scores.” 

The lady lawmen wrapped up their regular season with their Senior Night on Wednesday, February 15.

By Olivia Augustine – News Editor 

The Jonathan Law cheerleading team has transitioned from cheering at football games and basketball games to participating in competitions across the state.

The cheerleading team has been to two competitions and placed in the top half of the teams. This year the team had more students than in the previous year. 

Heading into the season, coaches had a few goals for the team. 

“Our goal is always growth, not just as a team but as individuals,” Coach Toohey said. “As a program our goal was to go out there our first two competitions and ‘hit it’ –  and they did just that.”

The coaches worked with each teammate individually to make sure the team as a whole was ready for the season. 

“Once we got into football season some of my initial worries eased given we were all able to come together; I think that partly had to do with our coach helping us on an individual level in areas we all needed to better; and also due to the seniors this year,” senior captain Aurora Rutkowski said. “Overall, I think this season we have a great team, full of girls who love to have fun and connect with their teammates but also know how to put in the work and try new skills, like our new flyer Sakshi and even our new girls we have basing.”

The second half of the season is their toughest because it is competition season., but with hard work, they made sure they were ready. 

“During competition season, these athletes that stuck it through, have put in countless hours of practice to get where they are now,” Toohey said. “Just like many other cheer programs this year we have started with basics and worked extremely hard to get to the advanced skills we have put forth onto the mat.”

The captains have worked hard with the team to make sure they were ready for the start of the season. 

“My favorite part of the season this year generally has been that we have so far been blessed with a whole season,” senior captain Kailey Smith said. “Being a captain means teaching and leading by example, this year I have pushed myself through mental blocks in tumbling that I have had in previous years and I have encouraged others to push themselves in learning new skills.” 

This year captains were excited to be leaders of the team.

“This season I have enjoyed getting the opportunity to be a captain and lead my team,” senior captain Gina Thompson said. “I’ve also made a lot of memories this year that will be special to me for the rest of my life such as senior night and performing amazing routines at competitions.”

By Ella Franzman – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law boys basketball team qualified for the SCC and CIAC State tournaments with their recent win over Weston. 

The Lawmen are currently 9-9 and still have two more games of the regular season to play. Law started off the season with a few losses and was able to get on their feet and pick up a few wins on the road and at home. 

“With practice and the team chemistry, we are able to work together more fluently and turn around our season,” senior Leonidas Andriolas said.

The team plays Brookfield on February 16 and West Haven on February 18. 

“We just had a huge win against East Haven and everyone is gonna play hard for these next two games,” sophomore Liam Valvo said.

The team beat Foran both times which was a huge motivation for their next games. 

The team’s expectation was to make the postseason tournaments. This has built a good foundation for them to work off. 

“Our plan doesn’t change based on standings or where we are in the season,” head coach Jamie Anderson said. “It’s always, play hard and get better each day.”

Law’s goal is always to win and play as hard as they can but these next two games are the most important because it will decide their standings in the tournaments. 

“My mindset is still the same but now we’re gonna work harder to win all these games because we don’t get them back,” freshman Cameron Upchurch said. 

The team is determined to do whatever it takes to win the SCC and CIAC tournaments. 

“I plan to do whatever the coaches need me to do,” junior Lenny Ialeggio said. “If they need me to do something on the court I can do that, if they need that energy from someone on the bench that’s me.”

Anderson said the team’s most obvious improvement is the everyone has been coming together as one unit. 

By Lucia Pino – Staff Reporter 

Jonathan Law girls basketball is off to a strong start this season led by the team’s four captains. 

The girls basketball team is off to a 4-1 start. The four captains for this year’s team are senior Shelby Green, senior Jenna Wasserman, senior Mariyah Reid, and junior Sabrina Lawless. 

“My goal as captain is to be a source of encouragement for the other players on the team,” Wasserman said. “I want to keep the environment as one where they feel like they are being pushed to be the best version of themselves, but also come to me with anything that they need” 

The girls play a leadership role on the team as they are looking to have the best season possible. The captains have high expectations this year as they are looking to go far. 

“As a team we want to win the division,” Green said. “That is our first major goal because there are no banners in the school gym that have girls basketball written on it. We also want to finish each quarter of the season by having a winning record.” 

So far the team is on track to succeeding in these goals as they have been consistently winning. One of these wins was against their hometown rival, Foran High School. 

“One of our main accomplishments so far this season was beating Foran,” Reid said. “Many people doubted us this year and believed that Foran would beat us, but we proved them wrong.” 

After winter break, the girls had to pause their season due to COVID-19. They returned to practice on January 7.

“My worry is the season will get cut short or we will have to go on pause again due to COVID,” Green said. That’s the worst that could happen because we will have to stop playing the sport that we all love.” 

The team is playing it safe as they follow the COVID rules and continue to wear masks when required. 

“Knowing our season could stop very quickly, even for two weeks like it did, is dreadful,” Lawless said. “Everyone knows health is a top priority so we are making smart decisions in order to keep our season running smoothly.” 

The girls plan to keep a positive attitude as they move deeper into the season. The captains do their best to motivate the rest of the players to play with a purpose while enjoying the sport at the same time. 

“Being able to love the sport and be happy coming to practice everyday is going to push you to get better and play harder,” Lawless said. “Every morning on game day I like to send a short message to our team group chat to motivate everyone for the upcoming game. This is the kind of impact I want to make on the team.” 

The basketball team is forming relationships with one another and creating an unbreakable bond. The captains create a productive atmosphere in order to have fun, play hard, and win. 

“I want to make sure everyone feels included and a part of the family,” Green said. “We are looking to have the best season possible.”

By Caden Simpson – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s girls indoor track team recently had their first SCC Developmental Meet, officially starting their winter season. 

The girls have had two Developmental Meets in total throughout the season so far, along with Invitational Meets on January 5 and January 10. Several members of the team have already qualified for States.

“We expect to compete in championships at league and state level,” head coach Mr. Beler said. 

The girls indoor track captains seem to think the same.

“My expectations for the season this year are to succeed and place well in all of our meets,” senior captain Lauren Davis said. “We have a strong team this year, both in sprinting and in distance, so I expect our teams to do well.”

Though there are high hopes for the season, the team misses last year’s graduating seniors.

“The seniors last year made up a big part of our team, and with that we had lots of empty spots to fill,” senior captain Sydney Simpson said. “We lost a very talented grade of kids last year which just means we have to work that much harder to be the best now.”

Even without the team’s strongest assets, the season is looking very promising for the girls. Davis, along with the other captains, speculate that the team will do very well even with the seniors gone. 

“I would say the season is looking very strong long-term,” Davis said. “There is a lot of talent throughout all grades, spread across various events, allowing our team to be successful in many ways.”

The indoor season has six meets between Developmental Meets and Invitationals, meaning the season is shorter than other sports seasons. 

“Because we have such a short season it is important we work hard in practice and give our best effort,” junior captain Elly Van Waveren said. “We also help to motivate the team and get everyone excited to compete, and as meets can get a little chaotic we are always there to help any underclassmen who may not know where to go or how the meets run.”

Even with such a short season, the girls indoor track team believes they will make an impression and do well at their upcoming meets.

“I am very confident that our team will succeed in the upcoming meets,” junior sprinter Demi Carrapico said. “Everyone is so supportive of each other and works hard so we can succeed not only individually, but as a team.”

With championships less than a month away and a hard working team, the Law girls indoor track is prepared to go far this season. 

By Katie Servas – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law gymnastics team is rotating into its 2022 season.

The team defeated Hamden and Nonnewaug in their first meet of the year and have been working hard to have the positive attitude progress throughout the year.

“Our first meet went great,” senior captain Emma Nelly. “Everyone was a little nervous but overall we pulled it off and brought ourselves to our first win of the season. The meet energy is always immaculate which is why we have so much fun and do so well.”

With the impact of the COVID-19 virus and the following variants, many members of the team competed in person for the first time. 

“One thing I am most excited about this season is getting to compete in person,” junior Olivia Coddington said. “Last year due to COVID-19 we had to have virtual meets which brought the teams energy down, however, this year I am excited to have another team/s in the gym to bring up the excitement and energy we lacked during last season.”

The team mainly consists of sophomores and freshmen who have been experiencing in person meets while adjusting to the dynamic of the high school team.

“This season I really want the underclassmen to come into their own and develop their own style of gymnastics,” senior captain Makenzie Powers said. “High school gymnastics is so different from club gymnastics because you have options and can express yourself. I want us to continue and build off of the amazing season we had last year.”

The team has won two straight SCC Championships and is hoping to add another trophy to their shelf by the end of the season.  

“I would like to go undefeated like we did last year,” Powers said. “For the postseason I would like us to win the SCC meet because it would be our third in a row, and hopefully place well at states.”

Once the team heard about the in-person SCC meet they started buckling down to prepare for the meet, while breaking personal records throughout their dual meet season.

“I’m excited to win, I think we have a really strong team and we are hopeful of doing very well this year,” said senior capitan Makenna Sharpe. “I’m also looking forward to it being my last season with the team.”

Even though the team is looking forward to the upcoming meets, many seniors are dreading the thought of senior night.

“I am looking forward to senior night, but I am also dreading it,” said Nelly. “I can’t believe it is already my senior year and my last Law gym season. I will miss the team more than anything.”

The team is determined to add another win and to set the bar a little higher for their competition.

By Harrison Fisher – Staff Reporter

Last year’s Milford Mariners hockey team had to navigate a few changes.

Their new name and uniforms were topics of conversation around town. The process is now complete and the newly named Milford Mariners have taken the ice again this winter adorned with their spectacular new sweaters. 

The Mariners are now over a month into their 2021-2022 schedule and have a record of 1-3-1. The team is bringing fans and energy to the ice and they are practicing hard and coming together as a team. 

Head coach Ken Mitchell has been working these players through rigorous drills to help sharpen their skills.

“So far it has been an up and down season,” Mitchell said. “With a little more scoring, our record would look different. My hope is that we continue to show up and work hard everyday. That is the only way to succeed. We have taken a few hits with players out due to COVID.  It is what it is, and it’s the next man up, we say. Constant reinforcement and tailoring practices to develop our skills will help us improve. The scoring will come.  Then when it does, we can hopefully get on a roll.”

Kevin Wokanovicz and Luca Ubaldi are veteran skaters and ready to lead the team to victory. These captains have set their sights on a successful season. 

As the page turns to 2022, the Mariners are looking to climb the standing in Division III.  The team is looking to take advantage of every opportunity on the ice after being impacted by COVID last season. 

Mitchell’s assistant coaches this year are Bob Fortier and Tim Zakrzewski.

“I feel pretty good about the season,” Fortier said. “It was nice to have it start on time unlike last year when we started six weeks late due to the pandemic. We have not won as many games as we would have liked to this point, but the season is still young. As a team, we agree that we are putting in the hard work that is required for success and feel things will turn in our favor soon.”

Fortier said that despite being a young team, the Mariners have high aspirations for the season.

“Each year we take to the ice with the goal of qualifying for the SCC and CIAC post-season tournaments, in addition to this we look to improve each and every day,” Fortier said. “We have 12 new players this season with only having lost two seniors last year, As a team, the goal would be to help these players grow as people and hockey players as well as get new players up to speed and in a position where they can help contribute to the team. We are hopeful that with these players growing and improving along with the upperclassmen doing the same that we will hit our stride in the second half of the season.”

The Mariners players and coaching staff is hoping to steer the team in the right direction this season. New and veteran players will continue to take advantage of all opportunities that they believe will lead to success.

By Maya Rosado – Staff Reporter 

The Milford Mariners boys ice hockey team, a co-op with Law, Foran, and Platt Tech, has big plans for the rest of their winter season.

The team was 6-4 last year and is currently 1-3-1 with many games left in the season where they plan to make their mark. 

“A goal of ours is to qualify for states,” Law junior Connor Chirico said. “A personal goal is to score 20 goals on the season.” 

Chirico, a center, often takes draws for the Mariners and has three of the team’s seven goals on the season. He is one of five boys on the team from Law. 

The Mariners have a challenge as the boys come from all different schools in Milford.

“Playing with kids from different schools is a little difficult because we don’t see each other in the halls and we can’t bond at school,” Foran junior Chris Adkins said. 

Some of the players don’t feel much of a difference not going to school together.

“It’s not much of a difference because you spend most of your time together at practice and games anyways,” Chircio said. 

The boys make up for this difference with fun team traditions that bring them together.

“My favorite team tradition is that after every game the coach chooses the best player that game to get a cowboy hat to keep until the next game where there is a new winner,” Chirico said.

Hockey also differs from other sports as twice a week they have morning practices beginning before school at 5:30 a.m. Many other athletes say they couldn’t imagine this, but believe it shows the boys’ dedication and spirit.

“The morning practices were hard at first but once you get in a routine they aren’t that bad at all,” said Chirico. 

The team is excited for their upcoming games against Newtown/New Fairfield on January 12 at 6 p.m. and January 15 against Newington Coop at 5:15 p.m.

By Isabella Gecaj – Staff Reporter

The Law girls basketball team has started its season and is off to a great start.

The team started its season in December, paused for two week due to COVID, and then returned to practice on January 7.

“The team has worked very hard and has improved each day,” head coach Mr. Young said.

Their COVID break did not stop them from progressing and working hard. The team has set high goals for themselves and will work to keep them within their reach.

“One of our main goals this season is to finish top in our division, which no Laws girls basketball team has ever done,” junior captain Sabrina Lawless said. “It won’t be easy to do, but I know Coach Young and all the girls know we are capable of doing it.”

As of January 12, Law is 3-1. They have beaten Lyman Hall 43-34, Bunnell 55-18, and Foran 42-36, and lost to Mercy 62-45. 

They are motivated and determined to achieve their goals and make the best of their season.

“If we put in the work, we know we have to put in, in practice and going 110% in every game,” Lawless said. 

All of the captains are confident in their team’s ability to win.

“I believe the season will go well and we will end with a winning record because of everyone trying their best and wanting to win,” senior captain Mariyah Reid said.

While winning is a main focus, it is not the only focus. 

“This season I’m looking forward to being able to play the game I love with my teammates and getting the chance to prove who the law girls are,” senior captain Shelby Green said.

But success does not come easily, and the team has spoken of their challenges throughout the season thus far.

“Last year there were many restrictions on our practices in terms of how long, how many people, and what we could do because of COVID,” Young said. “This year there are less restrictions”

Compared to last year, players said this season feels more “normal” and they are excited to be back in the gym together.

“I want the team to be happy that we get to be back in the gym this year and not take any of it for granted,” senior captain Jenna Wasserman said. “We are a good and tough team that can beat any team as long as we believe in ourselves, work hard, and have fun.”

For those new to the team, a COVID-19 basketball season is all they know.

“I mean all I know is basketball during COVID time,” sophomore Chloe Haasch said. “The only difference from this year, from last year is that we have locker rooms and we actually get to play a full schedule, which I am super excited about.”

Many others on the team lack the experience of a normal season.

“I am praying that we will be able to continue to play through COVID and not have to take any more breaks,” Lawless said. “I have yet to have a full basketball season in all my years playing for Law and I really just want to be able to play.”

With the help of their captains and coach, there are several new players who will look to make an impact this season. 

“New players are great, it’s great to have more people who share the love of the game,” Green said. “And as a senior I remember being a freshman, having that nervous feeling and the seniors helping you feel happy.” 

While the season has just started, the team is positive on how it will end.

“We always have high expectations but take one practice and game at a time,” Young said. “Our goal is to keep improving and be at our best come tournament time.”

This year, the girls have big plans in mind.

“This season, one of our biggest goals is to win our division this year, as well as doing well in SCCs and States,” Wasserman said.

One of the major reason for the team’s optimism is its belief in one another.

“I want the team to know that we are capable of doing anything we put our minds to and to not underestimate ourselves,” Reid said. “Every year teams believe that we are gonna have a losing streak and they will automatically win and we prove them wrong. I know we can do it as long as we believe and continue to work hard.”

Some disagree with the saying ‘Confidence is key,’ but the Jonathan Law Girls team are proof of its truth, along with ‘Hard work pays off.’

The Jonathan Law girls basketball team is beyond ready to make this season theirs.

“I am excited to be able to play the sport that I love with great teammates and coaches,” Wasserman said. “I’m eager to have a fun and successful rest of the season and show everyone the team that we are.”

Green agreed.

“This year we should all be grateful to be in the gym and I want the girls to know we are all here for a reason,” Green said. “To win, have fun and lastly, defense wins championships.”

By Christian Andriolas – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law wrestling team has started its winter season.

It is the first time since the 2019-2020 school year that there has been a wrestling season. The season was canceled last year because of COVID restrictions. 

The team has been affected by a pause in their season like many others due to the COVID surge but are looking forward to coming back on January 14. 

“When the season resumes, we look forward to getting back together, training hard, getting better and having the chance to compete,” senior captain Kian McEnerney said. “With the 600th win in sight, it would be great to get back and hopefully be a part of history.”

The team has already participated in a dual-meet against Hand, and an invitational at Fairfield Ludlowe. The Lawmen suffered a loss to Hand, but enjoyed their first meet in almost two years. 

“We love to be back as missing last year’s season was disappointing,” junior Louis Sabo said. “We feel we have improved despite only having six returners to the program.”

The Lawmen have many new faces on the team due to not having a season last year, and they are very excited for their opportunities. 

“The meet against hand was unfortunately a loss, we knew going in we would have to forfeit more weight classes putting us at a disadvantage from the start but we still went out there and had some of the older guys dominate, some new faces got opportunities to show off their skills,” sophomore Zachary Sulkis said.

In the invitational meet at Ludlowe, Brayden McCourt placed 3rd in the 145-pound weight class out of 18 wrestlers, and is gaining momentum. 

“Brayden is gifted, he has all the tools,” Law coach Mr. Schoonmaker said. “He’s got that natural wrestling ability. Brayden went to Super 32, went away for weekend tournaments which has opened many opportunities to do great things.” 

In the meet against New Haven, the Lawmen got a win 42-24,  getting them one win away from 600 in the program’s history. 

“Getting the 600th win in program history would be very special. Only 16 Schools in Connecticut currently have that many wins; achieving this goal would make Jonathan Law 1 of 17,” McEnerney said. “It is a great reflection on the success of the program and the dedication from the coaches and wrestlers.”

The upcoming scheduled meets for the Lawmen are all away including dual meets against Ells Tech, Cheshire, Norwich Academy, and East Haven. The next home meet is scheduled for January 26 against East Haven.

By Madelyn Baranowsky – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law boys basketball season started on December 16 against Wilbur Cross.  

Since that game, the team has played against cross-town rival Foran, and Daniel Hand, resulting in a 1-2 record with a win against Foran. The team’s season is currently on pause due to COVID-19, but it will be resuming on January 8.

“I’m looking forward to getting back on the court mainly, but also playing games against good competition,” junior Christian Andriolas said.

While Law faced a tough first two games, the team was able to end with a win against Foran right before the season was put on pause.  

“Losses are always tough but we are still learning a lot and getting better together,” head coach Jamie Anderson said.  “It was nice that we were able to stay focused in our game against Foran to get our first win.”

Once the season resumes, the team only has a couple of practices until their next game, a rematch against Wilbur Cross. The first time the team played Wilbur Cross they lost 66-42, but since they have played more games, they are looking forward to the rematch.

“We prepare as we always do,” Anderson said.  “Conditioning as much as we can and play repetition are jets to our success.”

This year’s captains are junior John Neider, junior Nolan Mckenna-Hansen, and senior Daniel Maxwell. The captains all bring experience and strong leadership to the team.

“Players will learn from the captains, most importantly, is the consistent work ethic they bring and confidence they have on the floor,” Anderson said.

In addition to the captains, the players on varsity are looking forward to the rest of the season.

“I’m looking forward to developing with the team and winning more games, hopefully using the Foran win as momentum moving forwards,” sophomore varsity player Liam Valvo said.

Due to COVID-19 last year, the team was only allowed 12 regular season games. Despite the challenges, they ended with a 9-4 record including the postseason.

Not much has changed this season with the COVID-19 regulations.  Players are still required to wear masks while playing, but spectators are now allowed at games.

By Lucia Pino – Staff Reporter 

Jonathan Law senior swim captain Emma Savoie was recently named All-State for the second time in her swimming career. 

Savoie wrapped up a successful senior season which saw her break many records along the way. She consistently led Law to victory, helping the team to a seven-win season. 

“This year I have reached my goal of achieving All-State and getting some of my best times,” Savoie said.

This is not Savoie’s first time achieving All-State, as she earned this honor her sophomore year as well. 

“I knew it was going to be a challenge since most athletes have not been able to practice or compete since the pandemic,” Savoie said. “I couldn’t be happier with achieving this honor both my sophomore and senior year as the most honorable part is to share my All-State banner with my own sister.”

Savoie has been constantly improving all season allowing her to break many records. This season she broke three records including: the 100 yard backstroke, previously set by Jamie Loma in 2014; the 200 yard freestyle, previously held by her own sister Hannah Savoie; and finally, her own record in the 100 yard butterfly. 

She has put in large amounts of effort into her senior season allowing for her to hold many more of the swim records at Jonathan Law. 

“This year I broke the 200 freestyle record on three different occasions,” says Savoie. “I am also currently the record holder in the 200 medley relay, 200 individual medley, 50 freestyle, 500 freestyle, 200 freestyle relay, and the 400 freestyle relay.” 

Savoie has a strong work ethic as an individual swimmer, team swimmer, and overall leader. Her fellow teammates think highly of her as she motivates them through every practice and meet

“She is easily the most hardworking girl on our team and never fails to step up every single meet,” junior Macie Rascoll said. “Emma also steps up as a leader as she supports every single girl on the team and always knows how to put a smile on someone’s face.” 

Savoie’s outstanding swimming career will not stop her as she has future plans to continue swimming in college. 

“I have not yet committed to a school but I am 100% planning on pursuing my swim career,” Savoie said.

By Bobby Black – Sports Editor

Senior soccer player Aiden King and senior volleyball player Grace Kantor were named November Players of the Month by the Jonathan Law Sports Association. 

The Player of the Month award is given each month to two student-athletes who are successful on and off the field.

“It feels really good to win this award,” King said. “Law has so many talented and hardworking student-athletes so to be the recipient of this award is very special to me.”

Kantor said that the award was a great way to end a memorable volleyball season. 

“I think the volleyball season went really well considering we lost a lot of our starting lineup,” Kantor said. “ We adjusted very quickly to the new lineup, and a lot of people stepped up this season.” 

Setting goals is a large part of improving as a player and being a successful player throughout the season. King said that the boys soccer team met almost all of its goals this season.

“Most goals were reached,” King said. “We won our division in the SCC and made the SCC Tournament for the first time in 30+ years. We made a very strong run in the state tournament. I’m just happy I was able to help my teammates out to the best of my ability. Making my teammates better is always my top goal.”

King credited his teammates for helping him throughout the season.

“I just made sure to work hard every day,” King said. “As a player who isn’t as good as most players skill-wise, I have to find other ways to make an impact on the field. I made sure to play to my strengths which allowed me to compete with the kids who have been playing soccer for a longer time.”

By Caden Simpson – Staff Reporter 

After four years, Jonathan Law brought home the Powder Puff trophy in thrilling fashion.

Law defeated Foran 8-6 in double overtime to win the wildest – and coldest – Powder Puff game in history. The team of over 60 junior and senior girls practiced for two weeks to prepare for the annual game, which was cancelled last year due to COVID.

“Our win against Foran felt amazing, especially since we hadn’t won against them in four years,” senior outside linebacker Hailey Boyle said. “The team really worked hard and all that any of us wanted was to win.”

The game was a defensive battle for all of regulation with neither offense able to advance the ball past the opponent 25-yard-line. The first overtime was also scoreless thanks to key tackles by senior Shelby Green and junior Kalli Kinsman.

Foran scored on the first possession of the second overtime to but Law stopped the two-point conversion to keep the score 6-0.

After a penalty pushed the Law offense back to the 18-yard-line, senior quarterback Sabrina Lawless connected on third down with senior Lucia Pino for the dramatic game-tying touchdown.

Law appeared to be stopped on the ensuing two-point conversion but junior Elly van Waveren somehow escaped the entire Foran defense, zig-zagging her way from one side of the field to the other and diving into the corner of the end zone as her teammates and the Law student section stormed the field.

“Running the winning play was so exciting,” van Waveren said. “The team really pulled through and our dedication got us through.”

Head coach Mr. Kulenych said the end of the game left him speechless.

“It’s impossible to put into words how it felt to win this year’s game,” Kulenych said. “It was the most dramatic, competitive, and exhilarating Powder Puff game in history and I could not be prouder of the girls for their effort and their performance. The defense was lights out all game, the offense made huge plays when it mattered most, and watching Elly cross the goal line and the entire student section rushing the field is a moment that will give all of us goosebumps forever.”

The Powder Puff team was led to victory by four captains: Green, running back Sydney Simpson, wide receiver Lauren Davis, and linebacker Grace Kantor.

“The game was a great experience, especially being a captain,” said Simpson, who had over 100 yards rushing in the game. “Helping to lead the team was an honor, and the other captains would agree that it felt good to see our hard work pay off and win.”

Green was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. She led Law in flags on defense, and played guard, tackle, and tight end on offense.

“In practice, we worked really hard to learn all about football offense and defense,” Green said. “Our coaches did an amazing job teaching us all of that in just 10 days and our hard work really showed in the end”.

Due to COVID, senior and junior girls were unable to participate in PowderPuff in 2020, which meant practices required lots of effort and dedication.

“This year was definitely different preparation-wise because none of the girls had ever played in a Powder Puff game before,” Kulenych said. “The girls had a lot to learn in just 10 practices, but they soaked up a ton of information, worked hard, got better every day, and it all paid off in the end. It was a total team effort.”

Members of this year’s Powder Puff team recommended the underclassmen play next year.

“I would encourage all sophomores to play and take your opportunity,” junior Hailey Oliver said. “The adrenaline from the game and game itself is worth it and a great high school experience.”

Not only was the game exciting for the team, but for the students as well.

“PowderPuff was definitely an interesting game to watch,” sophomore Helen Chizmazia said. “Watching the entire student section rushing the field after the winning play was an unforgettable game and made me excited to play next year.”

By Helen Chizmazia – Staff Reporter

Law senior volleyball player Avery Fitzgerald recently was named second team All-State following the 2021 fall season. 

Fitzgerald, Law’s middle hitter, was also named first team All-SCC. Fitzgerald has 245 kills and 49 blocks for the 2021 season. She also has 22 digs and 33 aces. 

Fitzgerald plays CT Juniors club volleyball during the winter season and said the year-long practices helped her during the high school season. 

“I think a lot of practice time during school season and travel volleyball season has added up to me being the player I am today,” Fitzgerald said. “I have done CT Juniors Travel in the winter since last year, and did the state program on Sundays sophomore year, which has really helped me to get more practice time in. This upcoming season, I’m going to play for the U18 travel team which will hopefully help any other upcoming volleyball in my future.”

Fitzgerald has participated in club volleyball for the past two years to further her volleyball skills. 

“My motivators for volleyball are my drive to be the best at anything I do, and how badly I want to help my team win,” Fitzgerald said. “I would love to win as many games as possible, and help that with my blocks, kills, passes, and serves.”

The Law girls volleyball team finished the season with a record of 15-8 overall. They made it to the semifinals of the SCC Tournament and to the first round of states. 

Now that her high school volleyball career is over, Fitzgerald reflected on her time at Law.

“My biggest high school volleyball accomplishments have been the Most Improved Award at my sophomore banquet awards ceremony at Law, being able to practice with varsity for SCCs my sophomore year, playing varsity my junior and senior year, going All- SCC First team my senior year, and going All-State second team my senior year,” Fitzgerald said. 

This is Fitzgerald’s fifth year playing volleyball overall. She credited her coaches for helping her to a successful high school career.

“I give full credit to the coaching I’ve been blessed to receive from my coaches at Law, CT Juniors, and clinics which I am so thankful for,” Fitzgerald said. 

Head coach Ms. Loch and JV coach Ms. Reed worked hard this season to guarantee success for their teams.

“I think the team was a lot closer this year just because we all expected it to be bonding solely inside of the gym, so we bonded and made as many relationships as we could while at practice, games, or on the bus,” Fitzgerald said.