Spring Athletics Recap
by Joey Huang ‘28
As the academic year approaches the end, spring athletics are beginning to enter the final stretch of the season. The Lions have continued to maintain their high competitive level against the ISL and New England prep school teams. With less than two months of the spring season, the athletes have little room to slow down under the intense academic commitment toward the end of the year, which challenges the student-athletes to balance sports with academics.
The girls' varsity lacrosse team has delivered impressive performances this spring. The lionesses opened the season with a thrilling 11-10 over Loomis Chaffee School on the first day back from spring break, showing their phenomenal effort and teamwork during the offseason. As the season goes on, the Lions defeated the school rival Groton with a blowout 16-8 at the den. Beyond the varsity team, the junior varsity girls lacrosse also took down Groton School with an 11-0 clean sweep.
The varsity baseball team had the most successful season in the 21st century, with a record of 12-4 during the regular season. The Lions have continued to compete hard in every match-up and have shown improvement in team chemistry and individual skills throughout the season. The Lions went up against the nobles for ISL number 2 in the middle of the season and brought the win home with a 5-3 win. With an impressive regular-season performance, the team secured the number 2 seed in the ISL playoffs and hosted the first ISL playoff in history. Regardless of the outcome, this is a season to be remembered and proud of. Good luck to the varsity baseball team as they are competing for the ISL championship! The junior varsity team also had a strong season so far, holding the record of 2-2-1.
The softball team has continued to work through a competitive spring season as well, facing challenging opponents across the league. The team’s effort and attitude have remained strong despite the difficulty of the schedule. The lionesses secured a triumph against the Rivers 11-6, a team that they lost to last year. The lionesses scored 6 runs in the last inning in the game against BBN, with the 9-time ISL Champion in the program's history. Despite the team finally losing 15-16 regretfully, this game reflects their resilience and perseverance throughout the season. The junior varsity softball team remained undefeated after a month heading into the season, carrying an attitude aiming to improve at every day’s practice.
The boys' varsity tennis team relied on depth in both singles and doubles play while polishing the team chemistry. Despite facing championship contenders such as Belmont Hill and BBN, the team recovered from these losses and secured clutch 4-3 wins against Brooks, Governor’s Academy, and Thayer Academy. The jv team holds a record of 6-1-1 and continues to face challenges from other competitive jv programs.
The girls’ varsity tennis team currently holds an outstanding record of 8-2. After their close loss against BBN at the beginning of the season, the lionesses quickly adjusted and strengthened their weaknesses during practice. They achieved a five-game winning streak following the loss and dominated the court with merely 2 match losses over the course of 5 games. The junior varsity team also has a wonderful season, ending the season strong with a current ongoing 6-game winning streak.
The varsity golf team spent the most on the road, securing wins against competitive golf programs including BBN, St.George’s, and Rivers School. Players have continued to develop consistency on the course during practice. The heavy traveling schedule further challenges players’ ability to adapt to different golf courses. The jv golf team spent most of the season polishing club work and continued to compete against other high school programs.
The boys' varsity lacrosse team entered a tough rebuilding process where many players were injured. Their challenging and intense schedule leaves the athletes no time to rest. Despite undergoing this difficult period as a sports team, the players never give up and continue to compete with their best effort on the field. The team is still able to score 9 goals against the Nobles, which had a 8 winning streak this year.
The boys and girls varsity crew team spent all season so far on Lake Quinsigamond with home advantage.
The boys' varsity crew team spent a great deal of time on the rowing machine to boost their strength and stamina in preparation for crew races. They took their effort during daily practices to the lake, and kept shortening their boat records.
The girls' varsity crew team put together another successful season this spring, earning impressive victories against opponents such as Hotchkiss and Middlesex. Excitingly, the first boat won the DuPont cup at Pomfret, for the first time in the program's history, under severe rainy conditions. This accomplishment reflected the amount of effort the athletes put in every day. The team’s success this spring was built on months of consistent discipline and hard work. Winning the DuPont cup marked an important milestone for the program, which reflects the dedication that everyone contributed.
Aside from the success of the girls' varsity crew team, junior varsity crew team members mainly consist of younger forms, and their dedication in the Coolidge gym and the Elkins gym sets the team up for a promising future as well.
Overall, the 2026 spring athletics season showcased the resilience, dedication, and persevering spirit of the St.Mark’s athletics. From historic achievements such as varsity baseball and varsity girls' tennis’ regular season performances to girls' crew’s first-ever DuPont Cup victory, every program had a memorable season. Despite an intense academic workload and a challenging game schedule, the Lions continued to represent St.Mark’s school with pride, teamwork, and sportsmanship.
