Sports

By  Alvan Lei

The California Dragon Boat Association (CDBA) youth race is hosted annually in the Spring at Lake Merced, where various teams and schools around the city compete against each other for the prestigious mixed Division A1 trophy. 

Lincoln’s dragon boat team currently has three boats, Gold, Red and Black. Lincoln’s Gold is their first boat, while Red is their second boat. In the previous year during the fall season, Gold and Red boats made it into the highest division, Division A and placed fourth and sixth, respectively, at the Northern California International Dragon Boat Festival (NCIDBF). Although disappointed with previous years' performance in the mixed (mix of girls and boys) competition, they’ve worked very hard this season physically and mentally in hopes of winning the mixed A1 trophy. 

Balian Ho, a senior and Lincoln’s current dragon boat captain states, “Throughout this season, I saw a huge difference in team motivation and enthusiasm. People began to realize that you only had to do the bare minimum of showing up to see results. That snowballed into the same people pushing themselves even further—spending more time training, doing harder workouts, etc. of course there are always going to be good and bad days, but I could see that there was a completely different atmosphere compared to the beginning of the season.”

Haley Ng, a senior paddler on Lincoln’s gold boat and long-time paddler added, “Although we almost never had a full boat during practices, Coach Wesley pushed us a lot harder compared to previous seasons, and was more strict during practices.”

This season, Coach Wesley Chen (Wes), a former paddler and dragon boat veteran, came back to coach one more season for Lincoln. Wes had coached Lincoln’s dragon boat team in previous years, helping them win gold medals at the Club Crew World Championships in 2018 at Hungary.

Wes also coached the Lady Mustangs, Lincoln’s girls boat, during practices. As a result, the Lady Mustangs achieved first place in girls genders finals and they were shocked by their performance.

“We never had a full boat during practices for genders either, and I was worried that we weren’t going to do well. Our practice with a full boat was practically on race day. We underestimated ourselves, but I am super proud of everyone that raced, ” stated Ng. 

While the Lady Mustangs put up a phenomenal performance, the Lincoln’s boys boat was faced with disappointments with a fourth place finish in boys genders. However, the place in which they finished didn’t determine their emotions for the whole race. 

Ho states, “After the gender race, I was laughing. Anyone could tell you. I was so happy that I could just paddle an awesome, intense, photo-finish race with so many of my close friends (including people from other teams). It is one of the rare moments in life where you can smile and hug the people you were just gunning to beat. Some of the team’s biggest rivals are some of my closest friends.”

The mixed Division A finals happened after the genders race, and this is where teams devoted hours of practice, just for this one race. Lincoln’s Gold boat came back with a second place medal, losing to CYC Dragonboat by less than half of a second. 

“The result we got wasn’t expected, since we were pretty far ahead of our competitors in the beginning but in the end, CYC won. I can’t say much more than congratulations to them,” Chen states. 

Ho states, “We may not have gotten the result that we wanted, but like every race for the past 29 years, we left everything out on the water. [Compared to gender finals], the vibe after mixed finals was different though. You could feel it. But it makes sense. This was the race that everyone wanted to win. You spend months training just for it all to come down to one race. Unfortunately, we did not take first place, without a doubt, one of the most disappointing and frustrating moments I’ve ever had as a paddler. I mean it’s my last race—I don’t get another chance at this.”

“This was my final race, and although we fell short, this season felt more successful than the previous seasons,” Ng added.                                                

Although faced with disappointments and success in the result, they’ve created unforgettable memories and are determined to try again and come back stronger and better. 

Ko adds, “We’ll need to work on our endurance in the upcoming seasons, especially during the second half of the race because we tend to die out before the end.” 

“I want to create a bond in a way that can positively affect our performance in a competitive manner. I want to plan the comeback of Lincoln’s dragon boat team,” added Chen. 

“I’ve also been paddling long enough to say that it was also one of the best experiences in my life. I realize that it wasn’t about who got first or second but about why I did it and why I pushed myself so hard. It was because of the people right next to me. The ones that pushed themselves just as hard. No one likes to suffer, but that’s the truth. But what makes it fun is when everyone suffers together, when everyone understands the pain and hard work that you give. That’s what the team and sport is about. This is what I’m about,” Ho ends.  

By  Clarisse Kim

When walking into the CCSF Pool on meet day, the first thing that hits passersby is the smell of chlorine. Then the humidity. Then the sheer number of people.

On Saturday, May 9th, and Sunday, May 10th, swimmers from every corner of San Francisco packed the bleachers, swarmed the decks, and turned the pool into a frothing, frenzied mass of competition. The big event? The All City Championships, the final swim meets of the SF California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) circuit. In 2025’s meet, six different schools vied for dozens of individual and relay medals, as well as the coveted team-wide city champion trophy.

All swimmers from each team competed in the qualifying rounds on Friday. Only the fastest eight swimmers from each event qualified to compete in Saturday’s finals, where each competitor raced for individual awards and points for their overall team score. The fastest swimmer for each varsity event earns a ticket to State Championships in Fresno, and the JV Boys, JV Girls, Varsity Boys, and Varsity Girls teams with the most points earns the title of city champion.

Overall, Lincoln placed second in both the Girl’s and Boy’s Varsity divisions and third in the JV Boys division. Two Mustangs won first in their events and will represent SF in the 200-yard Individual Medley and 100-yard Breaststroke, as well as the 200-yard and 100-yard Freestyle.

Before All Cities, Girls Varsity co-captain Pan Samranpis voiced her anticipation for the race ahead.

“This year has been a little more unorganized—it’s a lot of newness,” Samranpis said. “But we’re staying organized. There’s a whole team of managers supporting us. We’re trying out events we haven’t swum before.”

Swim coach Michael Zheng voiced similar thoughts going into the event.

“We’re in a pretty good position,” Zheng said. “We’re strong. I see a lot of people making city finals, and a handful of people making it to states. I’m excited to see Allan and James and Pan and Fiona swim.”

500 Free: Conquering the longest event

For most swimmers, long-distance events like the 500-yard freestyle can be daunting—but not for Girls Varsity co-captain Fiona Wan.

“I started it as a joke,” Wan said. “And then I realized that, ‘hey, this was my thing.’”

Wan has swum the JV 500 Free for the past three All-City Finals; Wan admits to being a little nervous stepping it up to varsity. However, once Wan is in the pool, she’s in her element. She’s able to conquer 20 laps of freestyle by only considering one flip turn at a time.

“It’s like going on a walk if you think about it. Everyone’s just blinded by the distance, but in reality, it’s kind of a break from everything else,” Wan said. “I’ll be thinking about what to eat after the meet, my next event, what game to buy.”

During All Cities, Wan keeps a consistent pace. Her strokes are even, and her flip-turns stay clean and snappy. Eight minutes and 14 seconds later, Wan slams into the wall, scoring sixth overall.

“I dropped time this season, which is great,” Wan said. “I’m so happy I got to swim this meet, especially in my last year.” 

50 Free: The Ultimate Sprint

Meanwhile, Sophia Lavine braces herself for the sub-30 second mad dash that is the 50-yard freestyle. As one of the most popular and one of the most competitive events, the 50 Free is a noisy affair—the pool seems to roar; people scream. Arms and legs whirlwind whitewater into the air.

“It’s not that stressful,” Lavine notes with a confident smile. “It’s short. You get in; you get out. You can hear everyone cheering the entire time.”

Lavine’s thoughts are the complete opposite of Wan. For the 30 seconds she’s in the water, Lavine is laser-focused on the technique she’s exacting from every stroke.

“My mind goes blank. I just focus on my kicking and my breathing and my arms,” Lavine said.

Before racing, Lavine hoped to swim under 28 seconds. She achieved a 29-second time.

“We didn’t get the 28 [seconds], but that’s okay! I’m working towards getting a personal best,” Lavine said. “Lincoln’s hype this meet—everyone’s cheering, people are dancing…just everything.”

Lavine points to the senior posters—made by the managers to commemorate the graduating senior team members—brightly decorating the pool walls.

“We’ve definitely got the best senior posters, too. Parents have been admiring them,” she said.

100 Breast: Breaking the City Record

A strange tension overcomes the pool when event 38 happens. It’s the Boys Varsity 100-yard breastroke, and swim captain Allan Yeh is attempting to break the 30-year standing record.

“The record’s 58.9 [seconds],” Yeh said. “I’m only a couple seconds away―I have high hopes to break the All Cities record.”

In the weeks leading up to competition, Yeh has been pouring time into honing his strength and technique. The moment he dives into the water and begins his pullout, Yeh “clears himself of emotion,” and muscle memory takes over. Yeh slips into the breaststroke rhythm with a practiced grace.

“I’ve been putting a lot of effort in the gym and towards practice,” Yeh said. “I’m trying to increase my power and technique.”

Just over 1 minute later, Yeh is the first to slam into the wall, three seconds shy of the record. 

“It wasn’t what I expected at all, but I can’t do much about the past now,” Yeh said. “I’ll be putting more effort at States in hopes of getting a personal record. I won’t be going alone as the only male swimmer from Lincoln, so that’s exciting.”

Despite Yeh's so-called “dissatisfying” results, his first-place time qualified him for States; he’ll be representing SF in the 100-Yard Breastroke and the 200-Yard Individual Medley.

200 Medley Relay & 4x100 Freestyle Relay: Four People, One Race

According to Zheng, the relays are one of the more strategic events at All City. He was most excited to put together the Boys Varsity 200-Yard Medley Relay and Boys Varsity 4x100-Yard Freestyle Relay teams.

“With Tyler Chan taking backstroke, James Liu taking butterfly, Allan taking breaststroke, and Sanders Tan taking freestyle, we have a good chance at winning the 200-Medley,” Zheng predicted. “There's places for us to create that time difference between us and other lanes.”

James Liu, sophomore and member of the Boys Varsity team, is the butterfly swimmer for the 200 Medley and anchor for the 4x100. He notes that team events have an added layer of pressure to them. They’re often one of the most watched races, and people often depend on the final swimmer to close the distance between lanes or to secure a decisive win.

“For the 4x100 Free relay, you want the fastest person at the end,” Zheng said. “James is just consistent, especially during mid-to-long distances. He’s also a sophomore, so it’s exciting to see him beat everyone older than him.”

“[Going last] is a lot of pressure, but I’m just focused on my own race and being in the moment,” Liu said. “Freestyle’s the first stroke you learn. It’s fun. It’s one of my best strokes. I’m just glad that I’m able to swim this on the team.”

Lincoln snagged second place in the boys’ 4x100 as well as the 200 Medley. Liu won gold in both the 100-Yard freestyle and the 200-yard freestyle and earned his first-ever ticket to states.

Overall, Samranpis, Wan, and Yeh are eager to close their high school swim journey on a good note—senior-day posters, medals, celebratory team dinner and all. 

“Last year, I was the manager,” Samranpis reflects. “Every time I saw somebody swim, I realized I missed the sport a lot. I knew I had to come back for this last year.”

“I’ve made it to states all three years I’ve been on the team, and I’m glad to make it my fourth.” Yeh said. “I’m proud of everyone giving it their all and doing the best they can.”

“I just feel connected to the team,” Wan agrees. “I’ve been on the team all four years, and I wanted to come back and lead this final season. After everything, I’m still attached to this sport.”

By Jaydon Zhang

The boys varsity volleyball team is off to a strong season, with a scrimmage against Lowell starting the season resulting in a 3-2 win. Last year, the Lincoln boys varsity volleyball team made it to the CIF volleyball championships, but lost to Lowell in a 3-2 defeat, ending their hopes for state competitions. 

After that loss, the team had a bigger desire to win the championship and go far this season. Currently, Lincoln is ranked 71 in California, and 163 on the national level. 

Lucas Rondone, junior outside hitter says, “Me and the whole team are feeling great about this season. Currently, our win/loss record is 27-5. Everyone plays with confidence in our team because of the trust we have built. I hope this can continue.”

Lincoln is also going strong with an undefeated record of league games this season, including those against Lowell, Washington, and Balboa. Furthermore, the team found success in defeating one of California’s top 50 teams this season, “Foothill”, in the recent CCSF tournament. They placed second in the tournament after a 0-2 loss against a top 25 team in California “Clovis East.”  

However, these positive results are nothing if there is no improvement, “Winning doesn’t mean anything if we don’t improve for the future, and our coach has drilled that into us.” Rondone says.

With around a month left in the season, the boys want to end strong and continue staying undefeated in the league. They also want to win CIF for opportunities to compete in the state level competitions. 

The players express this desire with their goals from the start of the season. Raymond Cheung Wu, junior middle hitter says, “My goal for this season was to win champs and states. The season is going pretty good and we’ve only lost a couple games. We are pretty confident we can win the championship this year.” 

Furthermore, each player has their own individual goals this season to improve not only themselves, but their team performances. This includes their physical capabilities or small improvements. 

Wu says, “My personal goal this season is to have more in my arsenal when I play, like being able to have different ways to score and serve.” 

Rondone also says, “My personal goal is to lead the team into state championships. Once we win the league we have state playoffs and I want to get myself and our team to states in La.”

A good morale for the team is also a strong contributor to good performances. Wu says, “I am grateful for a team full of people who work on and off the court to build a stronger team. We often hangout together and that feeling of closeness allows us to trust each other more and perform better on the court.”