Winter Sports Update

Westerly High School winter sports are in the middle of their season. The boys' basketball team has a record of 9 wins and 2 losses and is currently ranked 5th in D1. Farris Nader says, “The season has been good, and everyone has been working together, not being selfish.” With this teamwork, Westerly is sure to be a top contender in Division One. The team is currently getting ready for tough games against Barrington, La Salle, and Portsmouth. No team should underestimate the Bulldogs.

The Girls' Basketball team has had just as good a season so far with a record of 7-1. They are ranked 3rd in Division One and continuing to advance. They have been enhancing their skills and working hard at practice to improve their defense. To keep improving, star player Ella Reyes thinks they need to work on “playing more aggressively” and “becoming tougher mentally”. Their biggest competition this year will be Moses Brown and Ponaganset. Abby Champlin states that the team's goal is to make it to the championship, however, “we can't look too far forward”.

The Westerly Swim team has had a rocky start, with a 0-1 record. The Westerly Bulldog Swim team is currently striving to defend its D2 champion title from the previous year. Colby Champlin expresses a need for the team to swim more yards in practices because they "are not fully conditioned and not at [their] full potential yet“. Champlin emphasizes that improved conditioning is a priority for the team moving forward, noting that stronger practices will translate into better results at meets. Despite these adversities, regarding the championship, Champlin states, “I think we have a shot at winning the division championships with proper coaching and with our leaders stepping up to make our team work harder.” Despite the slow start, the team remains focused on improvement, using early setbacks as motivation to push harder in the pool.

The Westerly Bulldog Wrestling team has had a great start to their season and is confident in an overall win in Division 3. Regarding the team, Theo Pesch, who is currently ranked 3rd in the states, says that, “compared to other schools, we currently have a very young team, so we are not the greatest, most of our guys are relatively new, but we do have some pretty good kids in there.” Even with a young roster, Westerly has relied on strong leadership and depth to secure early wins and position itself as a serious contender in Division 3. The Wrestling team is currently looking to enter D2 next year, Connor Martin states, “We just generally have a lot of younger guys in the freshmen class coming in, so they fill up a lot of our lineup, so as long as we get some more experience for them, I think we will be mid- D2 by next year.” As the season continues, Westerly’s focus remains on development and consistency, using each match as preparation for both a potential Division 3 championship run and the challenges of Division 2 competition next year.

The Westerly Indoor Track team has had a tougher start to the season due to a loss of key runners. Despite this loss, the Indoor track team is still staying strong at each meet. Concerning the championship, Owen Sassi states, “We probably won't make it to the championship, but we might have a chance at making it to states. We don't really have enough kids for relays like a  4x4 or a 2x4, but we will keep working on individual events.” Despite the challenges, the team remains determined to improve, using each meet as an opportunity to build confidence and push their limits in individual events. The runners remain motivated, focusing on personal records and steady improvement as the season progresses.