YEAR IN REVIEW 2020

6/22/2020

The Year in Review 2019-2020

19 Teams.
2 City Championships.
11 Playoff Runs.
6 Division Championships. 5 Undefeated Teams.
3 Teams Ranked #1 in the City. 1 Season Cut too Short.
1 Memorable Year.

The Year in Review 2019-2020

19 Teams.
2 City Championships.
11 Playoff Runs.
6 Division Championships. 5 Undefeated Teams.
3 Teams Ranked #1 in the City. 1 Season Cut too Short.
1 Memorable Year.

This year, Hunter athletics exemplified true perseverance and tenacity like no other. It started in the early days of August, as fall teams began preparing for some of the best seasons we’ve seen in years, with four teams recording 10 win regular seasons, numerous deep playoff runs, solid placements at borough championships, and two city championships! This wasn’t enough for the Hawks, as Hunter athletes always remain hungry, and in the winter, we brought home two more borough championships, even more playoff runs, and state championship qualifiers. This momentum carried into the spring, as the Hawks were ready to continue dominating the PSAL outdoors. However, Hunter athletes were denied this opportunity before the regular season even kicked off. This was a crushing blow to the sports community, particularly the seniors who lost the last season of their high school career. Nevertheless, it has been in this season where we have truly seen the greatness of Hunter sports -- it extends beyond the field, the court, and the track. The Hawks came together through team challenges, workouts, and the birth of a new e-sports community, and showed incredible resolve to continue growing Hunter sports in creative and powerful ways. Throughout this year, day in, day out, Hunter athletes have depicted what it means to Bleed Purple, and their successes are commendable and inspiring.

Boys’ Varsity Badminton had a season that every team strives for. Led by captains Virendra J. (12) and Eric L. (12), the team breezed through the regular season, finishing 10-0. In the playoffs, they defeated Edward R. Murrow, Bronx Science, and Stuyvesant to complete an undefeated season and capture a city championship for the Hawks. Their success came from a strong senior class, consisting of Jewram, Eric, and Shayan A, as well as junior Alan H, who filled the role of singles 1 for the entirety of the year.

Boys’ Varsity Fencing also had an incredibly dominant year, also going 10-0 in their regular season. In the playoffs, the e´pe´e team kicked it into overdrive, taking second place in the overall city championships. At city individuals, the Hawks took home gold, silver, and bronze, as Jason W (9) finished in first, Ray N (11) in second, and Jaden L (11) in third. The team was led by the dynamic duo of captains Theo Ha (12) and David Y(12).

Girls’ Varsity Golf continued their extremely high level of play that has become the norm for this program over the past few years. Coming off a three-peat and the departure of Lizzy W, the stakes were high for this championship calibre team. Nevertheless, led by captains Samantha C (12) and Annabel L (12), the team lived up to expectations, finishing the regular season undefeated for the fifth consecutive year, and fighting through the playoffs to the city championship, where they lost a heartbreaking match against Staten Island Tech 3-2. Undeniably the most successful golf

program in the city, the Hawks had an unbelievable 39 game win streak dating back to 2017. On top of this, Chen and Vivi (10) qualified for the Mayor’s Cup, where they finished 6th and 5th, respectively. Girls’ Varsity Tennis had a breakout season, putting themselves on the map as one of the best

teams in the PSAL. Led by captains Emma D (12) and Kateryna T (12), the team had a complete turnound from their 2-8 season last year, going 8-1 and taking a division title. They rode this momentum into the playoffs, making it all the way to the city semifinals before losing a close 3-2 match to Beacon.

Girls’ Varsity Volleyball picked up right where they le off last year, completing their sixth consecutive undefeated regular season and capturing the division title. Led by captains Fiona (12), Hillary (12), and Hannah G(12), the team consistently placed high in tournaments throughout the year, and took home first at the Richmond Hill tournament. They used this momentum to mount an impressive playoff run, not dropping a set in their first 13 matches of the season, and making it to the city semifinals, where they lost a competitive match against Brooklyn Tech. Hung and Zeng were both picked to represent Hunter at the Exceptional Seniors game at the end of the season.

Coming off a tough early exit in the playoffs last year, which many had dubbed “the year” for Boys’ Varsity Soccer, the team was ready to bounce back this year and make a true playoff run. Led by captains Matthew (12) and Ben (12), the team captured a division title with an impressive 9-1 record. When the playoffs arrived this year, however, the Hawks were ready. The team won three playoff games, reaching the city semifinals, before losing an extremely close game in penalty kicks to Middle College. In their most successful season since 2011, Boys’ Soccer showed their strength when it most mattered. Girls’ Varsity Soccer also had a season to be proud of. Led by captains Lia F (12), Ainsley W (12), and Flora L (11), the team finished the regular season 9-2-1, and won their first two playoff games by a combined score of 17-0 before losing a tough road game against Susan Wagner. Senior Emily D also had a standout year on defense, and was chosen to be part of the Mayor’s Cup game.

Coed Varsity Bowling had another strong season this year, finishing with double digit wins for the fourth year in a row. Led by a stalwart A team of captain Grayson R (12), Alex H (11), Sklyer D (10), and Connor D (9), the team broke a single game Hunter record by putting up 638 pins against Stuyvesant. Complimented by captains Sydney G (12), Wiktoria O (12), and Brendan R (12), the team won its first round playoff game before losing a close 2-1 match against FDR, a team they knocked out of the playoffs last year. Ruhl, Skyler, and Michelle (11) also competed at the borough championship, where they finished 7th, 6th, and 7th, respectively.

Boys’ Cross Country enjoyed a dominant season this fall, depite losing a number of strong seniors from the Class of 2019. Led by Captains Kyle D (12), Elijah (12), and Rohan L (11), the Hawks successfully overcame the many ferocious hills of Van Courtland Park. It was also an incredibly promising year for the Boys’ Cross Country Team, as a number of newcoming Freshmen made a big splash. Rafael B (9) proved to be a dominant force for years to come, as his strong performance throught the season cumulated in his 6th place finish in the Manhattan Frosh-Soph Championships. This incredible performance was only outmatched by captain Rohan’s 5th place finish at the Manhattan Borough Championships, as he ran a 5k in a mere 18:05.

Girls’ Cross Country had an incredibly successful fall, placing in multiple meets throughout the season. Armed with their largest number of members in recent history, both the Varsity Girls’ XC team and the Freshman Team placed in 2nd respectively at the Mayor’s Cup. At the Manhattan Borough Championships, the Lady Hawks came in a spectacular 3rd place; this day was highlighted by Alessisa B 3rd place finish, and Kate G (11) and Reema D 10th and 11th place finishes respectively. Finally, capping off an incredible season, Bubula advanced to the State level competition for the 5k, representing Hunter and making the Lady Hawks proud.

Girls’ Varsity Swimming had another solid season, finishing 5-3 in their 8 regular season matches. Led by the dynamic duo of Catherine F (12) and Maya M (12), who will both be swimming in college at NYU and Wesleyan, respectively, the Duckies contended with some of the best schools in the city, and lost a hard fought playoff game against Cardozo. Additionally, Fan and Sophia K (9) both qualified for states, making this the fourth consecutive state appearance for Fan. Boys’ Varsity Swimming also made a splash this year, under the leadership of Matthew C (12) and Ben H (12), the team finished 6-4, sweeping rivals James Monroe and Roosevelt Educational Campus in the regular season. However, they lost a well-fought playoff game against James Madison.

Coming off a 14-2 season and the loss of four starters, there were questions about whether Boys’ Varsity Basketball could retain their high level of play. Under the leadership of Gabe F(12), Andrew F (12), and Laywood F (12), these questions were quickly squashed. The Hawks came out of the gate strong, clinching a playoff berth by their 12th game. A number of new stars came up to replace the class of 2019, including Aldin A (12), Lucas O (11), Gavin L (10), and Merlin G (9). Despite a tough playoff loss to Tilden, this was still a season to remember for the team, particularly for Franklin, who led the PSAL in points scored with 481. Girls’ Varsity Basketball also had a strong year on the court. Led by captains Lia F(12), Sydney G (12), and Emma A (11), the team finished 8-4 in the regular season. In their first round home playoff game against Hillcrest, the Hawks mounted a clutch 4th quarter comeback, completed with clutch free throws from Flora L(11) with under 10 seconds le to tie the game, and eventually won the game in overtime. They suffered a tough loss at the hands of Bronx Science in the second round, but capturing their first playoff win since 2016 made it a season to remember for the Hawks.

Boys’ Indoor Track and Field had a incredibly strong season with numerous PRs, school records, and trophies throughout the Winter. In all, the team had 11 City Championship Qualifiers and ended up with a spectacular 2nd place victory at the Manhattan Borough Champtionships, beating out the 3rd place team by just 1 point. On the track, Junior Captain Rohan L was an incredible role model for younger athletes and an essential member of the Hawks’ powerful 4x800 team, which also included Captain Kyle D (12), Chris W (11), Elijah S (11), Matthew B (10) and James T (10). In field events, David L (11) and Donovan C (11) dominated in the 55m hurdles, both qualifying for cities. The Hawks also developped a new Shuttle Hurdle Relay Team, of which Kurtz, Thompson, and Senior Theo S were also a part of. Theo also proved to be lethal in the jumping pit, Long Jumpig and Triple Jumping just shy of school records this season, while breaking the 40-foot mark in the TJ and coming in 2nd and 3rd place in such events at Boroughs. Finally, in the thowing pit, John D (11) set a new school record in the Weight Throw.

Girls’ Indoor Track & Field had yet another phenomenal season this year and under the guidance of seniors Claire S, Sadie M, Natalie D, Anna W, Alina D, Rina H, Marin H, and Lia L, the Lady Hawks came in first place in the Manhattan Borough Championships. Sophia K(10) had arguably the most successful season on the team as she picked up a pole for the first time at the beginning of the winter and emerged with a school record of 8’8” (as well as a Boroughs 1st place title, Frosh-Soph 1st place title and meet record, and Cities 2nd place title)! At Boroughs, Hunter practically swept the 55M hurdles -- Matz, Shang, Maddy S (10), and Worgall took 1st through 4th, respectively. Rachel F (11) won the long jump, Matz took 3rd in the triple jump, Reema D (11) took 2nd in the high jump, Kate G (11) took 3rd in the 1000m and 2nd in the 600m, Cathy Choi (11) took 2nd in the 1500m race walk, Maira C(11) took 3rd in weight throw, and Alyce T (10) and Davydov took 4th and 5th in shot put, respectively. At Cities, 4x800 powerhouse team -- Alessia B (10) and Reema, Friedland, and Griem -- broke a 28-year Hunter record with a searing time of 10:08.35. Aside from their PSAL victories, the Lady Hawks had both finalists and semifinalists at the Colgate games, competing successfully all Winter.

Coed Wrestling had an up-and-down year, finishing the regular season with a 3-4 record. Captain Daniel KS had a very strong campaign, going 3-1 in his matches and taking home the borough championship at individuals. With a lot of up-and-coming youth on this team, look for them to develop and come back even stronger next year.

This year has been filled with more adversity than any other, but it was inspiring to see how Hunter athletes were more than prepared to weather both the highs and the lows of 2019-2020. With unforgettable playoff runs, standout performances, and strengthening of bonds, the Hunter community has had a year to remember.

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