Spring sports recap

With the school year wrapping up, spring sports have finally come to an end with some great seasons and performances from many teams; boys volleyball, boys golf, boys tennis, track and field, girls lacrosse, boys lacrosse, softball, baseball, girls beach and swim.

Boys Volleyball

Boys volleyball concluded a successful season going 17-6 in the year and 7-1 in league, tying with Royal for the Coastal Canyon League title. They managed to make Division III playoffs and faced Valencia in round one. They won the game 3-1 and then faced off against Vista Murrieta in round two. The team lost the first two sets but powered back to win one more set before losing the fourth set and the game 3-1. 

“This volleyball season was truly something special, we won league and got to put the year 2023 on the banner. We also made it to the second round of playoffs which was awesome and even though we lost in the second round this volleyball season was a ton of fun and I couldn’t have asked for a better group of guys to play with,” said senior Riley Braddock.

Boys Golf

Boys golf finished the regular season 5-5 going 5-3 in league matches. Led by freshman Alex Cheng, the team managed to make Coastal Canyon League finals and placed second in both rounds. 

Boys Tennis

Boys tennis went 13-1 overall in Division I and went 8-0 in league The team began playoffs May 5 and is led by star players junior Drew Koval and sophomore Austin Lamy and senior captains Ryan Bennett and Ronith Vishal. The team lost in a hard-fought CIF quarterfinals battle to Calabasas High School on May 8.  

“Our success is totally deserved. The progression from my freshman year to now is something I never would have imagined or dreamed of and we’re only going to get better in the upcoming years. I know the team can three-peat next year and we can maintain that strong record going forward,” Vishal wrote. 

Track and Field

Track is composed of many different events, but some athletes this year have stood out individually for their accomplishments. In sprints, athlete Kymara Brodie has put up record times in the 100 meter and 200 meter races. In field events, long and high jumper JD Baumann has put up good PRs in his respective events. Sophomore Katerina Modrzejewski cemented her position as one of Oak Park High School’s top runners by winning the 3200 at Ventura County Championships.

“I always looked forward to meets throughout the season knowing all of our hard work would pay off. I’m glad that I was surrounded by such great teammates and that I have two more years of competing in distance events,” sophomore Mara Hankins said.

Girls Lacrosse

Girls lacrosse finished 13-1 in the regular season and undefeated in league which gave them a playoff berth. Led by freshman Chloe Gibbs, the team has been dominant. Gibbs herself has led the team in goals with 5.2 goals per game and also leads the team in assists with 2.2 per game. The team clinched Division II playoffs facing off against Dos Pueblos. The team squeezed past Dos Pueblos in a 12-11 match. The team then faced off against Chaminde in round two and unfortunately played their last game losing 17-10 in a hard-fought game.

“I thought that it was a great season to end off on as a senior. The girls on the team are like a family to me,” said senior Ella Shulze. 

Boys Lacrosse 

Boys lacrosse has gone 10-7 in the regular season and went 6-0 in league, making them league champs. The team faced off against St. John Bosco in Division II playoffs in the first round and lost 11-5 in a hard fought match. 

“We had a great time this season, working hard from January all the way to may. I made a lot of great memories with my friends for my last sports season here at Oak Park. Thank you so much to the coaches for such a memorable season,” said senior Luke Puirkowsky

Softball

Softball concluded a successful season going 11-9 on the year and 3-5 in league, which was good enough to make Division IV of CIF playoffs. They entered Division IV facing Dos Pueblos, but unfortunately lost the first round bout 11-7 in a hard-fought shootout. 

“It was probably the best season we’ve had in a long time,” said junior Claire Mitchell.

Baseball

Baseball finished a middling year going 10-15 on the season. The team struggled in league play going 0-11 in league but managed to have a 10-4 non-league record. The team did not make playoffs so their final game was a showdown against Foothill Tech. The Eagles took an early lead but were trailing going into the 7th and final inning. Andrew Rosen managed to walk the game off with a game-winning single to win the final game 7-6, ending the season on a high note. 

“The baseball season was a great time for everybody especially when we got went to San Diego. Season didn’t end up how we wanted to but next year we’re making playoffs. Favorite part of the season was when I hit a homer or when I hit a walkoff,” said junior Andrew Rosen.

Girls Beach Volleyball

Girls Beach Volleyball placed second in Marmonte league, finishing 7-2. They continued to fight to the second round of CIF playoffs. The girls made history, as this was the first time the program has ever been to CIF playoffs. Although, the program had to battle through the season as they dealt with harsh weather, different from any other season. Ending the season on a high note, the one seed, senior Dylan Miller and junior Katelyn Dimond, were selected to play in individual CIF playoffs. 

“This season was the best one yet. I think our strong team bond allowed us to push through all the challenges we faced with the weather and playing in a different league. As much as I didn’t want the season to end, I’m glad my senior season was a great experience,” said senior Madelyne Cascione. “I’m so proud of us for making history.”

Swim

Oak Park swim had another successful season, moving up a division after winning 3rd place overall at CIF finals last year. The incoming freshman class was filled with elite talent, including swimmers Jerry Jin, Elliot Drotter and Caroline Bi. They finished third in league and they are expecting another great season next year.

“I think we deserved it. I’m really proud of the work we put in. We started the year as the third or fourth-best team, but we really improved a lot throughout the season. We ended up beating some of the teams in league finals that had given us losses earlier in the year,” said senior Matthew Turner.