With the Fall sports season fully at a close, the winter season .  Leonardtown’s student athletes have been hard at work over the offseason, and are now looking to excel in a new year.  From our canvassing of players, we can tell that their energy is high, and their expectations for their own performance are higher.  ‘The sports that will be featured in this edition of the Imprint are Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball, Indoor Track, Swimming, and Wrestling.  Regardless of each team’s success this coming season, it will definitely be an exciting year.

The following is an analysis of this coming season’s prospects on a team by team basis.

Track

Tracks season ahead looks promising, with 13 returning seniors with a total of 17 male seniors and 3 female seniors to lead the team. The seniors of this team has a strong bond and demonstrate great leadership to motivate the rest of the athletes to work harder in the harsh cold weather. Jesse Farren, a senior captain, says that he has trained “very hard” during the offseason, running everyday, and riding his bike to increase endurance. Head coach Snyder said some players to look out for are, on the girls side,  Lorina Clemence, 11th, (sprints, long jump), Josie Brodfuehrer, 10th, (distance), Karson Harris, 10th, (distance), Gabby Leget 12th, (distance), and on the

Boys side, Brazil Barrow, 12th, (distance), Aaron Humphreys, 12th, (distance), Nate Mason, 12th, (Shot Put), Patrick Kelly, 12th, (distance), Shane Martin, 12th, (hurdles).

Wrestling

Embittered by their 2nd place SMAC finish this previous season, the Leonardtown wrestling program has undergone a period of aggressive growth during the offseason.  Athletes, on their own initiative, have attended a variety of high-intensity training camps, and competed successfully in a number of high-level tournaments, gaining a great deal of experience.  The coaching staff has also looked to incorporate new elements into the team’s regime, with an emphasis on athleticism

Though the exact shape of the team’s lineup is not finalized, and still subject to speculation, it appears solid.  The four seniors lost after the 2013-2014 year will have their spots filled by experienced team members, and, at the moment, there is a strong core of upperclassmen middleweights, many of whom have their eyes set on SMAC, regional, or state titles. “I want to be the second Leonardtown state champ, and I want to take someone else with me,” said Andrew Lee, a captain.  This sentiment was echoed by many upperclassmen.  If the team is to have any trouble this year, it will most likely come from the edges of the weight spectrum, where turnover is high, and reliance upon those with less experience may be necessary.

Swimming

This coming year, the Leonardtown swim team seeks to continue its tradition of regional dominance.  “If you swim fast, you typically win, so that’s what we plan to do”, said Madie Snow, a team captain.  “We’ve been training hard over the offseason, you know, swimming, and I think its going to pay off.”

The team has a strong core of talented upperclassmen, and an exciting incoming class of freshmen who are ready to take up responsibility in regards to their training.  It looks like business as usual for this regional powerhouse.

Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball

Leonardtown’s basketball program, arguably the most popular among spectators during the winter season, has enjoyed mixed success throughout their history, the boys acquiring a record of 5-14-0 and the girls a record of 10-13-0 this previous year.  This look subject to improve in a dramatic fashion this year, with a strong core of well-vetted upperclassmen, as well as a number of talented underclassmen.

Players have dedicated a great deal of their time to training over the offseason, and this looks set to pay significant dividends in the near future.  Darren Bush said he worked out with the lacrosse players and practiced shooting at the drill hall. His favorite thing about being on the team, he attests, is the bonding and having fun, a testament to the team’s  camaraderie.  David Holland, the boys coach, when asked for comment, made these following statements:

“We have only had scrimmages up to this point, so it is difficult to identify which players will step up when the season begins. During our scrimmages the 2 players that stood out were Sam Sweet and David Huffman.

The fans should be excited about this season because we have a lot of talent this year and will play an up tempo brand of basketball.”

Dance

Program Terminated

Cheerleading

Program Terminated