Tyler Kennedy — Cross-Country
The boys cross country team, captained next year by junior Tyler Kennedy, plans to start training early to be fully prepared for the upcoming season.
Kennedy said that one of his goals as a captain is to bring as many teammates out for preseason training as possible.
“It is our responsibility to get the team prepared,” Kennedy said.
To go along with personal, everyday runs in the summer and captains’ practices starting in late July, Kennedy said the team practices will start in late August.
“Hopefully, we’ll get more kids training earlier,” Kennedy said. “We’ll be better off if we get into it earlier.”
Kennedy said the team will mix up the training by running to Franklin Park, as well as jogging to the statehouse and back.
“I’m hoping we’re going to be good,” Kennedy said. “We had a solid team last year and I want us to make it to states.”
Seth White — Football
Junior quarterback and next year’s captain Seth White said that he and the football team have already started looking to improve for the 2008 season. Football is taking no time off for summer vacation.
“We have a lot of room to improve from last year,” White said.
Contact practices start right away with full pad practice the first week after school lets out. Then the pads come off for a few weeks as the team focuses on conditioning and mastering the offense, White said.
Along with team functions, White works out with receivers and running backs to improve the knowledge of the offense.
“Every Sunday, the skill positions get together for seven-on-seven to go over routes and defensive coverage,” White said.
The Lions will return with a total of 12 starters in attempts to make the playoffs for the first time in school history.
Deena Levey — Girls Soccer
With the help of a multi-page fitness guide, captain junior Deena Levey and the girls soccer team hope to stay in shape over the summer by training early for next season.
“Our training has already started with everyday team workouts,” Levey said.
A fitness packet, given to each member of the team in early May from coach Scott Dempsey, outlines daily activities to prepare for the upcoming season, such as basic personal training like running, lifting and ballwork drills, Levey said.
For additional off-season training, most girls play club soccer, which usually consists of bi-weekly practices and weekly tournaments, Levey said. She added that more intense training starts midway through the summer.
“There won’t be any conditioning week this year, which means that the running will be incorporated more into the practices,” Levey said.
However, the team will still have three-adays in August, which, along with regular drills, consist of both sprint and distance running, Levey said.
“Last year we followed the packet very closely and it paid off in the season,” Levey said. “We’re hoping for the same this season.”
Colin Zidar — Boys Soccer
Junior Colin Zidar, who will be the boys soccer team captain in the 2008 season, said he uses both team and personal training to prepare for the upcoming season and help the team gear up for another successful year.
Zidar said that the team currently lifts twice a week and holds open fields every weekend, while teammates are still involved in club soccer and other sports.
“Along with the team schedule, I also do night running five days a week and morning running two to three days a week,” Zidar said.
The boys team will start their training the week after school ends in June and, because of a friendship with a member of a major league soccer team, the coach looks to take an interesting approach to conditioning, Zidar said.
“[Our coach] has the actual training schedule for the New York Red Bulls,” Zidar said. “We are going to do the same exercises but at a slower pace.”
The team will also lift three days a week which involves mostly leg work.
Zidar added that with the training provided by the coach, as well as personal exercising, the team should be well prepared for next season.
“I think we can come together as a team,” Zidar said. “My main goal is to get back into Crew Stadium.”
Leiah Groom — Volleyball
Volleyball co-captain Leiah Groom said the team is ready to start working hard to improve on the season they had this year.
“Our run to district champions was a lot of fun, but we feel like we still have room to get better,” Groom said.
As the team awaits a new coach, Groom and other seniors will be forced to step up and lead open gyms, captains’ practices and most of the team’s work outs.
Along with team activities, Groom will be staying in shape while she is training with the U-17 national team for the Junior Olympic Nationals in Dallas, Texas.
“The most important thing is that we continue running, working out and practicing together, as well as trying to build team chemistry,” Groom said.
Groom will be assisted by fellow seniors Tracy Gundy and Lauren Simmons. The team also features returning juniors Lauren Howard and Beverly Ochieng.
Anna Grossman — Field Hockey
Field hockey will pick up in the fall with three returning senior starters, Lauren Zacks, Carey Keny and Anna Grossman.
Throughout the summer, Grossman and the other captains will be hosting practices and other optional activities on the turf.
Along with all players working out individually, the squad will be attending summer skill camps at Ohio State and at Bexley, Grossman said.
“The camps help us to grow together as a team in different environments,” Grossman said.
Grossman encouraged players to run on their own as well as to keep conditioning consistently.
“The main goal for the summer is to be in shape before practices start and to be able to work together by game one,” Grossman said.
The team hopes to keep improving on their 15-2-1 record from one year ago.
Published May 2008. Digitized 2025.