As the cool autumn air turns to harsh winter winds, North is kicking off its sports season with fierce determination and bright optimism.
This year’s winter sports include boys’ and girls’ basketball, boys’ and girls’ ice hockey, boys’ and girls’ indoor track, boys’ swim and dive, alpine skiing, dance, gymnastics, nordic skiing, and wrestling.
According to athletic director Michael Jackson, the winter season will continue to bring development and positive experiences to student-athletes. “I try not to measure success through wins and losses,” said Jackson. “Each team is starting fresh, so I’m excited to see how they reach their highest potential.”
Coming into the winter season, special education teacher Paul Connolly, boys’ basketball head coach, hopes to build upon the teamwork and new experiences the group gained in the previous year. This year, the team will be led by seniors Nicky Spinelli and Teagan Swint.
“I am very optimistic about the upcoming season. We have a solid core returning from last year,” said Connolly. Many returning team members are participating in Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) competitive club basketball during the off-season, he added.
“Our goal is to be the best, most cohesive unit we can become,” said Connolly. The team’s ultimate goal is to win the Bay State Conference and Section and State Championship, he said.
Eight state championships, three Baystate Conference Championships, and one New England Regional Championship win later, North’s dance team is back. According to dance coach Caroline Nunberg, who will return to lead the team alongside captains senior Gabriella Busa and junior Charlotte Cohen, this season will be intense but fun, with brand-new choreography and more competitions to attend. “We did extremely well last season and finished off winning the New England Regional Championship, so the bar is set quite high for this season,” added Nunberg.
Campus aide John Staulo, head wrestling coach, is also eagerly looking forward to the new season. Upcoming practices and meets excite him not only because of the athletes’ skill but also their constant effort and admirable sportsmanship as well. “Our goal is to give everyone the best experience possible, on and off the mat,” said Staulo. “The kids are good and hardworking, and most of all they are good citizens.”
A significant display of the wrestlers’ hard work was last year over the Newton Teachers Association strike in February, which cut the season short. “We had two good co-captains and a large team with a few kids going to States,” added Staulo. “The kids persevered and put forth a good effort.” According to Staulo, he is confident that this year’s captains, senior Yotam Elloul and junior Zach Demeo, will uphold the team’s reputation.
Girls’ indoor track and field, hoping to maintain its large numbers and high scores, looks to expand on team bonding and unity.
“Feeling like a team helps our performance,” said senior Ciara Evans, a captain along with seniors Ella Chen, Gina Gleeson, Noea Levi, and Caitlin Riordan. “It’s a very mentally challenging sport, so you need a supportive community around you to maintain focus.” This year, the team will be led by Michael Travers, and according to Evans, there are just under 100 girls on the team with lots of new faces to get to know and wins to aspire for.
Similarly, counselor Patrick Manning, head boys’ swim coach, is anticipating seeing his team strive for even more growth and success this season. “I have high expectations for how they’ll perform,” he said. According to Manning, though the team is still on its search for an assistant coach, it will find strong leadership in senior captains Clarence de Medeiros, Jan Shek, and Cody Wong.
“When challenges come, we’ll just go with it and take it one day at a time. The goal is always to get as many students as possible into the sectional and state championship meets, which will lead us to victory as a competitive team,” said Manning.
Gymnastics head coach Cassie Ford is brimming with optimism for the upcoming season, aiming to build on last year’s successes with renewed determination. “We won our league meet, had multiple gymnasts qualify to state individuals, and we competed at sectionals,” said Ford. “My goals for this season are to win our Bay State League meet again, have multiple gymnasts qualify for state individuals, and make it even further in the postseason.” Seniors Sofia Dukakis, Molly Haughton, and Kristina Petrulakis will lead the team as captains.
Nordic ski also strives to surpass its past success, according to coach Rohan Thomas.“On the boys’ side, we have incredible depth and talent, while the girls’ team has some exciting up-and-coming skiers,” said Thomas. Juniors James Lake and James Sloan will lead the boys, while seniors Finley Crane and Sana Takamatsu will captain the girls.
“Both teams have strong potential to compete at the highest level, and I believe we’re in a great position to make a run for the state championship,” said Thomas.
According to Thomas, success is not purely based on results, but rather about personal growth and team progress. He added, “I want to see consistent improvement from all our athletes, whether it’s refining their technique, building endurance, or competing with confidence.”
As athletes, fans, and coaches express unwavering hope and optimism, North’s winter season promises to be exciting and impressive. “I’m really excited to see what we can do,” said Jackson.
