Vikings Shine to Start Spring Season

King spring athletic programs have started the season strong, with three varsity teams yet to drop a contest. Girls Tennis, Girls Lacrosse, and Boys Lacrosse stand a combined 8-0 as of today.

Varsity Girls Tennis is off to a strong 2-0 start this season, besting both Greenwich Country Day School (GCDS) and Sacred Heart with matching 4-3 scores. These matches always bring a high level of drama to the courts, as the four athletes in the singles line up and the three pairs of doubles partners compete against their opponents in best-of-three matches. Any third sets in the matches are played out in super-tiebreakers, with the first to 10 points declared the winner. In these first thrilling matches of the season, nine out of a total of fourteen matches have gone to the super-tiebreaker. Hard to get much closer than that, but the girls have been putting in the work at practice and during matches, and their sportsmanship and perseverance have been prominently on display. Featuring six returning and eight new-to-varsity players, the group looks to carry the momentum through the rest of the season.

Varsity Girls Lacrosse has started off with three straight victories. The Vikings are finding their rhythm as a group, and scoring has spread across many players. On Saturday, April 6, incredibly, eleven different athletes contributed with goals in a big 16-1 victory. The team has strong seniors and juniors and a core group of promising young talent. They are adapting well to new scenarios, and during away games, they come off the bus ready to compete. They have a great balance of hard work and having fun and are looking forward to their upcoming games, including a home Housatonic Valley Athletic League game today, April 12, on the Segalas Family South Turf at 4:45 p.m. against visiting Williams School.

Varsity Boys Lacrosse is also off to a strong start to their season with three wins against Canterbury School, Wooster School, and Fairchester Athletic Association (FAA) league rival GCDS. The team is well-balanced, with a seasoned defense and two excellent goaltenders. Offensively, they have a number of key scorers who spread the field well and pose threats from every corner of the restraining box. Seniors are leading the way, with younger players also contributing some big moments and impact plays early this season. The depth of the team is something that will continue to play a huge factor as the squad gears up for the mid part of its season. The roster of 27 lends itself to a wide variety of looks that many of the teams on the Vikings schedule will be unprepared for. Staying healthy and creative throughout the spring is one of the goals of the coaching staff. Given all of the pieces they have to work with, the team has high hopes to compete for another FAA championship and a New England tournament later in May.

Annual College Athletics Night a Success

King College Counseling and the Athletics Department hosted the annual College Athletics Night remotely on Wednesday, April 3. More than 50 families joined the call to learn more about the college recruiting process, as topics covered included:

• NCAA DI, DII, and DIII Athletics Comparison
• NCAA Contact Rules and Regulations 
• Athletic Scholarships vs Merit Aid
• A Day in the Life of a College Student-Athlete
• Guiding Principles and Philosophies

Joining moderators Dean of Athletics Micah Hauben, Associate Director of College Counseling Emily Prince, and Athletics Coordinator Tom Broschardt were an outstanding group of college coaches, college athletes, and King graduates:

• Jack Arena: Amherst College Men’s Ice Hockey Head Coach
• Chrissy Davidson: UCONN Field Hockey Assistant Coach
• Drew Gladstone: Northern Illinois University Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach
• Romea Riccardo: 5-time National Champion UNC Field Hockey Player
• Samantha Falcon ’20: Emory University Tennis
• Justin Torres-West ’20: Trinity College Football

To find out more about King School’s approach to the recruiting process and college sports, please visit our College Athletics page on the website. Information provided here also includes our Guide to the College Recruiting Process and links to thai year’s College Athletics Night video as well as videos from past year events.

Thank you to our presenters for their time and insight and to all of the King students and families who joined us on the call.

Go Vikings!