Sports Update: GALA is on a Roll!

As fall sports come to a close, here are some highlights and updates on GALA’s teams!

Cross Country
Both JV and Varsity teams did spectacularly in league finals on November 3rd, winning 1st place in their league. Additionally, many runners broke their personal records. The teams advanced to the preliminary round on November 12th and got 2nd place in their heat. This means that they qualify for City Finals on November 19th—hopefully, they get some sleep after homecoming!

Before the preliminary round, runner Mae Davidson stated, “I think that even in comparison to the league finals, this feels more serious, but I have so much confidence in the team and I know Coach McFadden has prepared us well.” Sigrid Eyal added, “We have a good team mentality and we support each other—it’ll be great!” Good luck Cross Country!

Tennis
The GALA tennis team won their division championship for both singles and doubles on November 3rd. Reflecting on her season overall, Maya Henry comments that she “loved how the team grew closer this year, and all the great conversations we had, whether it be in the locker rooms, long bus rides, or during interesting drills.” Mila Burton recalled her best game, “The first round of playoffs, because no one thought we would win.” She joked that at practice, they said their goodbyes to teammates because they thought the game would be their last, “But looking back, I had a good time. The unexpected win felt good.” Go Tennis!

Volleyball
Volleyball won its division championship as well and advanced to playoffs for state championships. This was a home game on Thursday, November 10th—which they won! Co-Captain Savannah Hunt spoke on her favorite game of the season, “Our playoffs. The game was the highlight of the season because we played cohesively as a team. We lost a set so it was the first time we felt the pressure but I think we really pulled through in the end.”

Unfortunately, they lost the next round of state championships on November 12th, but this in no way overshadows the phenomenal season they’ve had thus far. Co-Captain Natalia Castillo commented on her favorite parts of volleyball, noting that she “enjoyed hanging out with the team during practices and working on our collaboration and communication.” Good job to all the volleyball players!

Overall, the student-athletes I talked to emphasized that while they were proud of their team’s wins and athletic abilities, the thing they valued most about being a part of the team was the friendships and fun memories they made. As a student-athlete myself, the thing that makes GALA sports so spirited and enjoyable is the feeling of camaraderie in and out of practice and meets.

Great Fall season GALA—and stay tuned for Winter sports: soccer and basketball!