SSFS 2024 Spring Sports Highlights

It was another banner spring season for SSFS! The 'Beests ran away with several PVAC season and championship wins in both the Upper School and Middle School. The Upper and Middle School Baseball teams, and both the Men's and Women's Track and Field teams, brought home banners. See below for full updates from all our spring teams, and thanks to all the fans who came out to support our athletes!

Track & Field

UPPER SCHOOL TRACK & FIELD

The 2024 season for Sandy Spring High School's Track and Field team was exceptional, with numerous record-breaking performances and significant achievements. Both the Boys and Girls teams clinched their third consecutive PVAC Championship, demonstrating remarkable teamwork and dedication. A standout performer, Jalynn Smith, earned the PVAC MVP title and became our first athlete to surpass 275 career points, finishing with 282 points. She is on pace to exceed 400 points and has qualified for her third consecutive year in all three national events, further solidifying her national ranking. Our Boys 4x400 relay team broke both the school and PVAC league records, highlighted by their outstanding performance at the Penn Relays, where they won their heat in a thrilling comeback and narrowly missed the finals. Additionally, school records were shattered in the 1600m, 3200m, Long Jump, and hurdle events. We also celebrated our first-ever Steeplechase competitors, Rosario and Frankie. This season's success is a testament to the hard work, perseverance, and determination of our athletes and coaches, setting new standards for excellence at Sandy Spring Friends.

MIDDLE SCHOOL TRACK & FIELD
The 2024 track and field team showed tremendous improvement over the season. Every single athlete improved their race times, jumps, and throws in almost every single competition. This team displayed an amazing work ethic and depth of character, encouraging and supporting one another through difficult workouts and events. Both our boy's and girls' relay teams consistently came in the top 3 wherever we competed, both in and outside of the PVAC. Led by 8th graders Daniel Adeniji and James Edmonds-Moore, our boys' teams had strong performances in the sprint and distance events. Keyvan Gondo and Edward Neufville led the team in the shot put, discus, and hurdles. On the girls' side, it was truly a team effort with amazing performances all around, including some first-place finishes from 6th graders! Both teams were able to secure the PVAC championship banners. The future is bright for all of these track and field 'Beests!

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Softball

UPPER SCHOOL WOMEN'S VARSITY SOFTBALL
Celebrating an amazing season: A journey of teamwork, resilience, fun, and sunflower seeds!
As we conclude this remarkable season, it is essential to take a moment to reflect on and celebrate the incredible journey we have shared. Although we faced a tough defeat in the PVAC championship game, our season has been nothing short of fun and determination.  

Throughout the season, we played non-conference games which helped us prepare for our PVAC match-ups.  During our games, the team has demonstrated dedication, resilience, and teamwork. The growth we have experienced, both individually and collectively, stands as a testament to the hard work and commitment of every team member.  The skills and camaraderie we developed over these months have not only shaped us as athletes but also created memories that will endure long beyond this season.

Our journey has been filled with numerous highlights that deserve to be celebrated. From thrilling victories and personal bests to trying multiple flavors of sunflower seeds (Dill is the best!) have all contributed to a season we can all take pride in. While the championship may have eluded us this time, our achievements and the progress we have made are victories in their own right.

As we look forward to future seasons, let us carry forward the lessons we have learned and the strong foundation we have built.

MIDDLE SCHOOL SOFTBALL
Only returning three starters from last year, the MS Girls Softball team regrouped behind a new pitcher and brand new infield to become just as aggressive at the plate and on the base paths as last year. Never missing an opportunity to get a hit, this team worked hard in the batting cages and was by far the most explosive team at bat in the PVAC. In the field, they were led by first base person and pitcher Margo Chmil, pitcher Amira Hamed, and catcher Stella Milici. These veterans accounted for most of the 'Beests outs in the field and big hits at the plate. Our rookie players put in the hard work day after day, and are poised to make strong contributions to our softball program for years to come. Congratulations on making a strong run to the PVAC semifinals! We look forward to seeing what the future holds for these young Beests! 

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BASEBALL

UPPER SCHOOL VARSITY BASEBALL 
The 2024 SSFS Varsity Baseball team defended its 2023 tournament title by winning the PVAC regular season title this year. Junior Jack Fones had to step into starting pitching duty and led the team to a number of big conference victories of Edmund Burke, CESJDS, and Field School. Junior Jacob Edelman led the team on defense from the catcher position and also knocked in 18 rbi’s. Senior Captain Sam Deichman-Caswell led the way with defense, pitching, and a team-best .444% batting average.  Noah Gross also contributed with his bat, glove, and arm.  Noah battled through injury to return as a top pitcher in the PVAC, posting a 0.00 ERA in conference play.  The Beests also benefited from the steady pitching and defensive play of shortstop Darrion Sardo, p/1b/of Brandon Peang, and 3rd base/pitcher Quin Ely.  Sophomores Ian Donahue and Steve Kim were solid hitters in the lineup throughout the season. The Beasts lost a close game in the Tournament Semi-finals, but expect to be back on top next season with an experienced returning roster. 

MIDDLE SCHOOL BASEBALL
The 2024 MS baseball team was one to be reckoned with!  After finishing the regular season with a record of 6-1, the boys continued their dominant path through the regular season into the playoffs.  They swept their opponents in the first two rounds before making it to the championship game against the previous champions St. Anselm’s. After losing to them 6-3 in the regular season, the boys were ready to play them again for the title. Clutch pitching, timely hitting, and strong defense ended up prevailing as MS baseball took home the championship, winning 11-7 in a thrilling game. It was the first time in school history that a Middle School baseball team has taken home the banner! The MS baseball team was led by our captains 8th grader Henry Sommers, 8th grader Max Eser, and our assistant captains, 8th grader Mazi Maroto and 7th grader Nathan Gunzburg. We can’t wait to see where these boys’ baseball careers go from here!  

LACROSSE

UPPER SCHOOL MEN'S VARSITY LACROSSE
After what seemed like a massive disadvantage at the beginning of the season, these boys turned it into their motivation and had the best season they have had in years. With a positive overall record and many first-time goals (including our 3 defensive seniors who will be greatly missed), these boys showed exceptional passion, determination, and teamwork. They all grew individually in their positions and overall as a team, and it was an absolute pleasure to witness. Can’t wait to see what they accomplish next year!

UPPER SCHOOL WOMEN'S VARSITY LACROSSE
It was truly exciting and fulfilling to see the lacrosse program get re-launched at SSFS this year. Getting to work with the girls on the team and our new coach, Jessica Webb, was really rewarding. We had fun, but we also pushed ourselves athletically, putting in the time on and off of the field to strengthen our skills and lacrosse IQ. Our coach spearheaded the process of getting our team to work with Sal in the weight room for two days a week during the season. This helped us train in ways that translated onto the field as well as reinforced our understanding of how to take care of our bodies. We had the opportunity to play a few games this year against other Maryland teams including Field and Chapelgate. Getting to practice and play games with this team was one of the highlights of my spring semester. All of the girls put a lot of effort into the season and into forming a bond as a team despite some of the challenges that came with restarting the program. Getting to see the women’s lacrosse team at Sandy Spring Friends begin to flourish was overall a really positive experience, and the entire team and I are excited to see how it continues to grow. 

MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS' LACROSSE
The MS Lacrosse team had a great season. The team really came together as a group and grew tremendously throughout the season. They played hard at each and every game and pushed themselves to give each team a good game. A defining characteristic of this group was their desire to play hard, but play fair and be respectful of the other teams. This team was so much fun to coach! It was a true pleasure to work with this group and see the growth in them all.

Note: This year, there weren't enough students to have a MS Boys' Lacrosse team.  

GOLF

UPPER SCHOOL VARSITY Golf
The SSFS Varsity Golf team ended their spectacular season on a high note, becoming the PVAC Runner-Up Champions for the second year in a row. With a combined team score of 202, SSFS came in second place out of the competing schools at the Championship match. We had a wonderful turnout this season, welcoming returning golfers and introducing the sport to players new to the game. All players improved in their accuracy, aim, and length of shots. The team was led by PVAC First Team All-Conference selection and Captain Dallas Chisolm (Junior), who posted the lowest score of any PVAC Varsity golfer this season-42. Captain Julia Platts (Junior) and Layla Cushenberry (Senior) were both named to the PVAC Second Team All-Conference selection for their athletic accomplishments this season. Congratulations, Beests!

 

SSFS INTRAMURAL SPORTS

Ultimate Frisbee

The Ultimate Frisbee season flew by! It was a great season because everyone approached competition with the desire for everyone to do their best. The resulting play was full of fun moments, great throws, and some incredible catches. Some of the best games were when we had balanced teams fighting for advantage, and as time drew to a close, we lost track of the score, but no one really cared.

Farming for Fitness
Our farming season started off wet, but that didn’t slow our farmers down. We began the season planting seeds into handmade soil cubes in the greenhouse and once the weather cleared up, we moved to planting seeds in neat rows at the farm. We weeded, and weeded, and weeded those rows until the seeds sprouted when the temperatures finally rose. We finished out the season by rolling and crimping the winter rye cover crop and transplanting crops from the greenhouse directly into the newly cleared field. It was a lot of work, but it paid off! Many of the crops are nearly ready for harvest, and the transplants are looking great still.

Athletic Enhancement Program
The AEP had a wonderful Spring season and our hard work continued. This spring we saw our baseball, softball, and lacrosse teams learn skill-specific exercises that translated to their game on the fields. We are only getting better and stronger! Thanks to a generous donation, the fitness center received new equipment recently that will continue helping our student-athletes reach their full potential.