Though temperatures have been well into the sixties for much of the last week, winter sports are still in session at Tabor, with many teams starting championship and tournament play over the next several weeks.
Girls’ Varsity Squash started tournament play for Tabor last week, traveling to Pomfret School to compete in the NEISA Girls’ C Division Championships. The team finished second overall, bringing home first place finishes in Girls’ VII by senior captain Nikki Zeien and Girls’ V by sophomore Tanya Mendoza. Junior Allie Arnfield also earned a second-place finish in Girls’ VI, with all girls finishing within the top six of their respective divisions.
Wrestling competed in the New England Class A Championships on February 18, with junior captain Isaiah Bailey bringing home a New England Championship in the 160-pound weight class and earning the title of Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament. On February 24-25, Bailey traveled to Lehigh University in Pennsylvania to compete in the National Prep Wrestling Championships seeded No. 2 in his weight class. Losing a hard-fought battle against the No. 5 seed, Bailey ultimately took home fifth place in the tournament, becoming an All-American wrestler for the second time.
On Saturday, February 25, and Sunday, February 26, Boys’ Varsity Squash traveled to St. Paul’s School in New Hampshire to compete in the Boys’ A Division Championship. The highlight of the tournament for Tabor was in the Boys’ I bracket where sophomore Aly Hussein fought his way to the top of the bracket to secure the New England Championship. This was Hussein’s second New England Championship this year, having won the NEPSTA Division II Cross Country Championship for Tabor in November.
Two teams have yet to play out their tournament brackets. The first of those is Girls’ Varsity Basketball, who has been seeded No. 3 in the 2017 NEPSAC Class AA Girls’ Basketball Tournament. Tabor will play their semifinal game against Noble & Greenough School on Wednesday, March 1; this is a rematch of the 2016 Championship game that Tabor narrowly lost.
The final team in tournament play in Girls’ Varsity Hockey, who has been seeded No. 6 in the 2017 NEPSAC Girls’ Division I Ice Hockey Tournament. The team will face No. 3 seed Kent School at Westminster School on Saturday, March 4 in the semifinal round. Tabor lost 0-3 against Kent in December, but is looking for a fresh start after a strong showing over the past few weeks.
As winter sports finish off tournaments, spring sports will be starting up. In the week and a half remaining until Spring Break, spring sports teams will take advantage of the warm weather and start practices before spring training trips over break.
By Jack Gordon