by Lucas Basham ’24, Staff Writer for The Polygon

Baseball

The Poly Baseball team clinched their 14th straight Ivy League Championship this season with an undefeated record of 14-0 and went 19-4 overall as of May 19. One of Poly’s most notable events this spring was the opening of the new Matt Roventini Baseball Field, where the team beat Don Bosco, the 16th-ranked team in the country, 8-2. The team cruised through the first two rounds of the NYSAIS playoffs and beat Stonybrook to win the championship on Wednesday, May 25, claiming its 10th NYSAIS title since 2007. Head Coach Matt Roventini said, “[it was] one of the more memorable days in my 19 years at Poly.”

Boys’ Tennis

Boys’ Varsity Tennis finished 4th in the Ivy League this season with a record of 5-4 (including the playoffs), up four spots from their placement in the last full season in 2019. They went 8-4 overall. “I think we’ve come to understand as a team that opportunities can be fleeting and that it’s vital to seize the moment,” said Varsity Head Coach Jeff Amurao. “We’ll be more prepared when that moment comes around again.”

Boys’ Lacrosse

Poly’s Boys’ Varsity Lacrosse team went 7-5 in the regular season, finishing tied for 3rd in the Ivy League, and went 10-8 overall including the games from the team’s trip to Florida over Spring Break. “The most notable and exciting [part] of the season for me was our victory over Cheshire (CT) Academy in Florida,” said Head Coach Lou Candel, who recorded his first 10-win season since getting the job in 2017. Despite holding their ground in the first half of the game, they were ultimately defeated by 3-seed Hackley in the first round of the NYSAIS playoffs.

Girls’ Lacrosse

Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse finished tied for 3rd in the Ivy League this season with a winning record of 7-5. They entered the NYSAIS playoffs as the 7-seed but pulled off the upset with a 14-10 win over 2-seed Stony Brook in the first round, who had beaten them earlier in the season. Girls’ LAX fell short to Fieldston 9-5 in the semifinals. “I don’t know if this group of girls has ever been prouder of each other or happier,” said junior Selah Ilunga-Reed ’23. “I think the game that changed it for us was when we played Dalton on the road at Randall’s Island. We had a game plan and executed it to perfection. From there, we started rolling,” said Head Coach Lisa Beltramello. “Coaches get to be with teams like this once or twice in their career and I am so lucky to be a part of a team with this incredible group of young women.”

Boys’ Volleyball

Boys’ Varsity Volleyball returned to Poly this spring, notably playing a strong 25-22 set against PSAL powerhouse Midwood High School and two five-set grudge matches against rival Packer High School, unfortunately coming up short in both outings. “Overall a group of young men that were completely new to the sport of volleyball [and] gave it their all,” said Head Coach Alex Moule. “[They] had lots of fun navigating the ups and downs that come with competing at the Varsity Volleyball level.”

Crew

Poly’s Crew team of about 25 people had two competitions this year. Still, one of the most exciting moments of this year’s season was one of the team’s practices, where they had a relay race with teams of three people alternating rowing, according to team member William Ling-Regan ’24. “It was a really fun event… and it was a really good atmosphere and it helped us come together as a team,” said Ling-Regan.

Softball

Poly Softball finished 1st in the Ivy League this season, going 11-0, claiming their third straight title. The team crushed Trinity 18-0 in the first round of the NYSAIS playoffs, defeated Spence in round 2, and took home the championship in an 8-3 win over Hackley on Wednesday, May 25. One of the most notable moments of their season was beating Hackley to claim the #1 seed in the NYSAIS bracket, where senior “Ella Carter ’22 [hit] a monster home run over their fence which is about 300 feet,” said Head Coach Renae Beauchman. Beauchman loved watching “how we have come together as a team, building relationships, [and] memories that will last a lifetime.”

Golf

Poly Golf finished with an overall record of 4-4-1 as of May 20. Due to COVID and injury setbacks, the team didn’t have enough players to earn a placement in the NYSAIS finals. The team was resilient and dedicated this season, practicing through the rain several times. The hard work showed in competitions: “The most exciting [part] of the season was the broad improvement in play,” said Head Coach Alex Carter. “The improvements are a testament to the hard work and dedication of the golf team.”

Track & Field

Both Poly’s Boys’ and Girls’ Varsity Track and Field teams finished 4th in Ivy League Championships this season. The boys’ team tied for 2nd place and the girls’ team finished 8th in the NYSAIS Championships on Wednesday, May 25. “This season is only the beginning of an exciting journey for many of our athletes,” said junior captain Brianna Kwan ’23. “This has really been our first meet-filled schedule since the start of the [pandemic] and we’ve had so many people join that have been essential to the success of the team. I highly encourage you to join the team, as it is a great offseason sport with a great team vibe,” Kwan added.

Note: This article was originally published in The Polygon’s May/June 2022 issue.