Julian Passman and Nour Hatoum Staff Writers Boys Baseball: After winning the Regional Championship last year, the Latin Boys Baseball team is gearing up for what should be another successful season. The year got off to an optimistic start with two blowout wins against non-conference opponents, Leo and Chicago Perspectives. Captains Grant Simon, Nick Whalen, and Tom Cox lead the Romans. Captain Grant Simon said, “This is the hungriest and most single focused team I’ve played on in four years” about the team’s work ethic.  Although the captains are all seniors, the team is also laden with young talent. Sophomore infielder Henry Pollock said, “Because of our youth, we should be good for the present and the future.” This year, the team will look to defend their four- time Regional Championship title and win a Conference Title, which has eluded them in the past few years. Boys Volleyball: When asked about this years Latin Boys Volleyball team, one word came to mind for many of the players: youth. Although the Romans do not have a single senior on the team, they will look to build on last year’s success by keeping their reign as conference champions. Led by junior captains Liam Farley and Gavin Hilder, the Romans began the season on this past Wednesday, April 11 in a some tough games against Saint Ignatius. Sophomore and returning varsity player Alex Mendoza said, “I feel confident about this team. Even though we are young, we have the right pieces in order to do well.” Boys Water Polo: Through the years, the Boys Water Polo team has been one of the school’s most successful teams.  This year appears to be no different so far. After defeating Carl Sandburg High School, the fourth ranked team in the state, the Romans are now ranked fifth in the state. Senior captains Eddie Wickes and Jacob Himmel lead an experienced Romans team. First year player Jake Orlin said,” The work ethic of this team is ridiculous. Every practice is a new challenge.” The Romans have a nice balance of new blood and experienced players, which should serve them well when playing some of the top teams in the state. The Romans will continue to play at home on April 20 versus Buffalo Grove High School. Girls Water Polo: After defeating Resurrection on Resurrection’s Senior Night, the girls water polo team has gotten their season off to an exciting start. Senior Captains Katie Kozik, Maya Kono, Ellie Williams, and Ashley Henderson lead the Romans into what looks to be a promising year. Captain Ellie Williams said, “We’ve got a developing team this year, but a lot of the girls are learning quickly and making great improvements.” She added, “Our determination to succeed is high, so I’m looking forward to a successful season.” The team seems optimistic about having a mixture of veteran leadership and young talent, and this combination will prove vital to the success of this year’s team. Boys Tennis: After losing Latin tennis legend Ben Quazzo to Princeton, the Boy’s Tennis squad is starting a new chapter in its history. This year’s team is well into its season, taking a solid seventh place at Nationals in Louisville over spring break. With a group mainly comprised of upperclassmen, experience is not an issue. When asked about the team’s chances this year, captain Carter Bird said, “I am very optimistic that our experienced team will have an impressive season, finishing well in State this year.” With high expectations set out for the season, the team looks to add yet another successful campaign to its résumé. Girls Soccer: Latin Girls Soccer has hit the ground running, and running quite well. The team is off to a 4-0 start, with each win coming with a large margin or victory. Junior goalie standout Gaby Dago has yet to allow a goal this season. With six freshmen on the team, the team is loaded with young talent. Captains Kara Bank, Julie Sarne, and Jaime Landsman lead the squad. Kara is excited about the new team saying, “We have been playing really well together, and it’s been a lot of fun to build up our team dynamic.” With talent all around, the team is looking forward to yet another great season. Track & Field:  Following an impressive campaign by last year’s team, the Latin Track & Field team looks to put up another successful season. With many of last year’s vital participants off to college, the team looks to rebuild and be represented at the State Meet in May yet again. The girls team is looking to win another ISL championship, following a substantial victory last year. Captain Camille Coklow says of the team, “We’ve got a great team this year, and we’re looking great so far. Our goal is to take a win at conference, and I’m confident that will happen.” On the boys side, the team came short of winning conference last year, but with the help of some new additions, captain Britt Henderson’s thinking positive about the team, saying, “This year’s team is filled with many out-going, fun people. We’ve got some great new runners, hopefully that will push us to first at conference later this season. I think we can do it.” With two meets under their belt – and many more to come – the Track squad is bound to have a competitive, exciting season. Girls Softball: Led by senior captains Nikki Dizon, Sloan Thomas, and Darcy Tuttle, the girls softball team is looking good. With their lone freshman Elizabeth Carlson and sophomores Leah Mellett, Nicole Golub, Jen Costa, and Lizzie Marks, things are looking good for the future as well as the present. As junior Maya Mickel puts it, “We have had a rough start, but we have had some pretty close games.” With a 25-24 loss against Ridgewood and another close loss to Luther North, we should all look forward to their game with Morgan Park Academy on Thursday and a double header with Parker next Saturday.]]>