It’s the season of giving. The winter sports at McQuaid are ready to give some more joy to the McQuaid community as the winter sports season starts. With seven total sports seasons starting, everyone is ready to see what McQuaid has to offer.

Many questions loom over the new season.  Can the basketball team can defend its sectional title? Will the hockey team play back to the level of the state title team of three years ago? Can the wrestling team make a deep run into sectionals? Don’t forget about the indoor track team.  Will they continue their winning ways behind a talented roster? Or is it the swimming team’s turn to get a brick with the RCAC championship coming back this year? Overall, this winter sports season is going to be extremely entertaining.

First is the basketball season. With the team last season capturing a sectional title for the first time in 16 years, the pressure to repeat is tremendous. But with the loss of talented seniors such as Anthony Iglesia and others, the road will be tougher this year. Although, the Knights are returning three of their starters from their sectional championship team. With experience on this team, the Knights are looking to claim another sectional title to bring back to McQuaid.

The hockey team won sectionals three years ago. The team has stayed competitive, but hasn’t won a sectional title since 2015. The team is looking to get back to their dominant ways this season. They have the talent and the attitude to go a long way.

Don’t forget about the wrestling team.  With a variety of talent on the team from the seniors all the way to the freshman, all these athletes have potential for success. This team still continues to keep that team mentality. Many players are willing to do whatever it takes to benefit the team.

“We keep such a great team mentality because you’re only as good as your practice partner,” sophomore wrestler Patrick Mccray said. “My goal for wrestling is to win sectionals.”

With this mindset and great coaching, the wrestling team is poised for a breakout season.

Also, the indoor track team has a great deal of talent. This is one of their largest teams ever at McQuaid, and it’s for a reason. Many athletes do track to stay in shape and gain endurance and speed. Those athletes still do compete and do well in meets.  That is why the indoor track team is a very successful program. They have won sectionals in 2016 and 2017, and are going for three years in a row.

Last, but certainly not least, is the swimming program. With former star swimmer and now collegiate athlete Oliver Smith graduated, these Knights are left without any upperclassmen to lead their team. But, that doesn’t stop them from still being a competitive and successful program. Arguably their best swimmer sophomore Henry Smith, Oliver’s younger talented brother, is fulfilling the leadership role on the team.

“Having no seniors on the team can benefit us because being a young team, we will be able to grow over the next few years individually, and as a whole and we can build some team chemistry,” Henry Smith said. This team is a very close-knit group. They really have that brotherhood that McQuaid students talk about. Even though, swimming is a largely individual sport, they still maintain a great team chemistry.

“Even though swimming is mostly individual, we stay together as a team through our focus for our championship meets. We have two big championship meets this year, the RCAC Championship and Sectionals,” Smith explained. “This is our first year swimming in the RCAC meet since 2014, and we are favored to win. Last year we came in 8th in sectionals, and one of our relays came in 3rd place. We are all trying to push each other to train hard so we can perform well in these meets,” Henry added.

The winter sports season for McQuaid is going to be entertaining with a number of teams having competitive games and meets.  McQuaid students should get out and support your Knights this winter season.