Senior School Fall Athletic Season Recap

November 29, 2019

Academics

GNS

Gryphon pride was out in full force during the 2019 fall athletic season, and the dedication and hard work that the GNS athletes showed throughout the season made the whole school proud.

At the Senior School assembly on November 27, representatives from multiple teams spoke about how their season went.

The Senior Girls’ Field Hockey team spoke about going to four major tournaments this year.

With 12 girls graduating last year, there were a lot of new faces, and it was considered a developmental and growing year for the team.

More than 30 girls came out to play for the team in competitive and development leagues around the city.

“Really proud of how the girls came out,” said co-captain Eliza Bains. “We played with passion and determination. We had some really good games and battles, and we wish you all the best for next season.”

The rowing team described their season as filled with triumphs and defeats. Along with the highs and lows, the team also had new experiences: this was the first year that the male and female rowers could row together in the same boat.

The Grade 8 team specifically was noted as having an outstanding year, and there is excitement for them to be on the team next year.

The Junior Girls’ Volleyball team had a great season and played hard throughout it all. The team was able to bring home a bronze medal after placing third in the Tier II ISAA Championships. The Senior Girls’ Volleyball team also had a fantastic season. They placed third in Tier II at the ISA Championships bringing home a bronze medal. For their final tournament of the fall, the team placed seventh on the island at Brentwood College.

This season in swimming saw one of the biggest teams GNS has had in awhile. Not only were there new faces, but three swimmers qualified for the Provincial Championships.

At provincials, GNS earned gold, silver and two bronze medals, also beating out much bigger teams in terms of points earned.

The Junior Boys’ Soccer team made some memorable moments throughout their season. One game that stood out to the team was against Oak Bay. Playing in enemy territory with more than a hundred Oak Bay supporters rooting against them the Junior Boys team overcame it all and ended up with a tied 2-2 game.

While it was only a short season of seven games the team says they were able to bond throughout the season.

The Senior Boys’ Soccer team had a whirlwind of a year, starting with a small group they took on the challenge to play their best.

Coach Sunny Pawar described their season as “resilient” – the players gave everything they had until the final whistle!

The team finished first at the Island Championships and went on to win silver at the Provincial Championships.

“Thank you for your perseverance, hard work, sportsmanship and teamwork,” said Pawar in assembly. “You exemplify the power, collaboration and belief. You represented our school and yourselves in a fashion that makes me proud to be your coach. Thank you.”

Congratulations to all the Gryphons involved this season!