On the Field
The Griffins Are Back in Action!
This school year marked the return to in-person competitive sports for Grace athletes. The Griffins soared to great heights in both the fall and winter seasons, picking up trophies, new records, and championship banners along the way. Win or lose, our athletes did nothing short of their best.
Click through the photos below for some highlights from the year:
Basketball
Cheer
Cross-Country
Soccer
Volleyball
Girls Varsity Basketball: 2022 ACIS Playoff Champions
Congratulations are in order for the Girls Varsity Basketball team. After a thrilling game in the ACIS Playoffs against Friends Seminary of February 18, Grace beat the opposing team with a final score of 69-35, making them the 2022 champions. The Griffins also won the ACIS Regular Season tournament, which means that two banners were added to the gym at 46 Cooper Square this season. “We worked hard, executed and finally it was love that pulled it all together,” said Head Coach and Athletic Director Illi Armijos.
The winter season, which began on November 30, marked the return of competitive basketball for schools across the city. Practices came back with a familiar intensity, but also with and an markedly increased sense of grit and determination. “All of our student-athletes have been hyped up all year,” Ms. Armijos said of the return to winter sports.
With their ACIS Regular Season Win, the girls also qualified for the NYSAIS State Tournament. After beating Trevor Day in the first round (final score: 41-29), the team fought hard against Columbia Prep, but were ultimately edged out by five points. Of the future, Coach Armijos said, “I’m excited for next year as this young group now has experience, loads of talent and a taste of the state tournament.” She concluded, “[Our] energy is on 10, our games have been packed and we are going to continue that for the spring season.”
Congratulations to the entire team for a season well-played!
See below for an article by Sofia U. ’24 about how the spirit of the team carried them to a victory in the ACIS finals.
“BTW: Girls Varsity Basketball”
By Sofia U. ’24
In the wintertime, crowds excitedly watched Grace’s star-studded Girls Varsity Basketball Team take to the court. But who are these women beyond the court? What does their walk home entail and what happens when the thrill of the game subsides?
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In many ways, becoming star athletes at Grace has come to define these young women, yet this isn’t our definition to create. What is often missed is the humanity of each player, along with what makes them unique. It is these differences that made the Girls Varsity Basketball team so strong collectively this season.
The Girls Varsity Basketball team attributes their success to the team’s connection. “We’re a family and, honestly, I don’t know what opinions people have about us, these girls are some of the most talented people I know,” says Beatrice T. ’24. They took the time to understand each other, bettering their communication and trust on court. Just as they learned to understand each other, the Grace community must learn to understand them as well.
Alana A. ’24 is one of the team’s star players, averaging 21 points and 14 rebounds per game. Alana said in an interview with the Gazette, “Sports have always played such a large part in my life that it’s easy for me to lose sight of other things I enjoy just as much.” Alana explained that she has always loved to play instruments and has spent a great deal of time honing her musical talents, noting that her passion for the saxophone is “one of the things people overlook about [her].”
Lina M. ’24, another star player on the team scoring an average of 26 points per game, expanded on this sentiment, claiming, “Sports showcase the very best within us. It gives us the will to win and get aggressive…but I could never imagine sports being the only thing I do.” Lina also shared that she is a black belt in karate, something she admitted she “doesn’t say enough.”
As the season came to an end [on February 18], the Girls Varsity team demonstrated this strong and cohesive team dynamic through the many successes they have accomplished this season. Successes such as earning a banner for the gym, including the two titles they won along with winning the quarter finals. However, regardless of how basketball teams are mainly supported for their victories, it is essential to support them as individuals as well.