Triumphant Season for Lightning Softball and Track & Field Teams

The MMFS middle school softball team was league champions and the upper school track and field team posted top notch results in the 2013-14 spring season! Read about the season in the words of the coaches below.

Upper Division Track and Field

The MMFS varsity track team enjoyed a very successful second season. Mother Nature threw a wrench in coaches Raul’s and Tommy’s plans for getting outside during the first few weeks of practice, but the team worked hard inside the newly renovated upper school. For the first month of the season, the track team worked on coordination, strength building, stamina and team building. The stairwells became the team’s nemesis as both coaches enjoyed sending students up and down to build strength and stamina. The team also spent a great deal of time in the gym doing relay races to help build quickness and team chemistry.

In April the weather began to warm up, and the track team made its way outside to Cadman Plaza and Brooklyn Bridge Park. Once outside, the team worked on longer sprint distances and baton passing.

The first meet of the season was up in the hinterlands of the east Bronx and after the arduous trek in a school bus without shocks, the team raced hard. Specific highlights included Alex winning the Long Jump with a leap of 16’ 6.5;” Jill running her first ever 1,500 meter race, and smiling the entire time; Ben, Sam, Loren and Ian all breaking 7:00 minutes in the 1600M; and Lily running the 800M in 3:08:97.

The second race of the season took place in Red Hook. There was a strong wind swirling around the track and temperatures barely reached 50 degrees, but that did not slow our runners one bit. Highlights include Connor running a fast second leg of the 4×100 (even though he made Loren run an extra 75 meters).

We had to miss the fourth race of the season as the freshmen, a large portion of the team, were destroying all of their hard preseason work by eating gelato and pizza for a week while on their class trip to Italy.

The final race of the season was back at Red Hook under perfect race conditions. Highlights include Sam placing third in the 400M; Lily placing second in the 400M; Lauren winning the long jump with a distance of 6’9”; and Ian and Galen placing first and second in the long jump with distances of 13’7” and 13’5” respectively.

Both coaches look forward to next year’s track season, when we will build upon the great successes of this year.

Go Lighting,

Raul Gordillo and Tommy Mulvoy
Upper Division Track Coaches

Middle School Softball

The 2014 middle school softball team has given us another incredible season for a Lightning sports team. This year’s team finished the regular season undefeated with a 9 – 0 record, and to top it all off, they just won the championship game in most thrilling fashion, 10 – 9 vs. City and Country. The players not only won each game but did so in a convincing fashion with 135 runs scored and only 45 runs allowed. Earlier in the season, we won our first game against City and Country by a score of 10 – 7. We made many mistakes throughout the game but overcame an early 4-run deficit to finish with a victory. We started that game as 15 individuals playing on a team and ended the game as one cohesive unit. The lessons learned that day carried the players through the rest of the season and they never looked back. The talent on this softball team is undeniable but what makes them such a joy to coach is that they are truly great teammates who have supported each other throughout the season. Each individual strives to improve but always puts the team first. This team first attitude has enabled them to have a very successful and memorable season.

In the championship game, the team overcame great play by City and Country as well as some of their own mistakes. It really was the clichéd team effort. Everyone played and everyone contributed. They cheered each other when they did well and comforted each other up when they needed a lift. All season long we won our games with an impressive display of offensive power, out-scoring our opponents by a total of 140 – 48. In this final game, however, it was our defense that was on display. Katie F. and Chris had two amazing catches in the outfield that saved many runs from being scored. Bear and James ran down two balls that were clear home runs and made amazing throws that led to two runners being thrown out at the plate. Scott and Christian were our catchers extraordinaire, making a combined four outs at the plate. And Sally pitched a dominant game, as usual. We did have our share of big hits: Colm and Will G. drove in runs with timely hits, Bree and Henry Puma had key hits and James K. hit one ball so hard that it started on West 52nd Street and stopped rolling only when it reached West 54th Street!

Although winning is great, the camaraderie and sportsmanship displayed by this team was truly inspiring. We coaches are so very proud of this team. They represent everything that is good about our students at MMFS. They were a wonderful cross section of girls and boys, seventh and eighth graders who came together as a team to totally dominate their league in astounding fashion. Hats off to our departing 8th graders – Sally, Will G., Chris F., Henry, Renée, Gabby F. and Tommy. Kudos to the returning 7th graders – Bear, Colm, James K., Katie F., Andy, Mike B., Brianna, Christian R. and Scott. Special thanks to the students, faculty, friends and family members who supported us at each and every game.

Earl Hall, Bobby Cook, and Jim Signorelli
Middle Division Softball Coaches