Catoctin winter sports rundown

Mia Ferraro
CHS Class of 22

(1/2022) As we enter the new year, Catoctin High School sports teams take advantage of new opportunities. Last winter's athletic season was full of uncertainty, cancellations, delays, and other challenges that limited the teams’ extent of practice and competition. This season, however, is full of promise, as we begin the second competitive month with lots to celebrate already.

Competitions for winter sports teams began Dec. 6 and continue through the third week in February. The winter season consists of the following teams: basketball - coached by Amy Entwistle (girls) and Brian Burdette (boys); unified bocce - coached by Charmane Nesbitt; cheerleading - coached by Stephanie Munday; indoor track - coached by Dave Lillard (boys) and Lois Strickland (girls); swimming and diving - coached by Will Warram (boys). Also new to the Catoctin athletic staff is Justine Wantz coaching swimming and diving (girls), and Richard Reeder coaching wrestling.

The Catoctin girls’ basketball team kicked off the season with a strong start during their home game Dec. 7, at which they competed against Frederick Scott Key High School. The Cougars led 20-10 by the end of the first quarter, and doubled their points by the end of the second. By the end, Catoctin had won 67-59. It was during this season-opener that Catoctin senior Emma Wivell dislocated her thumb, but nonetheless proceeded to lead the team in points during several of their following games.

The team took to Oakdale High School Dec. 10, where Wivell had 23 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Emily Williams had 10 points, six assists, three steals, and six rebounds. Freshman Taylor Smith also had 14 points. Catoctin won 64-54. The Cougars then competed at home against Middletown High School four days later. Smith scored 16 points. Williams contributed eight assists, seven rebounds, and five steals. Freshman Grace Williams had seven rebounds and four steals. Wivell scored nine points, and her late foul shot made the difference that secured a 43-42 victory. As a result of her performance, especially with her perseverance while injured, Wivell was named Frederick News-Post’s Athlete of the Week.

The Cougars proceeded to dominate the next game on Dec. 17, allowing their visitor Smithsburg High School only eight points. Wivell led the team with 17 points, six steals, and eight rebounds. Emily Williams contributed five steals, and senior Paige Smith had eight rebounds. The team emerged with a victory of 47-8. The team then traveled to Brunswick High School three days later, where the Cougars won 50-32. Wivell scored 24 points and Emily Williams scored 12 points, 11 steals, and six assists. The next and final game before Christmas break took place at Boonsboro High School on Dec.22. Taylor Smith led with 13 points and Emily Williams had 11 points, nine steals, and six rebounds. Catoctin won with a score of 38-25, improving their record to 6-0.

The Catoctin indoor track teams have also had much excitement in the season already, with several athletes having set a personal record as soon as the first competition. Marking the beginning of the regular season was the Terry Baker Invitational, held at Hagerstown Community College on Dec. 10. The girls team set 10 personal records and two season bests, and placed 13th of 21 competing schools overall. Senior Jenna Zentz finished in first place out of 35 competitors in the women's 300-meter dash with a personal record of 43.7 seconds. She also placed third of 30 in the women’s 500-meter dash with another personal best of 1:24.14. The boys team set seven personal records and placed 14th overall. Junior Alex Contreras finished in second place out of 31 runners with a personal best in the men’s 3200-meter run with a time of 10:27.38. Junior Brody Buffington took second place of 35 in shot put with a throw of 43 feet and six inches.

The teams then revisited Hagerstown Community College on Dec. 18 for the Jeff Spielman Winter Classic Invitational. The girls team set 13 personal records and the boys team set nine. Both teams ran a season best time in the 4x800-meter relay: the girls had a time of 11 minutes and 31.71 seconds, and the boys had 9:43.33. Sophomore Jenna Conley (2:42.65) finished 12th of 35 runners in the women’s 800-meter run. Buffington took third place out of 30 participants in shot put with a throw of 43 feet and 3 seconds. Senior Wyatt Davis (38-10.5) finished in seventh in the same event and freshman Ethan Robeson (34-10.5) finished in 11th. Buffington also took first place out of 40 competitors in the boys 55-meter dash with 6.5 seconds, breaking the previous record set in 2012. His 55-meter score is now the highest in Maryland and 16th in the nation.

The girls swimming and diving team has had some personal victories as well. Catoctin sophomore Kayleigh Buhrman won two events at the meet against Walkersville High School on Dec. 6, setting new team records in the 500 and 100 backstrokes. Junior Sophia Tyerar also broke the team record for diving. Two days later, Buhrman was once again deemed a multi-event winner at the meet held at Middletown High School against Brunswick. The Catoctin unified bocce team joins in on the Cougar pride, as well as the wrestling team, with more early success. The unified bocce team won both of their two matches held this past month, first against host Oakdale High School on Dec. 8, then again on Dec. 15 against visitor Urbana High School. Catoctin also won its first home wrestling game of the season on Dec. 16, where the Cougars defeated Walkersville High School 40-30 with only nine wrestlers competing. They won eight of ten bouts contested, sealing Coach Reeder’s first victory coaching at Catoctin.

Amidst celebrations of early success, Catoctin sports teams have also joined the community in celebrating the season of giving. Alongside Catoctin High School clubs and honor societies, the athletic department has been promoting and contributing to various charities throughout the month of December. The recently revived Catoctin Crazies club, Catoctin coaching staff, and various sports teams have helped collect donations in-person and online. Athletes and coaches of the Catoctin baseball and softball teams volunteered on Dec. 13 to lend a hand to local Marines preparing children’s gifts for Toys for Tots. Fans were also able to drop off donations at home athletic events. "Please bring a book to donate for Toys for Tots," the student-run boys basketball team’s Instagram account posted the day of their first home game. "Bring a new teddy bear to donate," the girls basketball team advertised prior to their Dec. 22 game. Other requests for donations included hygiene products, winter clothes, and more.