As fall athletics start up once again, the Class of 2028 is making a strong impression on varsity rosters. There are a handful of freshmen varsity athletes this year: Julia Krueger and Addison Roesch on the Golf team; Eleanor Horsefield and Amelia Stuckslager playing tennis; Tegan Loechler, Aubrey Olson, and Harper Wendlick on the Varsity Volleyball team; Olivia Lund and Elsa Rebholz on Varsity Field Hockey; and Caroline Kanter, Rory Correra, Abby Leib, and Ella Saporito on the Swim and Dive team.
Eleanor Horsefield, a new member of the DSHA Varsity Tennis team claims, “I really was not expecting to make the varsity team this year. When I was asked to try out for varsity after my first day of tryouts, I was extremely nervous. At the tryouts, I started to play with or against the members of my future team. I then found out on my last day of tryouts that I made varsity and was shocked, yet I felt rewarded.” Being a freshman has its struggles. Navigating a new school, new schedules, more rigorous classes, and a bigger workload. Being on varsity makes this transition a bit more difficult but Eleanor states that “although I have only been on the team for about one month, I have noticed that it holds a very special significance. Everyone is so supportive and cares deeply about your success both on the court and in the classroom.”
Meanwhile, freshman Julia Krueger is having a great start to her DSHA Varsity Golf career. She recently had a personal best at Morningstar Golf Course where she faced high school golfers from all across the state. That day Julia shot a 75 on 18 holes–only 3 over par–winning her 4th place out of over 60 golfers! When asked about how golf has influenced her, Julia responded saying, “I have been golfing since I was 4 years old because my whole family loves playing the sport. Every summer I have participated in tournaments individually, which is why, when I tried out this fall, I was really hoping to make Varsity. When I found that I had, I was very excited, and so far, the season has been going great!”
Olivia Lund, a holding midfielder for the DSHA Varsity Field Hockey team, has started her season off quite strong. Olivia described her challenges with being on Varsity when she stated, “I was not expecting to make varsity, rather, I was hoping to make Varsity Reserve, so when I found out that I made varsity I was thrilled! Being on such a high-level team does come with some challenges though, such as how there is pressure to live up to the idea of being a freshman on varsity. However, it is mostly just exciting, and I am beyond grateful to all of my coaches and teammates!”
Overall, the freshmen class at DSHA has accomplished many things in these first few weeks of school athletics. Making varsity as a freshman is hard to do, but these girls have put in hard work and determination to contribute to their teams’ success. We can’t wait to see these successful freshmen athletes in future seasons at DSHA!