Khaya Dryden-Peterson (I): “As we crossed the finish line at States, everywhere around us there was applause, and we were quick to join in. Arlington-Belmont (AB) was still coming down the course after a hard week of having their trailer stolen and their boats crashed. All the teams that were competing knew what AB had been through and we were so proud of them. They had made it to states, practiced and raced in shared boats from other teams, and been resilient. This extreme joy and enthusiasm for others is what I have experienced in my six years on the BLS crew team and it is what makes crew so special. We paddled back to the dock in tears, both about the beauty of sportsmanship that we had witnessed and been a part of, and about sadness of graduating and leaving the team that we love.”

Jackson Prinn (I): “My most memorable moment as an athlete on the basketball team was winning a playoff game against Winchester. Having the opportunity to play in front of all my family and friends as the underdog and pull off an upset was incredible. I made so many lasting friendships through the program on the basketball team. Even now in the offseason, we continue to workout and play basketball together. Not only did I meet such great teammates, I also had an amazing coach staff […] who believed in us. My advice to a younger athlete is to stay consistent, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes when working toward your goals. Surround yourself with people who have similar mindsets and goals as you, and you’ll all succeed as a group. Last thing, enjoy playing your sport while you can in highschool; you’ll miss it when it’s over.”

Andrew Xue (I): “Overall, [most memorable] was the respect we had for each other even when things got tough. Through all the half-joke, half-critiques of each other’s backhands and win-loss records, the loose tension between us eased into camaraderie as we stuck around for the guy clutching out a long match or even just shouted a mutual word of encouragement across the court. Suddenly, what normally would’ve been a ‘watch where you’re going’ or ‘who do you think you are’ became a ‘great shot, nice forehand’ or a ‘stay in it, next point.’ After that, though, it was back to the backhand critiques. My ultimate advice to underclassmen is to take it easy. I’m sure your future work environment will be similar, but here, you get to have some fun while you’re at it.”