Boys Volleyball:

“Trust the process.” This was the theme for the 2022 season that Head Coach Kevin Pratte gave to the Bishop’s Boys Volleyball team. “It sounds cliche, but it is important to have great hope, keep the faith and trust the process,” explained Coach Pratte. The team opened up the season with high hopes and expectations that they would crush Canyon Crest Academy (CCA) in their first game of the season, according to player Cristian Casillas (‘22). However, they lost the game badly. After that game, however, they won the next six games, clearly finding their groove. 

After a multitude of losses and a few wins during the heart of the season, the team rallied with an impressive win streak just in time for playoffs. Starting on April 23rd, against Liberty Charter, the Knights won nine games straight. Their first playoff game, against Helix High School, which they won 3-1, proving they had what it took to win close games when they mattered. Last year, the Knights had lost to Helix in the quarterfinals, so it was extra special to get by them in such a strong fashion, first round.

Garrett Johnson (‘22) explained that the first round playoff game against Helix was his favorite memory from the year. “It has a lot of meaning because we thought they were one the strongest opponents we faced considering our matchup to them, and we won,” he said. Garrett explained that this was what made the team so special; their ability to adapt. “The versatility and reliance of this team is really special. We probably had close to 25 different lineups throughout the year and 4 or 5 different guys able to step in and set for us… Didn’t matter who was on the court, everyone was trying hard.” 

The team faced injuries throughout the season with star players having to sit: most notably, Ryland Birchmeyer (‘22) and Logan Johnson (‘22). Ryland, a leader in the playoffs, suffered a broken arm midway through the season. Logan, one of the most valuable players for his formidable presence in the libero position, was out with health concerns. Despite half our starting lineup being injured for the like the second half of the season we still made it to CIF Finals. I’m incredibly proud of what we were able to accomplish this season. We made it farther than many had anticipated,” Cristian delineated. Most importantly though, everyone was back in time for the playoffs. 

After the win over Helix, the Knights faced CCA in the second round. After losing the first set 23-25, they won the next three, closing out the last two sets 25-21 each. They moved on to face La Jolla High School (LJHS) in the Semifinals. They crushed LJHS , sweeping them, 3-0. The Knights were showing they were capable of dominating the competition. Their next opponent, though, was Francis Parker in the CIF Division 1 Finals on May 13th.

All great teams have great chemistry among one another. Cristian Casillas, a leader on the bench, described his experience being a part of the team this year. He said, “We are all really supportive of each other on and off the court—whether it’s Will and Eli’s Speech and debate—or Jameson’s USA trials for the Olympic team. It was nice to be a part of such a really supportive group. 

Ryland Birchmeier (‘22), one of the most valuable players in the playoffs in the left-side hitter position, confessed that he’s going to miss not being a part of the team next year. “I think at the end of the day we all just love the sport and enjoy being around each other. We were able to put our heads together when we were down in a set and figure out what we had to do to pull out a win. I’ll miss not being here next year, but I’m sure they’ll be great without us seniors.”

Sadly, the team lost to Francis Parker in the fifth set in the finals: a heartbreaking loss to a win streak that looked to never end. In the fifth set, down 11-4, the team managed to tie it up at 14-14 and then, unfortunately, lost the next two points. Still, it was undoubtedly an incredible season for the team and a bond cultivated between the players that they will cherish forever.

Girls Lacrosse:

As the Bishop’s Girls Varsity Lacrosse Knights head into their fourth and final round of the CIF Division 1 playoffs, they reflected on what has gotten them this far. Starting at Seed 6, the Knights played against Mission Hills in a thrilling game on Wednesday, May 11. The Knights had a three-minute and fourteen-second long stall as they held the ball to maintain possession and then advanced to the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals they played at Patrick Henry on Saturday, May 15. In a brutal fight, the Knights came out victorious and are set to play San Dieguito Academy on Wednesday, May 18. 

As the team looks ahead to their game on Wednesday, May 18, they are reflecting on what’s gotten them this far against tough competition. Goalie Zenzele Green (‘22) says their success stems from learning to take losses as a team. “Not losses in the sense of losing games,” they said. “But losing ground ball, letting in a goal etc.” 

Co-Captain Erika Pfister (‘23) credits their recent CIF success to the fact that their “team has really been able to start playing for each other and as a team.” She added on by saying that “you can tell how much everyone wants the championship win.” Co-Captain Tate Vaccaro (‘22) also said that they “worked really hard as a team.” She continued, “this is really exciting because this is the farthest girls lacrosse has gotten in recent years during CIF playoffs.” 

The team, while being there for each other on the field, has also learned the importance of being there for each other off the field. Natalie Marvin (‘25) said that she has “received nothing but love” as a freshman. She added on by saying how honored she feels to “spend [her] first year with such an amazing team. It’s been so fun to connect with the upperclassmen and learn from their examples,” she said. Zen said the team is trying to “bring 100 percent effort to practices and keep energy high.” 

As the team reflects on the season, Erika said that she is “just so proud of the team we have become this season” she continued by saying that she is “so hyped for the next game.”

Unfortunately, the Knights fell to the Coronado Islanders on Saturday, May 21 in the finals game. The score was 16-7. Regardless, this is the furthest that the Knights have come in girls lacrosse in nearly seven years.

Swim Team:

This year both the boys and girls swim teams kicked the competition—literally and figuratively. Breaking 6 school records, the largest athletic team on campus finished the season with an 11-3 record. Seniors Lucius Brown, Greyson Davies, Justin Korn, Sancia Milton, Maddie Cayer, Alex Bonaguidi, Maggie Johnson, and Deming Wyer swam at the CIF swim meet at Granite Hills High School, some of whom were swimming their last high school race. The team won a CIF Championship in six events, the Girls team finished 6th overall (160 points) and the Boys team finished 3rd overall (250 points). In total, the team finished 3rd with 410 points. 

Callum Bolitho (‘24) said it was a “high energy environment” at the meet, explaining that “ everyone was fighting for a spot in top 8 finals in their individual event.”

Senior captains of the Boys Swim Team, Greyson Davies and Lucius Brown, each won four gold medals, swimming incredible races at the final meet of the season. Greyson broke the school’s record for the 1o0 meter butterfly with a time of 48.67 seconds. “[Greyson was] one of the hardest working athletes I have ever been around,” Varsity Swim Coach Jim Jordan said. “And he always wants to help others excel as well.”  

In the 50 meter freestyle with a time of 20.2 seconds, Senior Lucius Brown set a new San Diego Section record and tied the San Diego Section Division II record in the 100 free with a time of 44.65 seconds. Coach Jordan described Lucius as a kind and easy-going leader. “Lucius Brown is an amazingly talented athlete who could excel in any sport,” he said. 

On the girls team, standout junior and underclassman Kate Steinmeier broke two school records in the 200 Individual Medley and 100 breaststroke, swimming a 2:08.34 200 IM and a 1:05.96 100 breaststroke. Kate has been on the swim team for three years, and one of her favorite parts of being on the swim team was giving and receiving advice on races. Her favorite memories include talking with Maggie about plans for the 200 IM “and listening to music together in the team area. Callum and I played “We Didn’t Start the Fire” on repeat,” she said. 

 When talking about Girls’ team Co-Captain Sancia Milton (‘22), she described her as a great leader. “Sancia is always there with a comforting word or just a smile, and lets me know that I’m doing great even when I think I’m not. A simple word from Sancia goes a long way, and I’m so thankful for her,” she said. 

While reflecting on her last swim season at Bishop’s, Senior Co-Captain Maddie Cayer said this season was one of the best seasons for the girls team ever since she joined the team. “I am so proud of the time and effort everyone has put in this season,” Maddie Cayer said. “We were really united as a team this year.”

Softball:

“Softball is the best team on campus,” captain Jackie Cosio (‘22) shared. “We all have such a great bond.” After a season full of a lot of growth and fun memories, three seniors batted for the final time in their high school softball careers with a 16-5 win against Francis Parker on May 13, leaving a legacy behind them. 

Underclassmen Mikayla Crowe (‘24), Jazmine Joseph (‘23), Leela Zaveri-Tabb (‘25), Shyla Gupta (‘25), and Oviya Dhinakar (‘25) expressed their gratitude and appreciation for the seniors, who always created a welcoming and energetic atmosphere during practice and games. “The seniors are really the glue that keeps our team together,” Jazmine said.

The team is filled with genuine and amazing girls that make it a lot of fun, Maggie Johnson (‘22) reflected. “I’ve really enjoyed my time on the team because of the people I’m surrounded by,” she continued. Her senior teammate Soyoon Park agreed. “It’s been a great time,” she began. “No one is selfish about getting better just for themselves. It’s all about building each other up.” Although the team started off with a few losses, “We’ve made great improvement,” freshman Jayla Stafford said. “Towards the end of the season, our team really stepped it up. Everyone played a role and contributed to this team.” 

Mia Bravo (‘24) added, “We worked really hard this season, and I’m really proud of what we’ve done.” Without the leadership and resilience of the seniors, the team wouldn’t have been the same. “We’re a rat pack,” Jackie shared, “and we love each other.”

Boys Lacrosse:

Since winning the Division 1 championship last season, the Bishop’s Boys Lacrosse team has continued to grow. This season, the Knights came out with a bang, going undefeated in their first 16 games. Currently, they stand at a record of 20-1, just coming off of a CIF win against the 6th seed Cathedral in the Open Division semifinals. This Saturday, the Knights faced off against the 1st seed Torrey Pines at Del Norte High School. In the game, the Knight’s had an outstanding defensive performance. Eddie McElroy (‘25) has been a brick wall all season, especially in the finals. Countless saves kept the Knights in the game. Although the Knight’s season unfortunately came to an end, the passion, leadership, and comradery led the Lacrosse team to new heights this season.

In their semifinal match against Cathedral, the Dons were simply outmatched. With a solid defensive unit led by seniors Mike Houk and Jack Hertz, the Dons would have a better chance of seeing pigs fly than scoring a goal. The Knights offensive dominance shined through Brooks Rodger (‘24) who scored five goals. Casey Ryan (‘23) added two goals and five assists while Nick Marvin (‘24) contributed four more goals. The final score of the game was 18-4. 

Before their semifinal matchup on Tuesday, the Knights crushed the Dons 12-4 earlier this season, with Casey leading the team with four goals. Another notable win came against Grossmont, the third seed in the CIF Open division. Although this game was a close and hard fought battle between the two teams, the knights prevailed and wound up winning 12-11. Brooks contributed with five goals and three assists.

Defensive stud, Dane Jorgenson (‘24), believes “the team is more connected than ever,” leading them to their successful season. Needless to say, the Knight’s historic season will be remembered and cherished by the Bishop’s community forever.

Track:

The Track and Field team ran laps around the competition this year, with many standout times. During the CIF Preliminary Meet on May 5th, many runners advanced to the Section Finals. Six girls advanced, including Maddie Cramer (‘22), who placed 1st for the 800 meter dash with a time of 2:13.02, a Coastal Conference record. Malaya Taylor (‘25) placed 1st for the 100 meter dash and Lexi Houk (‘23) placed 5th in the 800 meter dash. All three of them plus Michelle Lai (‘22) also earned 1st in the 4×400 meter relay with a time of 4:15.43. Isabella Combs (‘25) earned 5th in the 400 meter dash, and Katelyn Wang (‘23) placed 6th in the 100 meter dash. (katelyn quotes here) 

Four boys advanced to the Section Finals, including Jay Udinsky (‘23) who placed 2nd for the 800 meter dash, Xavier Rodriguez (‘23) who placed 2nd in the 200 meter dash, and Tayshawn Taylor (‘24) who placed 7th in the 100 meter dash. In addition, Paul Madany (‘22) placed 3rd for the 800 dash. All four competed in the 4×400 meter relay together and just like the girls, achieved first place, with a time of 3:31.44. 

Katelyn spoke positively about the coaches. ““The coaches have been extremely supportive, especially Coach Yvette. One time she drove all the way down to La Jolla during Spring Break just to help me with hurdles. My first year running hurdles would’ve been nothing without her cheering for me every meet from the start to finish line.” Zayd Aslam (‘23) enjoyed how connected the track team was. He felt, “The leaders we had this year made the team so much more enjoyable and memorable. There were fun jokes, activities, and kindness present that always uplifted the group. The sense of community in the track team is unparalleled in any other sport.” The track team did exceptionally well, scoring many records, and showed no sign of slowing down