Credit: Sasha Libenzon and Bowen Morrison

WSPN shares information about every 2023-2024 winter sport, the captains and the key players to watch.

Cold weather has arrived in Wayland, signifying the start to a new season of winter sports. Below is some information about each sport, the captains and key players to watch as identified by players and coaches.

Boys swim and dive:

As the most decorated team in Wayland history with four consecutive state victories from 2017 to 2020, the boys swim and dive team returns as the runner-ups in the 2023 MIAA Division II swim and dive championship. With a record of 15 wins and two losses in the 2022-2023 season, the team will try to continue a positive trend going into its first meet of the season against Holliston on Thursday, Dec. 7.

“I’m looking forward to the meets,” junior swim team member Brady Foley said. “Those are probably the most exciting to attend and watch. Right now the boys team is looking really good. We might have a chance at winning states.”

Captains: Group senior leadership.
Key players to watch: Senior Zach Rainville, senior Finn Suratt, junior Cole Snyder and sophomore Alex Lu.

Girls swim and dive:

After being crowned the 2023 Dual County League (DCL) champions and going undefeated in the 2022-2023 season, the girls swim and dive team hopes to keep the positive momentum. The team is trying to secure a win at its first meet of the season against Holliston on Thursday, Dec. 7. With preseason training underway, some of the athletes believe they are going into the season well prepared.

“Preseason helps us slowly get our body and mind in shape for swimming,” sophomore swim team member Sona Abrahamyan said. “It gives us a preview of how the high school season is going to go. It’s really helpful.”

Captains: Group senior leadership.
Key players to watch: Senior Adah Shulman, senior Mia Mee, junior Arpi Abrahamian and sophomore Cara Hill.

Boys basketball:

After a tough 2022 – 2023 season, the boys varsity basketball team is going into a new year with the hope of making a comeback. With 13 games currently scheduled, the team will have its first game on Monday, Dec. 18 at 6 p.m. against Diman Regional Vocational Tech High School in the WHS Field House.

“We are super excited for the season,” senior basketball player Joey Burke said. “We all have high hopes.”

Captains: TBD.
Players to watch: senior Grant Larsen, junior Ridley Keegan and junior Ido Geffen.

Girls basketball:

Without a few key players, including three Class of 2023 alumni and current Worcester Academy sophomore Ella Getz, the girls basketball team will need to rebuild its starting lineup going into the 2023 season. Last year, the team made it to the round of 16 in the MIAA Division II Girls Basketball tournament where it lost to Newburyport, with a final score of 51-42. The team will face Framingham on Friday, Dec. 8 at home for its first game of the season.

“I’m really excited,” captain senior Lilly O’Driscoll said. “We’ve already started doing some preseason practices.”

Captains: seniors Jenny Shine, Ava Renneker and O’Driscoll.
Players to watch: Junior Annie McQuilkin, senior Annika Martins, along with Shine and Renneker.

Nordic ski team:

After the boys and girls nordic ski teams placed second and third, respectively, in the Mass Bay West league last season, the team looks to continue its success with many of its top skiers returning for the 2023 campaign. Until it snows, the team will be having roller skiing, cardio and strength training practices at WHS. Once the first snow of the season arrives, the team will move to having its usual practices at the Leo J. Martin Ski Track in Weston. The first league race of the season is on Tuesday, Jan. 2.

“I think the team will be pretty good,” captain senior Jake Newton said. “We have a lot of upperclassmen and some pretty talented underclassmen that I think will make the team strong this year. It might be a smaller team this year, but we’ll still be strong.”

Captains: Group senior leadership.
Players to watch: senior Daniel Narvaez, senior Liam Wong, senior Amy McCormack, junior Adrian Narvaez and junior Naomi Rice.

Alpine ski team:

Coming off of a successful season in which the girls team placed first in the Mass Bay West Alpha league, the Alpine ski team looks to rebuild after graduating many of its top skiers. The girls team’s first skier, captain junior Finley Knapp will return after placing tenth in the state in the giant slalom race. Furthermore, the boys team finished fifth in the league last year. While last year the team skied at Wachusett Mountain, the team is switching venues this season and will be skiing at Nashoba Valley instead. The team will have league meets every Tuesday.

“I am hoping to improve from last season,” junior team member Ella Duffy said. “We have a lot of new members added to the team, and I think we will do pretty well all together.”

Captains: Senior Ford Catlin, junior Cate Ellenbogen, junior Ella Moscoffian and Knapp.
Players to watch: Sophomore Penelope Jacques, Knapp, Moscoffian and Catlin.

Boys Hockey:

After merging with Watertown High School last year, the boys varsity hockey team made a solid run in the MIAA Division III tournament. The team got knocked out of playoffs after its loss to Scituate with a final score of 4-2 in the final four rounds. Since many of the Wayland players on the team were underclassmen last season, there are a lot of returning players. The team will face Lexington for its first game of the season on Wednesday, Dec. 13 at the John A. Ryan Arena.

“I’m really excited for this season,” captain senior Jack Ali said. “Although we lost a lot of seniors from last year, this year’s group has great chemistry.”

Captains: Watertown High School students Mauricio Souza, James Erickson and Alec Banosian, along with Ali.
Players to watch: Junior Shane Desmond, junior Jack Gavron and Ali.

Girls Hockey:

The girls varsity hockey team is a co-team with Weston. The team practices at the Rivers School MacDowell Arena. The team’s first game is on Monday, Dec. 11 at home against Brookline at 8 p.m.

“We have a promising team this year with some great players returning from last year’s team,” junior Tilly Myles said. “It will be a fun season.”

Captains: TBD.
Players to watch: Myles.

Indoor track:

Led by coaches Allison LaClaire and Shelly Fraser, the indoor track team sent multiple athletes to the 2022-2023 MIAA Indoor Track Meet of Champions and plans on sending more this season. The team will continue having its DCL meets at the TRACK at new balance in Boston.

“My hopes are that we get a few wins this season, and we can really improve off of last year,” senior runner Giovanni Sebastianelli said.

Captains: TBD
Players to watch: Senior Julia DeGrenier, junior Caitlin Heus-Smith, junior Katie White and sophomore Mackenzie Morris.

Wrestling:

In 2023, the varsity wrestling team finished third in the MIAA Division III Central Sectional Championship. With many of the team’s top wrestlers returning for another season, the program will attempt to make another run for the DCL small title, which it claimed last season. The team’s first meet is on Wednesday, Dec. 13 at 6 p.m. against North Attleboro High School at home in the WHS dome.

“I think we are going to do really well this season,” captain junior Paul Lang said. “We have a lot of new bodies in the room and we hope to have a winning record.”

Captains: junior Michael Keenan, junior Cole Chase and Lang.
Players to watch: Junior Nathan Tobe, junior Jaden Kaufman, Chase and Lang.