The winter season has wrapped up at Wayland High School, and it was quite a success. Of the 16 teams and nine different sports played this season, several of the squads won league, sectional and state titles. While the winter season has just wound down and the spring season is fast approaching, let’s take a look back at how WHS winter teams fared this season.

Nordic Skiing
Head Coach:
Chris Li

Team Captains:

Boys: seniors Matt Karle and Matt Cerrato
Girls: junior McKenna Kelemanik

Regular Season Record:
Boys: 24-6 second in the league (seven teams)
Girls: 15-15, fifth in the league (seven teams)

Postseason:

• Boys placed third out of 17 teams at the MIAA State meet.
• Girls placed sixth out of 16 teams at the MIAA State meet.
• Sophomores Billy Caddoo, Keenan Schilp, and Jules Apse represented MA U16 state team in the U16 Championships in Bethel, Maine.
• Senior Devin Wong, sophomore Tali Wong, Kelemanik and Karle were named to the MA State HS Team and represented the state of MA in the Eastern HS Championships in Kent, Maine.
• Devin Wong placed second overall at the MIAA State meet. He subsequently placed second in New England at the Eastern HS Championships.
• Senior Drew Macklin placed 13th and Karle placed 20th at the MIAA State meet.
• Tali Wong placed fifth overall at the MIAA State meet.
• Kelemanik 17th overall at the MIAA State meet.

Coach’s Favorite Moment of the Season:
“[My favorite moment was] having the athletes realize that if they put in the time to train, then they will get better and faster,” Li said. “While this is a team sport, it is also an individual sport. So when they train harder to improve themselves to be better, it also makes the team that much better. The girls team that raced at states are all underclassmen. Half of them are new to the sport, and for them to finish sixth out of 16 teams is impressive.”

Boys Ice Hockey
Head Coach:
Rian Murray

Team Captains:
Seniors Jack Crowley and Ryan Nolan, junior Aiden Chitkara

Regular Season Record:
9-8-3, fourth in the league (six teams)

Postseason:
Lost 1-4 in the first round to No. 12 Watertown (Wayland was the No. 5 seed)

Coach’s Favorite Moment of the Season:
“[My favorite moment was the] North Attleboro win. [We] played a competitive, well-coached [Division] II team on their Senior Night who we hadn’t beaten in four years, and we got the win,” Murray said.

Girls Ice Hockey
Head Coach:
Wink van Ogtrop

Team Captains:
Senior Olivia Tacelli (Wayland), Michelle Ewanouski (Weston), Jackie Goode (Weston), Nellie Wisnia (Weston)

Regular Season:
5-13-1, last in the league (seven teams)

Postseason:
Did not qualify for the postseason

Alpine Skiing
Head Coach:
George Conlin

Team Captains:
Seniors Alex Janoff and Andrew Mitty

Regular Season Record:
Boys: Fourth in Omega League
Girls: Won the Omega League

Postseason:
Four skiers qualified for states: seniors Corinne Neumeyer and Alex Janoff, juniors Sophia Goldstein, Paul Gleason

Coach’s Favorite Moment of the Season:
“[My favorite moment was the] girls winning the Omega league,” Conlin said. “[The Omega League] is comprised of Weston, Lunenburg, Concord-Carlisle, Winchester, Lincoln-Sudbury, Bedford, Nashoba and Wayland.”

Boys Basketball
Head Coach:
Dennis Doherty

Captains:
Senior Xander Livingston, juniors Jaden Brewington, Jack Melvin

Regular Season:
13-7

Postseason:

• No. 5 seed in Division II central
• Beat the #4 seed Hopkinton 81-68 in the sectional quarterfinals
• Lost in the sectional semifinals to Westboro (No. 1 seed) 49-48

Coach’s Favorite Moment of the Season:
“[My favorite moment was the] triple-overtime win at Waltham High [School] on 96-94,” Doherty said.

Girls Basketball
Head Coach:
Amanda Rukstalis

Captains:
Senior Kate Balicki, junior Emma Kiernan

Regular Season:
11-9

Postseason:
Lost in the first round to Medfield, 41-54

Coach’s Favorite Moment of the Season:
“[My favorite moment was] beating Weston on our Senior Night and our Coaches vs. Cancer night. It was memorable because we lost to Weston earlier in the season by one [point] and also because we raised $4,717 for the American Cancer Society, surpass[ing] our goal of $3,500,” Rukstalis said.

Wrestling
Head Coach:
Sean Chase

Captains:
Seniors Brooks Jones, Erik Sweeney, Michael German

Regular Season:
23-7-1, 2nd in the DCL

Postseason:

• Finished 18th overall in the state (per rankings)
• Division III dual meet state champion
• Finished third at sectionals, fourth in the state
• Five placed in Division III states
• Placed 18th at All-States

Coach’s Favorite Moment of the Season:
“[My favorite moment was] winning the Division III dual meet title,” Chase said.

Swim & Dive
Head Coach:
Mike Foley

Captains:
Boys: seniors Andy Brogan, Edmond Giang, Matt Grieco, Anthony Huynh, Alex Kwan, Eric McGonagle, Daniel Nee, Nick Smith and Henry Stafford
Girls: seniors Eva Alshannikova, Amanda Armstrong, Emma Dilanni, Rose Kiefer, Nicole Magnusson-Murray, Julia Nuss and Abby Obar

Regular Season:
Boys:
18-0; won Max Reed Invitational

Girls:
14-1; second at Max Reed Invitational

Postseason:
Boys:

• DCL champions
• North Sectional Champions
• Division II State Champions

Girls:

• Placed second in the DCL
• Placed second at North Sectionals
• Division II State Champions

Coach’s Favorite Moment of the Season:

“There were too many great moments this season to pick just one,” assistant coach Ben Downs said. “I really enjoyed the times where the athletes were happy with their performances. For example, sophomore Joni Thomas in the 500 at Bay View, the girls team in a circle holding hands waiting for the state meet results and the cheers when it was announced that the girls won by 5.5 points, sophomore Calvin Neprud breaking five minutes at states in the 500 free, the freshman relay records and sophomore Nathan Cherubim closing out his season with a great 500 free.”

Indoor Track
Head Coach:
Michael Kelley

Postseason:
Boys:

• 4×2 relay went to All-States (senior Jack Karbowski, juniors John Silberman and Sidney Toga, sophomore Raseed Parham)
• Placed third at DCL’s in the 4×2
• Karbowski placed third in the long jump at states

Girls:

• 4×2 placed eighth at DCL’s (seniors Anika Das, Ally Goldin, juniors Kayla Poulsen, Molly O’Driscoll)
• 4×2 Relay placed third at States

Favorite Moment of the Season:
“[My favorite moment was the] 4×2 relay during states,” Parham said.