The fall 2023 sports season has been filled with impressive moments as our spiking, running, and swimming Wolves smash records and turn the heads of our competition.
A Championship Season for Varsity Volleyball
After a dominating regular season, our upper school girls varsity volleyball team earned the title of Coastal League Champions, easily qualifying for the CIF playoffs, and putting the team among the ranks of California’s best. After an unprecedented, undefeated season (15-0), the girls advanced to the final round and concluded the CIF Tournament as runners up after a hard-fought match against the California Academy of Math and Science.
Given their incredible record, the team now advances to the state playoffs, competing against teams from throughout the region.
“While this team is full of hard-working athletes who have put in the effort to reap the rewards, what is even more impressive is the heart and care they have for one another and the positive team culture they’ve created,” said Athletics Director Billy DuMone. “It’s a special group and they deserve what they have earned.”
Our girls junior varsity team has had similar success, wrapping up their regular season with a record of 9-1. At the Venice Invitational Tournament, the team won the silver division, beating larger schools such as Malibu, Beverly Hills, and Kennedy High School on the way to the championship. They also recently won their matches against Milken, New Roads, and Tree Academy.
On the boys’ side, our upper school beach volleyball* team wrapped up its season with a strong showing at the JV Tournament of Champions and Varsity Pairs Championships, which hosted some of the best teams in the country. A special highlight to culminate the season was the pair of Jonah S. ‘25 and Marley Z. ‘25 as they stayed focused and upset a talented Palisades Charter High School team.
“It’s been a great season of growth and progress for these sand dwellers,” said Reo Sorrentino, assistant athletics director.
Our middle school volleyball spikers have also been making their mark. With three middle school teams and 35 girls playing, this program is thriving. The teams are in mid-season at the moment with just a few contests each under their belts. The focus remains on progress over perfection as these young athletes continue to learn the nuances (and rotations) of higher level volleyball.
Outrunning the Competition
Our upper school cross-country team continues to improve as they focus on having their peak performances towards the end of the season come league finals. During last week’s regular season meet, the boys team came in second place overall, with five of our runners (Theo U-N. ‘25, Max W. ‘24, Noah K. ‘25, Diego W. ‘24, and Devin J. ‘27) finishing in the top 20. This is an awesome accomplishment as they continue to work hard and support one another. With their eye on qualifying for CIF, these runners are putting in the miles.
Of special note is Theo U-N. ‘25, who has already broken several school records and is currently ranked 12th in the state in our division. He heads to New York this weekend to compete in the Manhattan College XC Invitational, one of the biggest XC races on the east coast.
Our middle school “Running Wolves” are also off to a great start, with dominating performances on both the girls and boys teams. In back-to-back meets, both teams have won the races, and done so impressively. The girls team had six runners finish in the top 14, (Imogen H. ‘28, Raji M. ‘30, Marek M. ‘29, Savannah H. ‘28, Caroline H. ‘29, and Sunday P. ‘30) earning a 30-point victory. Meanwhile, the boys team had six runners finish in the top 18 (Lucian S. ‘28, Tomas N. ‘29, Matthew D. ‘28, Tyler M. ‘28, Henry S. ‘29, and Will H. ‘29) earning Wildwood a 1-point victory.
Middle School Swimmers Make a Splash
Our younger “Water Wolves” have had a great season thus far, with an amazing showing at the Sept. 28 meet at Crossroads, with 13 heat winners, two individual event winners, and one relay event winner. Notable performances include Olivia C-W. ‘28 for winning the 25 Back and setting a new Wildwood record, Ethan M. ‘29 for winning the 25 Fly, and the team of Olivia, Beatrix F. ‘29, Vera W. ‘29, and Yoona N. ‘28 for winning the 100 Free Relay. Coach Rada has expressed her appreciation for this group’s resilience and can-do attitude. With league finals at the end of this month, this team is primed to leave the competition in their wake.
Looking Ahead
There’s more action to look forward to as middle school playoffs and upper school CIF volleyball playoffs begin in late October, and upper school cross-country preliminary playoffs begin in November. As the winter looms, be on the lookout for reports on our soccer and basketball teams and they take to the fields and courts.
Make no mistake—Wildwood Wolves are on the prowl!
*Beach volleyball pictures by student photographers Ryann Y. '24 and Chance H. '25
- Fall 2023