![Walking through the tunnel created by the cheerleaders and Celebrities, senior Frances Tran smiles as the soccer team is sent off during DEN for their playoff game against Rouse tonight. Tran said the wins against Smithson Valley and Alamo Heights gave the team a morale boost to take on the Raiders tonight. “I know we were not 100% confident in those games,” Tran said. “But, Rouse is a big opponent for sure. We’re definitely going into tonight with a lot of morale [because of the previous wins].”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/frances-tran.jpg)
![Holding a bucket of materials in one hand and a roll of tape in another, anatomy and biology teacher Tyler Terry prepares for a lab. Terry said his proudest moments are when his students are happy to see him. “When I take my wife to a football game or something and a bunch of students want to say hi to me or they like to smile and wave and it just makes me feel good that the students are really kind and supportive of me,” Terry said. “[I’m also] proud when I see students perform really well in their extracurriculars because I can see how hard they’re working in my classes, [so] when I see that they’re also working so hard in other things. Like they’re winning band competitions or they’re getting awards for their theater productions, or I see them put on their choir shows, that’s like, wow, you guys are incredible.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Rags-6.png)
![Catching a ball, junior Alivia Robinson plays at the Cedar Park vs Glenn game. Having played since she was 5 years old, she is dedicated to softball and has committed to UTPB for softball. “When I got my offer it took me a very long time to decide where,” Robinson said. “Softball has always been my dream for college, and UTPB is my fit. When [I committed] I knew I was going to be loved and supported.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Lilly-Adams-3.13aliviaedit-901.jpg)
Wrestlers Earn Top Spots in Capital Classic
Team Discusses Preparation, Upcoming Season
Freshman wrestler JJ Lovell gets ready to take on an opponent during the Capital Classic Tournament on Nov. 22-23. This was the third tournament of the season for the wrestling team, with five members earning top ranks, and senior captain Cassie King named Capital Classic Varsity Girls 110lb Champion. “After I won, getting my hand raised was one of the best feelings because winning a tournament against 25 other girls just shows finally how much work I’ve been putting into this sport by dieting well, training hard and constantly staying disciplined,” King said. “I ran and gave my coach a hug [after the match] because without him I wouldn’t have gotten this far.”
November 26, 2019
On Nov. 22-23, the wrestling team successfully competed in the third tournament of the season. In the end, five team members placed in the top five of their weight classes, with senior wrestling captain Cassie King named Capital Classic Varsity Girls 110lb Champion.
“After I won, getting my hand raised was one of the best feelings because winning a tournament against 25 other girls just shows finally how much work I’ve been putting into this sport by dieting well, training hard and constantly staying disciplined,” King said. “I ran and gave my coach a hug [after the match] because without him I wouldn’t have gotten this far. My wrestling partners, Aidan Burke and Justin Garza, are also the reason I got that far because training with them daily pushed me to get better.”
As a senior, King said that she is looking forward to her final year in wrestling, as well as upcoming tournaments and competitions.
“[I’m excited for] just all the competitions we’re all about to have,” King said. “This team is so driven and I know that we can be top five in the state this year. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing how everyone does at our next competitions like the Central Texas and the Hill Country tournament. I also am really looking forward to just leading and serving this team one last year.”
Last year, the wrestling team went to state, where then-senior Jacob Muñoz earned the state title for his weight class. This year, members are off to a quick start with hopes of winning against competing schools.
“[I’m looking forward to] Vandy because they have always been a school rival of ours,” senior Varsity wrestler Justin Garza said. “Last year they beat us on our home turf, but this year I think we can turn it around as a team and take the dub over them.” ”
Along with going against Vandegrift, Garza said that he is anticipating returning to state this year
“Personally I’m really looking forward to districts, region and state, because that is [what] matters the most in the season and I’m really excited to be able to put myself out there and make a run at placing high up at the state tournament,” Garza said.
Varsity wrestling member junior Izzy Castillo ranked fourth in her class in the last tournament. This year, she said that she is looking forward to going to state and is preparing the best she can during morning and after school practices.
“My goal is to wrestle my hardest every match,” Castillo said. “I want to improve by seeing the change in how I wrestle everyday at practice.”
With this being the third tournament the team has participated in this year, Garza said that they are off to a great start to the season.
“I feel that we are looking good for the start of the year,” Garza said. “We still have some things to work on before the post season approaches but overall I’m proud of how well everyone is performing thus far.”
![Holding her dog, Nova, senior Ariana Balakrishnan poses for her senior pictures while Nova wears a bandana with her college decision. Balakrishnan applied to 18 colleges in total, but she decided on Columbia in the end. “Right before I clicked the button to open Columbia’s letter, I literally looked at the camera and go ‘This is just gonna really suck because I wanted it so bad,’ and I clicked it and all of a sudden you hear trumpets,” Balakrishnan said. “There’s a video that plays when you open it and I actually didn’t watch the video, I just watched the screen go black, because every day of December before ED [Early Decision] I would go on YouTube and watch the acceptance video to manifest it, so immediately when the screen went black, I started screaming and jumping up and down. And my parents in the video are like ‘What are you doing, where’s the letter,’ and I was just screaming ‘I got in, I got in.” I just started crying, and it just felt like everything in the world came together.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/ariana-2-300x217.jpg)
![Catching a ball, junior Alivia Robinson plays at the Cedar Park vs Glenn game. Having played since she was 5 years old, she is dedicated to softball and has committed to UTPB for softball. “When I got my offer it took me a very long time to decide where,” Robinson said. “Softball has always been my dream for college, and UTPB is my fit. When [I committed] I knew I was going to be loved and supported.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Lilly-Adams-3.13aliviaedit-901-600x400.jpg)
