Girl’s Rugby Clinch APAC Title for a 4-Peat
There was little doubt that the SASPX girl’s rugby team was the best team in APAC, but the question going into the conference was whether or not they would succumb to the pressure laden on their shoulders. And succumb they did not when they defeated HKIS in the finals 24-7, on the home field, to win their fourth successive APAC title, which in SAS sports jargon is called a 4-peat. Along with their victory, the team also was given the sportsmanship award that SAS rugby has not earned for many years.
The tournament, which first began in a round-robin fashion, saw the team not concede a single point against ISB (57-0), WAB (36-0), HKIS (33-0) and SASPD (28-0). In the semifinals, playing against WAB, they once again exerted their dominance by winning 55-0. The team’s co-captain Haley Young agrees that “the team played exceptionally.”
“Throughout the entire season we maintained a strong defense and offense. Our amazing team chemistry and the trust that we have in each other really carried us to the end.”
In the finals against HKIS, the girls kept their momentum, and despite the pressure given to them by both themselves and the spectators, they did not underperform. Their unfaltering offensive prowess, with the blistering speed of some of their players, carried through.
“Before the big game, we were all quite nervous yet extremely focused and determined to win,” said Young. “For the seniors, we knew that it was our last game and wanted to win… we knew that if we trusted each other and played to our strengths we would come out on top.”
It also was not just in this tournament did they not drop a match. The entire season they have remained undefeated, which is a first in girl’s rugby history.
With there being six seniors on the team, the mantle will soon be passed onto next year’s members. With their recent APAC performance, Young is confident that next year’s team will bring just as much success to the school.
“All of the first time APAC players did outstanding. They were able to handle the pressure of the tournament very well and really stepped up as players on the field.”
Leonard Lee
Boy’s Rugby Finishes Third in APAC
The SASPX boy’s rugby team made some substantial, but welcome, changes to their game this season, culminating in a third-place finish in the APAC conference last week. The team played in a round-robin against ISB (15-0), WAB (5-7), HKIS (0-49), and SASPD (33-0). In the semifinals, they suffered a heart-wrenching defeat to WAB, who scored a stoppage-time try to win the match 12-10 and robbed SASPX of a spot in the APAC finals on their home field. The team’s last match against ISB was a hard-earned 12-7 victory.
Perhaps the most significant difference in the team’s lineup this year is the lessened reliance on ‘carry’ players – or strong individual players who the team depended upon to win. Throughout the season and especially during APAC, they focused on cohesion and teamwork, which was encouraged by the nearly all-senior lineup. The team’s shift in their playing dynamic, as Luca Lee, a senior starter on the squad, believes, is what allowed them to improve on last year’s performance – they finished fourth then.
“Many of us have had the privilege of playing side-by-side for the past four years, some of us even five,” said Lee. “One important distinguishing factor of this year’s team compared to previous years compared to the previous years has been the ‘team’ portion of it. We've often relied on the brilliance of single players, but to have created a team in which every person was part of every single one of the twenty-four minute games is quite a feat.”
During their pivotal semifinals match against WAB, the boys lost by one conversion when WAB managed to score in the final thirty-seconds of the game. It was a nail-biting finish. The team’s coach, Doug Andrew, thought that the boys played “perfectly all game, but got very unlucky.” Indeed, it came down to only a handful of referee calls and conversion plays.
Despite the setbacks, the team managed to triumph over ISB in the following round to secure themselves a third-place finish, an improvement over last year’s fourth.
“The team played beautifully this APAC,” said team captain Wesley Chiu. “this year we've achieved something previous years of our rugby team have not been able to achieve and that's not relying on the individual brilliance of players.”
“Everyone in this tournament had a moment someone could be ‘ooohing’ or ‘aahhing’ about,” attests Lee, “but during the games, we'd be able to come together, trust each other, and most importantly play for each other.”
For most of the lineup, it was their last rugby tournament in which they would wear an SAS jersey. The team had to overcome numerous challenges throughout the season and made a final figurative statement at APAC, which is what ultimately made it so memorable for each of them.
Leonard Lee
Cross-Country Girls Take Home APAC Trophy, Boys Finish as Runner-Ups.
"One of the hills is so steep you have to put your hands out on front of you to crawl up it..."
When inquiring about the APAC course this year before their race, this comment, and similar variations of it, was what greeted the SAS PX Cross Country team. APAC, it seems, was going to be quite the challenge. However, the XC team fearlessly headed to Hong Kong on Wednesday, October 17th to take on the course. The event was held by HKIS, with participating schools being CISS, SASPD, Brent, SFS, AISG, and WAB.
On race day, the event kicked off at 8am with the boys racing first, followed by the girls. The course was definitely a challenge, consisting of 2 steep hills in the first 3k before flattening out for the final 2k. Despite this, co-captain Raj Rana remarked that "As a team, we physically pushed ourselves over the mountains during APAC and mentally hurdled over barriers throughout the entire season. I could not be more proud."
The tenacity of the PX XC team clearly paid off, with the girls snagging their second APAC championship in a row, while the boys placed 2nd behind Brent. Individually, the girls also dominated, with Renee Pearce placing 2nd, Evian Chai placing 4th, and Doreen Chang placing 7th. On the boy’s side, Raj Rana placed 10th. Though the race was short, it was also the culmination of a season's worth of hard work and dedication.
For co-captain Evian Chai, "although the placings were amazing, the highlight of the trip for me was our teamwork and comradery. Although the course was definitely a challenge, the unwavering support of my teammates gave me the motivation to push on up those hills,” adding that "I think this really contributed to our win, alongside our positivity." Throughout the race, the SASPX team could be found running up and down the course cheering on their teammates, creating a race to remember.
As for the future of this dynamic team, Coach Roselle remarks that "we will miss the three seniors [on the girls' team] leaving the team dearly, but will look to keep building on the success of the past couple of years. Our boys team has improved in our Thailand, China Cup and APAC races in each of the past three years and will bring back 6 of our 7 APAC runners and some strong young talent. The future looks strong for the team!" Given this, the XC team will surely bring about more exciting races in the years to come.
Evian Chai
Varsity Girl’s Volleyball Finish Second After Loss in Championship Finals
The Varsity Girls Volleyball team faced off against ISB for a 5-set championship game after bouncing back from setbacks in the round robin games. In the first day of the tournament, the team suffered losses against AISG and ISB. However, the team won every respective game after before playing in the elimination rounds. They then processed to sweep TCIS and AISG in a 3-0 wins in the quarterfinals and semifinals, before playing against ISB in the championships. After two hard fought sets with comeback opportunities, Puxi unfortunately fell short and ISB won the match after concluding the third set 25-17.
The team did not have the perfect ending, but the team only grew closer. “I am unbelievably proud of this team for fighting for every ball, and giving it their all.” Sarah Markmann commented. “I felt our team got closer and played extremely well together, even though we didn’t end up with the result we were striving for.” For Sarah Markmann, the captain of the team, the tournament was also marks the end of her high school career. “This APAC was extremely bittersweet for me, as it was my third and last APAC for volleyball.” she said. “I am sad that I will not be able to play with this team again, but am forever grateful to have played with all of them this season.”
Alice Qin
Varsity Boy’s Volleyball Finish Third in APAC
The Varsity Boys Volleyball also defeated TCIS to advance to the semifinals, but unfortunately fell short of a win against Brent. This resulted in the team facing off against ISB once again, a team that Puxi had lost to previously in the China Cup finals. However, Puxi came out with the win, finishing 3rd in the tournament.
“I know we got third, and it was disappointing for all of us, but this was the first year I felt like our team was truly a family.” Benson Chang, the captain of the team and a senior, commented. “We came together in APAC before quarterfinals and we just belted ‘hooked on a feeling’ in the gym. Everyone was staring at us, but that’s okay because it was the most memorable thing of the season.” Despite not finishing at the goal they were striving for, the results were not as important as the process. “That game we played with heart and with pride, but that game we played for each other.” Benson concluded.
Alice Qin
Girl’s and Boy’s Tennis Team Win APAC for Double-Title
The SAS tennis team delivered a truly outstanding performance at this year’s APAC tennis championships, hosted at Concordia last week. Both the girls’ and boys’ teams won the tournament. This gives the boys’ tennis team a total of 8 APAC wins, and the girls a back-to-back championship as well as the most APAC wins of any sports team in SAS history.
The team’s triumphant finish was powered by many individual accomplishments. One standout performance was that of senior Livia Zhu and freshman Emilie Guan, who finished in second place overall for girls’ doubles. The duo played one of the memorable games of the tournament when facing off against ISB, a game in which they started out trailing 7-4, but managed to win the next three matches and ultimately the tiebreaker, emerging victorious. “They really pulled it together,” says team coach Kevin Ayow. “I could see the focus and concentration in them to dig deep and pull through.” Senior Edward Chen agrees: “[Zhu and Guan’s] game displayed their great mental toughness, resilience, and aggressive net play.” Another remarkable performance from the girls’ team came from sophomore Tania Tan, who placed first for girls’ singles. According to Ayow, Tan was able to win her round robin matches “very easily”, despite facing tough competition from players from other schools.
As for the boys’ team, freshman Jensen Wong and senior Nick Tan came in first place for boys’ doubles. Ayow commends the duo for their “consistent performance…they pretty much won [every game].” On the singles’ side, Edward Chen finished in first overall for boys’ singles, ending a successful season in which he won “all of [his] singles and doubles games.” Chen was followed closely by freshman Ethan Wang, whose strong performance gave him a well-deserved second place finish. Seniors Annika Wang and Matt Song came in second for the mixed doubles tournament. According to Livia Zhu, they faced “exceptionally strong” competition in the finals for the tournament. “However, they still gave it their all and hit many amazing winners,” comments Zhu. “Even though they eventually lost, it was a really great match.”
Despite many individual accomplishments, the members of the tennis team also attribute their success to their exemplary team bond and strong sense of team spirit. “One strength that led to our win at APAC was our constant support for each other,” says Chen. Zhu agrees, remembering that “almost every match had team members watching and cheering on the sidelines.” Ayow lauds the entire team - “freshmen and seniors, boys and girls” - for going out of their way to attend each other’s’ matches, and acknowledges that this display of team pride was what led to the team receiving the APAC Sportsmanship Award. Fellow coach Nikki Wang also applauds the players for their sportsmanship and teamwork: “It is amazing to see how fast our young players grow…in understanding the spirit of this sport.”
With more than half of the team being seniors, this year’s APAC marks the end of many players’ high school tennis careers. And though the departing seniors are sad to leave the thrill of the game, they will equally miss their close bond with their teammates. From working on “the loudest team chant” before a game to “eating fried chicken and playing Spaceteam” together afterward, the team’s tight-knit relationship is strong both on and off the court. Chen sums it up: “I will definitely miss the feeling of belonging to a big family.”
Lydia Ying
Fourth-Place for Baseball in APAC
APAC Baseball was an exciting end for a dramatic season, and while it may look disappointing on the surface, the tournament actually showed the promise and hope this team has to come. SAS PX placed 4th at APAC this year, but regardless of the results, the team’s hard work and team spirit have been undeniably the strongest it has been in a while. “I feel fairly confident and optimistic to conclude that this team has done a great job over the weekend”, says 12th grade third baseman Arthur Liang, “yes, we may have lost to teams we could have not lost to, but coming this close to contend the championship shows the team’s great potential”.
The biggest example of that potential was exhibited in the thrilling crossover semifinals against HKIS at APAC. SAS was leading by 2-1 for six innings until the game ended with a 3-2 win for Hong Kong. Puxi and Hong Kong’s baseball teams have had a deeply rooted rivalry for what seems like forever, and it has been years since SAS eagles have won a game against HKIS. The competitive and close game against them at APAC this year shows the real threat of our current team. Arthur speaks on the team’s performance in the HK game here, saying that “Carter Mott had done a great job at closing the batters of HKIS, and our batters had regularly put the balls in play. The whole team was energetic throughout the game”.
The close calls and high caliber baseball at APAC can serve as a manifestation of the strides the team has made since the beginning of the season. Ted Chang, 11th grade first baseman, recounts the year, saying that “in an arguably turbulent season, we saw the team gel together and become more and more tight-knit from practice to practice, and from game to game”. From the August, the theme of growth and team cohesion have been ever-present as the boys have work tirelessly to trust each other and improve their skills at every chance. “We always meet together; have team dinner; and are always trying to bond with each other. This team is not just a team to play baseball, but also a family where we are always together”, says Arthur, citing the importance of close relations between teammates as a driving force of our success this year. And while we might have not won the APAC championship, the team has experienced numerous amazing victories, being able to “clinch multiple crucial victories, record beautiful offensive hits, robust defensive team plays, and even a (controversial) win in China Cup” says Ted.
As for next year, Arthur hopes to “be able to win at the crossover game, and beat the hell out of HKIS for the championship”, which judging by the team’s in-game performance seems more and more likely. Ted closes the season by saying that “the memories we have made this year, the bitterness we tasted in every defeat, and the joy we experienced in every victory will motivate us to do even better and challenge for the APAC Champiosnhip next year”. It has been an amazing season and we are so proud of our boys. Thank you to the Puxi Varsity Baseball team for their continued hard work and perseverance.
Eddy Xu
There was little doubt that the SASPX girl’s rugby team was the best team in APAC, but the question going into the conference was whether or not they would succumb to the pressure laden on their shoulders. And succumb they did not when they defeated HKIS in the finals 24-7, on the home field, to win their fourth successive APAC title, which in SAS sports jargon is called a 4-peat. Along with their victory, the team also was given the sportsmanship award that SAS rugby has not earned for many years.
The tournament, which first began in a round-robin fashion, saw the team not concede a single point against ISB (57-0), WAB (36-0), HKIS (33-0) and SASPD (28-0). In the semifinals, playing against WAB, they once again exerted their dominance by winning 55-0. The team’s co-captain Haley Young agrees that “the team played exceptionally.”
“Throughout the entire season we maintained a strong defense and offense. Our amazing team chemistry and the trust that we have in each other really carried us to the end.”
In the finals against HKIS, the girls kept their momentum, and despite the pressure given to them by both themselves and the spectators, they did not underperform. Their unfaltering offensive prowess, with the blistering speed of some of their players, carried through.
 |
| (photo courtesy of Athletic Council) |
“Before the big game, we were all quite nervous yet extremely focused and determined to win,” said Young. “For the seniors, we knew that it was our last game and wanted to win… we knew that if we trusted each other and played to our strengths we would come out on top.”
It also was not just in this tournament did they not drop a match. The entire season they have remained undefeated, which is a first in girl’s rugby history.
With there being six seniors on the team, the mantle will soon be passed onto next year’s members. With their recent APAC performance, Young is confident that next year’s team will bring just as much success to the school.
“All of the first time APAC players did outstanding. They were able to handle the pressure of the tournament very well and really stepped up as players on the field.”
Leonard Lee
Boy’s Rugby Finishes Third in APAC
The SASPX boy’s rugby team made some substantial, but welcome, changes to their game this season, culminating in a third-place finish in the APAC conference last week. The team played in a round-robin against ISB (15-0), WAB (5-7), HKIS (0-49), and SASPD (33-0). In the semifinals, they suffered a heart-wrenching defeat to WAB, who scored a stoppage-time try to win the match 12-10 and robbed SASPX of a spot in the APAC finals on their home field. The team’s last match against ISB was a hard-earned 12-7 victory.
Perhaps the most significant difference in the team’s lineup this year is the lessened reliance on ‘carry’ players – or strong individual players who the team depended upon to win. Throughout the season and especially during APAC, they focused on cohesion and teamwork, which was encouraged by the nearly all-senior lineup. The team’s shift in their playing dynamic, as Luca Lee, a senior starter on the squad, believes, is what allowed them to improve on last year’s performance – they finished fourth then.
“Many of us have had the privilege of playing side-by-side for the past four years, some of us even five,” said Lee. “One important distinguishing factor of this year’s team compared to previous years compared to the previous years has been the ‘team’ portion of it. We've often relied on the brilliance of single players, but to have created a team in which every person was part of every single one of the twenty-four minute games is quite a feat.”
During their pivotal semifinals match against WAB, the boys lost by one conversion when WAB managed to score in the final thirty-seconds of the game. It was a nail-biting finish. The team’s coach, Doug Andrew, thought that the boys played “perfectly all game, but got very unlucky.” Indeed, it came down to only a handful of referee calls and conversion plays.
 |
| (photo courtesy of Athletic Council) |
Despite the setbacks, the team managed to triumph over ISB in the following round to secure themselves a third-place finish, an improvement over last year’s fourth.
“The team played beautifully this APAC,” said team captain Wesley Chiu. “this year we've achieved something previous years of our rugby team have not been able to achieve and that's not relying on the individual brilliance of players.”
“Everyone in this tournament had a moment someone could be ‘ooohing’ or ‘aahhing’ about,” attests Lee, “but during the games, we'd be able to come together, trust each other, and most importantly play for each other.”
For most of the lineup, it was their last rugby tournament in which they would wear an SAS jersey. The team had to overcome numerous challenges throughout the season and made a final figurative statement at APAC, which is what ultimately made it so memorable for each of them.
Leonard Lee
Cross-Country Girls Take Home APAC Trophy, Boys Finish as Runner-Ups.
"One of the hills is so steep you have to put your hands out on front of you to crawl up it..."
When inquiring about the APAC course this year before their race, this comment, and similar variations of it, was what greeted the SAS PX Cross Country team. APAC, it seems, was going to be quite the challenge. However, the XC team fearlessly headed to Hong Kong on Wednesday, October 17th to take on the course. The event was held by HKIS, with participating schools being CISS, SASPD, Brent, SFS, AISG, and WAB.
On race day, the event kicked off at 8am with the boys racing first, followed by the girls. The course was definitely a challenge, consisting of 2 steep hills in the first 3k before flattening out for the final 2k. Despite this, co-captain Raj Rana remarked that "As a team, we physically pushed ourselves over the mountains during APAC and mentally hurdled over barriers throughout the entire season. I could not be more proud."
The tenacity of the PX XC team clearly paid off, with the girls snagging their second APAC championship in a row, while the boys placed 2nd behind Brent. Individually, the girls also dominated, with Renee Pearce placing 2nd, Evian Chai placing 4th, and Doreen Chang placing 7th. On the boy’s side, Raj Rana placed 10th. Though the race was short, it was also the culmination of a season's worth of hard work and dedication.
 |
| (photo courtesy of Athletic Council) |
For co-captain Evian Chai, "although the placings were amazing, the highlight of the trip for me was our teamwork and comradery. Although the course was definitely a challenge, the unwavering support of my teammates gave me the motivation to push on up those hills,” adding that "I think this really contributed to our win, alongside our positivity." Throughout the race, the SASPX team could be found running up and down the course cheering on their teammates, creating a race to remember.
As for the future of this dynamic team, Coach Roselle remarks that "we will miss the three seniors [on the girls' team] leaving the team dearly, but will look to keep building on the success of the past couple of years. Our boys team has improved in our Thailand, China Cup and APAC races in each of the past three years and will bring back 6 of our 7 APAC runners and some strong young talent. The future looks strong for the team!" Given this, the XC team will surely bring about more exciting races in the years to come.
Evian Chai
Varsity Girl’s Volleyball Finish Second After Loss in Championship Finals
The Varsity Girls Volleyball team faced off against ISB for a 5-set championship game after bouncing back from setbacks in the round robin games. In the first day of the tournament, the team suffered losses against AISG and ISB. However, the team won every respective game after before playing in the elimination rounds. They then processed to sweep TCIS and AISG in a 3-0 wins in the quarterfinals and semifinals, before playing against ISB in the championships. After two hard fought sets with comeback opportunities, Puxi unfortunately fell short and ISB won the match after concluding the third set 25-17.
The team did not have the perfect ending, but the team only grew closer. “I am unbelievably proud of this team for fighting for every ball, and giving it their all.” Sarah Markmann commented. “I felt our team got closer and played extremely well together, even though we didn’t end up with the result we were striving for.” For Sarah Markmann, the captain of the team, the tournament was also marks the end of her high school career. “This APAC was extremely bittersweet for me, as it was my third and last APAC for volleyball.” she said. “I am sad that I will not be able to play with this team again, but am forever grateful to have played with all of them this season.”
Alice Qin
Varsity Boy’s Volleyball Finish Third in APAC
The Varsity Boys Volleyball also defeated TCIS to advance to the semifinals, but unfortunately fell short of a win against Brent. This resulted in the team facing off against ISB once again, a team that Puxi had lost to previously in the China Cup finals. However, Puxi came out with the win, finishing 3rd in the tournament.
 |
| (photo courtesy of Athletic Council) |
“I know we got third, and it was disappointing for all of us, but this was the first year I felt like our team was truly a family.” Benson Chang, the captain of the team and a senior, commented. “We came together in APAC before quarterfinals and we just belted ‘hooked on a feeling’ in the gym. Everyone was staring at us, but that’s okay because it was the most memorable thing of the season.” Despite not finishing at the goal they were striving for, the results were not as important as the process. “That game we played with heart and with pride, but that game we played for each other.” Benson concluded.
Alice Qin
Girl’s and Boy’s Tennis Team Win APAC for Double-Title
The SAS tennis team delivered a truly outstanding performance at this year’s APAC tennis championships, hosted at Concordia last week. Both the girls’ and boys’ teams won the tournament. This gives the boys’ tennis team a total of 8 APAC wins, and the girls a back-to-back championship as well as the most APAC wins of any sports team in SAS history.
The team’s triumphant finish was powered by many individual accomplishments. One standout performance was that of senior Livia Zhu and freshman Emilie Guan, who finished in second place overall for girls’ doubles. The duo played one of the memorable games of the tournament when facing off against ISB, a game in which they started out trailing 7-4, but managed to win the next three matches and ultimately the tiebreaker, emerging victorious. “They really pulled it together,” says team coach Kevin Ayow. “I could see the focus and concentration in them to dig deep and pull through.” Senior Edward Chen agrees: “[Zhu and Guan’s] game displayed their great mental toughness, resilience, and aggressive net play.” Another remarkable performance from the girls’ team came from sophomore Tania Tan, who placed first for girls’ singles. According to Ayow, Tan was able to win her round robin matches “very easily”, despite facing tough competition from players from other schools.
As for the boys’ team, freshman Jensen Wong and senior Nick Tan came in first place for boys’ doubles. Ayow commends the duo for their “consistent performance…they pretty much won [every game].” On the singles’ side, Edward Chen finished in first overall for boys’ singles, ending a successful season in which he won “all of [his] singles and doubles games.” Chen was followed closely by freshman Ethan Wang, whose strong performance gave him a well-deserved second place finish. Seniors Annika Wang and Matt Song came in second for the mixed doubles tournament. According to Livia Zhu, they faced “exceptionally strong” competition in the finals for the tournament. “However, they still gave it their all and hit many amazing winners,” comments Zhu. “Even though they eventually lost, it was a really great match.”
 |
| (photo courtesy of Athletic Council) |
Despite many individual accomplishments, the members of the tennis team also attribute their success to their exemplary team bond and strong sense of team spirit. “One strength that led to our win at APAC was our constant support for each other,” says Chen. Zhu agrees, remembering that “almost every match had team members watching and cheering on the sidelines.” Ayow lauds the entire team - “freshmen and seniors, boys and girls” - for going out of their way to attend each other’s’ matches, and acknowledges that this display of team pride was what led to the team receiving the APAC Sportsmanship Award. Fellow coach Nikki Wang also applauds the players for their sportsmanship and teamwork: “It is amazing to see how fast our young players grow…in understanding the spirit of this sport.”
With more than half of the team being seniors, this year’s APAC marks the end of many players’ high school tennis careers. And though the departing seniors are sad to leave the thrill of the game, they will equally miss their close bond with their teammates. From working on “the loudest team chant” before a game to “eating fried chicken and playing Spaceteam” together afterward, the team’s tight-knit relationship is strong both on and off the court. Chen sums it up: “I will definitely miss the feeling of belonging to a big family.”
Lydia Ying
Fourth-Place for Baseball in APAC
APAC Baseball was an exciting end for a dramatic season, and while it may look disappointing on the surface, the tournament actually showed the promise and hope this team has to come. SAS PX placed 4th at APAC this year, but regardless of the results, the team’s hard work and team spirit have been undeniably the strongest it has been in a while. “I feel fairly confident and optimistic to conclude that this team has done a great job over the weekend”, says 12th grade third baseman Arthur Liang, “yes, we may have lost to teams we could have not lost to, but coming this close to contend the championship shows the team’s great potential”.
The biggest example of that potential was exhibited in the thrilling crossover semifinals against HKIS at APAC. SAS was leading by 2-1 for six innings until the game ended with a 3-2 win for Hong Kong. Puxi and Hong Kong’s baseball teams have had a deeply rooted rivalry for what seems like forever, and it has been years since SAS eagles have won a game against HKIS. The competitive and close game against them at APAC this year shows the real threat of our current team. Arthur speaks on the team’s performance in the HK game here, saying that “Carter Mott had done a great job at closing the batters of HKIS, and our batters had regularly put the balls in play. The whole team was energetic throughout the game”.
 |
| (photo courtesy of Athletic Council) |
The close calls and high caliber baseball at APAC can serve as a manifestation of the strides the team has made since the beginning of the season. Ted Chang, 11th grade first baseman, recounts the year, saying that “in an arguably turbulent season, we saw the team gel together and become more and more tight-knit from practice to practice, and from game to game”. From the August, the theme of growth and team cohesion have been ever-present as the boys have work tirelessly to trust each other and improve their skills at every chance. “We always meet together; have team dinner; and are always trying to bond with each other. This team is not just a team to play baseball, but also a family where we are always together”, says Arthur, citing the importance of close relations between teammates as a driving force of our success this year. And while we might have not won the APAC championship, the team has experienced numerous amazing victories, being able to “clinch multiple crucial victories, record beautiful offensive hits, robust defensive team plays, and even a (controversial) win in China Cup” says Ted.
As for next year, Arthur hopes to “be able to win at the crossover game, and beat the hell out of HKIS for the championship”, which judging by the team’s in-game performance seems more and more likely. Ted closes the season by saying that “the memories we have made this year, the bitterness we tasted in every defeat, and the joy we experienced in every victory will motivate us to do even better and challenge for the APAC Champiosnhip next year”. It has been an amazing season and we are so proud of our boys. Thank you to the Puxi Varsity Baseball team for their continued hard work and perseverance.
Eddy Xu
