With the winter season for sports wrapping up and spring sports underway, some students are in their last seasons as a high school athlete. Swimming, basketball and wrestling all paid their respects to their senior athletes with a special game or match in their honor with a tradition across schools everywhere: senior night.
SWIM
The GH Falcon sat down with some of these athletes to discuss how they were celebrated. Meredith Whelehan (‘25) of the girls swim team discussed what it was like for them. She began by discussing how the season had gone so far, and said, “I think it’s been pretty good so far, we’ve had some good dual meets and our conference was good. The girls won overall and the guys got second.” This exemplary performance couldn’t have been done without the seniors strengthening the lineup.
Whelehan then delved into what happened on senior night, discussing how the seniors were recognized: “They had all of the seniors from all of the school line up, and we walked around the pool as they called our names out. Each school gave everyone a little memorable item. We got water bottles with our names on them.” More than just a water bottle, each of the swimmers received a way to remember all of the memories they created on the team.
In their match against conference opponents Green Level, Panther Creek, Holly Springs, Cary, Apex Friendship and Apex, Whelehan discussed how the team performed, and stated, “We did pretty good. The guys team had a few good relays that did better than expected and the girls were pretty solid too.” Clearly bolstered by the senior night celebration, the team performed exceptionally well.
WRESTLING
Wrestling had a successful season, winning some key matches. James Bradley (‘25), one of the few seniors on the wrestling team, discussed the season so far. Bradley considered some of the successes and the season as a whole, and said, “It’s been great. The team has been doing very well and we’ve got a lot of good wins over some good schools.” Bradley also discussed personal successes: “I’ve been doing very well. I’ve been beating guys that last year I would have thought I wouldn’t beat and just improving overall.” Both the team and Bradley personally have performed well and gotten much better since the season started.
Wrestling had a similar process to the swim team for their senior night celebration. While there were only three seniors on the wrestling team, they still took time to recognize each one. Bradley talked about the process and stated, “I was recognized by walking out with my parents. They announced me and my future plans and recognized my accomplishments.” This gesture to every senior, remembering what they’ve done and discussing what they will go on to do, will sit forever in the heart of all the senior wrestlers.
In a hard-fought match with Panther Creek and Apex High, the team unfortunately lost to both schools. Bradley talked about this loss, stating what he thought about the loss: “We lost against a school that we should have beat due to some injuries, but overall we did pretty good.” With some key wrestlers in the lineup out for their injuries, Green Hope was facing a hard battle and unfortunately could not come out on top, but the night is still sure to be remembered from the gestures towards the teams invaluable seniors
BASKETBALL
The basketball team has seen many successes throughout their season, many of which senior Renee McClernon spoke about how they achieved this. She stated, “The season has been amazing so far. We’ve worked really hard to foster a good culture for our program and everyone supports each other. It’s a super positive environment.” Focusing on the relationships between teammates, she attributed the team’s success to the relationships within it.
For senior night, the celebration remained similar to the other sports. McClernon discussed this process and talked about what was done for the seniors on the team: “All of our teammates and coaches lined up to form a tunnel. When we were announced, we walked through the tunnel, met our parents and had our picture taken. While each senior walked out, the announcer would talk about their plans after college and their time in the program. Afterward, we had cupcakes and cookies in the media center and it was really fun.” The time and care taken to announce each senior was a gesture that every player will remember throughout their life.
In the match following the celebration against Apex High, spirits were high and this showed during the game. McClernon talked about this decisive victory, and stated, “The score was 66-34 us. We played really well and had a lot of fun. It was an exciting game because everyone was supporting each other and we had really good team chemistry.” Clearly, the team’s close relationships allow them to play to the best of their ability, leading them to victory.
All of the seniors of winter sports teams had a great celebration in their honor, giving them something to always remember and cherish. Without the seniors, the teams would lack a key component, a glue that holds them together and allows them to achieve their victories. It is essential to commemorate the seniors and talk about their many accomplishments, and senior night is a great way to do so.
