It is finally time for spring sports! Although the weather has not felt much like spring, athletes still have practice nonstop for this upcoming season. The sports for the spring season include, Track, Tennis, Softball and Baseball. Just like last year, many of the sports want to make history and set records for Lodi High School. Either way all the spring athletes will make Lodi proud with their hard work and dedication towards their sport. To get a little more personal with these sports, The Lodi Rampage asked some of the players questions about this upcoming season! To find out their answers please continue to read below.

 Track:

(Rampager, Michelle Wilson Interviewed senior thrower and captain, Donna Gibson.)

Q: What are your expectations for this season?

A: “My expectations this season are for many records and personal records to be broken.”

Q: How does losing last year’s seniors affect this upcoming season?

A: ”Losing last years seniors will affect me tremendously because I lost 2/3 of my relay team. Now it’s going to be difficult finding people who will take their positions and meet certain expectations.”

Q: How are you, as a senior captain, going to keep your motivation throughout the season?

A: “I am going to keep my motivation this year by focusing primarily on discus. Beating the LHS school record pushes me every day in practice.”

Q: Any new players that might have a big impact this season?

A: “I have seen a lot of good things so far. Adelina Osmani and Kashmala Arif have shown a lot of potential.“

Tennis: (Rampager, Mikela Lickollari interviewed senior tennis player, Michael Peters)

Q: What are your expectations for this year? 

A: “We’ve lost a lot of good players but so have the other schools, so getting a couple of wins isn’t a stretch.”

Q: Which player do you believe has improved most since last year? 

A: “Nirav has always had the power, and now that he’s improving the consistency of his shots he will make a tough opponent.”

Q: “Who is your biggest rival?

A: “Every school is our rival as there aren’t many schools we consistently beat.”

Q: What is the goal for this upcoming season?

A: “I’m hoping a lot of the new players learn and improve a lot so that next year there is less to worry about. And for the old players to get well earned wins.”

Q: How do you feel about this being your last year of tennis?

A: “It’s sad to have to say goodbye to the team, but I still had a lot of fun and I don’t think I will stop playing tennis after the year is over.”

Q: What does tennis and being a member of this team mean to you? 

A: “Tennis is an game of endurance with only you and your opponent. A single game can last forever, which is physically and mentally exhausting. The team cheers you on to keep you going which helps a lot. The team to me, is support and motivation. We all want to get better and push through.”

Softball:

(Rampager, Mikela Lickollari interviewed senior captian, Emma Bernardo)

Q: What is your goal for this season?

A: “The goal for this season is to develop the underclassmen into strong varsity players. We also need to learn to work together as a team, as well as keep things positive throughout the season –win or lose.”

Q: How will losing last year’s seniors affect this upcoming season?

A: “We have enormous shoes to fill with the loss of five starting seniors from last year. It will be a rebuilding year for our team but we are all up for the challenge.”

Q: What is your favorite thing about your team?

A: “My favorite things about my team is how they constantly put a smile on my face. With all the jokes, laughs, and insiders, they constantly know how to brighten up my day. I wouldn’t trade them for the world!”

Q: How do you feel with this being your last year?

A: “I have made great friends and memories playing softball and as much as I am going to miss playing and miss the girls and coaches, I look forward to starting a new chapter in my life.”

Q: What does softball mean to you?

A: “Softball has been a huge part of my life. It taught me how to be a team player, how to work hard, and allowed me to develop leadership skills, as well as make great friends and memories.”

Baseball:

(Rampager, Michelle Wilson interviewed senior captain, Elian Guzman)

Q: What are your expectations for this season?

A: “My expectations for the upcoming season, is to finish with a winning record and also to win the league.”

Q: How does losing last year’s seniors affect this upcoming season?

A:“In my opinion it is tough losing 11 seniors. We lost a lot of depth but I have a good feeling about this season.”

Q: How are you, as a senior captain, going to keep your motivation throughout the season?

A: “Just by reminding the team about the goals we have set and just having fun as we play.”

Q: Are there any new players who might have a big impact this season?

A:“One of the players that I have in mind is Daniel Adams. He provides speed and solid defense for use and we can use for an advantage.”

Every athlete is excited for the start of the spring season.  The first games for many of these sports will start the first week of April, so be sure to check back at the Rampage for updates!