Beachwood's boys and girls of spring are ready to compete in the new 2011 season. Now all they have to do is get some cooperation from Mother Nature, not always an easy task in Northeast Ohio.
Baseball
Weather will not be a concern for the baseball team this week as the Bison are practicing and playing in Myrtle Beach, SC . "It was about 17 degrees when our bus left on Saturday morning," said Beachwood head coach Ben Singer. "We're looking forward to warmer weather."
Beachwood has high hopes of improving on last year's 14-9 record and 6-6 mark in CVC Metro Division action. "We have our top four pitchers back from last season and our hitters have looked good in scrimmages," said Singer, in his third year as head coach. "I think we have a good shot to win our conference."
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Senior pitcher-outfielders Josh Schwarz, Andrew Somogyi and Jake Weiss all return as does senior pitcher-first baseman Zach Smith. Juniors Ryan Moss and Matt Levine will also pitch in addition to playing in the infield while Jared Moss will catch. Junior David Stern is at second base and classmate Jeff Murtaugh will play in the outfield. Sophomore infielders Max Siegel and Todd Goldberg will add depth to the team.
Track and Field
Track and field head coach Willie Smith, now in his 12th year, has some outstanding individual talent this season. At the recent indoor state championships, Beachwood junior Chris Larde finished fourth in the triple jump (40-1 1/2) while senior Arielle Ginsberg was seventh in the 400 meters (1:01.36) and teammate Olivia Mayfield placed sixth in the triple jump (31-3/4).
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The Bison boys' team will be paced by seniors Jason Edwards, Isidro Kora, Marzel Atkins, William Wolkoff and Jon Rodriguez. Another senior, Virdell Robinson, is on the mend from a leg injury. Juniors Ari and Howard Sobell will also be key contributors.
The girls have a strong junior class with Kyndal Wilson, Traci Milliner and Gabby Perryman. Sophomore Imani Wells and freshman Hannah Richardson will be counted on as well.
Softball
Beachwood's softball team should improve on a 5-15 season as third-year head coach Erwin Hines has four returning letter winners, including senior pitcher Melanie Small, sophomore shortstop Sammi Jacobs, junior centerfielder Carly Wohlfhier and sophomore left fielder Sydney Ross.
Junior pitcher Brooke Peskin, sophomore outfielders Hannah and Emma Rubenstein, sophomore first baseman Mercedes Hudson and freshman third baseman Monique Kaiser will move into starting roles for Hines this spring.
"We have some girls who played summer ball and we should be greatly improved," said Hines. "Our rivalry with Hawken will be big again this year and Independence will be the team to beat in our division."
Girls' Lacrosse
The girls' lacrosse team enters its fourth year and head coach Jennifer Tramer has 28 returners from last year's 5-10 squad. The team captains are Monica Arkin, Emily Ganz and Lily Lash.
"We have a strong schedule and plan to be competitive in all our games," said Tramer. "With more experience we should also have more depth and we have a strong core of younger players. This year and the next few years will be exciting for Beachwood girls' lacrosse."
Tennis
Longtime area club professional Jeff Shimooka takes over the tennis program. Shimooka is the pro at the Hangar Club and is looking forward to coaching a high school team for the first time this season.
The Bison netters return seniors Jacob Pepper, Alex Roth, and Ho Jai Han in addition to juniors Ellis Cohen, Dillon Heiser and Lewis Rosenbaum. Cohen will be the No. 1 singles player. Sophomore Andrew Romanoff and freshmen Daniel Rodriguez and Karan Gill will also be counted on this season.