Winter sports concluded after a successful season competing in the Fairchester Athletic Association (FAA) and the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) leagues for Sacred Heart Greenwich.  This season marked the beginning of Sacred Heart’s ice hockey program.  The squash, swimming, diving, and basketball teams returned to full play and competition following the coronavirus pandemic. 

This winter, tri-captains seniors Isabel Lehrman and Erin Griffin and junior Charlotte Gannon led the ice hockey team in their inaugural season.  The team defeated Greenwich Academy 9-3 in their first-ever game January 26.  They played their second game against the Rye Country Day School, losing 1-4 February 16.  The team received immense support from the Sacred Heart community throughout the season. 

The varsity A squash team placed second at the FAA tournament February 7 and at the Class A NEPSAC Championships February 12 and 13.  Sophomore Caroline Fouts won the title of Class A New England Individual Champion for the second time in her career.  Senior tri-captains Annie O’Connor, Katherine Devine, and Regina Finn guided the team to the Division I High School Team Nationals in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania February 26 and 27.  They placed third, the highest in Sacred Heart history, finishing the season with a 10-1 record.  Regina reflected on the team’s growth this season.

“Each week, it was exciting to see girls grow their game and learn important match skills through these games,” Regina said.  “Furthermore, it was exciting to see girls win competitions and see the ladder change as girls grew as players.  The work that the girls put into these inter-team competitions translated to our competitions throughout the season.”

Sacred Heart diving competed at the NEPSAC Championship March 2, where sophomore Katie O’Brien placed eleventh and eighth-grader Emma Beatty placed seventh.  Emma placed seventh in the one-meter dive at the New England Division I championship March 5 and 6. 

Over the course of the season, the swim team prevailed against Masters School, Hopkins School, Ethel Walker Christian Heritage, Greenwich Country Day School, and Kennedy Catholic School.  They traveled to Phillips Exeter Academy for the New England Division I championship, where the swimming and diving team placed seventh, their best finish in 12 years, March 5 and 6.  Junior diving co-captain Molly Parker believes the team’s challenges helped her become a better leader this season. 

“At first, since we had [three] eighth-graders, [one] sophomore, [two] juniors, and [one] senior, I feel like it was just hard because we could not all relate to each other and things like that,” Molly said.  “So it was definitely a challenge to get everyone to get close, but that definitely taught me a lot about leadership.”

Varsity basketball co-captains Franny O’Brien and Sarah Augustine had a historic senior season.  The team competed in the Groton Holiday Basketball Tournament December 17 and 18, 2021.  Following the games, sophomore Payton Sfreddo joined the All-Tournament Team award list.  Sarah recalled how the team’s camaraderie off the court made them a more efficient unit.

“I think as a team, our greatest accomplishment was our placement in the New Englands tournament,” Sarah said.  “We placed [fifth] in the New Englands Private School Athletic Conference, and this is the highest seeding we have ever received in school history. [It was] definitely our greatest accomplishment, I think the tight bond we have created definitely helped us earn this spot.”

Sarah scored 21 points, the team-best, in a matchup against St. Lukes School February 3.  The NEPSAC league named Payton, Sarah, and sophomore Madison Hart Class A-West All-Stars for their performance on the court.  The team placed fourth in the FAA league and had a historical end to their season as they qualified for the semifinals of the NEPSAC tournament February 5.  Sarah discussed the team’s dynamic and perseverance this season.

“As a captain, I think something this team has taught me is the younger girls always look up to upperclassmen, or just girls older than them,” Sarah said.  “So I think this season has taught me to grow as a leader but always be reminded to never give up.  We had some tough losses, but this team never hung their heads which shows the perseverance and dedication we had throughout this entire season.”

Featured Image by Jacqueline Franco ’23