Spring Sports in Full Swing

Joseph LaPatra, Reporter

Softball
 Heading into the season with a fresh coaching staff, spirits seem to be up for this years team. Junior and Captain Callie Linders on pre-season preparations “ We usually had 2 practices a week during preseason. Each practice was focused mainly on defense or offense. We got unlucky with weather and had a lot of practices cancelled from snow” Callie also has her goals set high as when asked about expectations for this season, she said”  I’m hoping we win sectionals, that’s the ultimate goal. Since the start of conditioning up until now we’ve all gotten a lot better and i expect a lot out of this team. we all know our roles and we all perform them really well. Everyone on the team is extremely talented and we’ve started off the season on a good note. I’m just hoping we keep building momentum and let it take us to the sectional championship again. The team sits at 5-3 at the moment and 4-1 in conference play. Notable games later in this season for the Lady Panthers
5/16 penultimate regular season game @ home against 10-1 Hebron
5/19 regular season ending @ 20-21 4A State Runners Up Lake Central
Baseball
Griffith’s baseball team has been all but dominant over these last 9 years, winning every sectional for the past 9 years. The goal is no different this year, when asked about the expectations for this season, Senior Matt Jovanovich said “The expectations this year are to win another sectional and keep the streak going”. Currently the boys are 6-5 on the season and lead the conference with an undefeated 5-0 record. Notable matchups later in the season for the Panthers
 5/13 home game Vs. Lake Central, who lead the DAC (Duneland Athletic Conference) as of 4/25.
Track
Griffith’s numbers were down last year, but this year they have seen an influx in athletes participating in track and field. Due mainly to the change in COVID protocol and freshman influence, the team has seen a lot more success than in previous seasons. Senior and leader on the track team Cameron Thompson says the team’s main priority is progress. He said “We hope to reach new heights that weren’t reached last season.” When asked about how the team has improved since last season, Cameron said “Our team is more conditioned than we were last season. Our stamina, times, and determination this year has improved tremendously since last year.” As of today, Griffith Track just came off of Senior night, and only have a few more meets before sectionals @ East Chicago High School Thursday May 19.
Girls Tennis
 While the boys play tennis in the Fall, the girls play in the current season of Spring. This team, like many others has seen a resurgence in numbers this year. Junior Bella Visak said “I enjoy playing a sport that I’m not the best at because it allows me to have fun. I’ve also made so many friends and gotten closer with other people. I’ve also made so many fun memories.” Girls tennis sectionals is May 18th
Unified Track
Unified Track at Griffith is a co-ed track team which includes students with disabilities. Junior, Nina Zielke, said “My favorite part about unified track is the group of people who participate in it. I like meeting new people and while I’ve been in Best Buddies for two years already, I still love interacting with everyone there. It is so fun and it’s nice to be around a group of people who are so sweet and encouraging. We always lift each other up as well as motivate one another.” Unified Track is set to compete on May 9th and May 12th here at Griffith High School.
Boys Golf
Lead by coach Mike Worosz, the Griffith Golf program has picked up speed and have drastically improved their numbers since last year. Junior Devon Carter said “I’m looking forward to going outdoors to hangout with my teammates and meet new people during matches. I am also looking forward to meeting golfers from other schools and learning to be better than them at the sport.” Golf sectionals for Griffith is June 3rd.