Winter Sports Senior Night Shows School's Spirit
The SAC was rockin' on Senior Night, February 2, with record crowds of AIS fans cheering for all four Upper School basketball teams in an exuberant evening of fun and excitement.
The event kicked off with a pep rally at the end of the school day to cheer the basketball teams, dance to the music, and get hyped up for the sports extravaganza to follow. Fans sported their royal blue and white team colors (including blue hair and blue and white face paint!) and raised the roof with the sounds of thunder sticks and cheers.
All the Upper School basketball teams played back-to-back games against Providence Christian Academy. AIS came into the games as the underdog but showed its opponents that it had teams to be reckoned with. The crowds exploded with cheering and support throughout the night. A highlight of the evening was the girls' varsity game which provided a nail-biting finish. The excitement was palpable as the girls came back from an 11-point deficit at half time to tie up the score. The crowd was on its feet the entire second half, cheering and encouraging the players, and the girls responded by pulling ahead in the last few minutes, led by Lucy Pettitt-Schieber with 10 points, Ana de Olano with 9, Claire Giblin with 8, and Captain Ashley McGraw with 7 points. Even the opponents' eventual one-point victory couldn't dampen the mood.
School spirit was everywhere. The Middle School advisories made posters to decorate the gym, and balloons added to the festive air. Blue and white pom-poms, AIS temporary tattoos and AIS thunder sticks helped show team spirit. Several students got the crowd going with cheering, singing, and dancing. The Athletics Department sponsored a shooting contest between games, and the Booster Club provided hotdogs and fries from The Varsity diner.
Senior Night was also a chance to invite AIS alumni back for a reception with the senior class. With all the excitement, they probably wished they were still here! In attendance were James Brindley '05, Laila Rubin '01 and Christina Hayes '01, Veronica Plaut McDaniel '97, Martina Striedinger Parker '94, Trace Hawkins '93, and Thomas Striedinger '92, and Christie Pettitt-Schieber '05 who watched her sister Lucy play in the girls' varsity game. Several faculty and staff were there to catch up with the alumni, their spouses and one baby. After enjoying refreshments, they all cheered on the varsity basketball teams from their "box seats" in the IB Lounge.
Before the boys' varsity game, the four seniors who participated in winter sports were honored for their leadership and contributions to sport: Cassie Huntley, Ashley McGraw, Julia Taylor and Ben Tracy. The festivities ended with an Upper School dance in the gym sponsored by the Student Council.
Mark your calendar for the Spring Sports Senior Night on March 30. If it's anything like this event, you won't want to miss out!