Winning Competitions—and Compliments
The Upper School Panthers have represented Principia especially well over the last several months—both on the scoreboard and in their practice of sportsmanship. Before noting the winter and spring season sporting achievements, we’d like to share an anecdote attesting to the value of Principia athletics—not just to our students but to the broader Metro and District communities within which they compete.
At a recent home track meet, a parent/coach from John F. Kennedy High School told one of our coaches that what he will miss the most when his daughter graduates this year (and JFK shuts down for good) is being able to come to games at Principia. He praised Principia for cultivating terrific attitudes and sportsmanship, for its high-quality facilities, and for the amazing students who, he feels, set the standard for other athletes in the St. Louis area. He expressed gratitude for our athletic community and culture, saying he has felt embraced by it whenever he steps onto our School campus.
Now, on to student-athletes’ many accomplishments!
State Achievements
Track and Field
- Corey Carter (US’17, pictured above) won his second State championship—completing the 100 m. dash with a time of 10.69 seconds, a new School record. Corey also took 2nd place in the 200 m dash (the event in which he placed 1st last year). Earlier in the season, Corey also set a new School record for the 200 m.
- Josh Aleman (US’17), Bramwell Havi (US’20), Boone Steele (US’18), and Nathan Babcock (US’19) took 3rd place in the 4 x 800 m relay and 8th place in the 4 x 400.
- Siwa Asinga (US’19) finished 4th in the 100 m and 8th in the 400 m for girls.
Nathan also had a strong 800 m run, finishing 6th. And Alphince Baraza (US’18) and Nick Saucedo (US’18) joined Nathan and Bramwell in the boys’ 4 x 400 m to win 8th place.
Girls’ Varsity Soccer
Our girls took 3rd place at State, finishing the season with a 15–6 record. Advancing to the State semifinals for only the second time in Principia history, they lost (0–1) to the eventual State champions, St. Vincent, in a heartbreaking, last-second corner kick. In the third-place playoff, they scored a decisive 3–0 victory over Fatima.
Wrestling
Senior Caleb Kelly won 3rd place at State in wrestling (120-pound class), adding to his fourth-place win in 2016 and a third-place in 2015. Caleb, who will attend the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, in the fall, plans to compete for its wrestling program.
District Achievements
Girls’ Varsity Basketball
The girls had one of the best seasons in School history, winning 2nd place in Districts and setting several individual records. Senior Caitlyn Demaree finished the season as the second-highest all-time scorer for Principia with 1,340 points. She was ranked 2nd in the Metro League for total points scored (478) and for three-point shooting at 34.2 percent.
Varsity Baseball
The team capped off a productive year by playing in District finals for the first time in 19 years! The boys took 2nd place in Districts, with come-from-behind victories in their first two games before falling to Valley Park. (Valley Park went on to place 2nd at State.)
Go Panthers!