The 2023-24 Herald Cup: No. 3 Stevenson
Editor’s note: Now that the high school sports year is over, we devised a points system based on team state finishes to measure which of the 85 high schools from the Daily Herald circulation area had the best athletic year in 2023-24. Last week we announced the top five small schools. This week we’re unveiling the top large schools, one per day, starting with No. 5 on Monday through No. 1 on Friday.
Patriots love the pool.
Stevenson finished third in the 2023-24 Herald Cup standings for large schools with 98 points that were calculated by weighing team finishes throughout the fall, winter and spring.
While the Patriots scored top five state finishes in seven sports, they were particularly strong in boys and girls swimming and water polo. The girls golf, girls tennis and badminton teams also tallied Herald Cup points.
How they did it
Stevenson claimed one team state title during the school year, and it came from the girls water polo team. The second straight title was made even sweeter because it happened in the Patriots’ home pool.
The Patriots notched three second-place finishes, including boys water polo. The girls tennis and badminton teams also placed second in the state.
Girls golf and girls swimming were third in the state while the boys swimming team was fifth.
Who made it happen
Sophia Berger, a senior water polo player, scored 113 goals this season and added 106 assists as the Patriots won their second straight title.
Freshman Campbell Ray shot a 151 to finish 10th as an individual in state golf, helping Stevenson to its third-place finish.
Abby Ma and Sarah Wang were fifth in doubles in state tennis. In badminton, Veronica Ornatsky was fifth while the Patriots had two doubles teams in the top five.
Colin Zhang and Diego Rosario-Freytes each won four medals in the state boys swimming meet. Linnea Florin, Aria Grossenbach and Stephanie Kirova did the same for the girls swimming team.
Key stats
The girls water polo team not only won its second straight state title, but the Patriots appeared in their seventh straight final. They’re 5-2 in those matches.
Berger led the water polo team in scoring and also had three top-10 finishes in the state swimming meet.
Zhang, who will swim at Penn, became one of the Patriots’ most-decorated swimmers. His four medals this season gave him 13 with Stevenson, highlighted by four state titles.
Like the girls water polo team, the boys are no stranger to the title match. This season marked their eighth final appearance. The Patriots won it all in 2017 and 2021.
Key fact
The badminton team finished in the top two in the state for the seventh straight season. During that span the Patriots have won four state titles.
Before winning its first state title in 2012, the badminton program had never finished in the top two.
They said it
“We like to set the tone and set the speed of the game. It is important that we start quick and drive a lot and start the offense. I thought we attacked real well tonight.” — sophomore water polo player Olivia Spieth, who scored 3 goals in the 9-3 victory over Evanston in the title match.
“Our underclassmen are pretty strong, for sure. We had a game plan. We picked out the holes we needed to play well and we did really well on those holes we emphasized.” girls golf coach Emma Degen after her team’s third-place finish.
“This is quite amazing. I've been working for this my whole high school career, basically. And to be able to do it with all of my teammates having my back is really nice.” — Berger after qualifying for the 200-yard freestyle final.