With the return of our Middle School Puma athletes and our fans, University Prep athletics resumed its full programming this fall. We fielded 11 Middle School teams, with a combined 189 students on our Soccer, Volleyball, and Cross Country teams. The fundamental goal for our Middle School athletics was a focus on what it means to be a Puma on the field and the court. Through their sports, students learned lessons of teamwork, communication, accountability, sportsmanship, and Puma pride. Final game day results varied with wins, losses, and ties, but engaging in athletic endeavors provided the much-needed extension of our classroom experience. Students took risks, found success, failed forward, and showed up the next day to be surrounded by teammates and coaches. 

The Middle School Boys Basketball season has provided another educational-based athletic opportunity during the first half of winter. This season, flexibility is the theme. We have one gym, four Middle School boys teams, and five Upper School boys and girls teams, so we have been creative and nimble with our scheduling of practices and games. Our Middle School girls began playing after our return from winter break.

In the Upper School, our traditional fall sports returned to their regular place on our school calendar. Practices began on August 3, and 140 Pumas joined one of our 11 teams, including Boys and Girls Cross Country, Girls Volleyball, Girls Soccer, Boys Tennis, and Boys Ultimate. We also welcomed back spectators to many of our home and away games. Puma pride is in full swing, and we have a new student fan group called The Puma Pack! Homecoming games, senior celebrations, and the conference playoffs created spaces to celebrate our students, teams, and successes.

After playing in a competitive conference schedule, all teams entered the playoffs in our two-year-old new conference. All our varsity teams advanced in their playoff structure. Congratulations to all our students and coaches for their hard work, support, dedication, and commitment. 

Finally, Upper School Basketball is back! The Pumas tipped off the week of November 29. This winter, we had five Upper School teams: two girls teams and three boys teams. The teams and coaches played a regular season of both non-league and conference games, culminating with a senior night celebration in early February.

Fall Sports Notables

BOYS AND GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
All Conference: Haley Hoffman
State Meet Qualifier: Harry Jackson

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Honorable Mention All Conference: Katrina Menshutkina, Carly Ragen
Team Sportsmanship Award: Varsity Volleyball

GIRLS SOCCER
Second Team All Conference: Abby Headstrom
Honorable Mention All Conference: Jane Scroggs

BOYS ULTIMATE
Second Team All Conference: Nathan Crawford

FOLLOW @UPREP_ATHLETICS ON INSTAGRAM AND TWITTER TO SEE THE DAY-TO-DAY PUMA PERSPECTIVE, WITH COVERAGE OF OUR UPREP TEAMS, COACHES, AND ALUMNI ATHLETES WHO PLAY IN COLLEGE.