On Dec. 13, the Flucos faced Western Albemarle and Monticello High School in a tri-meet at Fork Union. The Lady Flucos swam their way to a second place finish with numerous athletes winning individual races. Lauren Cabrera was first place in the 50 freestyle, while Alyssa McIver finished first in the 400 freestyle. The second place overall finish was another indication that the Lady Fluco swim program is on the rise. With the season still in its early stages, the program is excited to see the development over the course of the season. “We are young, but we have a lot of room for improvement,” said Kelsey Schlein.
On the boys’ side, the Flucos have never faced so many challenges in a season. The team was decimated by the loss of ten seniors which included many state-level athletes. On top of that, the Flucos have one of the smallest teams in the district with a roster of only nine boys. However, with senior leadership and young talent the Flucos have prospered through the tough rebuilding period. “This has been a rough season, we are definitely in a rebuilding season,” said Jake Buonomo. “The great thing is that everyone on this team has talent and that will go a long way in making us successful again.”
This talent was displayed in their most recent meet as they placed third overall. Leading the Flucos was Bryce Campenelli, who placed first in the diving competition. The Flucos remain confident in their ability and are working hard for the future meets. The swim and dive programs will compete again on Jan. 4 at Fork Union.
ACE
Who needs brawn when you have brains? The Ace team fosters some of the brightest students in the school. These students devote their time outside of the classroom to expand their knowledge to take down the competition.
The Flucos’ most recent competition was on Dec. 12 against the rest of the Jefferson District. The Palmyra faithful were not able to come out on top in the competition, despite two very close matches. “There is room for improvement,” said senior Jake Buonomo.
The Flucos are 0-3 on the season heading into the winter break and are struggling to find a groove. Head coach Jimmy Small will be looking for that groove when the Flucos compete on Jan. 10 at Monticello High School. “Eric from Western beats everybody, but when we get a handle on the competition, we will be tough to beat” said senior Austin Kritzer. This brainy bunch of Flucos continues to improve with every competition and with more experience the team will gain their first win of the season.
The Fluco academic team will compete again on Jan. 10, as they take on the Jefferson District in another tough competition.
Indoor track
Once again, the runners have shown to be tough competition for the surrounding schools. At the FUMA mini-invitational on Dec. 11 the Flucos managed to snag six first-place titles. Two of these titles belong to Maddy Kline for the 500 and the high jump, “There were a lot of good teams coming and I was excited for all the great competition,” said Kline.
Other winners included Stephanie Bossong, Nicole Douma, Travis Moe, and Chance Parmly. In addition, several athletes made district, regional and state-qualifying times and distances. District qualifiers included Stephanie Bossong and Devon Burger in the 1000m, LaDietra Jackson in shot put, Karel Bruce in 55 meter dash and long jump, Travis Moe in the 3200 meter run, Terrel Key in high jump, and Markyll Bland in the triple jump. Regional qualifiers were Nicki Douma in the 3200 meter run, Maddy Kline in the 55 meter hurdles and high jump, the boys’ 4×200 meter relay, and Deiondre Key in shot put. Chance Parmly made state-qualifying height in pole vault.
“The team has had a very successful beginning. We hope they all continue to improve over the season,” said Coach Rose Brogan. The team resumes competition on Jan. 12 at Fred Hardy.
Boys’ basketball
Both boys’ basketball teams took home a win against Liberty on Dec. 11. Each player had a plan going into the game. “Our plan is to box out better and not let them out rebound us,” said senior Alex Brooks. They did exactly that, dominating the first quarter with a score of 23-2.
As the game progressed, the Flucos lost a bit of momentum, allowing the other team to score. “That was really our only major fault during the game, but we have that in mind for the next games so it shouldn’t be a problem,” said senior Dashon Tibbs. The coaches were fairly pleased with the team’s performance. “In the first quarter we played about as good as we possibly could. We slacked a little bit in the second half which allowed Liberty to catch up,” said Head Coach Munro Rateau. Despite that, the Flucos still managed to keep a strong lead, ending with a score of 52-44. They varsity team so far is filling in the big shoes of last year’s team with an overall record of 4-0.
Boys’ junior varsity basketball also took control during its game on the 11th, although the scores were much tighter. With a final score of 33-30, their only complaint was that they went into the game perhaps a bit too confident—no doubt thanks to the 25-point lead they had over Liberty during their last meeting. “We had the wrong mindset in the beginning, but still came through with a win,” said freshman Gavin Patrick. Head Coach Heath Bralley agreed. “We didn’t play with great intensity; however, we came out with a win, [and] we did play with great effort, which is important. They have been showing great improvement, and I am looking forward to a tremendous season,” he said.
Both teams will next compete on Dec. 19 at home against Cumberland, and away at Western Albemarle on Dec. 21.
Girls’ basketball
Unfortunately, the girls did not come out on top in their fight against Liberty on Jan. 11, although with a score of 35-41, a win was almost within reach. “The motivation and energy on the court was a little low, but we plan on having the right mindset next game,” said sophomore JP Elliott. The little things are what allows the team to gain the lead. “We are looking to do the little things right and get the job done,” said Senior Captain Ashleigh Harris.
Even though the game was a loss for the Flucos, they surprised Liberty with a much-improved performance over their last meeting, when the Flucos lost 28-17. “They played amazing defense, and they’re really improving,” said JV Coach Feda Morton. The girls’ parents made a point of congratulating Morton, telling her how much composure the girls had on the court. All have high expectations for their next games, which include Dec. 20 against Cumberland, and Dec. 21 against Western Albemarle.
