Chastity Monaghan, Reporter
@cmcourant
This season, with the addition of the head coach John Winchester, the girl’s basketball team was able to achieve their goal to qualify for the CIAC state tournament. Although they lost the first round to E.O. Smith by a score of 37-22, the outlook on this season has been very positive.
Mr. Winchester brought a warm atmosphere to the team. “He introduced positive energy to the team and helped us become one of the best defensive teams in the league,” Senior Co-Captain Riana Afshar said. “He is the best coach I’ve ever had because he believes in us.”
With ending the regular season with a 10-10 record, in contrast to last season’s finish of 7-14, Winchester’s dedication to the program came with a boost to their record. “He is passionate about basketball and he brought that passion to each and every one of us,” Senior Katie Dunn said.
Another factor that contributed to a positive season, was senior leadership. “As a team captain, I worked a lot on building team chemistry and picking each other up when a teammate falls,” Riana said.
Senior Katie Dunn wanted to keep spirits high during the basketball season. “Serving as a source of positive energy for my team, I made it my goal to lift spirits and keep everyone motivated through positive cheering,” she said.
Going into the season, the girls were focused on having a strong start in order to set a precedent for the season. “It was important for us to come out looking strong for our states run. We wanted to make the impression that New Canaan Girls Basketball should be taken seriously,” senior co-captain Kearney McKiernan said.
It was important for the team to believe in themselves. “Having confidence in our team’s abilities definitely allowed us to make it to states,” Katie said.
Not only did Coach Winchester have an impact on the season, but he also had a lasting impact on the seniors. “Without him, there is no way we would be anywhere close to where we are today,” Kearney said. “Our senior class has been lucky enough to have our coach for the past three years.”
The future is looking bright with Mr. Winchester leading the way. “We all are so lucky to have Coach Winchester leading the way for us at New Canaan,” Kearney said.
