Badminton

Key Players: Evelyn Krasnik, Christina Moy, Molly Sedin

2017 Record: 8-1

Coming off a conference championship, and a year in which six girls competed at the state competition, the women’s badmiton team has their sights set on even bigger goals, according to head coach Teresa Kimura. Kimura states that the team to beat in the Central Suburban League had been New Trier, but after defeating the Trevians in the conference championship last season, the Titan’s have started to get a reputation for being a tough, well rounded team. Along with winning the conference, the Titan’s have eight returning seniors, along with four returning players who qualified for the state competition last season, according to senior Molly Sedin. The Titan’s return key players such as seniors Evelyn Krasnik, Sedin, and Christina Moy. Sedin states that the team would like to send eight girls to the state competition this year, which is the maximum number a team can send. The women are not only looking to repeat as conference champions, but are looking to win a sectional title as well according to Kimura. The Titans began their season on March 13 against Vernon Hills.

Women’s Track and Field

Key Players: Raelyn Roberson, Emily Noone, Lauren Hayes 

2017 Record: 2nd in  conference

Following a season in which seven athletes competed at the state meet, the women’s track team brings back all of their state qualifiers, and looks to send many more athletes to the state meet according to new head coach Anthony Griffin.  The Titans return key athletes such as seniors Emily Noone, Kate Snively, Mel Schumann, and Bailey Smith, juniors Lauren Hayes and Taylor Ozimek, and sophomore Raelyn Roberson, who broke the fieldhouse record for the long jump. According to Griffin, the team strives to get better every day and make small progressions throughout the season. Noone states that after taking the reins of the team this season, Griffin has encouraged commitment, hard work, and dedication. Although introducing new ideas and concepts to the team is important, continuing and maintaining the tradition of success and competitiveness are crucial, Griffin stated. The Titans kick off their outdoor season on April 4 at the Titan quad meet.

Men’s Gymnastics 

Key Players: Adam Bayartsetseg, Shaan Patel, Lucas Pauker

2017 Record: 2nd in conference

After a successful season last spring full of countless improvements, the 2018-men’s gymnastics team hopes to continue pushing forward throughout this upcoming season. According to head coach Brandon Tucker, this season is off to a solid start with players who show great potential, giving the team confidence in their upcoming meets. Senior Lucas Pauker believes the men will excel while hoping to reach their goal of making it to conference and sectionals. According to Tucker, understanding the rules and getting the players’ gymnastics skills to revolve around those rules is something that the majority of the players’ are able to do well. This ability will allow the Titan’s to further advance in the competition. Pauker feels improving on event scores will be the team’s main focus throughout this season. Overall improvement is the key to success for this team, Tucker says, because he believes it’s important to always set high goals for individuals and the team.

Women’s Water polo

Key Players: Bella Del Muro, Sydney Scott, Eliana Wright

2017 Record: 14-13-1

The women’s water polo team is hoping to redeem last season’s losses against rival Maine West and to gain new interest in the sport this season, according to head coach Michael Stancik. After having lost seven seniors from 2017, Stancik is looking to build up the skill in younger players. Seniors Bella Del Muro and Eliana Wright both act as leaders on the team as returning varsity players, and they want to help teach underclassmen, according to Del Muro. Many girls play on club teams in the off-season, creating an exciting game against Glenbrook North, where they get to play against their friends according to Del Muro. The water polo team also looks forward to playing Maine West, as they lost to them in the conference tournament, but beat them in the sectional quarterfinal last season, according to Stancik. The team’s first game was against Naperville Central on March 8th.

Men’s Lacrosse

Key Players: Sam Dale, Harry Panagakis, Jack Speers

2017 Record: 8-9

Coming off a season filled with untimely setbacks and adversity, the men’s lacrosse team strives to bounce back this spring according to head coach Will Jeffery. Jeffery states the Titans look to contend for a conference championship and take down state powerhouse New Trier. The Titans’ annual meetings with New Trier have helped the team grow and improve, according to senior Jack Speers. Returning players, include junior Harry Panagakis, seniors Sam Dale and Speers, and sophomores Connor Karsh and Joe Speers. Jeffery states that the hard work done by the men in the off season has helped form a strong base of leadership and attitude. The Titans officially begin their season on March 17 at the New Trier invite, where they hope to take down their inner conference rivals.

Men’s Tennis

Key Players: Jacob Adas, Michael Bukhalo, Rohan Gupta

2017 Record: 17-6

Following one of the most successful seasons the men’s tennis team has had in recent years, they are looking to improve on last year, which brought a sectional win and a strong showing at state, senior Rohan Gupta said. This year, there are multiple freshman, including Marc Blekhman and Benjamin Soyfer, who may be seen on the state lineup, along with most other players, as one of the team’s goals is to qualify everyone for state, according to Gupta. Senior Jacob Adas, who is a co-captain with Gupta, along with senior Michael Bukhalo, add to the anticipated success of the tennis team. Gupta believes the team is looking stronger this year and could potentially beat Glenbrook North, a rival that has beat South for multiple years in a row. Another exciting match for the men’s tennis team includes New Trier, a team with a lot of strength and depth, Gupta explains. The team will begin their season competing against tough competition with the top kids in state, at an invite at New Trier on March 17th.

Baseball

Key Players: Nick Mathein, Connor Nash, Jacob Newman

2017 Record: 12-16

The baseball team is looking to live up to their potential this season, following 2017’s .500 record, according to senior Jacob Newman. The team is looking to win the sectional and conference tournaments, while also taking a run at state. Along with Newman, seniors Connor Nash and Jack Anderson, as well as junior Nick Mathein, are some key players heading into the 2018 season. “[I want to] win all of the games that we should be winning,” Newman said. This year will be the first year the baseball team will use the JV system, according to Newman, as opposed to having a sophomore team and a varsity team as they have in the past. This system will switch up where current juniors are placed on teams and will allow more players to play. Throughout the off-season, players participate in conditioning and morning practices, which entail practicing their throwing and hitting, Newman says. The team is looking forward to games against New Trier, Glenbrook North and Homewood Flossmoor. They have a strong team, especially this season, Newman says. The baseball team’s first game is at home against Oak Park River Forest on March 17.

Women’s Soccer

Key Players: Alexandria Shaw, Makayla Stadler, Libbie Vanderveen

2017 Record: 19-15

Following a season where the women’s soccer team earned a regional championship title, the team has their eyes set on even bigger goals, according to senior Alexandria Shaw. Although the Titans are coming off a season in which they won 19 games and took the regional crown, Shaw states that the girls are playing with a new fast-paced game. Throughout the off-season, the girls had structured off-season lifting and conditioning, according to Shaw. Shaw feels having the new training program helped establish a sense of familiarity when it came to preparing for the upcoming season.The Titans have many key players returning, including juniors Makayla Stadler, Libbie Vanderveen and Katie Sullivan according to head coach Seong Ha. Ha states that although the Titan’s are strong at many positions, they have an untested and inexperienced back line. Ha believes the Titans can improve and get better throughout the season by creating a competitive atmosphere in practice and in games. The Titans kicked off their season against Mundelein on March 13.

Men’s Volleyball 

Key Players: Thomas Cavallaro, Jack Shampine, Konrad Wojslaw

2017 Record: 14-4

According to head coach Timothy Monahan, last year’s volleyball team was young, hard-working and constantly played together as a team. This season, the team hopes to overcome last year’s heartbreaking loss to New Trier in the sectional final, according to Monahan. This year, a lot of the team members are coming back to play, such as juniors Thomas Cavallaro and Jack Shampine, so it will be a fun, exciting season, Monahan adds. He hopes his team will compete hard all year, whether it be for the conference championship or sectionals. Dedication is required not only in season but during the off-season as well, Monahan says. The returning players have been playing club volleyball since last year and they should be at the top of their game by regular season time. The team is looking to be competitive in conference and to start the season off with a win against Vernon Hills on March 20 at home.

Men’s Track and Field 

Key Players: Matt Jortberg, Chris Nadolny, Jordan Theriault

2017 Record: 3rd in indoor conference, 4th in outdoor conference

Competing in a strong conference, the men’s track team has a goal to always finish in the top half of the conference tournament, according to head coach Kurt Hasenstein. Last season, the boys achieved this goal on the indoor track, but missed the top half by placing fourth in the outdoor track season. As for this year, Hasenstein is looking to win invite meets throughout the season and to focus on improving the outdoor season for the team. In the long distance competitions, seniors Jordan Theriault and Matt Jortberg look to leave South with a strong showing. Senior Chris Nadolny shines in the sprints, with seniors Max Gerber on the hurdles and Armani Ubeid on the high jump, according to Hasenstein.  This season, the team is looking forward to the Spartan Relays held at Glenbrook North as well as South’s own invite, both during the Titan’s outdoor season. Hasenstein believes the team is off to a good start in the indoor season, and is looking forward to heading outside later in the year.

Men’s Water Polo

Key Players: Zack Bilimoria, Ryan Myers, Nick Shectman

2017 Record: 17-11-2

The men’s water polo team has long been preparing during the offseason and are now ready to jump into the water this spring and give it their all, according to head coach David Lieberman. Lieberman believes the returning players are going to enable the team to compete at a higher level and give them a chance to make it to the state tournament, which is something the team hasn’t been able to do in several years. Although the team needs to improve on their defense and communication skills coming into this upcoming season, senior Nate Cohen believes the team will have a fighting chance of making it far in the competition. The Titans’ speed is one of the many strengths that the team has and Lieberman hopes this strength will take them all the way to the state tournament. The Titans’ greatest accomplishment this year would be going to conference and being one of the final eight teams in the state tournament, according to Lieberman, which he believes is a very achievable goal for them.

Women’s Lacrosse

Key Players: Annabel Eigel, Ellie Kahle, Quinn Turpin

2017 Record: 4th in state

The women’s lacrosse team is returning to the field and hoping to keep up their aggression on the draw from last season. After only losing four seniors from their 2017 season, head coach Annie Lesch has high expectations for this year’s team to be a strong competitor. The team is also welcoming freshmen Belle Tiesi and Meg Bireley, who senior captain Ellie Kahle thinks will be trouble for the Titan’s competitors. “I expect us to have a very successful season,” Kahle said. “I think that the younger girls have a lot of talent and a lot of potential and I know that we will have a successful and fun season like always.”Although there have been some changes to the sport this year, such as teams being broken down into sectionals, according to Lesch, making it to the final four is still the team’s top priority. Senior Annabel Eigel is hoping to keep one of the Titan’s strengths by having a strong connection that the team shares on and off the field. Eigel believes that if the women put in the hard work, like in previous seasons, the team will reach their goal of making it to the state finals once again.

Softball

Key Players: Bella Albrecht, Julia Bass, Megan Chin

2017 Record: 10-16

With lots of new talent joining this spring’s softball team, players are excited to see what a difference they’ll bring to the field, according to senior Winnie Tomsheck. All around,Tomsheck believes that improvements in their offense, defense and hitting will allow the team to win conference and beat New Trier. Although winning is important, building a strong bond within the team is something that will help the Titan’s succeed in the long run, senior Janet Watson states. Based on last spring’s strong performance, head coach Dana Boehmer is excited to see what the girls will accomplish this year. This season, the girls are looking forward to conference games, especially against rivals like Glenbrook North, according to Boehmer. In order to prepare, Boehmer states the Titans look to find ways to maximize their offense and get as many runs as possible with smart game play. Tomsheck, Watson and Boehmer all believe that an achievable goal for the team this season would be to be competitive in all games, win conference and for all the girls to have a memorable and fun season.