Every spring, the LASA Liberator compiles some of the school’s best athletic accomplishments in a top 10 list. One common theme this school year was the strides underclassmen made, supporting their teams and their school. LASA athletics fought through growing pains, making impressive showings and new records in several sports. Even formidable Anderson, which moved into the 5A category, couldn’t keep the Raptors down.

1. Cross country:

LASA’s cross country team pushed through a lot this season. Consisting of mostly underclassmen, their daily morning practices were not for nothing. LASA athletes raced past their rivals across Central Texas, scoring high at district and area championships. The future of LASA’s cross country team looks bright, and as more freshmen join next year, there’s no telling how far this squad will go. 

1. Track: 

Breakout star and junior Eva Cragnolino brought LASA a number of medals this year. After the University Interscholastic League (UIL) rules prevented her from competing in her sophomore year, Cragnolino went on to place first in the 5A state final for the girls 3200 meters, averaging just over five minutes a mile in the packed race. Several individuals shone in other events, from the discus to the long jump to the 100 meter dash.

1. Boys basketball:

All of LASA’s graduating seniors will be missed next year, but that pain is going to be tenfold on the basketball team. Varsity players like Huck Light-Whipple and Joshua Korah made sure the team stayed steady, but younger players are rising up to fill the void they’re going to leave. Both the freshman and JV-A teams show great promise, and the question of the next few years won’t be whether they’re good, but how great they can be.

1. Girls basketball:

A cohort of talented juniors and seniors defeated both McCallum and Anderson this season. Despite heavy competition and a fairly young varsity team, LASA girls basketball never backed down. In one game against Elgin, they scored more than six times as many points as their opponents. As this team played, they weren’t only fighting for their school. They were fighting for the sport itself, clear in their motto, “Treat girls basketball like a real sport”.

“We built a really good team bond, and it’s a really good community. There’s a lot of freshmen this year, and we’re only losing two seniors this coming year, so we’ll have a bigger program.” – Freshman Mary Stewart

1. Girls soccer:

Head Coach Chloe Cardinale and Assistant Coach John Goodell put in the extra work this season. The girls soccer varsity team tied against Anderson this March, a major accomplishment against the undefeated team. They were the only team in the district not to lose to Anderson, which recently moved into the 5A classification. Goalie Adel Wells let only one shot past her as the team fought in the second half against the overconfident school. They boosted their way to the playoffs, which they only lost in the last ten minutes. 

“Even though they scored on us, we kept the hustle up. That’s how we were able to get a goal on them.”- Senior Isa Matamoros

1. Swimming:

At the state swim meet, LASA’s relay swim teams earned top-three placements, and three individual swimmers finished in the top of their individual events. Justin Shi, ZJ Hays, and Auggie Sefcik each secured top-three finishes, contributing to a strong showing for the team. Their performances marked a successful end to the season. The team was led by head coach Christopher Parks, who guided the team to success. LASA’s swimmers competed against top athletes from across the state. 

1. Water polo:

LASA water polo was the best in the district with major wins against Anderson, Austin, McCallum, and Bowie. After districts, they advanced to areas where they easily beat Lehman (17-5) and also Westwood (11-7). But then they faced Westlake, and even though they tied earlier in the season, LASA lost in a heartbreaker (13-14). LASA’s success this season can be attributed to junior players Cruz Crowley and Tomas Bellavia, who are both offensive weapons that score LASA many goals. 

“Now, the only real competition we have is Round Rock and Westlake.” –Sophomore Matheo Garcia

“Next year, I hope that we can progress further than we did this year with the ultimate goal of making it to state. Next year, I believe that we are going to be the strongest that we’ve ever been.”- Junior Zeke Simeloff

1. Softball:

Donning gloves and helmets, LASA softball batted through Anderson, Manor New Tech and McCallum like they were wiffle balls. Senior leaders Abby Aardema and Gracie Philips supported a prospective crew of underclassmen. Team spirit brought them together under Coach Cruz’s leadership, and they had one of their best seasons yet.

1. Football:

After a tumultuous transition to competing outside of UIL, LASA football has rebounded. While they were at first unfamiliar with their new opponents, the team is now used to their routine, and trained hard in the summer, fall, and spring for their two seasons. Although their opponents scored a lot of points in early games, those numbers were dwindling to the teens by late fall. They’ve succeeded across Texas, winning games in Austin, Houston, and Dallas. 

1. Cheer

The energy from LASA’s Cheer team radiated at every game they attended. They endured long bus rides and , supporting not only varsity football in the fall, but basketball and JV football in the spring. After winning a district competition over the summer, they were ready to take on the task of motivating a shaken-up football team to win several games. Their presence became especially apparent at games the other school’s cheerleaders didn’t attend due to distance, epitomizing the team’s dedication to their sport and their school.