Gallery • 8 Photos

While embracing senior Lindsay Felder, junior Lucy Downing gives her a decorated poster during the traditional send off for seniors.

The 2021 sports seasons were the most condensed and unusual compared to recent years. The COVID-19 restrictions not only caused seasons to be delayed until the last few months of school, but also took away some of the most competitive aspects of high school sports, such as the typical Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) playoffs. But despite countless uncertainties this semester due to the pandemic, one tradition remains: honoring our senior class athletes. Senior days and games acknowledge the seniors’ dedication and leadership to their teams in their last season as high school athletes. 2021 brought numerous obstacles that athletes had to overcome and seniors had to step up for their team like never before. With well deserved bundles of roses, sentimental speeches and colorful posters, senior days encourage the team and spectators to reminisce on a senior’s time and devotion spent as a Redwood athlete. This profile includes both seniors’ perspectives on their last season as well as underclassman appreciation for their team leaders. 

Girls’ Soccer

Girls’ soccer did not have a traditional MCAL season, but because of dedicated seniors and underclassmen, this did not affect the team’s competitive spirit. According to junior Sophia Pero, the seniors on the girls’ varsity soccer team have been a crucial part of getting through this year and leading their team to an undefeated season.

“I look up to the seniors because they devote a lot of their time for the good of the team. They will do their best to hype up the team before every game and reassure everyone that no matter who we are playing, we are going to go out on the field and kill it,” Pero said. “I want to carry on the traditions that the seniors this year have installed when I’m a senior, because it has made my experience on the team that much more enjoyable.”

Senior Tula Cox also looks back on her past four years on the team and how senior day made her season far more enjoyable. 

 “One of my favorite parts of the year so far has been the speeches on senior night, because it was really heartwarming to hear all the individual homages to each player and listen to what each senior brought to the team,” Cox said.

Baseball

Prior to an impressive win against Branson, the baseball team dedicated time to reflect on the graduating seniors. Senior and Pomona-Pitzer commit Ben Cohen walked hand in hand with his parents out to the field where he was flanked with colorful posters and bright red roses that were handed to him and the mothers and fathers. 

“I’m going to miss playing with my coaches the most. I grew up as a bat boy for the team. I grew up in the Redwood family, and those guys taught me [how to grow] into a young man and now a serious baseball player,” Cohen said. 

As this group of established senior athletes branch off to various schools across the  country, underclassman Colin Cunneen recounts the sheer amount of commitment his teammates have exhibited over the past few months. 

“One moment that inspired me was when Cohen laid his body on the line for our team and slid into third base, dislocated his finger, had it snapped back in place in the dugout and came back out to lead our team to a victory,” Cunneen said. 

Senior day was a way for Cunneen and his teammates to express their appreciation for their seniors’ devotion even during such an abnormal season.

Girls’ Water Polo

The severely shortened girls’ and boys’ water polo seasons came to a close last week, and senior appreciation games mark a night where parents and students alike can come together and acknowledge the commitment that these accomplished players put into their game. Sophomore Annika Danne and her fellow teammates took part in a yearly tradition of presenting meaningful posters to the departing seniors before the last home game on May 28. 

 “The seniors on our team are just so insanely positive and create an atmosphere where everyone just feels so welcomed and accepted. I think that’s so important to do as a leader, and it will hit us hard when they have to leave next year,” Danne said.

Senior Larkin Stodolnic appreciates how close-knit her team is this year and recalls how even though this season has been extremely difficult, this send-off ultimately made this short season worth it. 

“This year was really amazing, because we had a huge underdog comeback in one of our games against Tam. Then winning our game against Terra Linda and getting the amazing posters and flowers before just really tied everything together,” Stodolnic said.