Boys Basketball
After struggling with a season riddled with injury and adversity, the boys varsity basketball is looking to bounce back in future seasons.
“Last year we had seven wins and the year before that we had 19 wins. This was my ninth year coaching at the varsity level. We have had years that we’ve struggled and years we were successful, so who knows what next year could do for us,” head varsity coach John Wright said.
Despite the challenges he faced, senior Matt Miller had the personal triumph of tying the school three point record in a single game by making seven three pointers.
“I felt really good shooting the ball this season, but I was being selfless half the time, passing the ball when I was guarded instead of shooting, and I am one of our better shooters,” Miller said.
Although he missed on 12 games due to injury, junior Matt Loaney was able to score 143 points in his 13 games, placing fifth on his team for scoring.
“Being with the guys on the team and just being on the court with them everyday strengthened the relationships built with these guys on and off the floor,” Loaney said.
Boys varsity basketball is looking to rebound next year, but winning games is not the only priority for the team.
“Every season we want to be successful and compete for a conference championship, but aside from the wins and loses, we want to get a group of guys together that have great team chemistry and build strong relationships,” Wright said.
Leading the game, senior Tess Allgeyer jumps for a lay up. Allgeyer was a varsity team member since her freshman year. “We didn’t have the best record, but we tried to work with different lineups to see who could get us to success. As a captain, I vocalized on the court and tried to get my teammates excited. We always needed to have a desire to win,” Allgeyer said.
Girls Basketball
After finishing with nine wins and 16 losses, girls varsity basketball is sending off four seniors with high hopes for their futures.
“This team has grown together to understand each others’ strengths and weaknesses. Each player got better in multiple areas this year. I have seen more confidence on the court with this year’s team as well,” head varsity coach Allie Boedeker said.
The team improved from last season and met the goals that they hoped to achieve.
“We won more games than we did last season, and we also competed with higher competition,” Boedeker said. “Eight of our losses were by less than ten points, and in many of those games we were either leading or close heading into the final minutes of the game. A handful of these teams were ranked in the area throughout the season.”
Senior Tess Allgeyer led the girls team in scoring, putting up 257 points in 24 games played and making 35 percent of her shots.
“As far as practice goes, it can be tough at times just because there are so many specific reps that we practice over and over again, but for the most part we make the best of it and try to find some fun with it, which makes playing more enjoyable,” Allgeyer said.
The new season was a fresh start for the program as the freshmen and junior varsity teams hired new head coaches.
“Both coaches have a strong basketball background, but more importantly, they have the ability to create strong relationships with the players and parents. Both of them have enthusiasm and a passion for the game of basketball,” Boedeker said.
After losing in the first round of districts to Kirkwood High School, the team looks to come back next year, stronger than before.
“I think the motive for this season was to just play hard and have fun. We knew that a lot of the other teams we play are some tough competition, so we went into games not being defeated, but just ready to play basketball,” Allgeyer said.
Coming up for air during the 100-yard backstroke at Marquette Relays, freshman Megan VanValkenburgh propels herself to the wall to finish the race. This was Vanvalkenburgh’s first meet on the team, and her team was ranked third based off of their previous time. “It was stressful since we were swimming against some really fast people. But in the end, it’s not the race that matters, it’s really the team,” Vanvalkenburgh said.
Girls Swim and Dive
Finishing fourth in the state, girls swim and dive capped off a 7-2 season despite a smaller team than past years.
“Our team size was smaller than in years past, but that became the biggest motivator for our ‘tiny but mighty’ team,” head coach Coleen Sumner said.
14 of their 21 athletes qualified for state.
“The whole team contributed to their successes, no one could hide,” Sumner said. “Every swim and every point mattered; they all put the focus on swimming for their team, not themselves.”
The team surpassed their goals by and broke multiple records at state.
“They did a great job working toward and meeting their goals. They won all dual meets except two, they won the quad, had 100 percent best times at conference with many new times for state. We also had a conference champion, Maria Newton, and a state champion, Lauren Beard, who also broke the state record,” Sumner said.
Although it was a successful season, the team look to top their accomplishments in future seasons.
“The team was special how they came together, and the coaches feel very lucky that they got to be a part of this,” Sumner said.
Hooking his opponent’s leg and head in his arms, junior Brady Juenger wrestles an opponent from Clayton High School at a home meet. Juenger began wrestling in fifth grade as a wrestler at Parkway South. “The sport taught me about time management. I focused on the sport and my classes and not being lazy so I could get everything done,” Juenger said. “Wrestling also gave me lessons to take home, as far as determination and hard work.”
Wrestling
Varsity wrestling finished off their season with a 15-1 overall record and went undefeated in their conference.
“We won the conference championship for the second year in a row, which hadn’t been done since 1979 and 1980. We also sent four wrestlers to the state tournament,” head coach Zeke Allison said.
Freshman Paige Wehrmeister and sophomore Emma Carter were the first two female wrestlers in Parkway West history.
“It’s sort of fun to wrestle [boys] because I feel like it’s a growing experience every time,” Wehrmeister said. “I feel like I can do a lot of things better and react to more things, because a lot of varsity boys have a lot more experience [than I do].”
With his name now on the ‘Champions Board,’ Senior Jackson Barnhart was the district champion of the 182-pound weight class.
“It gives [new wrestlers] something to look forward to and gives them a chance to work hard for something, not just being the best wrestler on the team or something like that,” senior Jackson Barnhart said. “They’re going to come back in 10 or 20 years, and their name’s gonna be up there and everybody’s gonna be like ‘Wow.’”
The team is looking to improve in the future as they train this off-season.
“I think that this year our team has finally bought into our system, which has allowed the program to grow. They have realized that to take the next step you have to do something in the off-season to reach your goals in this sport. Whether that is wrestling in off-season camps or participating in another sport, you can’t sit around and get lazy,” Allison said.
![Holding the disc, senior Nathan Thompson waits for an opportunity to pass to senior Timmy Fry. Parkway United’s ultimate frisbee team is made up of students from each of the four Parkway schools. “The one thing I really like about ultimate [frisbee] is the community because it’s so different from any other sport I've been a part of. [My] national teammates are people who we play against in the regular season, so we see each other all the time. It's always fun hanging out with [them],” Thompson said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/C96A6823-1200x800.jpg)
![Senior Josie Grunzinger watches the football game intently from the sidelines on Oct. 18. Grunzinger stood out to the crowd as the only girl on the football team, encouraging other girls who want to play football to take a chance and go for a sport outside of their comfort zone. “If you think you could [play football] and you want to do it, just try it, because all it takes is to actually try it out,” Grunzinger said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Untitled-design-1200x675.png)
![With her arms held high, junior Jenna Rickelman throws the ball across the pool during a girls water polo practice. With hours of practice after school and over the summer, Rickelman saw many improvements in her water polo skills. “When I look at [my] stats, I'm so much better than I was last year,” Rickelman said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Untitled-design-2-.png)
![Putting on his helmet, catcher and senior Tommy Eschbach prepares to get in his primary stance. Despite losing 6-1 against Eureka on April 16, Eschbach didn’t let the tough loss affect his playing or mental health. “It's [so] easy to get caught up in the sport and what you're doing that [after] one bad game or a stretch of games it is hard to remind yourself that your worth as a person isn't directly related to your performance on the field,” Eschbach said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/DSC_0415-1-1-1200x800.jpg)
![Sports organizations have changed lives on and off the field, improving athletes’ muscle strength, reducing their risk of diseases and building energetic work capacity worldwide. However, many student-athletes struggle to balance schoolwork and athletic commitments, hoping to seek more understanding and support from their teachers and coaches. “To lessen mental strain student-athletes [face] and create a healthier, more comfortable lifestyle, there shouldn’t be any homework. I'm already [at school] for eight hours and [homework] creates a bigger load for student-athletes in AP or honors classes,” track and field sprinter and sophomore Lucy Penton said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DSC_0095-1-e1713883278514-1200x847.jpg)
![At the Spring Pep Rally on March 8, boys varsity water poloist and junior Jack Brau stands with the boys water polo team. The group, hoping to include everyone — whether boy or girl, varsity or JV — cheered on the girls water polo team during the sports team runouts. “Even though we all play separate games and have different practices, we like to see ourselves as one big group who represent one water polo [team],” Brau said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DSC_8810-1-1200x800.jpg)
![Looking for an open teammate, freshman Patrick May passes the ball across the court at the Nov. 28 game against Parkway Central. May started in the game against the Colts. ”Growing up, [my parents] always gave me a basketball, [and] we had a basketball hoop outside. I grew up playing [all the time], playing on the [driveway] and shooting hoops with my dad.” May said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/image2-1-1200x801.jpg)
