Working to escape from the bottom position on the mat, sophomore Braidan McGrath competes in first wrestling match of the season. Parkway West faced Fox High School on Dec. 3. “My main goal [for] this year was to focus on getting better as the season went on and fixing the mistakes I made last year. Even when practice gets tough [or] I lose a match, I think about [the] times I succeeded and how that felt, and it pushes me to keep working so I can do that more,” McGrath said.
Categories:
Team takedowns
Wrestling tournaments and meets of the 2025-2026 season
Tags:
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MultimediaAthletes of West - Alexander Berryhill -
MultimediaWhat Happens Next -
MultimediaAthletes of West - Nolan Orr -
Multimedia2026 Senior send-off map -
MultimediaLeaders of West - Kamori Berry -
![Stepping up to the tee box, junior Connor Boles lines up his shot before teeing off on the first hole at the Ballwin Golf Course. The team took on the Northwest High School boys’ varsity golf team on Mar. 24. “Golf [is] a sport where I get to feel free; it takes everything off my mind for a couple of hours,” Boles said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/DSC8040-e1776864425510-1200x792.jpg)
MultimediaAthletes of West - Connor Boles -
MultimediaThe Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon -
![Senior Natalia Gumpel crowdsurfs above her teammates during the pep rally as the girls’ soccer team is recognized. Gumpel is a two-year member of the girls’ varsity soccer team as an outside back. “[Pep rallies are important] because [they] bring a sense of unity to the school, and I think that’s important so you don’t feel so overwhelmed. High school is a part [of life] where there [are] a lot of things changing, so to feel that sense of community is good. A lot of [my teammates] are close friends, and we’ve grown closer through soccer,” Gumpel said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/DSC3584-2-1200x799.jpg)
MultimediaSpring fever -
MultimediaIgniting the future -
MultimediaAthletes of West - Braidan McGrath -
![Carefully holding a young athlete's face, senior Elizabeth Knott works at the face painting station in Victory Village. The Victory Village, located in the North Gym, served as a space for athletes to engage in multiple independent tasks. “I like to volunteer [and] interact with all different kinds of people [and] helping them have a fun experience. There was a little boy who asked me if I could [draw] a character from a game he liked [and] I was able to look it up and draw that character for him,” Knott said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/DSC9290-1-Enhanced-NR-1-1200x799.jpg)
Photo GalleriesMore than a medal: West High hosts their annual Special Olympics event -
![Crowding around the robot with his team, Blue Brains, sophomore Theo Branch prepares for another qualifying round. With only a few minutes to make repairs and fix flaws between matches, some teams struggled under the pressure of time. “In competition, it can get really stressful really quick if [you’re] not doing as well as you wanted to. It’s good to keep your mind focused on what you can do in the moment, especially if you’re not in the driver’s box during a match. [Still], if you look at the difference between what we've done this year and last year, we've improved a lot on our I design philosophy, and that's helped us improve in competition and as a team. We have a good team chemistry right now, [which is] where things are going well for us this season,” Branch said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/DSC01475-2-1200x800.jpg)
Photo GalleriesBattle of the bots -
![Defending his opposition — the senior team — history teacher Ryan Newton jumps high to block an incoming shot. Newton’s involvement in West athletics encouraged him to play in the Senior vs. Faculty basketball game. “I just wanted to go play basketball and compete. [Playing] with the other teachers against the seniors was just a fun opportunity. [It was great] with 1200 people in the gym, a good environment and a back-and-forth game,” Newton said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/DSC_7287-2-1200x799.jpg)
Photo GalleriesFrom winter pep to hoop action -
Photo GalleriesScoring for a cause -
![Performing as Nibs in “Lost Girl,” junior Avery Hermann inspects a drawing of Neverland made by the show’s main character, Wendy Darling. Hermann not only acted in “Lost Girl”, but he also served as assistant director of the show. “I found ‘Lost Girl’ to be a beautiful and touching story, and I’m really glad I got to be a part of it. My favorite part of the show [was] my work as assistant director. I spent a lot of time working with every [cast member] on character, deliveries and emotional development. It was so amazing to see these brilliant actors come to life on stage in such a colorful way,” Hermann said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/DSC_1258-Enhanced-NR-1-1200x798.jpg)
Photo GalleriesLost in the lights -
![Standing in front of the camera and next to Fox 2 News' Ty Hawkins, senior and varsity football player JaMont Brooks represents the varsity football team. As captain and outside linebacker, Brooks was one of four students selected to be interviewed live for the broadcast. “Overall, it was just a crazy experience being on the news. Even when I get older, I’ll tell my kids or grandkids I was on the news. My mom sent me a picture of me on the news [saying] ‘Oh my gosh, that’s my son.’ The Parkway West community felt amazing this morning. Everybody showed up at 6 [a.m.] and [will] show up 6 [p.m.] tonight too. Any time I go into a game, I go up there with the mentality that we’re going to try our best, and even the times we struggle, [I’ll] keep my head up,” Brooks said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC8122-Enhanced-NR-1200x799.jpg)
Photo GalleriesWaking up to spirit -
![Blue lights shining brightly, senior Riley Creely beatboxes into the microphone. Creely and the group began the performance in front of the blue lights, sparking interest from the audience. “The pep rally performance was fun. I got to beatbox for the first half of the song, which was hype. I liked to look into the student section [while I performed],” Creely said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC_5085-Enhanced-NR-1200x799.jpg)
Photo GalleriesA day of spirit and energy -
![Leaping through the air, senior Tyler Watts celebrates his first goal of the season, which put the Longhorns up 1-0 against the Lafayette Lancers. Watts decided to play soccer for West for his last year of high school and secured a spot on the varsity roster. “[Playing soccer for West] is something I had always dreamed of, but hadn’t really had a good opportunity to do until now. It’s [really] fun being out [on the field], and I’m glad I decided to join the team. It’s just all about having fun with the boys and enjoying what time we have left together,” Watts said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC_1951-1200x855.jpg)
Photo GalleriesBoys soccer season starts strong -
![Sophomore Natalie House pitches the ball during an intrasquad scrimmage for Red and Blue Night on Aug. 22. House played catcher for the varsity softball team. “I started [playing] softball when I was five. My brother played baseball, and I wanted to start sports like him. Scrimmaging against our own team is always kind of difficult because we all know each other's [weaknesses],” House said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC7191-1-1-1200x844.jpg)
Photo GalleriesRed and Blue Night: An everlasting tradition -
![Blending harmonies with dynamic control, senior Spencer Rahm takes the stage as part of the jazz choir's spring performance. Jazz Coffee House took place on April 22, marking the culmination of months of preparation by West High’s musicians. “To me, [choir] is an opportunity every day to get to sing with my friends and work on our songs that we have concerts for. [Seeing] the results after working together with people is really rewarding. Jazz Coffee House concert was a reflection and a result of all the hard work we've put in the last three months,” Rahm said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC_0214-3-1200x800.jpg)
Photo GalleriesBrews and grooves
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