By Daniel Garin, Andrew Sassower, Marek Cherian and Anthony Dorn, Sports Staff Writers

Boys Basketball

The Payton boys basketball team entered the season with high hopes. After an intense two days of tryouts, new juniors were eager to team up with an experienced core of seniors. Payton kicked off the season at the competitive St. Patrick’s tournament. After scraping just one win in the 4 games played, the Grizzlies kept their heads up and pushed on towards the season. For the next eight games, Payton went undefeated with notable wins against Jones, Latin and Austin. Payton was leading the conference by a dominant margin going into the new year. After a successful holiday tournament in Centralia, Illinois, the Grizzlies resumed their conference play with two more wins. To cap off a conference championship, the Grizzlies faced a tough Marshall side, pulling through in the final minutes of the game to win 43-42. Junior Graham Miller attributed the win to the team’s ability to “hit some great shots and battle through adversity.” The win guarantees a move to the top division in the Chicago Public League, the Red Division, next year. The season in word: Dominant

Reviewing a play before getting back in the game. (Photo credit: WPCP Boys Basketball team)

Girls Basketball

The girls’ basketball team fought hard this season, competing in the Red division, CPS’s top division. Beginning the season with three tough losses, the team bounced back with their first win against Blue Island. After a period of ups and downs, Payton put together a dominant win against major rival Lane Tech in January with an energetic crowd behind them. Highlight of the season was when Senior Ella Glascott scored her 1000th point in her varsity career. It was a historic accomplishment and she joined an elite club of just a few Grizzlies to hit that mark. The Season in one Word: Exciting

Chess

The Chess team was phenomenal this season. After a promising season last year, they trained over the off-season to become dominant. Starting the season blowing through some tournaments, the squad looked ready to take on the city and beyond. An experienced core of upperclassmen players supported rising stars to easy victories at the West Chicago Tournament and the Prep Bowl. With the team in prime form, they headed to the City Championship, eager to claim a repeat win. Despite tough competition, Payton successfully defended their title and claimed the City Championship for the second straight year. Highlight performers include Junior Sohan Bendre and Jack Heller who went undefeated in the Varsity section. All eyes turned to the sectional championship which Payton had dominated the year before. Creative openings and brilliant moves gave Payton a massive lead right at the start, and Payton carried its momentum and never looked back. A tournament high 8 players went undefeated to carry Payton to back to back sectional wins. The celebrations were short however and the grizzlies began prep for the State championship without rest. The prestigious state finals were to be held at the Peoria Civic Center in Peoria Illinois with over a hundred schools participating. The competition was fierce and our grizzlies were pushed to their limits. Payton was up at the top competing for top prize with excellent play from all our grizzlies. The team recounts the camaraderie and fun they had in Peoria. 

The season in one word: Legendary

The chess team celebrates a third place win at the state championship. (Photo credit: WPCP Chess Team)

Bowling

Bowling at WPCP had another exciting season this year. Led by Gabby Scholtes and Jane von der Sitt, the Bowling Team had a great time while defeating some substantial competition. In fact, these two members both reached the City Championship! They played teams all over the city at a multitude of locations, including Taft and Amundsun at Waveland Bowl

The season in one word: Incredi-bowl

Boys Swimming

The boys’ swimming season came to an impressive close with their fantastic performance at the City Varsity and JV Championships. The team finished in 2nd place, a remarkable accomplishment in itself. However, the swimmers’ outstanding individual performances helped to secure this fantastic result. All Payton Swimmers who participated had a personal record, and their combined efforts led to an excellent outcome. The team members who stood out the most were John Ginn, Alex Spalding, Luke Wang, David Roche, Shuhan Zhao, Victor Margeta, and Leo He. Their outstanding achievements include two City Championship Meet Records, one CPL Record, five Whitney Young Pool Records, and three Program Records. The team also won six Varsity Gold Medals, one Varsity Silver Medal, and two Varsity Bronze Medals. In addition, they won two Frosh/Soph Gold Medals, seven Frosh/Soph Silver Medals, and two Frosh/Soph Bronze Medals. Overall, the boys’ swimming season was a resounding success, and their achievements were impressive. The swimmers’ dedication, hard work, and talent culminated in their fantastic performance at the City Championships.The season in one word: Spectacular