The Paw Print

By Maren Theyssen, Staff Writer

Sophomore Jackson Peters tries to keep up with one of Farragut’s players. Photos courtesy of Charles Zimmer

After an exciting fall season, sports have fully transitioned into the winter season. The Grizzlies were ready to represent Payton during the month of December. While school may have ended early this month, Payton athletes continued to represent the school throughout winter break in both tournaments and matches, showing Payton’s pride and spirit. 

The Payton esports team won the state championship after they defeated Lake Zurich in a thrilling and close match of “Valorant.” Congratulations to all of the team members on bringing home another championship trophy. 

The wrestling team competed in a tournament at Back of the Yards, having multiple competitors win medals and a few first place finishes. The co-op team with Jones placed fifth and first at the tournament. The first-year team has had a very successful start to the program and looks forward to their future tournaments and matches. 

Girls bowling took down Von Steuben in the first match of the season. It was a blowout match and the Grizzlies showed their skill in the alley. After the successful debut, they faced off against Lane Tech and ended up losing in a close match. They look forward to their next match and the continuation of the season. 

Boys bowling took down Phoenix Military in a blowout. Sophomore Rowen McGown has scored a 180 average and has been an all-star bowler. He finished 22nd in the city alongside sophomore Nunzio Badalamenti, who placed 11th. 

The dance team kicked off their season and competed in the Lincoln-Way Central competition. They look forward to their competition in Rosemont on Jan. 4. Cheer also had their first competition where they placed seventh out of 10 in a highly competitive division. 

Boys swim started off 6-0, including wins against Lane Tech and Saint Ignatius. They continue to show their determination and Grizzly pride with every win as they defend their CPS title. After their 6-0 start, they continued on to being 8-0 over the break. 

Girls basketball defeated Niles North in a close 47-40 game on Dec. 21. They then competed in the Snowflake Shootout over winter break. Congratulations to junior Samantha Pilgrim and sophomore Maggie Tryggestad for being included in the all-tournament team. Tryggestad scored 19 points in the last game. 

Boys basketball had a close loss in their home opener on Dec. 10, but they quickly bounced back and had impressive wins against Carver, Bogan, Harvest Christian Academy and Lakeview. Juniors Desmond Opoku-Ware and Patrick Irvin Jr. have been putting up amazing numbers for the team. Irvin Jr. put up 22 points and 10 rebounds against Farragut, and also hit the game winning free-throw. Opoku-Ware scored 14 points and had eight rebounds in a game against Hillcrest. In the Elgin Holiday tournament, the team finished sixth out of 16 teams. The team looks to continue their success into the new year.