Fall sports are wrapping up with only cross-country and boys soccer still in post-season play,, it’s almost time for winter sports to take over.

This includes boys and girls basketball, hockey and dance.

Let’s start off with dance, one of the more underappreciated sports here at Notre Dame Academy.

From having to dance in the cold for football games to a nine-month season of grueling multiple- hour practices, there is a lot that goes unnoticed with the dance team.

Coming off a year where the team excelled in pom and went to state, they are destined to make a jump for this upcoming year.

“We have really good potential this year. Our routines are harder than usual but we have really good dancers,” said Megan Zasuly, a senior on the team.

Led by captains Bridget Kapic, Katie Crane and Anna Zimmerman, the girls have six competitons during the winter months.

“As a team, I think a goal we have is placing at state in either pom or jazz,” said Kapic.

Going on to girls basketball, with two-time state-winning coach Sara Rohde, the team looks to improve from last year’s sectional final loss to Beaver Dam.

“Some of our goals this year are to play as a team, win more home games, and finally beat Beaver Dam,” said senior captain Emily Cribben.

Some of the key players to watch in the upcoming season are juniors Sammy Opichka and Charley Apple.

The hockey team has probably the highest expectations of any of the winter sports. 

Repeatedly placing  first in the conference year in and year out, the hockey guys have solidified their dominance in the FRCC. 

“I think everyone on the team realizes that our goal every year is to make it to state,” said Jacob Conrad, a senior captain on the team.

Sawyer Scholl and Sam Peterman, the two other captains on the team, both agree with Conrad’s approach to the upcoming year.

“We have a lot of returning players that made a huge impact last season and we should be pretty good this year,” said Peterman.

Last but not least, the boys basketball team wraps up the winter sports teams.

The team hopes to improve from last season’s rough regular season and first-round exit in the playoffs.

“The guys on the team understand that this season can’t be how it was last year, which means that our common goal is to win some more games,” said Jack Schumer, a senior and one of the leading scorers from last season. 

Other key players this year include last year’s leading scorer George Kress and standouts Danny Nennig and Chris Mitchell.