By Lucia Bakule and David Klimasmith, Belmont Voice correspondents
Girls Swim and Dive – Belmont swim and dive clinched the Middlesex League title on Thursday, Oct. 29, their third consecutive league title after an undefeated season. Freshman Linda Wang won the 100-meterfreestyle, and junior Cecilia Held was the league champion diver. The team now looks ahead to sectionals and states, where several athletes will compete across multiple events.
Girls Soccer – Belmont is currently No. 11 in Division I after a strong two-win week boosted their record to 12-5-1. The Marauders started the week with a dominant 5-0 win against Reading on Tuesday, Oct. 27, then followed it up two days later with a 2-0 win against Andover. Belmont expects to host its first playoff game, with official dates and opponents being released on Thursday, Nov. 5.
Boys Soccer – A last-minute bicycle kick sank Belmont’s hopes of winning the Middlesex League when the Marauders tied Reading 1-1 on Oct. 27. Junior Robert Hoerle scored Belmont’s lone goal. Hoerle was named the Middlesex League Golden Boot winner, after scoring a league-high nine goals. The No. 19 Marauders cruised to a comfortable 2-0 win over Watertown on Nov. 2, with goals from juniors Hugh Goulding and Alex Zicha. Senior Will Hugg recorded the shutout. Tournament brackets will be released on Thursday, Nov. 5.
Girls Volleyball – Belmont had a busy week with two wins and one loss, resulting in a final record of 13-6 and a No. 19 ranking. On Monday, Oct. 26, Belmont swept 25th-ranked Lexington 3-0. They then fell to Wakefield in a tough 3-2 loss two days later. The Marauders ended the week at Boston Latin, where they put up a solid 3-1 victory, capping off a successful regular season. Belmont will next travel to 14th-ranked Shrewsbury on Thursday for the first round of the state tournament.
Girls Cross Country – Girls cross country placed sixth overall in the Middlesex League championship on Monday, Oct. 26 at Woburn Country Club. Daphne Lee had Belmont’s top finish at 23rd, and Reece Bundy came in close behind her at 28th. The team looks forward to the Division 1B championship meet on Saturday, Nov. 14.
Boys Cross Country -Belmont came in fourth in the Middlesex League championship on Oct. 26. Junior Noah Gieger led the way for the Marauders, finishing the 5K course in 15:57. He was followed by classmate Will Olmstead (15:59) and sophomore Ishaan Kanagaraj (16:02). The Marauders will return to action on Nov. 14, when they will compete for the Division 1B championship.
Field Hockey – The Marauders are now 15-1-1 and ranked third in the state after an exciting three-win week, all shutouts. The team dominated with a 4-0 victory against Newburyport on Monday, Oct. 26, followed by a 7-0 win at Wilmington three days later. The girls finished their week with a tight 1-0 win over Division 3 second-ranked Dover-Sherborn, with freshman Lucy Laken-Shultz scoring the lone goal off a pass from junior Mia Smith. Belmont earned a No. 3 seed in the upcoming state tournament and will host 30th-ranked Lowell on Thursday, Nov. 5.
Football – The Marauders’ offense was stymied on Oct. 30, as Belmont suffered a 35-0 loss to Winchester on senior night. Senior Damir Neal rushed for 56 yards to lead the way in the defeat. The team is 2-5 and outside the playoff picture, but has improved significantly from last year’s 0-9 record. Belmont returns to action on Nov. 6, when they will travel to take on Newton South.