Best described as a cocktail of emotions, senior night is a moment that student-athletes both look forward to and dread. For many, this event marks a major accomplishment, as it caps off an athletic career filled with unforgettable memories. But at the same time, senior night is the final domino to fall in a high school athlete’s career. Over the past few weeks, Pinewood has celebrated their seniors across the fall sports.
The girls volleyball team finished off their season with a dominant 3-0 win over Eastside, as they cheered on seniors Sophia Yao and Anna Beltyukova. Through a season of ups and downs, the team rallied together to form a tight bond.
“I feel like our team was really close this year and that I was friends with each girl,” Yao said. “Our practices were also really fun, and sometimes we would all just end up laughing on the ground.”
Similarly, girls tennis also capped off their season with a win against Priory, as they cheered on senior Kaelyn Smith.
“My senior night was amazing,” Smith said. “It was such a great night to appreciate my team and coach and to also feel their appreciation as well.”
For her senior night, Smith played doubles together with her sister, freshman Devyn Smith, for the first and last time. As the season comes to an end, Smith says that she will miss the community she formed on the tennis team, especially connections made with the sophomores and freshmen.
The athletes’ experiences illustrate the deeply sentimental and reflective aspects of senior night. Many are overcome with emotions but excited for the future. Others are reminiscent of the good times and disappointed time passed so quickly. It’s an indescribable blend of emotions that one will never understand until they are the ones being honored on their special nights. And through the many traditions and speeches that take place on senior night, the bonds formed through athletics are magnified.
Senior Ethan Roh discussed how his senior night felt like it bridged the gap between the underclassmen and the seniors, as they realized that team responsibilities would soon be in their hands.
For Roh, the prospect of senior night had always seemed far away — something that would come eventually, but not for a while.
“I still remember the senior night against Priory two years ago,” Roh said. “I thought to myself that I have two whole years left to play, and now looking back, I’m realizing how quickly that time has flown by.”
