Dynamic Duos

DYNAMIC DYNAMIC DUOS DUOS

by HAILEY CALLAN, SOFIA LEVA, and MADHU RAMKUMAR art by SOFIA LEVA

After four years, Paly seniors have created solid relationships with their teammates, and many pairs have made a significant impact on their teams’ successes.

Cade Creighton and Max Felter pictured below. (Photo courtesy of Max Felter)

Photo courtesy of Thea Enache &CHEUNG ENACHE hillary thea

As a setter and an outside hitter pair, Hillary Cheung’s and Thea Enache’s chemistry helped the volleyball team score many points. They met in 6th grade and played on the high school varsity team together for the past three years at Paly. “My favorite thing about playing with her is probably how funny she is,” Enache said. Along with building a close friendship over the years, they also had many successful moments playing with one another, such as winning the state quarterfinals in 2019. “Thea is definitely a key player on the team,” Cheung said. “She is someone who sets the mood for the game and someone that we heavily rely on to get kills as well as picking up digs and serve receive.”

Enache believes that Cheung creates a positive environment not only for her, but for everyone else on the team as well.

“The biggest way she contributes to the team’s success is by working hard and providing quieter players with a safe space to express their opinions,” Enache said.

The two have grown a strong bond, and have been able to rely on each other during stressful game situations.

“Thea has supported me on the court by always having my back, and being someone who is able to change the rhythm of the game when we are down,” Cheung said.

Enache feels as though Cheung reciprocates the same support.

“She has supported me on the court by believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself,” Enache said.

SCHULTZ &damon HANEY jack

Water polo pair Jack Haney and Damon Schultz have been playing together for five years on various club teams and most notably, the Paly varsity water polo team since freshman year. Although they knew each other outside of the sport, playing together brought them much closer together.

“I met Jack in middle school but really got to know him during freshman water polo season and that’s when the friendship grew,” Schultz said.

Haney and Schultz have enjoyed countless wins together in the pool, but their most notable win was their 12-10 win against Harker in SCVAL.

“We controlled the game well together and held Harker’s offense to much more than in the past, after we had gone 0-3 against them,” Haney said.

Along with the team wins and goals scored together, the two also benefited from each other’s company and constant support.

“My favorite thing about playing with Damon was that he was a great player but also knew how to laugh and step back,” Haney said. “We always had a great time in the water every day.”

Both Haney and Schultz feel as though their playing styles complement each other.

“I’m more of a defensive player in water polo, so whenever I pick up a defender or force a steal, I am commemorated by Jack when he scores goals,” Schultz said. “Jack is a huge offensive threat in our team and without him, we wouldn’t have won as many games as we did.”

Haney credits Schultz for the team’s strong chemistry and successful performances.

“Damon always had great energy in and out of the water and was all over the place,” Haney said. “He brought the team together more as well which allowed us to perform better.” Photo courtesy of Jack Haney

&olivia

MILNE kat

Photo courtesy of Olivia Milne

Senior duo Olivia Milne and Katherine Thomsen have been crushing the competition on the Paly soccer field for the past four years. They first began playing on the same team in high school as the only two freshmen on Varsity, but their relationship off the field goes even further back.

“I met Kat in elementary school where

THOMSEN

we were friends,” Milne said. “We were always on teams in the same [soccer] club, but she was a year older so we were never on the same team.”

Milne and Thomsen have achieved much success in their time as varsity athletes.

“Our biggest accomplishment has been making it to CCS all the years we’ve played together in high school,” Milne said.

Thomsen feels as though their close friendship on and off the field has been critical to their success in games.

“My favorite thing about playing with Liv is that we’re always on the same page,” Thomsen said. “If she has the ball and I’m checking in from the midfield, she knows exactly when and where to play the ball.”

Although their success is shown tangibly on the field, to Milne, playing with Thomsen has been even more rewarding for more than just the wins.

“Kat is a very steady and reliable teammate skill-wise and as a leader,” Milne said. “She always has a clear head and never gets too frustrated during the game which always keeps everyone calm. Logistically, she also scored the most goals out of the whole team this year, which is awesome.”

Thomsen agrees, saying that Milne is often one of her biggest supporters on the field.

“She’s supported me by always celebrating my accomplishments, even sometimes when I don’t,” Thomsen said. “She always lets me know when I do good things on the field.”

&matt lucas CORRIGAN BLACK

Matt Corrigan and Lucas Black’s relationship goes back to seventh-grade club basketball, where they played for the same program. Both Corrigan and Black contributed to the boys’ varsity basketball team’s success, which has been shown during leagues this year. “My favorite memory as a team was beating Los Altos to win the league championship,” Black said.

Along with the team’s wins as a whole, the two also made personal accomplishments together, specifically during their senior season.

“Our biggest accomplishment together was both being selected to the First Team All-League our senior year and winning the league title, while both starting every game of the year,” Corrigan said.

Black believes Corrigan brings a variety of strengths to the table, such as a positive attitude on the court, as well as a versatile playing style.

“He is a very consistent player and you can always rely on him to make the right decision,” Black said. “He can play a guard position but he’s not afraid to get rebounds and be physical.”

The two players are strong supporters of each other both on and off the court.

“Lucas and I always hype each other up after making great plays, and always have each other’s back on the court,” Corrigan said. “Lucas is always the strongest player on the court and he knows how to play the game to his strengths.” Photo courtesy of Lucas Black

&max cade FELTER CREIGHTON

Photo courtesy of Max Felter

Max Felter and Cade Creighton, two senior Paly wrestlers, met on the JLS wrestling team back in eighth grade, and have been training together on the Paly team ever since. The pair had many successes in high school, most recently when they both went to states.

“I would say that Max and I both going to the state tournament was our biggest accomplishment together because it’s something that very few teammates get to do together, especially in the CCS,” Creighton said.

Although going to that tournament was the most notable achievement, both Felter and Creighton were valuable wrestlers to the Paly team all season.

“Cade contributed most by being our biggest team point scorer,” Felter said. “You get more points for how badly you beat your opponent and Cade was often earning our team the most points at tournaments and duels.”

Felter also helped lead the team along with Creighton.

“Max is a great teammate and leader,” Creighton said. “He helped me with some important decisions about which weight class I should wrestle, and we always help each other to warm up for tournaments and dual meets. He’s always friendly and positive, and he is also a pretty funny fellow.”

Felter reflects on the positive environment while wrestling that he and Creighton created.

“I’m gonna miss the laughs we had most,” Felter said. “Whether it be during practice, day-long tournaments, or duels, Cade and I were always able to joke around with each other and keep our spirits high.”

The camaraderie off the mat between the Felter and Creighton translates onto the mat as well.

“My favorite thing about wrestling with Max is that he and I flow very well between moves during sparring,” Creighton said. “With many people, wrestling them feels jerky and awkward, but with Max, wrestling is more like an art.”

Felter also enjoys this special connection with Creighton because it has helped motivate him throughout all of high school.

“I’m really thankful to have had Cade around me,” Felter said. “Wrestling is a hard sport and I feel that we helped each other make it an enjoyable experience regardless of how much it beat us down.”

&SUNG lauren SUNG sydney

The Sung sisters, Lauren and Sydney, have been playing golf together for over 13 years, ever since they were only five years old. The two have worked incredibly hard while playing at Paly so much so that they won states in 2019. On top of that, both sisters qualified for the renowned USGA Four-Ball Tournament in Puerto Rico.

“Our knowledge of each other’s games and trust has really shown through in high school which has benefited us in the best way possible,” Lauren said.

Both sisters have benefited from having a close bond on the course.

“My favorite thing about playing with Lauren is just that we get along so well and she is truly my best friend,” Sydney said. “We understand each other and I always have fun playing with her… Even though golf is an individual sport, it’s nice to know you always have someone with you at whatever tournament you are at.”

Though both players have different styles, they feel as though this only helps their team reach success in tournaments.

“[Sydney] complements my game perfectly as she is a more aggressive player and I’m a more conservative player,” Lauren said. “We can trust that our games will show through, as she can shoot low scores while I keep our team in the game by keeping consistent throughout the day.”

Sydney agrees with this sentiment.

“The biggest way Lauren contributes to the team’s success is by being consistent and always level-headed,” Sydney said. “Her consistency allows me to be aggressive on the course and that allows us to shoot low and play great.”

Both players are committed to play golf at the University of Michigan in the fall, where they can continue a journey that they started side by side. Photo courtesy of Sydney Sung