DEPARTMENTS: TITANS VICTORIOUS
By LORETTA SZYCH ’24
• WMA fans cheer on Titan players after the victory.
Boys’ Prep Basketball shines at national showcase As written for Atlas, WMA’s monthly newspaper With roughly half of the student body in tow, the Wilbraham & Monson Academy Boys’ Prep Basketball team competed at the 20th Annual Hoophall Classic Showcase at Springfield College’s Blake Arena on Jan. 17. The Titans won impressively, topping Life Christian Academy of Kissimmee, Florida, by 30 points, 72–42. This high-profile event was not only against an out-of-conference team, but was also televised on ESPNU. The game was highly anticipated by the entirety of the school. Head of School Brian Easler made schedule adjustments to open attendance for the game to students who were interested. The event attracted more than 150 members of the WMA community, represented in red clothing, as well as viewers at home. Coach Mike Mannix said the team’s level of maturity allowed them to distance themselves from the setting. Simply, he added, “Because we are on TV, don’t reinvent the wheel.”
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Nikias Schonerstedt ’22, a first-year player from Austria, described the event as unforgettable, as it was his biggest American basketball event to date. He recalled the feeling when he made a 3-pointer in the first quarter and said, “That was special! I had goosebumps after the shot, and to hear the whole WMA section cheer and go crazy was amazing.” Schonerstedt mentioned that in the beginning of the school year, he had to adjust to new rules and playing styles of the U.S. This would have been difficult to accomplish without the help of his teammates and new friends. He said, “We always have the right words to push and motivate each other to get better every day and that is what makes our chemistry so good.” One of these teammates was Kyle Filipowski ’22, who was named MVP of the game against Life Christian with 28 points, 10 rebounds and strong defense.
