You always hear about “senior seasons” and “one last go around,” however, have you ever wondered what it is really like to experience senior-year sports? The senior athletes of football, volleyball, and cross country share their stories at a deeper level and explain what the four years have meant to them.
The Atlantic Cross Country team is a proud possessor of the class of 2024 seniors. With 17 seniors ready to pass the Trojan legacy to their younger peers, Alex Sonntag has insight into what senior season embodies. Sonntag’s best piece of advice for the seniors who will succeed him is to “always try and set a good example and work hard every day, even when you feel like crap.” As his senior year as a cross-country runner comes to a close, his main motivation is his future. “The main thing is that I knew I am going to run in college so I knew I wanted to do really well this season, so that motivated me, as well as my parents and friends,” said Sonntag. Lastly, his mentor, Coach Dan Vargason, has been a major factor in his success by “being super supportive and pushing the whole team every practice.”
The 2023 volleyball season included four seniors: Nicole Middents, Makayla Atkinson, Abby Muller, and Avery Knuth. Nicole Middents, a dual sport student-athlete who took on cross country and volleyball, shared her experiences during her season of lasts. With the loss of all senior starters from the 2022 season, Middents said “We have all definitely had to step up and lead the team, in all different ways as well.” Her main advice for incoming seniors is to give it their all, and “have fun doing it.”
As the 2023 football season slowly comes to a halt, senior running back Dante Hedrington has many memories to look back on. This season, the AHS Football team had to adjust to the loss of many starters at graduation, and Hedrington explained that loss. “I mean I grew up playing football with those boys, and it was definitely eye-opening for me when I didn’t get the chance to play with them this year,” said Hedrington. As for upcoming seniors, Hedrington advised underclassmen to “take the lead, take care of problems right at the beginning, don’t let it get out of hand, and enjoy every game.” Lastly, if he could, Hedrington would “make senior season longer.”
Finally, as these seasons wrap up, be sure to be loud in the stands and show these seniors your support!
