With the fall season coming to a close, Madison athletes are turning their focus to winter sports.

Girls basketball set a high standard as last year’s state champs. Having won three straight state titles, and this year’s team returning only five varsity players, the team will focus on getting new players comfortable in their new roles.  Working cohesively is an important goal for Coach Kirsten Stone. In their first game, they beat Marshall High School 53-42, with the girls continuing to show their talent.

“This year we are looking forward to building a new team, since we lost 8 seniors last year,” Avery Griepentrog (‘24) said. “We get to build new relationships and friendships. We are also going to set the tone early so we can keep our high level of play throughout the season.” 

The boys basketball team has goals of winning districts. Practices are everyday, broken up into defensive and offensive days. Similar to the girls, the boys basketball team is working towards playing collectively. Boys basketball lost their first game against Marshall High School by one point.

Madison Swim and Dive is getting ready for the season with practices being held four days a week. They will work on improving their strokes and dropping their time by building routines with feedback from their coaches and captains. A goal the swim and dive team has this year is to get as many people to states as possible. In their first meet, the Aquahawks beat Westfield High School.

“I think we’ll do honestly pretty well this season. We have a strong chance at being district runner ups and getting potentially top 3 at states. I already feel the team coming together and it’s great to see everyone getting so hyped up even at the start of the season.’’ said Sophia Brown (‘23).

Madison indoor track runners are facing a different environment as they practice. As winter track is indoors, they are practicing outside, creating a predicament for the athletes. Nevertheless, the athletes continue to persevere through unfavorable conditions. The goal for this season is to improve foot fitness and health.

“I think we’re going to do really well this season.” Chloe Dehn (‘25) said. “Last year we had the most school records broken for any sport, so this year we are motivated to do the same.”

The wrestling team is preparing for the upcoming season, however they are still missing athletes, many of whom are on the football team. Once the football season comes to a close, the wrestling team will focus on splitting up JV and varsity and practicing to meet the specific needs of the wrestlers. Last year, the wrestling team placed second in districts and got seven wrestlers to states. 

“The goals for this season are to place top 4 in the state and to win districts as a team,” said Ben Sim (‘23).

Madison athletes are facing the winter season head on with goals of reaching states. Across the board, Warhawks are showing their abilities on the court, in the pool, on the track, and in the gym. As the sports carry on, students should look forward to an exciting winter season.