By Victoria Lin and Victoria Ratto, Staff Writers 

Girls Wrestling:

The Girls Wrestling Captain, Pipiena Langi (12), is excited to lead her team to victory this year. She started her wrestling journey at Mills just four years ago. Langi loves being with her welcoming team, and being able to see all of the newcomers grow individually. She loves being the team’s biggest cheerleader and motivating hesitant incomers. Even if they do not win all of their tournaments this year, Langi will be proud of her team. “[I just want them] to wrestle their best and have fun.” She has very strong beliefs in order to make her team successful. “To be a good captain, I cannot slack. I am not allowed to be lazy about warmups and stretches. If I want a good team, I need to be a good captain, an example of what it should look like.” Langi wants to prove that captains do more than people think. She is excited to see how far she can take her team, and form close bonds everyone on the team. Although Langi is sad that it is her last year at Mills, she is grateful for the experience that she has had here, claiming that it is  “unforgettable”.

Boys Wrestling:

David Fonseca (12), the Boys Wrestling Captain, has exciting goals for his team this upcoming season. He hopes to win the league and move up a division. Before his wrestling career, Fonseca had been a student in  jiu-jitsu, a sport that helped him easily transition into wrestling. This is now his fifth year of wrestling. Fonseca aims to get a scholarship in wrestling and pursue the sport in college. Currently, he is applying to college and receiving recruitment offers, but has not committed yet. In regards to being captain, he does not want to be too strict and straight-forward.  Instead, he wants to be his team’s biggest supporter, motivator and friend. He wants to create a strong team of young men, who share the same love and passion as Fonseca. Being a team captain does not just mean solely focusing on being the best in the league it means staying strong through losses and be proud of your successes as a team.

Boys Basketball:

Co-Captaining Varsity Boys Basketball for the 2018 season is Aaron Chen (12), a veteran Varsity athlete of Mills. Chen has been playing basketball for twelve years, this  year being his third on Varsity and his fourth for Mills. The reason he continuously returns to this sport is due to the “safe haven” it creates for him, allowing him to solely focus on the ball in his hands and forget his troubles. Basketball has also taught him many significant life lessons, and it helps him make important social connections to new people as well. Some of his closest friends are past or current teammates of his, which makes captain an interesting position to be in. He has found a way to remain a strong captain but loyal friend however by being a vocally supportive and encouraging leader, taking on the persona of a role model to teach his teammates by example. This season, his goal for the team is to place first in their South Division, but to enjoy their time together and have fun along the way.

Colby Vasquez (12), is Co-Captaining for Varsity Boys Basketball for the 2018 season. He has been playing basketball ever since he could hold a basketball in his hands. He is also been playing on the Boys Basketball team all four years here at Mills. He started on the Freshman team his Freshman year, then for the past three years have played on the Varsity team. The high intensity and fast pace of the playing basketball thrills Vasquez, he claims that playing gives him a feeling he can’t get in any other sport, which is what has kept him going and it is why he has been playing for so long. Being one of the leaders on this team, he will be very vocal and supportive, while also always having his teammates backs, all throughout the season. Vasquez has exciting goals to go undefeated all throughout the season, and to be the first Mills sports team to win CCS, all while he encouraging his teammates throughout the season.

Girls Basketball:

Debbie Zshornack (12), is one of the seniors leading Varsity Girls Basketball this season. She is determined to have this be the team’s best year, seeing as last year was a bit rocky. For her team to get the best results, everyone will need to give 110% in every game. During drills, she makes sure that everyone is comfortable with communicating with one another. “It’s our job as captains to make sure everyone knows what they are doing, and are ready on game day.” Playing well together means that the girls cannot be shy about calling out their teammate’s mistakes. Because communication has always been a weak spot in the past, Zschornack is making it one of her top priorities this year. She is very passionate about the girls having strong connections with one another, and ending with the same energy they started with. To be able to play well together, the girls have to get along outside of the court. Zschornack has been playing basketball for eight years now, seven of them being with her fellow Co-Captain Olivia Williams. This is her fourth year playing for Mills, third on Varsity.  To her, basketball is a sport where she can let loose and have fun. While she admits that running plays during a practice gets repetitive, having them work in games is the most rewarding feeling in the world. Going into her last year playing as a Lady Viking, Zshornack is making sure that her teammates’ effort and attitude is high. She is eager to be leading a talented team with great co-captains by her side.

Another senior leading the Girls Varsity Basketball team is Olivia Williams (12). Williams has been playing since she was nine years old, alongside her fellow captain Debbie Zshornack. It is her fourth year playing for Mills, and her third year on varsity. She says she is excited to be a co-captain this year, but she is sad that it is her last year playing with Zshornack. Putting her emotions aside, Williams takes her role of co-captain very seriously. She believes that communication is the key to success.  Pointing out the girls’ mistakes is essential in letting them improve, but Williams stresses that yelling is not the way to get a point across. She talks to her teammates whenever she has suggestions to help them correct their mistakes. Because it is her third year being on varsity, Williams wants to be able to make incoming players feel welcome. If they are not comfortable with the team, then they cannot play well with their other teammates. To have been playing for this long, something must keep reeling her into playing each year. Williams believes that her teammates are what make this sport so special. Her team creates a fun and welcoming type of atmosphere. “I have created bonds with people on the team that are so strong. ” She loves all the girls that she plays with because they make worth all the while. Going into her last year playing, Williams is excited because of her extremely talented team. She hopes that she and her team give it their all and, at the end of the day, she will be proud of whatever outcome they get.

Boys Soccer: 

One of the Varsity Boys Soccer Co-Captains, Yuma Miyake (12), is extremely optimistic about his team qualifying for the CCS Championships this year. Miyake has been playing for twelve years now, three on Mills Varsity. He is confident in the boys’ abilities and is thrilled that the team is working well together. With years of experience playing together, the boys already know their teammates’ styles of play, a huge advantage in a team sport that requires utmost communication skills. Although they are welcoming new players this season, Miyake is convinced that the experienced upperclassmen will make the newcomers feel at home. To ensure the boys have a victorious season, Miyake is very open with all of his teammates. He “likes to discuss any issues with players one on one” to guarantee that there are no problems holding the team back from performing their best. A captain should be focused solely on the game while on the field. Miyake claims that his personality is completely different on and off of the field. On the field, he is fierce and determined. However, Miyake says that he is “very chill” and friendly off the field. Hopefully, this balance of personalities will be of value in his leadership position. He is more than happy to be co-captaining, since Miyake is more comfortable with leading offense, whereas his co-captain can direct defense. While he is saddened at the thought of parting with his team after a this season, he is determined to enjoy the season, build a strong foundation for the future, and looks forward to where his soccer career will take him.

Richard Schafhalter (12) is the other Co-Captain for Varsity Boys Soccer. He is also enthusiastic about taking his team to the CCS Championships. In order to reach their goal, Schafhalter states that he will hold his teammates up to high standards. These demanding expectations are his way of pushing the team to reach their target of moving up from the Ocean Division next season, and the first step is to win League, a goal they fell just short of last year by two points. Schafhalter believes that as a captain, he should lead by example and take charge. By taking practices and games seriously, he hopes that his determination will inspire players to do the same. If any of the team members are unsure of a skill they are not particularly strong in, Schafhalter wants to be able to guide them through their problems and push them to be their best. If any of the boys aspire to be captains in the future, they have to put in the effort to get there now. Schafhalter has been playing soccer for twelve years now, joining Mills last season on Varsity. He claims that his love for the sport stems from soccer being exciting and unpredictable. The unplanned decisions force players to be able to adapt to new situations, and there is always something to improve on. He also loves the comradery aspect of a team sport, and communication is key in soccer. Although it is his final year at Mills, Schafhalter is excited about the goals he has for his team. He is hopeful that his team will be able to achieve their goal.

Girls Soccer:

Celeste Henry (12), is one of the Varsity Girls Soccer Co-Captains this season. For the past six years, Celeste has been playing soccer, and has been playing on the Mills Varsity team since her Freshman year. As a team captain, she wants to make sure that her team is organized, working hard, and developing new skills everyday but most importantly, having fun. Soccer, being her favorite sport, is very important to Henry as it has helped her find and over time, create a safe space where she can be herself and relieve stress by being aggressive. Through soccer, she is able to show off all her skills and hard work and she continuously improves and prepares for the next game during the regularly scheduled practices. Henry also enjoys being able to play soccer with the people she considers family and, share the same passion for soccer as she does. Henry is excited to see what is in store for her and her team this season and hopes to place first in their Ocean Division. Although first place may seem very difficult to achieve, Henry is determined and will work towards her goal by motivating her team and pushing them a little harder each day as they missed their goal by only a few points last season. This will help them improve greatly not only individually but as a team, taking them straight to the top.

Co-Captain of the Varsity Girls Soccer team is Sofia Skyritoris (12). Skyritoris has been playing ever since she was just five years old and her passion for soccer still continues. Being her eleventh year of playing, including four years playing here at Mills High School and her fourth year playing for the Varsity team, she claims that soccer is something she will never grow tired of. This is because every game and every season is different, it brings and helps teach something new;each time you step out onto that field you just never know what might happen. Along with playing soccer comes being a part of a team, and this allows her to her build new friendships with more and more people joining each year, helping her stay social. Along with building new friendships, playing soccer gives her a workout and helps her stay healthy and fit. She has high hopes for improving not just individually but as a team, and she wants to work towards this goal through practicing regularly and being her teammates biggest motivator helping them with anything that may come along the way. Skyritoris hopes to win some games this season. Whether the outcomes of those games be a win or a loss, she wants to make the best out of whatever may happen this season as  it is her last.