As Weir High Winter Sports are wrapping up their seasons, here is a look back at everything that happened in the 2023-2024 seasons. While some teams have been competing at a very high level, some have fallen short of their goals. However, all of our winter athletes are competing their best and making Weir High Proud! Now, let’s look at what our winter sport teams had to offer.

Boys Basketball

First up, we have the boys’ basketball team. They finished their regular season 10-12 led by Head Coach Anthony Santangelo. One of the most notable moments from the season was G Cross becoming a part of history by joining the 1,000 Point Club. Cross is one of three seniors along with Malachi Stromile and Christian Long.

Senior Malachi Stromile says, “I feel like as a team we faced a lot of adversity, but close to postseason we came together as a team more.”

The team won the City Championship (80-65) for the second year in a row. The boys have now won thier first playoff game against Oak Glen for the sectional semifinaland will continues playoffs for the sectional final at North Marion. The team is looking forward to next year and is excited to see improvements.

Girls Basketball

Now, we have the girls’ basketball team. They have finished their regular season 14-11 led by Head Coach Rick Stead. The girls became City Champions for the third year in a row and have become Sectional Champions as they beat North Marion for the first time in 15 years (7766). They have also beaten Hampshir in a home Regional Championship (66-45). The team will now play in the state tournament for only the third time in Weir High history.

Senior Mea Kaufman says, “I knew we would end up playing North Marion for sectionals and I had faith in my team that we could win it. Going into regionals we had to prepare for a bigger team, but we pulled through and are now on our way to states.

Swim

Next, we have the swim team. This year the swim team was led by Head Coach Jason Bennett. They started off their season with a meet at Brooke on November 16 where many swimmers had personal records and placed in their events. Later in the season, the team traveled to OVAC’s where Catherine Glodowski got 3rd in the 50 free and 5th in the 100 free. Ryan Owen also placed by getting 4th in the 500 free and 5th in the 200 IM. Lastly, the team had Ryan Owen make it to States in the 500 free and the Boys Medley Relay also competed at States (Josh Cooper, Max Wood, Ryan Owen, and Alex Guio).

Junior, Ryan Owen said, “The 2023-2024 Swim Season was very nice. Most of us had our rough patches with our times and/or injuries, but we all did our best and I’m proud of everyone regardless of the outcomes good or bad.”

Wrestling

Now, we have the Weir High Wrestling Team. The Wrestling team was led by Tom Taylor. The team consisted of 1 senior wrestler (Shawn Young) and 2 senior mat maids (Ashlyn Conley and Jeanine Jeffers). This year, Shawn Young committed to West Liberty University to continue his wrestling career. Through the season, the team competed at multiple tournaments and meets.

At the OVAC meet, Wyatt Hostuttler ended up placing 8th in the 113 weight class while Shawn Young placed 4th in the 144 weight class. At their Regional meet, Wyatt Hostuttler placed 6th in the 133, David DeFelice placed 5th in the 138, Shawn Young placed 2nd in the 144, Hunter Streng placed 157 in the 157, Ben Bryan placed 5th in the 175, and Josh DeFelice placed 6th in the 190. Shawn Young was the state qualifier, but David DeFelice, Hunter Streng, and Ben Bryan also made the trip as alternates.

Bowling

Next, we have the Weir High Bowling team. The bowling team had a final season record of 7-3. They became 4A OVAC Champions for the fourth time in five years and put up a final score of 3470 at the OVAC tournament. Jackson Parsons placed third as the overall bowler with a 607 and Shane Arnold placed fourth overall with a score of 605. Shane Arnold and Jackson Parsons were also named First Team Ohio Valley Bowling League All Conference.

Through the season, the team competed in their first ever (unofficial) West Virginia championship in Parkersburg. At the Invitational in Parkersburg, Jackson Parsons shot 246 for a 771 and was named WV State Singles Top Bowler. Also, Shane Arnold shot 259 for a 713 and was named WV State Singles second place. Overall, this team had a successful season and is looking forward to next year.

Dance Team

Now, we have the Weir High Dance Team. The dance team performed at a football and many basketball games throughout the season. They also competed in the Wheeling Park Invitational for the second time. They placed third in their category of Hip-Hop. They had 1 senior, 10 juniors, 1 sophomore, and 2 freshmen.

Cheer

Lastly, we have the cheer team. They were led by Head Coach, Lexus Ficca and Assistant Coach, Macey Gump. The cheer team has been active since the fall seasons and recently competed at the OVAC tournament at WesBanco Arena. The team placed second at OVAC’s and was led by 3 seniors, Kiana Luevano, Emily Gump, and Isabella Earley. They performed and cheered on the sidelines at boys basketball games and also hosted a cheer camp for young cheerleaders in January.