The colder weather means that Winter Sports start here at Bethel High School! Here is what you can look forward to from the school’s various sports teams.

Winter Track and Field: The co-ed Winter Track team looks to have another strong season under many of its seasoned athletes. Thrower Abhishek Panigrahi ‘15 is likely to have another excellent season as one of the best in the SWC, throwing the shot put. The team’s talent isn’t limited to just throwing, with some strong runners on both the boys and girls teams. Sloan Austermann ’15, Tommy Schmidt ’16, Lauren Bradshaw ’15, and Hannah Kelm ’17 will use their speed to shine among an already impressive group of sprinters, while Steven Filippakos ’15 and Sarah Mello ’17 are on pace for great seasons as star distance runners.

Boys Basketball: The Boys Basketball team will need to successfully combine their mix of veteran experience and young talent in order to reach their full potential. The SWC conference is always filled with talented teams, and the Wildcats will need to play their best in order to remain on top of the standings throughout the season. Look for Joe Liguori ’15 and Hayden Duffy ’15 to have huge seasons and use their years of playing to lead the Wildcats to victory as seniors.

Girls Basketball: The Girls Basketball team has a lot of potential going into this winter season. The Lady Wildcats have always had hard schedules, facing off against very difficult teams, and this year looks to follow the trend. The relatively young team looks to its older players, such as Savannah Pipkin ‘15 to step up and lead the team to victory this winter. If the team plays well, they will have a fantastic season.

Swim and Dive: While the Swim and Dive team practices and competes inside, it doesn’t mean that the athletes won’t have to beat the cold. Members have to deal with notoriously cold pool water all season, but that doesn’t stop the Wildcats from performing spectacularly. The team is full of impressive athletes like Patrick Daly ‘16. However, all of the swimmers will need to perform their best for the Swim and Dive team to have a great season.

Wrestling: The Wildcats are on pace for a good season this year, thanks in part to their strong athletes, large team, and demanding coaches. Due to the size of the team, Bethel will be able to fill many weight classes throughout the season, which will be influential in helping the team achieve success. The team hopes to have multiple representatives of Bethel in the state competitions, including the powerful group consisting of Jared Wilsey ’15, Victor Vieira ’15, and Brendan McIntyre ’15. All eyes will be on these seniors as they try to lead Bethel Wrestling to another awesome season.

Ice Hockey: The combination Bethel-Brookfield-Danbury Ice Hockey team has high hopes for their season ahead. Luke Newman ‘17 represents the Wildcats on the Ice Hockey team.

Go Wildcats!