From managing a shorter preseason to racing opponents over Zoom, the PHS swim team has definitely had an unusual year. Unlike the other land-based sports, swimmers cannot wear a mask in the water, so naturally, the swim team had to make adjustments to ensure COVID-19 safety guidelines were followed. With the support of coaches and their efforts to provide an opportunity for the athletes to practice and compete, the PHS swim season was able to safely start in February and eventually end with an undefeated season for the first time since 2014 and 2016.

While the season was extremely different from what the athletes were used to, the team’s focus remained unchanged. Emily Bauser ’21, one of the team captains, reflects on the team’s work ethic.

“We went out there, did our best, and tried to work through this weird season we were having,” Bauser said. “We had our normal [two-hour] practices Monday through Saturday, either after school or in the morning.”

By pushing through uncertain times, the team was able to finish the season undefeated for the first time since 2016. In order to reach the level that they could, each swimmer had to adapt to the smaller practice time. While the team was successful in being versatile, Bauser accounts that the swim season might not have happened at all. She accredits the coaches for making it possible.

“There was a lot of talk like is it even safe to have these practices and have these meets. So it was the coaches reaching out and making sure teams wanted to do it,” Bauser said. “Coaches were reaching out and making sure that a season actually happened for us, that was instrumental.” 

In addition to making the season possible, the team attributes the hard work and guidance of Head Coach Misiewicz in defeating West Windsor-Plainsboro North, who had always been close rivals of the PHS swim team and beat PHS on multiple occasions last year. The girls team swept North 121–49, and the boys team won by two points. Through this big victory of the season, the PHS swim team realized they might actually go undefeated for the first time since 2014 and 2016. Alavro Lopez ’21, a captain of the boys team, comments on this victory.

“We [thought] we could actually finish off with a good season and be undefeated,” Lopez said. “The nerves kicking in and the adrenaline [kept us forward] so we swam our best for both of the races and throughout the season.”

With the thought of the season being undefeated, the team kept practicing. Even in such an extreme circumstance, Misiewicz accommodated safe locations for practices and competitions and prepared the team for an undefeated season. Her efforts, along with the PHS swim teams’ hard work, paid off by the end of the season as both the boys and girls team were named “the teams of the year” by the Trenton Times. Misiewicz praises the team’s achievements.

“Being an athlete, the biggest thing is to have [an] opportunity to compete and showcase everything that you've been training for,” Misiewicz said. “I was grateful and thankful that we were able to have a season together.”

While COVID-19 initially had a negative impact on the team dynamic and season, it eventually contributed to the team’s undefeated season. As most club swimming was cancelled, the PHS team became stacked with many strong club athletes. Andy Liu ’21, a captain this year, discusses how the lack of organized sports during quarantine increased the quality of relationships on the PHS swim team this year.

“I think this year, because of the pandemic, a lot of our club swimmers started coming to our practices more, and that has made the whole team connect more and allowed us to work together better. We developed stronger bonds, we’re all cheering each other on, and we got to know each other better, even though we all have our masks on most of the time,” Liu said.

During this especially difficult season, the captains of the PHS swim team worked to make the team united and focused on inclusion. The captains worked on building collaboration between the members of the team and Liu accounts for the help that it offered on race days.

“I definitely think having good leaders and being motivated all the time [helped], because it could feel weird not having someone next to you swimming to try to beat,” Liu said. “But we've really gotten better at racing each other during the meets and cheering each other on no matter if it's the guy swimming and the girls are cheering or the other way around. Just having a good bond.”

Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the PHS swim team completed the season with new achievements and broke its records with excellent performances. To continue the legacy, the PHS swim teams are confident with their strong underclassmen. Tracey Liu ’22, who is currently a junior, expresses her spirit and excitement towards next year’s season.

“We’ll continue the legacy by always working our best, supporting each other, having a good attitude in the pool, [and] building and bonding as a team,” Liu said.

Feature: PHS swim teams find success during novel season

As schools around the United States accept gender as a fluid concept, students have become more comfortable with how they identify . PHS has started practicing gender inclusion by establishing a gender-neutral bathroom, a step in a positive direction to giving students who are uncomfortable and scared to use traditional bathrooms another option. However, in high school athletics, students are not given the alternative of competing outside traditional boys’ and girls’ leagues. Due to these limited options for competition, the relationship between athletes’ self-identified genders and the sports leagues they compete in remains unclear.

So far, there are 16 states that have rules which accommodate transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming high-school athletes. This means that 34 states, including New Jersey, do not have these accommodating policies and instead make decisions on a case-by-case basis.

Generally, transgender people are able to identify and express who they are . But in sports, their gender identity is determined by something other than self-identification. Gender in professional sports is sorted into two categories determined by levels of testosterone. Those who wish to compete as women must be able to maintain a testosterone level of at most 5 nmol/L for six continuous months. This amount is still higher than the average woman’s levels of 0.1-1.8 nmol/L.

However, some believe when it comes to sports categorized through gender, it is necessary to take other factors into consideration. The medical transition period,  the in-between time after a person has come out and takes action to change their gender, must be taken into account. The length of transition periods varies from a couple of months to a couple of years. During this time, transgender athletes may go to gender doctors to confirm their gender dysphoria and may then start taking hormones. So while transgender athletes are transitioning, should they be able to compete in the gender they self-identify as?

“If their hormone levels are similar to [those] of the average woman or man they identify with at that point in time, they should be allowed to compete on that team,” said Anonymous, a transgender student who wishes to remain unnamed.

On one hand, it is immoral to deny people’s rights as human beings to play for what they consider their correct gender, but it is difficult to completely disregard testosterone and estrogen levels.

As a student-athlete herself, tennis player Ashley Chen ’23 believes that people who come out as transgender should be accepted for who they choose to be.

“I think that they should be able to play in whatever league they want to. I don’t think it matters because they’re athletes. They’re all playing the same game,” Chen said.

Although being accepted for who you are in all aspects of life is ideal, it is not always that simple. Unfortunately, biological factors play a large role in athletics. Women and men are built differently, preventing an easy transition between genders. Scientifically, men have a larger lung capacity, a greater bone density, and a higher muscle mass. This distinction is apparent on a high school level in sports teams at PHS. For example, on the track team, the fastest male mile-runner has a quicker time than the fastest female mile-runner. However, their times are never compared because the events are separated by gender. If men and women were placed in the same event, the competition wouldn’t be as entertaining because the outcome would be too predictable. Most likely, women would lose to men due to biological circumstances that are beyond their control.

Another physiological disparity was observed in an assigned female at birth swimmer transitioning to a male.

“I know a trans man who swims. The major issue is that he has never gotten to the level of cis boys,”  Anonymous said.

This difference in strength applies both ways. When a transgender woman decides to play for the female team, she is typically stronger than all of her teammates because of natural genetic variation. However, these physical challenges are not the only ones these athletes must face. In fact, distinction in body composition also has psychological effects, preventing trans athletes from feeling completely accepted.

“There are kids that know they are trans, that know they are in the wrong body, but they can’t go to the doctor either because of their family or financial issues. They want to continue playing sports, but the feeling of playing on the wrong team is inescapable,” Anonymous said.

While transgender athletes may feel that they stick out on strict female and male teams offered at the high school level, it can be argued that sports are a good way for these athletes to be themselves. It is well known that regular exercise has its health benefits, with engagement in physical activity often used to promote physical health and manage mental health. Transgender people report higher levels of depression and anxiety in comparison to the general population and can thus benefit significantly from the stress relief and community that can be found in high school sports. The increased risk of mental health issues and loss of passion caused by their inability to compete with people of their self-identified gender could be dangerous. This negative consequence is apparent in an account of a transgender athlete who quit playing a sport for some of these reasons.

“I used to play sports, but I felt so scared [of changing leagues]. There would [have been] issues with coaches not liking you, people not liking you, feeling so different,” Anonymous said.

In order for transgender athletes to relieve stress by doing the sport they love while still feeling validated, there are a few possible alternatives to just men and women leagues. Piper Sullivan ’21, a gender-neutral student-athlete, presents a potential option.

“Ideally, you combine the two gender teams into just one. But I think a lot of people would be unhappy with that. And it might not be fair. So, I think, even making a third team that anyone can join would be really helpful,” Sullivan said.

Many students agree with Sullivan, and confirm that if the change were to be made they would be open to joining the new team. Kyleigh Tangen ’24, who competes in girls cross country and swimming, adds that change would have to come from the athletes themselves.

“I think it would have to be up to the students. But, if there was an option for mixed-gender sports, I would like that. If there were such a team then I might try out actually,” Tangen said.

When determining the relationship between sports and transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming  athletes, it is important to acknowledge the unique challenges they must face both in and out of their sport. If New Jersey decides to implement a decision on these high school athletes, they must understand that human rights are ultimately more important than sporting events.

Opinion: Transgender Athletes in Cis Sports

She quickly glances up at the stands, spotting her parents cheering wildly. Distancing herself from her opponents, she braces herself to catch a pass. Deftly dribbling the ball across the court, she locks her eyes onto the white rectangle drawn on the backboard. Pivoting, she extends her arm towards the hoop to sink yet another 3-pointer as the crowd erupts into cheers. This is Brynne Hennessy ’21’s third 3-pointer, putting her at 20 points scored against Bordentown on February 28.



Hennessy started playing basketball in sixth grade after making the middle school team as one of two sixth graders. However, Hennessy’s passion for playing sports began much earlier than middle school. Growing up, she was surrounded by the influence of an athletic family. Her father, Steve Hennessy, is a gym teacher at Johnson Park Elementary School and an assistant coach for the PHS Boy’s Basketball team, her mother is a personal trainer, and her brother played football at PHS. Encouraged to stay active and play recreational sports throughout her childhood, Brynne soon realized that basketball was her passion.



“I think my parents just decided I should try out basketball, why not? And then I ended up liking it, a lot more than the other sports that I played,” Hennessy said.



Although basketball is not the only sport she has played, it is the one she enjoys the most because of the engagement and freedom she feels on court. Taking this passion into high school, Hennessy joined the PHS girls basketball team. Since her first game, she has worked consistently to improve her execution, while putting the relationship of the team first. Through her passion for the sport and emphasis on the importance of teamwork, Hennessy has earned the spot of captain for all four years: two years as the JV captain and two years as the Varsity captain. 



With many of the team members being freshmen this year, Hennessy, as team captain, assumed the responsibility of keeping the team organized and motivated. Embodying her team’s motto, Hennessy has emphasized the importance of communication for a new team. 



“We [have a motto] called PEACH: Positivity, Enthusiasm, Aggressiveness, Communication, Hard work... Right now, I think what’s most important is the C in Communication [because] I want to make sure that we’re all understanding each other,” said Hennessy.



Along with emphasizing teamwork, Hennessy brings her personality and motivational energy to every game and practice. Head Coach David Kosa attests to Hennessy’s ability to keep the energy of the team high during tough moments.



“When we get into the gym, [Brynne] is always... positive [and] always joking around. It really creates a fun atmosphere. So on those tough days where, you know, we might come in early in the morning on a Saturday or we [have] just come off of a tough game, her vibrant personality really picks up the team,” Kosa said. 



Like in any sport, injuries are almost unavoidable. Hennessy suffered a number of concussions, with her most serious one being in January 2020. At times, injuries like these have made Hennessy question whether to continue basketball because of how demanding the comeback process is. However, she found the motivation to keep playing from her teammates.



“I remember I couldn’t shoot free throws. I was trying to shoot them and before [my injury] I was at eight or 10. But when I came back, I just could not make any,” said Hennessy. “But my teammates really helped me with my confidence. I would never want to let them down.”



Despite concussions that took her out of school and basketball for months, Hennessy returned to the court determined to make good decisions and stay focused. With this positive attitude, Hennessy soon returned to peak performance.



“I was the leading scorer last year by average, [even though] I had to miss nine whole games due to a concussion,” Hennessy said.



Returning to the team this year, Hennessy is looking forward to creating friendships with her new teammates and building bonds. Within her role as captain, she prioritizes the importance of confidence and hard work.



“I think a lot of times, high school students doubt their capabilities. And I know high school is obviously a very stressful time, but just by having faith in yourself, you can do pretty much anything that you put your mind to,” Hennessy said.

Athlete of the Month: Brynne Hennessy

Small, pitted dents litter the end cap of Gautam Chawla ’20’s bat, numbering the times it has hit the packed infield dirt. From a foam bat to a Louisville composite, Chawla has turned his childhood pastime into a decade-long journey.
“I started because my dad had some foam bats and balls lying around the house. … My parents are supportive in pretty much everything I do, [but] it was mostly my coaches who encouraged me to start practicing on my own and taking lessons,” Chawla said. 
Even with the support of his parents and coaches, Chawla had to work hard to rise to the top. Smaller and weaker than most of his teammates, Chawla’s stature proved an inherent disadvantage, yet set the stage for a career defined by perseverance and hard work. By pushing himself to lift weights and practice his sprints, Chawla increased his strength and built endurance to improve his on-field performance. 
“I realized that although talent can take you far, unless you’re some naturally born Olympic athlete, … if you want to continue to be a competitive player, you’re going to have to put in some work,” Chawla said.
With hard work came success, and with success came increased pressure. Chawla’s increased responsibility prompted an increased focus on the scores, leading to disappointment when not every game ended with a victory. This unhealthy mindset led him to get distracted from the present, but Chawla has been able to mature and reflect upon himself to stay grounded in the moment. 
“I used to be very emotional playing baseball, mainly because you have very few opportunities to contribute, at least on offense, and it is important to make the most of them. But over the years I realized that I focused too much on what couldn’t be changed, and I try to focus on the current play,” Chawla said.
Applying what he learned from playing competitive baseball to PHS, Chawla proved to be a valuable player, and was the only underclassman to make the varsity team during his sophomore year. Being one of the younger players on the team, Chawla initially wasn’t given many opportunities to play, but over time Head Coach Dominic Capuano has seen him develop his leadership skills as one of the team’s co-captains.
“Right away, you saw a kid who was just special. … He's always had the talent. He was always very passionate and committed and I think it's only grown since his freshman year now,” said Capuano. “Last year he really evolved into an important role player on the team, … and then this year, he took the captain's lead.”
Organizing summer workouts and offseason training, Chawla emphasizes the importance of conditioning and dedication to consistent self-improvement. On the flip side, Chawla also recognizes the importance of team bonding as baseball requires close coordination between all positions and roles. By holding team activities, like the traditional dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings, Chawla hopes to instill the importance of teamwork and being a team player.
“It's really fun [having] him [as] the captain — [he] likes to make sure we're doing what we need to do so [we] can be a better team,” said teammate Aiden Castillo ’22. “Not just skills-wise a better team, but also being together [and] having those bonds and relationships with each other.”
After all of the time and effort he has dedicated toward growing PHS’s baseball team, Chawla plans to continue his baseball career in the fall at the California Institute of Technology, where he can enjoy and improve at the sport he started at such a young age.
“Ultimately, if you don’t enjoy what you do, is there a point in doing it?” said Chawla. “I think the biggest thing with baseball is just enjoying the game.”

AoM: Gautam Chawla

Her three millimeter blades carve grooves into the ice as she deftly dribbles the puck down the rink. Readjusting her grip, she locks her eyes on the puck as she drives it into the net. This is Victoria Zammit ’20’s third and final goal against Holton Arms on February 16, sealing a victory for PHS in the third period.
	Zammit started to skate when she was four; she has been on the ice for more than three quarters of her life. Zammit’s passion for hockey, which she started playing ten years ago, finds its roots in her family. Her father played ice hockey during his high school and college years; her sister, Alexa Zammit ’18, was one of PHS’s previous ice hockey captains; and her brother, John Zammit ’23, plays alongside his sister on the varsity boys ice hockey team.
	Although hockey isn’t Zammit’s only sport, it is the one that she has stuck with the longest and taken the most seriously. Since being introduced to the game a decade ago, she has worked consistently to improve her game, all while putting the team and winning first.  Eventually, her skill on the ice, along with her assertive nature, earned her the spot as captain of the girls ice hockey team. 
With many members of the team being newcomers, Zammit has assumed the responsibility of teaching her teammates how to skate. Through early practices and the many falls that come with learning to skate, Zammit and her team have  gotten to become much closer.
“We wake up at 5:00 a.m. to practice, … we shower together, … [and] before school we get breakfast. ... [All] these little things help make that bond,” Zammit said. 
Along with teaching her teammates the basics of ice hockey, Zammit has also helped her team gather equipment. Zammit turned towards her role model for inspiration and help with equipping 11 members with full sets of gear. Her solution: dumpster diving.
“The person that inspired my dumpster diving journey was Lars Eighner. … In his book, he had [a] specific chapter called ‘On Dumpster Diving’ and it’s really funny. It’s about how he turns trash into treasure and finds value in things that people don’t place value for. … And that is exactly what I did with equipment and with the teammates. I saw something, I saw potential and I was able to create the team based on that and that’s something that I’m really happy that I did,” Zammit said.
Zammit’s skills as a player compliment her strong leadership, as she became the first female ice hockey player at PHS to score over 100 career goals and was named one of New Jersey’s top 15 female high school ice hockey players in the past decade. Ready for more and needing a method to prepare for her club hockey team’s play-offs for nationals after the high school season, Zammit became the first girl to play on PHS’s boys varsity ice hockey team. Despite being new to the team, Zammit’s natural affinity for leadership shone through.
“When we drew up a practice drill [and] people were struggling with it, … she would point them in the right direction and [I] didn’t have to go up to her and [ask], ‘Can you help the freshman?’ She just did it by herself which was really admirable. … She’s [a] leader,” said Head Coach Joe Bensky.
Willing to face the challenge of playing on both teams during the same season, Zammit had to manage her time well. With some games on the same day, Zammit had to drive from rink to rink in order to play in both games.
“I [had] a boys game after school and a girls game at 6:00 p.m., so I would go to the boy’s game, play that game, down a Red Bull in the car and then drive to the girl’s game speed[ing], get on the ice, and play the whole girls game. … So much piled up,” Zammit said. 
But even with the new environment and high stress, Zammit immediately felt like a part of the team with the help of her welcoming new teammates.
“I think the guys did a really good job of making me feel included. … Having a brother on the team helped and being friends with the seniors [also] helped,” Zammit said.
This fall Zammit will start a new chapter of her life at the University of Pennsylvania and has decided to prioritize her academics as she heads off to college. Although Zammit doesn’t plan on playing Division I hockey, she will continue her passion for hockey through a club. Looking back on her last season, Zammit is glad that she took the initiative to join the boys team.
“I definitely don’t regret any of it because both teams gave me so much value and such a completely different experience that I’m really lucky for.” Zammit said.

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