The Middle School baseball team displayed tremendous growth as the season progressed. With 13 members strong, the team had lots of opportunities to play in games. We ended up with a 4-4 record, which is definitely commendable. As the season progressed, the boys gained a better understanding of the game. They became more aware of the little things, which in turn helped the outcomes of many of our games. The boys stepped outside their comfort zones by playing in numerous positions, including catcher and pitcher. We had some great wins this season and also learned a lot from our losses. Overall it was a successful season; the boys gave a great effort and should be proud of their accomplishments throughout.
Read MoreThe varsity basketball team showed significant improvement this year, doubling its win total from the 2016-17 season and finishing the year with a record of 10 wins and 12 losses. The Panthers ended the season with a thrilling game in front of dozens of Browning supporters in the first round of the NYCAL postseason tournament. Despite a heartbreaking one-point loss in the final seconds, the boys played an outstanding game. Both the team and our fans represented Browning with admirable spirit and sportsmanship. View photos.
Read MoreThis year’s team emphasized accountability, teamwork and communication, resulting in a successful season despite ups and down. The team’s dedication to these standards, along with “grit and grind,” helped them persevere into the playoffs.
The leadership of Shazeb Dayani, day in and day out, kept us afloat throughout the season. Hercules Sotos and Dylan Steck showed signs of greatness in their domination in the post. The sharp shooting of Hugh Chapin and tenacious defense of Mickey Westman helped us to secure leads and kept us in games, time and time again. Eric Pena, Tommy Ramirez, Andrew Halajian, Alexander Raftopoulos, Fernando Hierro, Evan Taylor, Gus Stimpson and Gabe Flicker were extremely valuable, keeping the tempo as alternating pieces in our match-ups through out the year. View photos.
Read MoreThe team had a rebuilding year, as they returned only one player from last year’s team, and finished the season with a 2-14 record. Although the wins were few and far between, the boys played in many competitive games, and their commitment to improving individually and as a team was apparent throughout the course of the season.
Some highlights include a come-from-behind win against UNIS School and playing two close contests against Avenues School and Grace Church. As coaches, we were impressed by the leadership displayed by the Form II players down the stretch. The team looks to improve with a strong core of Form I boys for next year. View photos.
Read MoreThe team showed tremendous growth and improvement throughout their season. Despite some tough initial losses, the boys rebounded to win home games against St. Thomas Choir and Calhoun, ending the year with a close 34-30 away win over LREI. The boys also demonstrated hard work and determination in two tough losses to Trevor Day and Allen Stevenson that were both decided in the last minute of play.
The collaborative efforts of Form I and Form II athletes allowed the team to develop a strong camaraderie during both practice and games. Liam Westman, Tomas Infantino and Jackson Hellman were effective leaders as point guards and commanded the team with offensive play calling. Malek Assaf and Nicholas Dingle were powerful shooting guards who could be counted on to make jump shots and steal the ball at crucial moments of a game. Henry Smith, Federico Schmidt and Greg Parizhsky were reliable “big men” who led the team in rebounding and lay-ups. Lastly, the team counted on Michael Stitt , Jonathan Stephenson, Jonathan Mota, Johir Jossain and Chris Bowen to play all positions on the court and adapt to critical game situations. View photos.
Read MoreThe team started the season determined to get the program back to winning ways. Although they lost the opener in early January, there were signs that the boys were up for the task. Through some hard work and latterly smart play under pressure, the team won its last three games to finish 4-4 for the season.
Special mention goes to Michael Gabriel, who was top scorer with 60 points, and to Sam Snyder, who sunk both foul shots with 20 seconds left to lead the team to victory over Trevor Day School by 19-17 in the final game of the season. It was gratifying to see the effort and work that the boys put in, and we look forward to hearing about their exploits next year. View photos.
Read MoreThe team had a wonderful season with many of the boys playing for the first time ever on an organized basketball team. The progress made in a short period of time was immense. From our first game against Rodeph Shalom to our last games against St. Bernard’s and Trevor Day, it was evident that the boys had begun to understand the game and worked nicely together.
Our final record was a commendable 4-4, and the team should be very proud of this accomplishment. It was truly a pleasure to coach this team, and we are certain that the boys will be ready for the sixth grade team next year. View photos.
Read MoreBrowning’s squash team had an impressive season with eight wins and four losses. While we lost two team members, the rest of the squad was able to make up the difference. All members of the team contributed to a successful and fun season, and we look forward to continued success next year. View photos.
Read MoreDespite being small in numbers, the Browning team played a huge role in this season’s success.
Caleb Sussman proved to be an integral part of the team this year. He admirably fulfilled his role as a senior leader on the team and has done a very respectable job with outreach to his fellow fencers. He made it a point to keep them up to date on our schedules and even sent out regular notices about meets and practices. He is responsible and continually proves to be an asset to the team. He attends practices regularly and fences foil instead of saber when the team needs him to do so – a true team player!
Raymond Diaz, another model team member, is punctual and attends all meets and practices. He is patient in general, and this quality makes him a good epee fencer. Raymond is a starter on the team and a steady presence. He is currently eighth in the league with 13 victories and eight defeats and well-placed to be a team leader next season. View photos.
Read MoreAfter losing 12 seniors from last year, the team struggled due to lack of experience and leadership. After one of our co-captains sustained an injury before the season started, George Grimbilas ’18 stepped up as the other co-captain and did a wonderful job of organizing the squad.
On the pitch the players found it hard to compete against bigger and stronger opponents, sticking to their task despite suffering some poor results. Our overall record was 2-8, and although we showed some improvements in the latter part of the season, the players now realize they must work hard on their techniques and combination plays with their teammates. We look forward to new players joining the team so that we can continue to rebuild the program. Click here to view photos.
Read MoreBrowning’s varsity cross country team took a solid third place at the NYCAL Cross Country Championships at Van Cortland Park. Once again Ryan Eagan, the league’s best runner this season, was at his finest, finishing first in a competitive field. His teammates finished further back in the race, but all embodied the best of what Browning boys bring to our athletic contests: sportsmanship, engagement and, as always, “grytte.” These past two years, we enjoyed positive individual results; this season, thanks to the hard work and dedication of all our runners, a promising and cohesive team was born. Click here to view photos.
Read MoreThe junior varsity soccer team had a rebuilding year, with only five returning players from the 2016 squad. The Panthers played in some competitive contests, but they were unable to earn a victory and finished the season with an 0-8 record.
The Browning team’s youth and inexperience playing together was tough to overcome in a short soccer season, especially when stacked against experienced and highly skilled opponents in the NYCAL conference. Improvements were made by each player throughout the season, and the boys’ understanding of how to play with better alignment and cohesion also increased as the season progressed. The team members were consistently positive and supportive of one another, and their effort was never in question. The team’s co-captains were Form V boys Raymond Diaz and Tommy Ramirez, who both did a commendable job. Click here to view photos.
Read MoreThe seventh and eighth grade soccer team experienced a successful season. From day one of soccer camp until our last game, the members grew both as individuals and as a team, finishing the season with a 6-4-1 record. Ours was arguably one of the most balanced teams in the league, with a formidable defense and goals scored by a variety of players. Overall, it was a great season. The boys were extremely committed, and we were pleased with the way they competed each and every day. Click here to view photos.
Read MoreThe team had a great season, full of improvements. Boys came to practice each day enthusiastic and ready to work hard, alternating between endurance and speed training. Their diligence paid off, as demonstrated by their time improvements over the course of the season.
The team was led by Andrew Naber, who consistently placed in the top 10. He had some setbacks later in the season but showed tremendous potential as a runner. Khai Shulman, Jamie Sussman and Kevin Twomey all finished the season with PRs, improving their times by two minutes. Unfortunately, Jonathan Stephenson and Greg Parizhsky suffered season-ending injuries and were unable to participate in the majority of the meets. With hard work and discipline, the Middle School boys will be great additions to the varsity program. Click here to view photos.
Read MoreSo last year I started my season wrap up with, “It’s not how you start but how you finish!” I think that motto is pretty fitting for us once again. We finished the regular season with a 5-5 league record (5-6 overall) and were positioned once again as the #4 seed for the post season tournament. Although fourth place was not what we had aimed for, considering we graduated two All League Players the year before (our starting catcher and SS), it was still good enough to make the playoffs. This is when our boys once again flipped the switch.
Although we were set to face off with undefeated league champion Columbia Prep in the first round, we had completely regained our team “grit!” In the two regular season games, Columbia had beaten us 10-0 and 5-0, so it wasn’t going to be easy. As I am sure you know by now, the boys once again dismantled the Lions, 11-3, in the semi-finals thanks to a genuine team victory with the seniors leading the way. This set the table for a rematch between Trevor Day and Browning. Trevor had also beaten us twice during the regular season, both times by a score of 14-5. Like in last year’s finals, we jumped out to an early lead. But nothing comes easy, and after scoring in the top of the fifth to put Browning up 3-0, our starting pitcher, who had a shutout going at this point, was injured sliding into home. In the bottom of the fifth, Trevor tied the game at three with a tremendous three-run homer. The Trevor comeback, coupled with a player injury, would have been plenty of reason for the boys to feel deflated, but instead, they did what Browning boys do and showed their “True Grytte!”
They scored in the top of the sixth to regain the lead and ended the game on a double play by tagging out Trevor’s star catcher trying to score. I am so proud of these guys and was excited by the support the entire Browning community showed us at the finals. Special thanks to our three senior staples; you will be missed but never forgotten. You have taught these guys what it takes to win and led by example. Thank you!
Coaches West, Cohn, Brown and Blake
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To run the NYCAL and the NYSAIS championship, each individual "athlete" must compete in three regular season meets. Also, in order to compete in a given event at the championships, a competitor must achieve a minimum time standard in the event during the course of the current season. A team is allowed to enter three athletes in an individual event and one in a relay. An individual is permitted to compete in any four events. It is quite challenging to qualify for any events; through the years, this league has tremendously increased the standards.
Despite all the obstacles and after the superb victories of the varsity tennis and baseball teams in their respective league, our track runners had to try to do as well as their peers. Despite the pressure on their shoulders, they met all expectation and won the 2017 NYCAL Track champs with style and plenty of grit at River Banks stadium!
It is an excellent result indeed, and we all can be very proud of the boys. Browning won the 4X800 and placed second in the 4x100 and the 4X400. A quartet of boys ran the 4X400 with poise and courage. We secured the second place again in the 4x100, raking in eight more points in the general classification. Our captain, who has been impeccable during his entire track and cross country career at Browning, won the 400 dash and placed third in the long jump. A senior won the shot put event. Finally, a promising freshman athlete won the 3200 followed by a senior. Another senior finished the work by winning the 1600. A great afternoon indeed!
As a coach, I am very pleased to see that, years after years, the boys at Browning have totally adhered to the project to create competitive track and cross country teams. In all those years as a coach, I have seen mediocre to excellent track seasons, but two things have never changed: the great spirit demonstrated by the boys and the pleasure I get from being with them every day in Central Park.
The Browning track team will clinch the season with the NYSAIS Track Championship on May 24. And it will really be a whole new ball game up there...
Coach Bernard
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The varsity tennis team returned to winning form this season, finishing with an overall record of 12-3 while becoming Regular Season NYCAL Champions with a record of 7-1, as well as NYCAL Tournament Champions.
The players were from grades Form I through Form VI, making for a solid and deep team. Each player played in a match that counted during the year.
We say “thank you” to two seniors for their five-year dedication to Browning tennis.
Coach Klein
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The golfing Panthers were the youngest team ever to compete at golf for Browning. Consisting of seventh, eighth and ninth grade students only, they worked hard on the driving range at Randall's Island and came away with victories over Loyola (twice) and Staten Island Academy during league play. Their other success was against Packer Collegiate School.
With only one player not returning next year, the future looks rosy for the golf team for years to come!
Coach Watson
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“You get credit for what you finish, not what you start.”
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From a roster of 19 players, 17 had an opportunity to participate this season. Our record is a testament to those who showed up and endured. Young and inexperienced, the learning curve was steeper than normal. With flashes of actual baseball being exhibited, however, these students started to understand the lesson. In order to compete, we must first execute. In order to execute, we must have the basic skill set to complete the task at hand. As a student-athlete, these things go hand in hand on the playing field and in the classroom. The act of finishing what you start, in a way whereby you can be proud of the process, allows the journey to ensure the destination. Thank you for the opportunity and your support!
Coaches Williams and Wolf
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Following a challenging first half of the season, the varsity team finished the year in strong form, winning five of 10 games down the stretch and earning a postseason bid on the final day of the regular season. Before a vibrant crowd of Browning supporters, the Panthers climbed back from a 10-point deficit late in the third quarter to notch a thrilling two-point victory.
Despite losing in the first round of the playoffs, the team competed admirably, nearly making another late comeback before falling by a score of 48-61. Through their diligence, commitment to teamwork, and continued optimism in the face of setbacks, the Panthers finished the season playing their best basketball. View photos.
-Coaches Dan Ragsdale, Michael Cohn and Matt Formato