FALL FIVE FOR FIVE HOLIDAY

By Don Ketchum

If you’re an athlete and you work hard enough, you just might win a state championship.

And if you win a state championship, you just might earn your classmates a day off from school!

That is the big news at Phoenix Xavier Prep.

The school will not be in session on Monday, March 8. It is the Fall Five For Five Holiday.

Each of the school’s five girls sports teams won a Class 5A Division I state championship – badminton, cross country, golf, swimming and diving and volleyball.

“It is a great tribute to all of the hard work they put in. It is not something you see very often. We are proud of them,’’ said Sister Lynn Winsor, the school’s athletic director and golf coach.

The team captains tried to come up with an idea that the whole school could appreciate and figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask school officials about the possibility of a day off. They went together to meet with Sister Joan Fitzgerald, the school’s principal and drafted a letter to make it official.

”She said, “Well, I will think about it.’ I guess it didn’t take long for us to have our answer. They were completely on board with it. It is a nice reward. We are very appreciative,’’ said senior swimmer Haley Krakoski, who won the 100-meter freestyle and finished second in the 200 free.

No other break days had been scheduled in March, so many of the seniors perhaps will use the extra time to look into possibilities for college, taking a trip to a certain school. Krakoski has her college all set up (Auburn), so she will relax a bit and do some work with her Phoenix Swim Club team.

Krakoski said the captains wanted to keep the news quiet if possible before drafting a notice that was to be read to the school on Nov. 19.

Fitzgerald was happy to grant the holiday request.

“You anticipate success for your sports teams, but something like this was unexpected,’’ she said.

“It serves as an example that our school is rigorous in pursuit of its athletics goals just as it is in academics.

“I wouldn’t really say that we have many stellar individual athletes, but we work very well as a team. And teamwork leads to success.’’

Fitzgerald said she tries to attend most of the home matches in all the sports and all of the playoff games.

Xavier’s soccer team won the state championship in the winter season.

“That was just the icing on the cake,’’ Fitzgerald said.

Leave it to Winsor to put everything in perspective.

“You know who is the most excited about this holiday?’’ she said. “The teachers!’’

Have a Story Idea

The AIA is looking for story ideas on member high schools, including its student-athlete, coaches and administrators. Have a story that you think should be shared with the AIA community? Email your idea to Don Ketchum at dketchum@aiaonline.org.