MSJ 2026-26 Spring Sports Recap

By Staff Writers Veer Mahajan, Leland Yu, & Aaqib Zishan

Swimming

Ending the season undefeated with an impressive 7-0 record, MSJ Swim placed first overall in MVAL. Despite starting one week late into the season and adjusting to first-year coaches Lawrence Tolentino and Fabian Taplin, the team quickly found its rhythm and built momentum through the season. “We were really at odds because we had a late start. We almost had no coaches, and it was just a rough start,” Senior Captain Alavya Patnaik said. The head coaches faced early challenges, including navigating through unfamiliar timing equipment. However, with consistent communication between the swimmers and staff, the team was able to overcome these obstacles. Through organized pasta feeds and team dinners, MSJ Swim built a community centered around friendship and growth. Swimmers came together and pushed one another to improve their personal records and win meets. Several competitors qualified for NCS, including the Men’s A relay, an event that involves all four types of stroke by four different swimmers, that broke a school record time for the Medley Relay — 1:36:67 by Senior Ryan Kumar, Senior Patrick Ho, Junior Joseph Miao, and Sophomore Chengry Hsien. As for individual events, Freshman Katherine Chen and Junior Joseph Miao both qualified for the 100-yard breaststroke. By the end of the season, MSJ Swim has not only exceeded its competitive goals but also strengthened its sense of unity, leaving behind a season of resilience and longevity. 

Badminton

Historically one of MSJ’s strongest performers, MSJ Badminton did not disappoint in the 2026 season. Despite several key players leaving the team due to other commitments, strong teamwork and frequent practice honed newer players into powerful competitors on the court. With team bonding events after meets and tournaments, the team grew closer as the season progressed, especially at senior night, where the team celebrated close to a dozen seniors. Though MSJ performed worse than usual in the regular season, MVAL performances like Co-Captain Junior Brianna Lee’s first place in girls singles, Co-Captain Junior Andy Zhang and Sophomore Justin Liaw’s second place boys doubles finish, and Senior Elaina Xu and Junior Emily Zhang’s girls doubles first place set the stage for another season of dominance. These players all also advanced to CIF after strong performances in NCS, with Lee — a former Girls Singles Champion — finishing first. Lee’s advice to new players is to “try your best and become friends with everyone on the team … [have] courage!”

Boys Tennis

Having won first place in MVALs and finishing with an overall record of 15-4 and a 12-2 record in the local league, MSJ Boys Tennis has once again demonstrated its strength and achieved great success in the season, despite often being short on players. They have emerged as a tight-knit team uniting both seasoned veterans like Co-Captain Junior Matthew Li and rising stars like Freshman Harvey Qian, demonstrating a great deal of resilience along the way. In their first match against American High School, MSJ lost in a tight 3-4 encounter. They took this as a learning experience, however, and won in their second meet. “I think the most memorable game was when we beat American the second time, because we [were able to get] revenge,” Li said. Though the team could not compete due to AP exam conflicts in the NCS quarterfinals, it performed well regardless. With so many promising underclassmen on the team, Boys Tennis has high hopes for next year, since “everyone [is] more confident in their roles, especially when it [comes] time to execute them during big matches,” Li said.

Boys Volleyball

A thrilling season has just ended for MSJ Boys Volleyball. With a tight overall record of 17-17 and finishing 4th (8-6 record) within the league, the team grew significantly as a unit, both in their physical capabilities and mentality. One memorable insta nce was during the Sanger High School tournament they played in Fresno; though lacking several players who were at a DECA conference, MSJ prevailed against their taller, more experienced opponents. Trying their best and letting go of the pressure, they developed a new approach that has served them well this season, and will hopefully take them to new heights in the next. According to Co-Captain Junior Roman Suleman, who was also the MVAL All-League Most Valuable Player, “the way [the team] cohesively performs is different from how we started … the vision from the beginning was to make our team better for the future.” In this regard, the season has certainly been a success, nurturing players like Freshman Arjun Bhatia. “[Bhatia’s] growth was remarkable. I saw him [go from] picking up a volleyball for the first time to becoming a key player on the court,” Suleman said.

Boys Golf

With no seniors remaining on the team and many new players on the roster, MSJ Boys Golf’s goal in 2026 was to train newer players and create a strong roster for the 2027-28 season. Led by Co-Captains Juniors Ethan Chen and Caleb Ma, the team navigated a season of growth and adjustments, steadily improving as new players gained experience. Though their season performance was certainly not up to par, and included them losing their seven-year streak of going undefeated in the regular season, they still won a majority of their games, resulting in a valuable and memorable experience for players. Their successes “came with the dedication and responsibility each individual varsity golf member had towards the team. They all put in the effort, came to all the practices, and wanted to improve, [and] that’s the most important part,” Chen said. Chen also recommended new players to try out for the team next year, emphasizing the importance of them gaining more experience on the course and enjoying the game.

Track and Field

MSJ Track and Field has concluded yet another season full of growth and success. Under the leadership of seasoned players like Co-Captain Junior Kaylin Teo, the team saw broad improvements across the board despite facing major setbacks. Midseason, Senior Luis He suffered an injury while playing basketball, but returned by MVALs and broke 50 seconds in the 400-meter dash with a time of 49.96, while Senior Stephanie Yu set a personal record of 49.01 seconds in the 300-meter hurdles. Sophomore Ray Guo also did remarkably well in the season, making NCS as a first-year in hurdles and in the track team. An especially notable performance was that of Junior Hannan Khattak, who “did very well. He went to the Arcadia and Stanford Invitational, so I think he was probably our most competitive athlete this year,” Teo said. To aspiring track and field athletes, Teo’s words were simple: “Show up to practice and you’ll improve. Just put in the time.”

Softball

Navigating a building season, MSJ Softball finished with a 4-11 overall record and 4-9 league record, placing 6th in the division. With numerous new players on the roster, the team dedicated the early season to building team chemistry and learning how to play as a whole. Their hard work culminated in a dramatic victory against American High School, which stood out as a memorable game for the year. Entering the matchup missing almost half of the varsity roster due to AP testing conflicts, many younger players stepped up, with Freshman Maya Aguirre and Sophomore Jalyn Yau playing key roles in the victory. Throughout the season’s ups and downs, the team relied heavily on Senior Neha Okhade, who shouldered a massive responsibility as the team’s only pitcher all year while simultaneously being one of the top hitters on the roster. Looking forward, the team hopes that incoming members maintain their confidence on the plate and show up ready to learn. “Our team has grown a lot, especially in experience and chemistry,” Okhade said. “Everyone encouraged each other both on and off the field, which helped us improve as a team.”

Baseball

MSJ Baseball continued to focus on growth and team culture this year. Under the oversight of first-year head coach and Social Sciences Teacher Matthew Bullington, the team is mixed with experienced ball players and new athletes, causing some initial challenges in the program. Many talented athletes often choose neighboring schools to pursue their student-athlete career, causing the Warriors to struggle in building team depth and skill. However, despite these setbacks, the team continued to work hard and establish a stronger culture around baseball. Bullington credited many seniors for helping maintain morale. “I feel like we’re a brotherhood out there,” Bullington said. Rather than focusing on just wins and losses, Bullington emphasized the celebration of individual performances and using practice as an opportunity to learn from mistakes. As for standout players, Captain Senior Roshan Markar played a significant role as one of the team’s biggest leaders, setting expectations both on and off the field, earning himself the MVP title. The young team hopes to use this season and the improved team chemistry as a launch pad for future success.