Battle sports continue to amaze the community during the spring season. From baseball to girls’ soccer, boys’ tennis, golf, as well as track and field, Battle athletes are improving every day to build a memorable reputation and history for the school.

Girls’ soccer is off to a fiery start this spring. Starting their pre-season in December, they’re playing high-level teams right off the bat. Before the inaugural season began, Head Coach Jack Rubenstein gathered the girls in his classroom to fuel their inspiration. With his fists resting on the desk in front of the varsity girls, he asks, “What are we going to improve this season, girls? These goals have to be measurable.” The girls got into groups of three and started writing down lists of goals. Each group went around reading them off, until the last goal was read. They looked at each other from around the room and took turns putting in input on what their top goals should be to achieve throughout the season. They came up with: scoring at least one goal per game, never being mercy ruled (the game ends no matter what time is left after one team has a ten point lead), and earning Battle soccer’s first district win. With these goals in mind the girls have been fighting to the death every game.

The team took on Helias High School, ranked 2^nd in the state in 2014, a team who defeated Battle 10-0 last year after the mercy rule was enacted. This year’s game went scoreless 0-0; back and forth; the girls sprinted from one end of the field to the other attempting to score. In the second half, with ten minutes left, Helias pulled out a goal. The game ended 0-1, but as you looked around the field, you saw the Battle girls smiling and patting each other on the back. They had truly frustrated Helias, a team who is amongst the top in state. The Battle soccer girls performed at home when they faced Rockbridge, losing 1-0, once again in the last five minutes. The girls felt bittersweet; they had put on a fight for the in-town rival, and now they are working to execute and take the wins for future opponents.

Boys’ Baseball. The boys came out with a bang this spring. Rockbridge hosted the baseball jamboree which included three other teams, Battle, Rockbridge, Hickman, and Fort Zumwalt, where all four schools would face off. During the jamboree, the Battle baseball team defeated Hickman, showing that they aren’t the same team they were last year. The team has been practicing all year long, not just occasionally in the offseason. They’ve defeated Fulton and Mexico thus far, and have been preparing for tough opponents ahead of them on the schedule. According to Nick Easley, their team goals are to work hard this season to become a better team, until it builds up to win their first district game and take it from there.

Battle Track and Field has already left a huge imprint on records, not only for the school, but for the state. Ben Brooks and Nash Sutherlin are two of the top sprinters in the state for the 100 meter, with Ben Brooks winning the dash last year to become state champion. He is going for another ring this season. Ben and Nash can be seen pushing each other to be better every day in practice. Travis Line, who qualified for state in Cross Country, is Battle’s top runner for long distance and is aiming for state once again this spring. The girls’ team won first in the Staley Tournament in Kansas City. The top hurdlers Mariah Brisco, Ari Butler, and Sam Meyers have been placing in meets as well. The guys’ and girls’ have placed amongst the top in the Mizzou Relays. It’s early in the season but the team are going on to big things, to achieve and break records.

Boys’ tennis has faced a few hurdles this season. Their team doesn’t have much tennis or competitive experience. Some of their players include Tommaso Zambolleni, an Italian foreign exchange student who played some tennis back in Italy. He now plays the number one seed on the team, since he has beaten the Tolton team’s number one player as well as Christian Fellowship’s. Lorenzo Wright is another asset for the team, playing in the top lineup, he uses his athletic ability from being offseason in basketball to be successful in tennis. Derek Kedigh is the new hired coach for the boy’s tennis team. He has been a tennis instructor at tennis facilities in Columbia such as the Mizzou Green Tennis Center, and Wilson’s Tennis Center. He’s played tennis his whole life and played for multiple colleges throughout his career. The boy’s team is working towards expanding Battle Tennis and making a stronger program for the school.

This spring will be the second spring season in Battle’s history, and many of the student athletes are already known across Missouri as being successful in what they do. Every day when looking outside onto the football field and the athletic campus, you see hundreds of athletes showing hard work as well as passion in their sport. These students put in 12+ hours every week to become the best athletes they can be. Battle Athletics is rising this spring, and it will continue to rise every year until they’re on top for multiple sports, bringing home records, trophies, and championships.