It turned into a championship winter for Savannah Country Day girls basketball.
Three Hornets teams finish the season on top as Savannah Country Day celebrates a championship run in SPAL middle school basketball.
The Hornets’ 5th Grade Gold, 6th grade and 8th grade teams all finished their seasons on top, bringing home Savannah Parochial Athletic League (SPAL) titles and giving the program three championship teams.
Different teams. Different paths. Same result.
Savannah Country Day ended the season with trophies.
5th Grade Gold Team Wins SPAL Title
Head coach alum Madeline Wynn led the 5th Grade Gold team to a 7-3 record and a SPAL championship in her first season as head coach. She was assisted by Hannah Lanneau.
The Hornets defeated the Savannah Country Day Green team 19-17 in the championship game.
The road there was not easy. Early in the season the team battled illness and often played with a short bench, which affected their seeding heading into the tournament.
“We had a pretty tough season due to illness,” Wynn said. “For most of our early games we didn’t have a full bench.”
But when the playoffs arrived, the Hornets found their rhythm. Savannah Country Day pulled off an upset in the semifinals before finishing the job in the championship game.
Roster
Anna Ammar
Grace Cohen
Harper Coslick
Catherine Culbreth
Nala Garrett
Louise Glover
Ellie Goldberg
Stella Kang
Tillie Macfayden
Smith Pollak
Olivia Wilson
6th Grade Team Adds Another Championship
Savannah Country Day’s 6th grade team added another title to the Hornets’ season.
Head coach Whit Davis, who has coached basketball for about 15 years, worked with assistants Marcus Kenney and Val Simeral to guide the team to a 9-1 record.
The Hornets defeated St. Andrew’s 25-15 in the championship game.
The victory marked back-to-back SPAL championships for the group after winning the 5th grade title last season.
Davis said the team’s strength was its balance.
“It’s hard to pick any standouts,” Davis said. “This was a deep team all year.”
Roster
Emmaline Behm
Edie Chase
Emma Davis
Elin Dew
Aleena Jagielka
Wren Kenney
Mae Keever Mingledorff
Silia Salzillo
Lawton Shipley
Allison Simeral
Grace Vlahos
8th Grade Hornets Finish Strong
Savannah Country Day’s 8th grade team finished the season with a 10-1 overall record and an undefeated 9-0 mark in league play.
Head coach Stacy Bazemore, who has coached basketball and volleyball for more than 20 years, led the Hornets to a 32-27 championship win over St. James.
The team carried just seven players on the roster but relied on teamwork and effort all season.
“With a total of seven girls on the team, we were small but mighty,” Bazemore said. “All of the girls played pivotal moments in every game.”
Bazemore said the team left everything on the floor in the championship game while showing strong sportsmanship along the way.
Roster
Grace Brown
Maddie Lanham
Anna Nicholson
Emma Richter
Emmaline Weimar
Sidney Weimar
Charlotte Williams
Hornets Tradition Continues
Three SPAL championships in one season say a lot about the strength of Savannah Country Day’s middle school girl's basketball program.
From the younger teams battling through adversity to the 8th grade squad finishing an undefeated league run, the Hornets showed the value of teamwork, effort and playing for each other.
The championship season also highlights the connection between past and present at Savannah Country Day.
Head coach Madeline Wynn, a Class of 2019 Savannah Country Day graduate and former Hornets standout athlete, is now helping guide the next generation of players in the same program where she once played.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Savannah Country Day School Athletic Department
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Optim Orthopedics supports local athletes’ health and safe return to play.
They keep Savannah’s athletes healthy and ready to compete all season.
Team physicians include Dr. Don Aaron (Bryan County), Dr. David Sedory (Benedictine, Bradwell Institute, Liberty County), Dr. David Palmer (Calvary Day, Richmond Hill, South Effingham), and Dr. Thomas Alexander (Savannah Country Day, St. Vincent’s Academy).
