The freshman class of 2021 is filled with young athletic talent, indicating promise for BSM’s present and future athletic teams. Eli Lloyd, Sophia Coleman, and Sam Ryan are among the top fall freshmen athletes making an impact in their respective sports. But, how do they survive in the world of varsity sports?

All of these freshmen share a strong passion for their respective disciplines. “Running has always been my passion since day one, and I love every second of the grind,” cross country runner Sam Ryan said. Interesting enough, it is actually Ryan’s first year of cross country, but it seems to be love at first sight. Eli Lloyd and Sophia Coleman also share their passion for soccer and find it as a way to relieve stress and be active while doing something they love.

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But, admittedly, there are some disadvantages of being freshmen competing at the varsity level——whether it be physically, athletically, or socially. Lloyd believes that it is hard to compete at the varsity level when the competition is often much bigger than he is. “I am the smallest kid on the eld, so I have to work on getting stronger by going to the weight room,” Lloyd said.

Although he faces this disadvantage, he puts in the extra work and gets those gains in the weight room. Ryan also believes on how, by being freshmen, they have not reached their full potential yet.

Another disadvantage is that they don’t have any classes with their teammates and don’t get to play sports with their classmates. Even with these disadvantages, these phenoms are all extremely excited to be playing at the varsity level.

These freshmen seem to have quickly picked up on how BSM’s sports teams work and succeed. Lloyd, Coleman, and Ryan have high goals for this season. They all hope to make a State appearance. “I want to get to State and win the last seven games of the season. Only one team can finish the season with a win and we want to come out on top,” Coleman said.

All of these freshmen will push themselves to the breaking point to achieve their goals. This young motivation is a good sign for the present and the future of BSM sports.

The athletes seem to be enjoying more than just sports. All of them seem to be fond of the same aspects of school: the lunch, the BSM hour, and the teachers. Furthermore, nobody seems to be leaving BSM anytime soon. Specifically, there have been rumors of Eli Lloyd transferring to Shattuck. However these rumors aren’t necessarily true. “I would be perfectly fine with staying at BSM,” Lloyd said.

Lloyd, Coleman, and Ryan are young stars with bright futures. Watch out for these freshman because their names might be in the stat sheets for several years. They have what they need to be great––the burning desire to succeed.