Each fall sports team honors their senior athletes to commemorate their contributions to their teams throughout their high school experience on senior night. Senior nights occur on a different date for each team. Varsity softball had senior night on Wednesday, Sep. 10, varsity volleyball had senior night on Thursday, Sep. 25, and varsity football, cross-country, cheerleading, sports medicine, and marching band were all honored on Friday, Oct. 10, at the football game against King’s Ridge. It’s a tradition for all seniors on a team to start on the field or court on senior night, and at the end of each game, seniors are presented with their parents and celebrate with their teammates with food and pictures afterwards.
Senior Shayla Bahr is a 4-year varsity softball player, and she has been a significant contributor to the team’s success being state champions for the past three seasons. The softball team beat St. Francis on senior night 15-0 on Sep. 10. After Bahr will continue her athletic career at the University of Florida next year, but as of right now, she is soaking up her final games as a wolf. Bahr said, “I think the softball team culture is unlike any other Wesleyan team. Everyone on our team is best friends, and that always makes the season special.”
Varsity volleyball had their senior night on Thursday, Sep. 25, and they defeated Greater Atlanta Christian in the fifth and final set. Senior Kelsey Brown has played volleyball at Wesleyan all throughout high school, and Brown said her favorite part about senior night was “seeing graduated players like Katie Leeming ‘25 because it reminded me of past seasons that helped me form friendships.” Brown also said that senior night served its purpose of reminding her to appreciate all that her final season has to offer. Brown said, “It’s easy to take our teams for granted, but events like senior night give us perspective.”
Cross country, football, cheerleading, sports med, and marching band seniors were all honored at halftime of the Oct. 10 home football game. Chief Development Officer Chad McDaniel is the head coach of the cross-country team, and he said senior night is one of his favorite events of the season because “it’s important to honor the hard work and leadership that seniors have put in the past four years. It’s the team’s way of saying thank you for all they have contribute to the team.” He knows that the four years that students spend in high school are transformative, so he said his hope for his athletes is that “participating in such a tough sport helps serves them as an investment in the future.”
Senior Landon Jonas has been on the cross-country team for the past four years, and he is an avid runner in and out of school. He loved celebrating his close teammates on senior nights as an underclassman because of the strong influence that graduated runners had on his growth in this sport. Jonas said that he advises younger athletes on his team to “do everything to the best of your ability and don’t be afraid of putting yourself out of your comfort zone.” Jonas appreciated spending one last senior night walking down the field with his mom and bonding with his coaches and teammates afterwards.
Senior Mike Hughes has participated in marching band for the past four years, and he is a house leader for the band this year. His favorite part of the season so far has been the competition at Flowery Branch. Hughes said, “It was really special; after our show, everyone got super hype because we knew we did a great job.” Hughes said he is grateful for “the camaraderie and the inside jokes we have. I’m going to miss the quality time we spend together.” Hughes’ loved being presented on the field with his mom, and he knows senior night is an event he will cherish after his time on marching band ends.
Senior Wiley Koch has been on the football team for four years, and he believes the most special part about the football team is the players’ dedication and toughness. Many football players have endured injuries and still found ways to fight through the pain to support their team. Koch said, “I was sad on senior night thinking this could be the last game that I played at home in a Wesleyan jersey, but I was also high spirited because I got to play and celebrate our win with my best friends.”
This year is senior Holland Ragsdale’s fourth and final year as a varsity cheerleader for the Wolves, and from just starting out to being a captain, Ragsdale has learned so much from the sport she loves. Ragsdale said, “Cheer has brought me so many friendships across different grades and funny memories. I’ll really miss the team next year.” Ragsdale’s favorite part of senior night was experiencing the new lights in Henderson stadium and cheering on the Wolves at home one last time during the regular season.
Senior Eva Killen is on the sports med staff and has also been one of the football managers for the past four years. Since most of her sports med involvement has been with the football team, senior night being the last regular season home game was memorable for her. Killen said, “Senior night was lots of fun, but also bittersweet knowing that it was the last game at home.” She is grateful for the relationships and the knowledge that sports medicine has allowed her to build throughout her high school experience.
Senior night is a special Wesleyan tradition because they honor not only the athletic contributions that athletes have made to their teams, but the personal connections that sports teams form. By fostering these relationships further on senior night, teammates get to embrace their opportunity to be part of a strong team culture.
