The Saint Ignatius girls cross country team celebrated their senior night this fall season. The team congratulated eleven senior athletes — Jordan Abdo, Leona Bergin, Anaiz Chorne, Samantha Covarrubias, Ella Hwang, Lucia Quinn, Chloe Richards, Pfeiffer Schupp, Megan Semmer, Olivia Stern, and Emma Valencia — in a three-heat intersquad meet. The theme of the night was senior royalty, so the seniors wore gold bottoms and crowns. They also wore white shirts, while the rest of the team wore black. Parents and Saint Ignatius faculty gathered in the stands to show their support for the girls with posters.

A dinner party, located on Fornelli Field, was held right after the meet ended. Parents and athletes ate, took pictures, and exchanged gifts given by the team. Following the celebration, fellow athletes and coaches gave the seniors speeches, sharing personal memories and gratitude.

Regarding the success of senior night, senior Jordan Abdo said, “I personally love senior night because it brings the team together for a moment of celebration of the people who are leaders and their success over the years. Seeing my friends in the stands cheering me on made me feel loved. Being a senior on senior night made me feel accomplished and recognized for what I’ve done over the past four years in my sport. Knowing that your coaches, teams, and fans love you is very reassuring and makes me feel more a part of a pack!” 

Senior night is a staple tradition for all Ignatius sports teams. Fans, parents, and faculty show their appreciation for their student-athletes through this, exemplifying the Ignatian school mission, which is to educate “young men and women for lives of faith, love, service, and leadership.” Mike Hurley, the athletic director at Ignatius, echoes this ideal in an interview with Ms. Cara Doyle’s Journalism class, where he discussed the promotion of senior nights over the PA announcements. He said, “[There is] no greater accomplishment of our student body than when they come and support.” As in this case, the team had much support from numerous fans in the stands. Girls cross country senior night was the third of the fall sports season, and one of the first of many senior nights to come for the Wolfpack.