Meet The Wolfpack
Jay Turnbull
Senior Grant Poorman dribbles past defender
The Saint Ignatius College Prep Wolfpack hosted one of the most exciting nights of the year for the Wolfpack on Friday, November 14th. The ninth annual Meet the Wolfpack event. The gym was packed with students, parents, faculty, and alumni. Everyone was there to support the start of the basketball season with scrimmages, competitions, and performances.
Both the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams were on full display, from freshmen to varsity. Fans got to see every level in action, and the night was filled with competitions and performances. Highlights included the Dancing with the Wolfpack, performances by the band, the cheerleaders and dance team, a half-court shooting contest, a slam dunk contest, an obstacle course, and the senior vs. faculty basketball game.
“Dancing with the Wolfpack was my favorite event because I really enjoyed dancing in front of the school and putting on a good show with Palmer, Nico, and Grant,.” said Cole Turner ‘26. The dancing with the Wolfpack is where members of the boys and girls basketball teams join the dance team in a dance in front of the crowd. Everyone that participates is paired with a member of the dance team and a winner is voted on at the end.
Meet the Wolfpack has become a major Saint Ignatius tradition, officially kicking off the basketball season while showing off the talent and school spirit that makes the Saint Ignatius community so special. The senior vs. faculty game was a huge highlight again this year. The faculty won the game and now leads the series 6-3 all time.
“Coach Dylan Sells hit a three and then turned around and stared at the bench” said Turner when asked about his favorite part of the game.
“I came into the game thinking it would be chill, but the faculty was actually really good and I didn’t expect that,” said TJ Cavanaugh ‘26.
This night isn’t just about basketball though, it’s about the entire Saint Ignatius community coming together. Students cheered on their friends, parents came to support their children, and even many members of the faculty came to support the event. Everyone got a chance to see how much work goes into the teams and performance while enjoying themselves at the same time.
“Everyone was unified together. Everyone was loud and cheerful,” Palmer Wong ‘26 said when he was asked to describe the energy in the gym at Meet the Wolfpack.
Senior Chris Bolte won the dunk contest on a bounce pass from his brother. “Even though Chris Bolte won I think Chris Chittaro had the best dunk attempt. He did a 360 windmill and came extremely close to making it twice,” said Turner.
The boys basketball team beat the girls in the obstacle course by one second.
“It was funny seeing people fall after the dizzy bat,” said Wong.
Image of Chris Chittaro ‘27’s attempt at a 360 windmill. Image taken by ZT shots.
During the half court contest, the younger brother of Saint Ignatius alumni Sam Hornkamp ‘24, Bobby Hornkamp, made one from well past half court to win the contest. He ended up winning a new pair of shoes because of that shot.
Overall, the ninth annual Meet the Wolfpack was a huge success. The night had lots of energy, talent, and school pride.
“It was the perfect way to start off the season and set the tone for what is to come this year,” said Turner.
Senior Chris Bolte catching a lob from his brother.
