The Junior Class Officers hosted the annual Upper School Dodgeball Tournament on November 21st. The tournament leaders used a double-elimination structured bracket: After losing, teams could play through an updated losers bracket for an opportunity to work their way back up. The tournament was hosted the day before Thanksgiving Happening, uniting the Upper School prior to a school-wide event. Dean of Students Will Miller jokingly said he was “pretty pumped … to give [students] the chance to hit people in a healthy, respectful way, and generate a lot of energy before we leave for holiday break.”
The original bracket for first-round games. Photo by Alicia Leung ’24.
The losers bracket, used for second-round games, after completion. Alicia Leung ’24.
For some, participating in the tournament was a new experience. Makenna Wakahia ’26, who was the captain of team “FIREBALLS,” said, “it was scary and intimidating because people were throwing balls at my face, and I heard people screaming ‘Makenna, throw the ball!’”
Naiya Patel ’23 played in her first tournament for team “Demon Rizz” as a senior: “It was really fun. I had been recruited to the freshman team [the day of the tournament], because they needed an extra player, but I am so glad that I got to experience my last dodgeball tournament.”
Other students had experience playing in the tournament before. “Diverse Dodgeball Team,” or “DDT,” was a team composed entirely of seniors. Led by captain Alex Kwak ’23, DDT won last year’s tournament and successfully defended their title last week as well.
DDT huddles up before a big game. Photo by Charlotte Nesevich ’25.
Kwak commented, “When I assembled the team back in 2021, I personally handpicked the best catchers and throwers in our grade, and I knew that we would win. After winning the first series, there was no doubt in my head that we would win the second.”
Kwak and teammate Derrick Phillips ’23 celebrate after a win. Photo by Charlotte Nesevich.
Colin Montenegro ’23 was also a member of DDT: “It was just a lot of fun, being on a team with all my friends. It was very competitive … there was a lot of pressure going into it being the defending champs, but overall, I had a lot of fun.”
For many underclassmen and juniors, this tournament was an opportunity to grow as players and collaborate with their teammates while holding on to hopes for a win in the future. Jack Bitman ’24 played for “Dodgeball 123,” and noted, “I think for my team, it went surprisingly well. I didn’t think we were going to do as well as we did, but we actually came together as a team, and we did pretty well.”
Bitman focuses on an opposing team. Photo by Charlotte Nesevich.
Maisah Muhammad ’24, 11th grade vice president, commented on the success of the dodgeball tournament: “We had so many teams participate, the energy was high, and I just really enjoyed seeing everyone as a community come together.”
