Bleeding Gold
Winning first place at the Region V-6A Swimming & Diving Championships, sophomore Taevin Kim punched a ticket to the state swim meet by setting a new school record for the 100 yard backstroke.
Since the beginning of the season, Kim had been putting his head down and working. Not only did he avert his eyes away from gold medals, but also from the mere pressure that comes with having your whole season defined by a minute-long sprint.
“I stopped thinking during races,” Kim said. “The result of a race is merely the byproduct of your work … if you are prepared, your body should already know what to do and how to do it.”
However, once Kim made it to the postseason, his process was derailed. At District, where he was expected to finish near the top of the ladder, he failed to meet his own expectations.
“About half an hour before the meet started, my race suit tore, leaving me with only my practice suit,” Kim said. “I knew I was going to be fine, but a race suit not only optimizes your speed but also reinforces your mental state.”
Seeded way above the line to make it to Region, Kim’s added time was still enough to qualify for one of the biggest meets of his life. However, with the competition growing harder than ever, Region had to be different.
“I knew I could put down a faster time than I did the previous week,” Kim said. “I knew I needed to qualify for State.”
With his feet up against the wall for what could’ve been his last race of the year, Kim knew the grind of the regular season was fully behind him. In a region of 36 different schools with over 500 different swimmers, he found himself in the top eight with just one goal.
“I was swimming to win,” Kim said.
Since his goal was making it to state, Kim was conscious that he had to put up an amazing time. However, when his hand hit the wall at Region, not even he could believe the result.
“Looking to my right and seeing the rest of the heat touch their walls, I knew something was up,” Kim said. “Immediately checking the board, seeing the number 1 next to my name, and whipping my head around to see Coach and the rest of my team cheering … I felt unbeatable.”
With a time of 50.4 seconds, an absurd 2.08 seconds faster than his time at district, Kim surpassed all expectations to win Region. For just a sophomore, his performance was unheard of and it only meant his future was shining brilliantly.
“I’m far from being able to call myself the fastest [in the Region], but being younger means I have more time to work harder than everybody else,” Kim said.
Kim’s list of accolades is just beginning. For the 100 yard backstroke, he was 13th in state, best in the region, and best in Cypress Woods history. With the season wrapped up and a long road still ahead of him, he just had one thing left to say.
“All glory to God,” Kim said.
Being A Goldfish
Wrapping up their season on Feb. 5, the girls varsity basketball team went 19-16, securing its most wins since 2017.
Head coach Jason Blevins emphasized the team’s toughness; nowhere else was this trait better shown than at the Katy ISD Showcase. With a tough draw against two eventual playoff teams, the team lost back-to-back games on day one of the tournament. However, over the next week they would go on a 6-1 run, averaging a win differential of 12 points a game.
“They are a resilient team and never backed down from any opponent,” Blevins said. “They continued to work hard, play hard, and play together.”
However, as the team started out district play 1-4, the team was put up against the ropes once more. Again, the team knew exactly how to handle the punches to come.
“We always have a theme of being a goldfish: forget about the past and stay in the moment,” Blevins said.
From thenceforth, the team went 5-4 in district play and clawed its way back into the playoff conversation. It was clear that the team was special both on and off the court.
“The team chemistry is unbelievable,” Blevins said. “They always did things together as a group and had a great connection to each other.”
Blevins was particularly adamant about this year’s senior class. Senior Jasmine Lee led the team in scoring and was second in the district for 3-pointers made with 72. Meanwhile, senior Kosi Igwebuike brought in 255 rebounds, good enough for second in district in rebounding.
“All of our senior class made this year very special,” Blevins said. “They never gave up and did their best every single night.”
Despite being unable to secure a playoff spot, the team made one thing very clear about Wildcats’ basketball: They will persevere.
“As coaches we would like to tell the entire program that their hard work and dedication paid off this season,” Blevins said. “The win and losses are a part of basketball, but the memories will last a lifetime.”
Resilience
Concluding on Feb. 12, the varsity boys basketball team climbed its way up the district standings to make the playoffs in a thrilling season.
Every year, head coach Chris Draudt emphasizes the importance of focusing on the process of improving throughout the season. Even when the team started out 6-1, he continued to stay level-headed and drill in the same methodology.
“We are more focused on the process than the outcome,” Draudt said. “We will continue to grow throughout the season which hopefully allows us to reach our ultimate goal.”
What is that ultimate goal? Making the playoffs. However, as the team went on an 8-game losing streak amidst the season, the goal seemed to feel farther and farther away. Still, Draudt knew exactly how to get the team back in shape.
“When you go through tough times, I tell the kids we have to take a look at what we are doing well and then be honest about areas that we need to improve,” Draudt said. “This group has done a great job all year long responding to adversity.”
Well, adversity hit again when the team started out 0-3 in district play. The response this time was a stunning game-winning fadeaway jumper at the buzzer from senior Chase Anderson to beat Cypress-Park by 2.
“That moment was definitely intense,” Anderson said. “We desperately needed to win and couldn’t afford to lose another game. … I did my two dribble pull up and we know the rest.”
From then on, the team lit on fire with three more wins and rose to a playoff spot. However, just as the team was heating up, they hit yet another road bump. The team suffered three more losses in a row that were all decided within the final few minutes of the game. Once more, Draudt kept his belief in the identity of his boys.
“I think resilience is the perfect word to describe this team,” Draudt said. “We knew our guys could respond and were proud of their focus and fight as we moved through district play.”
To make the playoffs, the team had to finish top four in district. With a record of 4-6 and the top three spots already locked up, if the Wildcats lost any of their final four games, they would be eliminated from playoff contention. Their response to this roadblock was just like every other time: keep on working.
“Our guys have been in big games for a while now as we have fought to put ourselves in this position,” Draudt said. “My message to our team has always been to play with confidence. It starts with believing in each other and our process.”
After getting three wins in a row, the team held its own destiny going into one final game against Langham Creek. Win and they’re in the playoffs. Lose and their season’s over. The one final response of the regular season? Victory.
“This was the year we finally got in and it was a sigh of like, ‘We did it,’” Anderson said. “We fought everyday to get to where we wanted to be and did it as a team … we enjoyed it and drenched Coach Draudt with the water bottles. It’ll be a memory forever.”
Whether winning or losing, what makes this team special was that their answer was always going to be depending on each other. Despite everything that the team went through, the team persevered and eventually won its first playoff game since 2021.
“This has been a roller coaster of a year for us,” Draudt said. “It speaks to the team’s character to still be fighting after some of the ups and downs we’ve had. I’m proud of them for that.”
