SUMMIT SAGA
February 19, 2026
The Summit Saga is a bi-weekly newsletter that tells the stories of Summit Athletics and the amazing athletes that call themselves Spartans.
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Baseball
Baseball will open the season with three straight tournaments, one of which will travel down to the Gulf Shores. They will play 17 games in the first three weeks, which will test their resilience and their arms on the mound. Coach Manuel in his third season with the Spartans is excited to see what this young ball club can achieve. They will be anchored by returners like Senior Brady North on the hill and up the middle, Junior Aiden Britton at shortstop and Sophomore McClain Ridler in centerfield. Coach is also excited to see what two newcomers can do. Watch out for outfielder Cade Burden (So.) and infielder Brayden Lawrence (Fr.) in the lineup regularly.
Softball
Softball will also embrace the pre-season travel with tournaments in Gulf Shores, Chattanooga and Coffee County. Coach Steenson expects these tournaments to test where the girls are as a team and push them to be the best they can be prior to the league season. The team is led by a trio of seniors, Missouri commit Audrey Cathey in the infield, East Tennessee commit Paityn Robertson behind the plate and returning to the circle is pitcher Bella Uppinghouse who missed all of last season due to injury. Coach also is expecting great things from Junior utility player, Sam Malcom.
Soccer, Boys
Coach Crane is in his 2nd year at the helm of the Boys Soccer program. He is looking for his team to take another big step forward in district play this season. Coach shared that returners like Tai Zaghouani, Jace Emmons, Matt Kica and Luke Russell will be key to success this season. Tai enters his fourth year as a varsity starter in the midfield and will be the central piece of the puzzle, setting the tone for the club. Defensively, Jace Emmons will anchor the backline. On the attack, Matt Kica understands how to connect and create chances. Luke Russell also appears ready to be an impact scorer. Newcomers Britten Fetcher and Freshman Colby Ward will also make immediate impacts on the pitch. The team is poised for success and are excited to play in the big games with big crowds. Coach is especially excited to pack the house for the Indy game on April 14th.
Tennis
The Tennis Program has a large number of returning players that have been working hard this off-season to improve their skills. Coach Gilbert shared that the teams have made major improvements from last season to this season. On the girls side, Senior Jubilee Cho will move into the #1 slot this year and will be a third time captain for the team. Juniors Brianna Carnevale and Lydia Lesnik, along with senior Ainsley Weaver will be among the top returning players. A trio of freshmen will also look to make their mark. Don't sleep on Ava Anderson and Abby & Elizabeth Fusco. On the boys side, a young but improving group will look to gain some more attention this season. Juniors Matthais Stevenson and Brighton Wood will be joined again by Sophomores Parker Brew and Aiden Cathey to lead the charge. Freshman Kannon Armstrong will also look to make some noise this year.
Flag Football
Coach O'Neil is stepping up into the head coaching role this season and he is most excited about three things. He is proud that this team competes hard, supports one another and represents the school. He shared that the team will rely on the leadership of WR/DB Alana Floyd who has big play potential and WR Kendyl Williams who will kill with her speed and be a team leader. Coach is also excited to see the play of DB Selah Dugan and RB Ella Gribben as both look to fill key roles for this team. This group of girls is the epitome of T.E.A.M. (Together Everyone Achieves More).
Track and Field
The Spartans Track program will look to be competitive and send multiple athletes back to the state meet again this year. The program is rooted with runners that found success in the fall and look to continue that success in the Spring. The long distance crew including Senior Belmont commit Sienna Anderson and Sophomore Lorelai Whitten will carry the load. Senior multi-sport, multi-event athlete, Michael Crutcher will again take to the sky in jumping events. Sophomore Nonny Yancey will look to continue her success in the throwing events. A host of other athletes will look to join them in their quest for state recognition.
Lacrosse, Boys
Lacrosse is in their second year as an official school sponsored sport after years as a club program. Coach Hagan has been coaching the boys in both of these two seasons. Coach highlighted the co-captains for this year's team as Ryan Mundhenk, Tristan Mason and Brady Hoback. He is also excited to see Liam Mundhenk in goal and Zach Wenth and Johnny Gramlich in the midfield. As a fairly young sport at Summit, the team is always looking for more support in the stands and if it peaks interest, they would love to see more students tryout in the future.
Press Box Collective is a Work-Based Learning (WBL) opportunity for students in the 10 WCS high schools. Students accepted in the Press Box Collective program for the 2026-27 year will work with the District Athletic Director (Patrick Whitlock). Press Box Collective is an opportunity for students to gain experience in sports journalism and broadcasting. The sports and entertainment industry is a growing field with numerous opportunities at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. Press Box Collective is designed for students to gain practical experience through the WCS Sports Conference and intern opportunities with local sports media. Work-Based Learning is a course with limited class time that allows students to be dismissed from school to work at their approved job site. The Press Box Collective internship will serve as the WBL job site. As part of WBL requirements, students will work at least five hours per week for each credit earned. This includes working sporting events throughout the district.
