On Feb. 21, season three sports for the Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asia Schools officially began for Taipei American School. Until the end of April, TAS athletes will be training and competing in track and field, boys baseball and girls fastpitch softball, badminton, and golf. For the first time, the TAS varsity teams for baseball and fastpitch softball will be attending the IASAS exchange and tournament.
Last year, the boys track and field team finished in fourth place, while the girls team won a gold medal for the first time in eight years. To maintain the team’s success this year, four-year varsity athlete and co-captain Kayleigh Chen (‘18) says, “We need to set our own personal goals or records and learn to cheer for each other. We’re competing with each other, not against each other.” With the varsity girls team losing nine total players, and the boys losing seven seniors, there is a big difference in both teams this year. “Last year’s seniors were very important for the team in terms of leading and setting standards,” says Kayleigh. The boys team is also struggling with injuries as jumper and sprinter Keanu Leibowitz (‘18) suffered a partially torn hamstring, and long-distance runner Garret Huang (‘18) is dealing with lingering knee problems.
For the 14th consecutive time, and the 17th in the last 20 years, the girls badminton team won a gold medal. On the boys’ side, the team suffered a heartbreaking loss in the bronze medal game, finishing fourth. “The most important thing to overcome this year is the psychological barrier,” says three-year varsity player and co-captain Kerry Lee (‘18). “I think some of the other schools had better mental strength, which showed in the semifinals and the bronze game. If we can work on playing under pressure, we should be able to win gold.” Meanwhile, the girls badminton team hopes to continue improving so that they can maintain their status as the best girls IASAS badminton team by April.
Out of the four gold medals obtained by season three TAS teams, both golf teams were able to win gold medals. The boys team won its second gold medal in a row, while the girls secured their third consecutive medal. “I think working as a team will be important for us this year,” says three-year varsity and co-captain Ryan Kao (‘19). “Many people think golf is just an individual sport, but at IASAS, we need to work well together so that we can figure out a good strategy to beat other teams.” Both the boys and the girls team have only lost one senior from their last year’s IASAS teams, and are primed to have a successful season.
Make sure to check out the track and field Tiger Classic and badminton exchange at TAS from March 16-17.