Burke’s Athletics Takes To the Field, The Courts, and the Trails
This fall, Burke’s had 136 student-athletes competing at nine different levels across volleyball and cross country. Ms. Bryant says “It was great to be able to once again provide an opportunity for our students to compete and represent Burke’s.”
“You are going to make mistakes. If you make a mistake, that’s not the end of the game. Sports give our students the chance to make mistakes and practice resilience in real-time. It’s a live experience. You practice the moves, but you don’t get to do your free throw again if you miss it. You don’t get to do your serve again if you miss it. You have to go on.” - Ashling Bryant, Director of Athletics
In cross-country, sixth to eighth-grade runners competed in both BAIAL races (Bay Area Interscholastic Area League) and were joined in the SFAL (SF Athletic League) meets by our fifth-grade team. Burke’s is in a unique position: by participating in two leagues, we can provide an opportunity for all of our runners to compete at a meaningful level in a finals race.
- Our top eight runners – based on their finishes in BAIAL races – competed in league finals at Crissy Field, on November 2. Our top five-scoring runners all placed in the top 10, so the result was never in doubt, as Burke’s claimed the title ahead of Convent and MCDS.
- The following week, our SFAL runners competed on Thursday, November 11, in Golden Gate Park. Burke’s top eight runners did not participate, which allowed everyone else to have a chance to step up and take the lead in scoring points for finals. In the seventh and eighth-grade races, our runners showed strength and depth with the five scoring runners finishing between spots 10 and 22, which was enough to carry Burke’s to a second-place finish behind CAIS, but well clear of CDS and SF School. In the fifth and sixth grade races, Burke’s again relied on our depth to rack up points and claimed the SFAL title over SF Friends and Live Oak.
In volleyball, Burke’s fielded six League teams, with the Green teams competing in BAIAL, and the Gold teams competing in SFAL. In addition, we had a huge 5th-grade squad who played not one but two matches each game day. Despite a shortage of referees, which meant sometimes Burke’s coaches had to referee our own games, all of our teams were very competitive within their divisions.
- The Varsity Gold team came within two points of upsetting eventual champions Kittredge, only losing 13-15 in the deciding third game.
- Our sixth-grade Green Team traveled to top-seeded SF Day for their semi-final matchup, and also came within two points of their opponents in the second game.
- The JV Green Team battled epically with MCDS, and traveled to Convent with only six players, yet still put up a serious fight against the odds.
- Only one team remained undefeated by our fifth grade all year, and that was . . . the fifth-grade parents!
- The sixth grade Gold Team prevailed in both their home and away battles with CAIS.
- Varsity Green came within a whisker of the championship game, dropping a heartbreaker to MCDS in their semifinal, after producing their best volleyball of the season in a thrilling match.
- The JV Gold team reached the SFAL Championship Game, having lost both home and away to KIPP Bayview in the regular season. It was a stern challenge both physically and emotionally when we faced them again in the final, and the JV Gold team overcame their nerves and relied on teammates, prevailing 25-22, 25-18, to bring the first post-pandemic volleyball title to Burke’s.
“I hope that all our families are as grateful as I am that we are able to have school sports again this year, and I hope we can welcome you all to campus for Sports Night at the end of the year, and celebrate all our Burke’s athletes.”
Congratulations to the coaches and athletes who represented Burke’s all season!
Burke's mission is to educate, encourage and empower girls. Our school combines academic excellence with an appreciation for childhood so that students thrive as learners, develop a strong sense of self, contribute to community, and fulfill their potential, now and throughout life.
Burke's admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.