Gallery • 8 Photos

Ellis Margolies

As recent bouts of warmer weather hint at spring’s imminent arrival, I invite us all to take one last look at the incredible winter season of Radnor High School’s sports teams. Since mid-November, winter athletes have competed to uphold the heart and spirit of our community. 

However, much of our said community would be in the dark about day-to-day performances, if it weren’t for the updates delivered by the Radnor Sports Roundup. The Roundup is certainly not a one-man show, though. Thanks to the work of the Winter Sports Editorial Board, a group of fourteen dedicated writers, aficionados of RHS sports are enlightened bi-weekly. 

As I mentioned in the Fall Profile a few months ago, I had the idea to create a new type of article to join the typical bi-weekly Roundup publications: one that celebrated not the athletes, but the young journalists who cover them. I reached out to the winter writers and asked them to answer the following questions:

1. Why did you write for the Roundup? 
2. What is your favorite memory from this season?
3. What are your goals as an athlete and/or writer in the future, either within Radnor or beyond?
4. What is your favorite aspect of winter?

Read more to meet the members of the Winter Sports Editorial Board – the brains behind this operation. 

– Kayla

Basketball (Boys) – Ellis Margolies (Freshman) and Arielle Mims (Sophomore)

Ellis: 

1. I wanted to write for the Roundup to write about my team’s accomplishments and to shout-out my teammates who I’ve seen work very hard.
2. My favorite memory was scoring in my first official varsity basketball against Marple Newtown.
3. My goal as an athlete next year is to hopefully start for varsity in basketball. As a writer, I hope to continue to write for the Roundup and improve my articles.
4. My favorite aspect of winter is that it’s school basketball season, and the NFL is playing.

Arielle: 

1. I wrote for Boys Basketball to expand my horizons beyond the sports I play, and to learn more skills from the boys to apply to my own games. 
2. My favorite memory was when I got to watch RBB JV play Marple Newtown in person instead of on tape, because it was much more interesting seeing them play in person rather than on the screen. 
3. I would like to continue to write for the Roundup in the future and possibly try to write for sports that I haven’t before. 
4. My favorite aspect of winter relating to sports is the same as Ellis – how it’s basketball season. Outside of sports, I love the snow and the holidays!

Basketball (Girls) – Ava Preate (Sophomore) and Bree Simpson (Sophomore)

Ava:

1. I wrote for the Roundup this winter because I wrote for the Roundup in the fall (for girls volleyball). I wanted to do it again because I loved it so much and enjoy writing about sports. Since I didn’t play basketball this year, writing made me feel like I was still in the loop even though I wasn’t on the court. 
2. My favorite memory was winning districts. It hasn’t happened for RGB in so long, and I feel so lucky that I know the girls that pulled off the win. 
3. My goal as a writer is to strengthen my vocabulary and continue writing about different genres – not just sports. As an athlete, my goal is to keep working out and growing my game IQ.
4. My favorite aspect of winter is the hot chocolate and Christmas movie vibes. Watching Elf with hot chocolate in my hand is the best feeling!

Bree:

1. I started writing for the Roundup because from an early age, I have always loved to write. The Roundup allows me to share my writing with the public and keeps me engaged and active in the RHS community.
2. My favorite memory from this season was when RGB won districts. This was such an exciting victory for the team, as every one of the girls worked so hard all season leading up to this moment. Additionally, winning districts brought the team even closer and was a perfect way to tie up the season!
3. My goal as an athlete within Radnor is to become an impact player on the basketball court. By this, I mean a player whose team can rely upon – whether that be to score or to prevent buckets on the defensive end. My goal as a sportswriter within the Radnor community, is to develop and grow my writing skills in order to strengthen the flow of my writing. 
4. My favorite aspect of winter is the basketball season. I love all of my teammates, and during the season we get to spend so much time together! Every challenging practice or frustrating loss strengthens and develops the bond of our team.

Cheerleading – Abby Merschel (Junior)

1. I wrote for the Roundup because it gave me a chance to participate in something I don’t get to do in school! 
2. My favorite memory from this season was getting 3rd Place at Regionals and getting an invite to Nationals.
3. I hope to continue cheering in college!
4. The snow is my favorite aspect of winter.

Ice Hockey (Boys) – Hayden Goldenberg (Junior)

1. I wanted to write for the Roundup to get more involved in our school community beyond just playing a sport.
2. My favorite memory this year was being able to bond with my teammates and coaches and win some important games.
3. While I plan to continue to play sports in high school, I do not think I will play in college. However, I look to continue improving my writing and have it carry over into college.
4. My favorite aspect of winter is the break we get. It is a perfect pause in school and provides time to spend with friends and family.

Ice Hockey (Girls) – Gabriella Eun (Sophomore)

1. Writing for the Roundup helped me consistently contribute to the newspaper without putting too much stress on my already busy schedule.
2. Despite not playing ice hockey, I have learned so much about how the gameplay for hockey works.
3. Although I enjoy writing, I personally feel that everything I write could be better. I hope as time goes on, I will gradually see myself improve in my writing skills and vocabulary.
4. I love snowboarding with friends and family, especially while it’s snowing!

Indoor Track (Boys) – Commerce Fisk (Senior)

1. I believe sports are an increasingly uniting and celebratory force in an often divisive world. I wrote for the Roundup to highlight both the individual and team efforts of athletes pursuing their passions: an invitation for us all to remember to appreciate all the big and little victories in life.
2. My favorite memories from this season were the unbelievable relay performances from both Radnor’s sprinting and distance teams, as they combined athletes of all calibers and race preferences to achieve undeniably impressive heights.
3. My goals as an athlete are to further my dedication to the sports I play and to appreciate and better the roles I play on my teams. As a writer, I want to continue emphasizing the unique and unseen traits and abilities of Radnor athletes, as I believe success in the sports world combines both the obvious and not-so-obvious details of performance.
4. My favorite aspects of winter are college basketball, the snow, and being with family.

Indoor Track (Girls) – Grace Kimlinger (Sophomore)

1. I really wanted to get more involved in the Radnorite and work on my writing skills, and I thought writing about something I’m passionate about, like sports, would be a great way to do so.
2. I loved running in relays with my teammates. We even medaled at one meet!
3. As an athlete, I want to continue working hard, improve my times during the spring season, and make more bonds with my teammates. As a writer, I plan to continue writing for the Roundup and hopefully write some more sports-related articles in the future.
4. I love the snow! Especially when I don’t have to go anywhere and can just stay inside and enjoy the warmth 🙂

Squash (Boys) –  Harsh Kakkar (Sophomore) and Kavin Thapar (Sophomore)

Kavin:

1. I wrote for the Roundup because it was a great way to improve my writing skills and show the hard work of our team.
2. My favorite memory from this season was nationals, especially the close final match.
3. As an athlete, I want to improve throughout high school and build up the team. As a writer, I would like to continue improving my writing and grow throughout my next two years at Radnor.
4. My favorite part about winter is definitely winter break; it’s nice to get two weeks to just relax.

Harsh:

1. I wrote for the Roundup because I wanted to highlight Radnor Squash and improve my writing skills at the same time.
2. My favorite memory from this season was spending a lot of bonding time with the boys, as I captained them through nationals.
3. As an athlete, I want to lead the team for the next two years and write for Radnor until I graduate.
4. My favorite aspect about winter is the Snow Days. I think it’s really cool to go out and spend a bunch of time with your friends sledding and skiing.

Squash (Girls) – Ella Starzyk (Sophomore)

1. I wrote for the Roundup because I wanted to transfer my passion for squash into articles to better inform the school and the readers of the Radnorite of the comings and goings of the girls squash season.
2. My favorite memory was the first game of squash nationals 2025, as everyone was bubbling with excitement and ready to watch intense matches at the Arlen Specter center later in the day.
3. My goal as an athlete is to help the team carry on the Radnor Girls Squash legacy into next season! My goal as a writer is to continue improving my writing in the coming years.
4. My favorite aspect of winter is definitely the snow! The snow allows us to go sledding, skiing, and we can just admire its beauty from the comfort of our homes.

Swimming (Boys) – Mohammed Badri (Junior)

1. I wrote for the Roundup because I love to write, and I love sports.
2. Coach Jeremy’s 100th win was my favorite memory, because he has been coaching swimmers in our area for as long as I can remember, and he really deserves the recognition.
3. I’d love to be a coxswain for a college rowing team and hope to continue my passion of writing for the rest of my life. My dream job has always been to be involved in sports, whether that is through commentating or coaching.
4. My favorite aspects of winter are the holidays and the break we get for them.

Swimming (Girls) – Sophie Masicoli (Freshman)

1. I wrote for the Roundup because it was a great way to be more involved in the Radnorite and get my writing somewhere where people would read it. I’m super happy to have been able to support and cover the swim team from a writing perspective!
2. My favorite memory from this season was our last dual meet, when everyone got on their feet to cheer for the 500. It was an entire block of swimmers, all showing incredible support.
3. As a swimmer, I want to work as hard as I can in practice to come back next season with some new best times! My goal is to be able to compete in more/better championship meets. As a writer, I want to improve my skills and maybe publish something when I am older.
4. My favorite aspect of winter is definitely the snow. We don’t get it often, so it’s always nice to see it on the ground and in the trees – it’s so beautiful! It also makes for great skiing/snowboarding.

With these long-overdue introductions now completed, the Roundup congratulates the Editorial Board on making it through the 2024-25 winter season. Those stressful deadlines sandwiched between snow storms, midterm exams, and an enticing winter break couldn’t have been easy to obey.

Similar to the transition from fall to winter, many of our winter writers will continue progressing their sports journalism prowess in the spring season, whose first Roundup is already underway. Look for their names and blurbs in future editions! I am so pleased with the work the Roundup published this winter – thank you again to the Winter Editorial Board for building our momentum.