Prep began, ended year in top form
Golf, tennis teams had victory with state titles
A memorable 2005-06 sports year at Augusta Preparatory Day School started and ended in state championship competition. Between a near state title in cross country in the fall and state championships in golf and tennis in the spring, the school said goodbye to two old friends: soccer coach Doug Williamson and the sufficient, but outdated, gymnasium.
Williamson led the Cavaliers and Lady Cavaliers programs to unprecedented success in his five years at the helm. In September, he notched his 300th career coaching win and went on to lead the boys soccer team to another GISA AAA state tournament appearance.
At the same time, freshman Jim Hull made his state tournament appearance. The cross country runner paced his way to a fifth-place finish in the GISA AAA state meet with a personal best time of 17:26. On the way, the ninth-grader broke the freshman record at Augusta Prep by more than 60 seconds.
Indoors, the Lady Cavaliers volleyball team was making a name for itself with yet another state tournament appearance. Under the direction of coach Rich Bland, the team reached the GISA Final Four once again.
The beginning of basketball season signaled the approaching end to the school's athletic facility. The sports program had outgrown the old gymnasium, and construction had already started on a new facility. The 2005-06 boys and girls basketball season was the final year of play in the gym.
In the spring, the success came in tidal-wave fashion. State championship trophies and banners soon flooded the new athletic facilities after the school earned state titles in both boy's tennis and boys golf. The Augusta Prep track team also found success with a sixth- and ninth-place finish in state competition for the girls and boys teams, respectively. The girls tennis team earned second place at the state tournament, while the baseball team reached the state playoffs with a 7-14 record.
Finally, the girls soccer team, under the leadership of new head coach Forrest Wimberly, overcame a number of injuries to sport an 11-7 record and reach the GISA AAA state quarterfinals.
With the farewells to coaches and buildings in the 2005-06 year, the warm welcomes will come soon. A new sports arena, the Boardman Athletic Facility, is scheduled to open in two weeks, bringing a new era of athletic possibilities to the Augusta Prep sports program.