Wolves ready for challenge in competitive Class C

Senior Jordan Kauftheil has committed to play at Amherst in college. Jane Brennan has committed to play in college next year at Holy Cross. All-American Jojo Degl returns to lead the Wolves. JIM MACLEAN PHOTOS

Jess McDonough returns for her sixth season at the helm for the Wolves.

By JIM MACLEAN

The John Jay girls lacrosse program has built a strong foundation of success with several championship trophies and a lot of victories on the field.

John Jay won five straight Section 1 titles from 2018-23 and advanced to the New York State Class C championship game in 2023.

Last year was another winning season as John Jay finished at 13-4 overall, but the Wolves fell in the sectional semifinals to a Rye team that advanced to the state finals.

This year the Wolves have a veteran group of senior leaders and a talented cast with experience to help carry on the tradition, and maybe rewrite the ending facing another tough task against Rye and others competing for the Section 1 Class C title.

“We have an amazing senior class that do a great job as leaders, incredibly talented players, they’ve been on the team a long time and it’s crazy to think they’re seniors,” John Jay coach Jessica McDonough said of her veterans. “They lead the way, and we have several other returning starters and varsity veterans coming back all across the field.”

Among the returning seniors leading the way is a trio that were all starters as sophomores on that state finalist team two years ago. They have all committed to play at the collegiate level next year, but right now their focus is their senior season at John Jay and another shot at a title.

It helps to have an All-American on the roster and John Jay has that in midfielder Jojo Degl. One of the dominant players in Section 1, Degl was named All-American as a junior and she will lead the Wolves. Degl is a four-year starter for John Jay, and she has committed to play at James Madison University next year, one of the top collegiate programs in the country.

In addition to Degl, seniors Jane Brennan and Jordan Kauftheil are both three-year starters for the Wolves who have also committed to play in college. Brennan is the leader on defense for the Wolves earning All-Section honors last year, and she will be joining her big sister Annabelle at the College of the Holy Cross. Kauftheil earned All-Section honors at midfield and she will be playing at Amherst College next year.

Other senior returning starters ready for a big finish at John Jay are spread all across the field for the Wolves. Senior Emma Martins is a three-year starter on defense for the Wolves, and senior Selena Halaifonua is another returning starter to anchor the defense along with goalie Molly Gallagher. Senior Olivia Cervantes will be on attack for the Wolves.

In addition to the seniors, the Wolves have a number of veteran underclassmen with a total of 14 returning varsity players on the roster.

Sophomore Finja Degl earned All-Section honors last year for the Wolves at midfield, and she was a starter on the state finalist team as an eighth-grader for John Jay. Junior Amelia Inglis earned All-Section honors on attack last year and she will be counted on as one of the offensive leaders for the Wolves.

Sophomore Kait Condon is another returning starter on defense as the Wolves have plenty of experience on the defensive end. Juniors Audry Oestreicher and Julie Verrone also return on defense. Junior Logan Bueti and sophomore Caitlin Brennan return on attack for more offense as the Wolves look to compete for the Class C crown.

It will be a tough road as Class C is loaded with some of the best teams in Section 1 between Rye, Nyack, Somers and Pelham amongst others that John Jay will face. Despite the competition, John Jay has earned its place amongst the best. McDonough has earned her share of titles entering her sixth season at the helm for the Wolves, and she knows what her team is capable of accomplishing on the field.

“The girls are phenomenal, they buy into our standards, our expectations, our culture, not just on the field, but all the hard work being prepared that they do all year long which is great,” said McDonough. “I’m just lucky that I get to be their coach.”

John Jay will find out where it stands right away, starting off with the season opening game at home Thursday, March 27, against Nyack, a team that defeated the Wolves and rolled through Section 1 before falling in the finals to Rye last spring.