Olympic Heights' girls soccer and wrestling teams headline athletics' high academic achievement

BOCA RATON — One of the biggest challenges of being a student-athlete is balancing school and athletics. The Olympic Heights' wrestling and girls soccer teams did just that, earning top-five academic finishes in their respective classifications. 

The girls soccer team finished with a team GPA of 3.854, second in 6A, and on the field, advanced to the 6A state tournament. 

“I’m proud of the athletes, it shows their dedication,” girls soccer Jim Cappello said. “This is the team’s highest GPA in school history, and their hard work is being rewarded for it.”

Cappello makes sure the team is doing its part in the classroom and has the senior class tutor underclassmen who are struggling. 

“The girls coming in understand that we’re checking on their grades,” Cappello said. “I keep in touch with teachers and have an open door policy for girls who are struggling with classes and pair them with a senior as a tutor.”

The wrestling team is one of Olympic Heights’ strongest programs, winning the district title 17 years in a row. The Lions’ impressed in the classroom this past winter, finishing fourth in their 3A class with a 3.311 GPA, remaining in the top five for a third straight year. 

“It means a lot, last year, we took second and we had the valedictorian on the team last year,” wrestling coach Leevy Mears said. “I respect that they’re getting the work done in the classroom and on the mat.”

The Lions had two other winter sports programs land top-20 finishes: the boys soccer team (10th, 3.406 GPA) and girls weightlifting (20th, 3.408). 

“I’m extremely proud of our students and coaches, having that focus is very important between extracurricular activities,” Olympic Heights athletic director Christopher Holly said. “That type of focus opens so many doors after high school and shows that you can do some great things in the next phase.”