Listen here for our second edition of the Banneker briefing, Banneker 4 You: Week of April 3.

Final 4 School Brackets Come to a Close

The Details: Students and staff at Banneker participated against one another with their March Madness brackets, so the last games in the men’s and women’s final four were crucial to their final positioning. In the men’s brackets, the San Diego State Aztecs faced off against the Florida Atlantic Owls in the Final Four on Saturday, April 1, and the number 4 seed UConn Huskies took on the number 5 seed, University of Miami Hurricanes, later that same evening. In the women’s final four, the last teams standing were LSU, Virginia Tech, South Carolina, and Iowa. LSU went on to win for the women, and UConn won for the men. 

Why it matters: There was much buzz with the favorites being South Carolina and LSU, however, no team was counted out with players such as Caitlin Clark for Iowa, who scored the first 40 point triple double in men’s and women’s NCAA history. At Banneker, the best predictors of the NCAA championship brackets were senior Andalus Disparte and junior Caleb Pendleton. 

PARCC Schedule Affects Everyone

The Details: The Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Career, also known as the PARCC test, started for freshmen and sophomores on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, following a pep rally on Monday, April 3. The PARCC exam measures student progress toward Common Core standards in English, Math, and Science.  

What is the PARCC testing schedule? Banneker students who are not testing have classes for 2 hours and 40 minutes before lunch, while the freshmen and sophomores take their tests. After lunch, students follow the modified testing schedule with two classes for an hour and 20 minutes each. 

Softball Edges Out SWW 

The Details: The Banneker Bulldogs won a tough game against School Without Walls in a softball game this past Monday, April 2. In a close three-inning game, Banneker stayed in the fight until the very end. The bottom of the first inning saw Banneker behind by only one run at 2-1, but in the second inning Banneker ran away with a lead of 20-1. At the end of the second inning, Walls made an amazing comeback, narrowing the gap to 20 – 19. The game ended with Banneker barely edging out Walls with a score of 24-23. 

What else to know: The rivalry between Banneker and Walls that has been present in many sports such as basketball, soccer, and track and field, continued in appropriate fashion. An unfortunate step off base with the bases loaded handed Walls softball a dogged win and reignited hopes for a playoff run. 

Tennis Team if Undefeated 

The Details: The Banneker tennis team’s 2023 season is off to a great start with a 4-0 record. The team’s first game was projected to be on March 20, but Anacostia HS forfeited. However, they were able to play against Theodore Roosevelt HS on Wednesday, March 22, and they won. They also played against Jackson-Reed on April 3 and are currently undefeated. 

What’s next: The Banneker team’s next match will take place on April 12 against Cardozo at 4:00 pm at Turkey Thicket Recreation Center.