FHN’s curling team consists of eight people that have competed across the country and placed in national tournaments. For a relatively new team- being only in their second year of formation- they have certainly been going places.

“We get to meet new people from all over the country, which is pretty cool,” junior Rajat Nepal said. “We do have to be pretty dedicated though since we travel. It’s hard to stay in a car for five hours at a time. But it’s definitely worth it.”

The FHN curling team returned from their last trip on Dec. 29. The team went to Chicago and played in the Midwest regionals competition, where they placed third. In addition to the competition itself, the team went sightseeing and explored the city of Chicago as a team builder.

“We got to play, which is fun,” sophomore Ana Paris said. “But after we competed, we got to explore the city and that was cool.”

While practices have stopped, tournaments in different areas continue, and the group continues to travel. Though curling is traditionally thought of as a winter sport, the FHN curling team makes their season span through the year and will be competing in the Dar Curtis Bonspiel in Triumph, Illinois on Feb. 22 to 24. They are competing in the Waltham curling club. Paris predicts they will do even better than before, seeing as the team has grown and gotten better with all their practice, travels and tournaments.

“I think we’re going to do better than we have,” Paris said. “We’ve improved a lot throughout the past few competitions. I think I have improved a tremendous amount. My form has gotten better and my aim has also improved.”

The competition for Waltham will be the last trip of the season, but the high school league waits beyond. The team has signed up for the high school league already and is preparing for their future. Elections have taken place for next year, with Nepal as the future team president and sophomores Marcus Otto and Sam Smith as co-vice presidents. They will help organize and carry the team into the 2019-2020 season.

“We obviously try to win,” Paris said. “But we mostly play for fun. Fun is the priority over winning, as long as we try our best.”