RHS Patriots Winter Sports Roundup

Stamatopoulos sets record in track; Revere girls basketball regroups for 2026

By Dom Nicastro

After back-to-back losses to Marblehead (49–22) and Bedford (45–34), the Revere girls basketball team spent the holiday break locked in on skill development and handling full-court pressure — an area that exposed some growing pains for a still-developing group.

“We used the time to really drill on our response to pressure defenses and shore up rebounding — both of which hurt us before the break,” said head coach Ariana Rivera.

The Patriots’ struggles against Marblehead’s press prompted the team to double down on simulating high-pressure game scenarios in practice. Rebounding has also become a key emphasis, especially as Rivera’s squad works through a depth challenge that limits the bench to six or seven players.

Despite those limitations, Rivera sees the recent stretch not as setbacks, but as crucial learning opportunities that set the tone for the second half of the season. “We’ve used the break to focus and reset,” she said. “These are the kinds of games that help us grow.”

Now, all eyes are on the upcoming matchups against Chelsea and Malden, where Rivera hopes to see improved ball control, sharper rebounding and better execution under pressure. “The girls have responded well,” she said. “We’re optimistic about the next stretch.”

Revere girls track opens 2026 with records and promising depth

If winter break was about growth for basketball, it was about breaking barriers for Revere girls track and field.

Senior captain Gemma Stamatopoulos continued her decorated campaign by setting a new school record in the indoor 400 meters, clocking a 65.32 at the Greater Boston League open meet on Jan. 2. Though the 400 is rarely contested indoors, Stamatopoulos seized the rare opportunity.

“It was exciting for Gemma to get this opportunity to add her name to another record,” said head coach Racquel MacDonald-Ciambelli.

Senior captain Rania Hamdani added to the day’s highlights with a debut time of 6:30 in the mile — her first race at the distance. Remarkably, she followed that up less than 10 minutes later with a 69-second split in the 400 meters.

Toward the end of 2025, Stamatopoulos logged two season bests at the MSTCA Boston Holiday Challenge, taking 14th in a stacked 600-meter field (1:45.18) and tying her all-time PR in the high jump at 4 feet, 10 inches — a mark that punched her ticket to the Division 2 state meet. She then placed fourth in the 800 meters the next day at the MSTCA Distance Classic with a time of 2:30.18.

Hamdani also made headlines that weekend with a lifetime best of 45.93 in the 300 meters, breaking the 46-second barrier early in the season. She anchored a 4×200-meter relay squad that included Jaliyah Manigo, Danni Hope Randall, and Zizi Kalliavas, who combined for a 1:57.55 finish.

Meanwhile, senior captains Dayana Ortega (10.40) and Basma Sahibi (10.52) each hit season PRs in the 55-meter hurdles, and Olivia Rupp pushed through illness to record a 6:02 in the mile. Junior Emma DeCrosta hit a lifetime best in the 800 meters (2:58.87).

As the Patriots look ahead to the Northeast Invitational, MacDonald-Ciambelli is optimistic more records could fall.

“They’re all trending upward,” she said. “And it’s still only January.”