Shanghai American School

APAC. IS. BACK. And we couldn't be more excited to have welcomed some of the most talented student athletes and performers from Concordia, International School of Beijing, and the Western Academy of Beijing to our campuses this month. Our athletes didn't disappoint, demonstrating great sportsmanship, competitiveness, and spirit. 

  

  

 

 

 

 

 

At our Puxi campus, it was all about basketball. The tournament was a great opportunity for our high school students to showcase their skills and bring our community together. Our middle school dragon dancers kicked off the opening ceremony in the high school gym, while the varsity teams took the time to inspire some future hoopers by visiting elementary school classrooms. And, of course, what's a sports event without free hot dogs and a vendor fair? PTSA made sure everyone was well-fed and entertained, and our students showed up in droves to cheer on their classmates. 

The Puxi and Pudong boys' basketball teams took home first and second place, respectively, while the girls' teams managed to swoop up a second and fourth place win. 

  

  

 

 

 

 

While the Puxi campus was busy hitting nothing but net, across the river on our Pudong campus, our Puxi and Pudong Aqua Eagles were busy breaking records at the APAC Swimming competition. 

The Puxi and Pudong boys’ swimming team took first and third, while our Puxi and Pudong girls came out on top with a first and second place win. In both the Pacific and Asia division of APAC Swimming, only SAS Puxi and Pudong swimmers broke records at this year’s APAC championship, with Ada N. (Pudong ‘26) breaking the 50 M Freestyle APAC record with a time of 26.27, Angelina C. (Puxi ‘25) breaking the 50 M Breaststroke APAC record with her time of 32.15, and Malia M. (Puxi ‘26) breaking the 200 M IM APAC Record with a time of 2:20.22. And let’s not forget the Puxi boys’ relay team – made up of Kaideng Z. (‘26), Alex K. (‘26), Ethan G. (‘25), and Max G. (‘25) – who swam their way into the history books with a new APAC record by swimming the 4 X 100 M Freestyle Relay in a time of 3:34.89.  

  

  

 

 

 

 

Our Pudong and Puxi table tennis teams packed up their paddles and made their way to Concordia. The Puxi and Pudong girls’ teams came away with first and third place wins. And the Puxi boys’ team shared in the success with a record of 16-0 and are now three-time reigning APAC table tennis champions, picking up where they left off before Covid-19’s arrival. A point of great pride came in the form of the APAC sportsmanship trophy. Coaches from all APAC teams vote on this award, and it is rare for a school to win both the championship and the sportsmanship trophy. The SAS Puxi boys’ team, however, pulled off this unusual feat, being seen as the best in class of the tournament both on and off the playing area. 
 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, APAC is about more than just competing. It's also a time for our students to showcase creativity and collaboration. So, last weekend it was time for the Performing Arts students from AISG, CISS, SAS PD and SAS PX to take center stage on Pudong campus. Participating theatre students had three days to devise a performance on the theme of 'change,' and had dance, music, and monologue workshops. The three groups wove their pieces together on the day of the event, resulting in a show-stopping performance.  
 
The APAC Band event was unique this year, with a shared program of conductors - one from each of the four schools - collaborating to create a truly impressive performance. The bands played a piece by Katahj Copley, a young composer from Texas, and had a video call with him to discuss following their passions. Grade 12 SASPX student Matt C. was one of the composers in the program, and his award-winning piece had its world premiere during a teaser concert for ES and MS students last Friday. All students' skills and creativity were truly impressive, and we are proud of their accomplishments. 
 
So, there you have it - another successful APAC in the books. Until next time, keep practicing your free throws and your table tennis serves. Who knows, maybe you'll be the next record-breaker. 

CHAMPIONS. EVERYDAY AT SAS.