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The 2015 Winter Awards Ceremony

Girls Boys Basketball Girls Hockey Boys Hockey Girls Boys Squash Girls Boys Swimming Skiing Wrestling

Loomis Chaffee Winter Athletic Awards Ceremony Wednesday, March 25, 2015 6:30 p.m. Loomis Dining Hall

Tonight’s Program Welcome Remarks Bob Howe ’80, Athletic Director

Boys Swimming Fred Seebeck Girls Squash Meg Blunden Boys Squash Elliot Beck Skiing Frank Roberts/James Montana Boys Basketball Colin Tabb

Wrestling Ben Haldeman Girls Swimming Bob DeConinck Girls Hockey Liz Leyden Boys Hockey John Zavisza Girls Basketball Adrian Stewart ’90

Winter Awards

Girls Swimming & Coaches’ Award: Krystal Sung Coaches’ Award: Kelsey Duffy Coaches’ Award: Emily Favreau

Boys Swimming & Diving Hartman Trophy – MVP: Patrick Craig Coaches’ Award: Michael Cerny Coaches’ Award: Ernie Ribera

Boys Basketball MVP: Brandon Johnson Most Improved: Thomas Anderson Coaches Award: Will Hanson

Girls Basketball Coaches’ Award: Steph Jones Coaches’ Award: Samantha Roy Coaches’ Award: Chynna Bailey

Boys Hockey Coaches’ Award: Sean Ross Coaches’ Award: David Troiano Offensive MVP: Alex Esposito Defensive MVP: Zach Giuttari 2014–15 Loomis Chaffee Hockey Golden Buoy Award: Zach Giuttari

Girls Hockey Coaches’ Award: Brittany Bugalski Coaches’ Award: Gina Mangiafridda

Girls squash Coaches’ Award: Sherly Francois Coaches’ Award: Gaby Foti Consistent Contender Award: Anika Bhargava

Boys Squash Most Improved: Samir Agadi Sportsmanship: Warm Ayanaputra Coaches Award: Alex Steel

Wrestling Most Outstanding Wrestler: Traken Sutton Most Improved Wrestler: Santi Torres Guiza Coaches’ Award: Matt Page

Skiing: Boys MVP: Ramesh Shrestha Girls MVP: Sara Corsetti Coaches’ Award: Tucker Santoro

2015 Boys Swimming & Diving

6-5-0 Founders League Champions 5th place, New England Prep D1 Championships

Freshmen: Jordan Chen, Michael Gorgon, John-Michael LaDage, Robert Lotreck, Kevin Rhee Sophomores: Patrick Craig, Hayden Elms, Connor Farrell, Alex Gordienko, Christopher Li, David Miccoli, Jack Miller, Tony Zhang, Zachary Zhang Juniors: Bobby Cecere, Mike Cerny, David Chen, Pat Cody, Tristan Rhodes, William Meng, Eagle Wang Seniors: RJ Finlay and David Marchena (co-captains), Julia Song and Allison Yeh (managers), Ernie Ribera

With a host of school records and some legendary names like Bogle, Chin, Daring, Furlong, and Miller in our rear view mirrors, members of the 2014-15 Pelican swimming and diving team opened the campaign with high aspirations. Facing the departure of seven seniors overall, the Pelicans certainly could have foundered and flopped in their efforts to match the great success of their forbears. However, back in November and December, with seven newcomers and the very long winter yet ahead, the boys plunged right into their training regime with levels of energy and dedication reminiscent of the 2013-14 squad. An influx of new talent, bolstered by the maturation of many capable veterans, foreshadowed an auspicious season ahead, but the winter of 2015, for all of us, certainly had its share of challenges and surprises awaiting.

The team navigated those early weeks nobly. Our tradition of uninterrupted training in November and December continued this year, culminating, as usual, in meets with and Iona Prep, great “test drive” opportunities that offered us a chance to look into the crystal ball, indulge in a talent search, and acclimate the new folks. With the help of captains RJ Finlay and David Marchena, the veterans welcomed in the newcomers amid a very healthy yet competitive and hard working atmosphere. Victories in those first two outings, in spite of heavy training in the pool and the fitness center, proved to be encouraging omens for those crushing mid-winter months ahead. Then, following a short holiday break, many of the boys joined the girls for our training trip to Vero Beach, Florida, where they invested heavily in their future success with rigorous daily double training sessions and ample opportunities for team bonding on the beach football field. This year, we actually left for Florida and returned from the trip on time, to the surprise of many (and the frustration of those few who had hoped for an extended vacation), and upon our return, we faced the toughest stretch of the season, with nine dual meets and some 28 hard days of practice, give or take, before the beloved taper.

Fortunately, a mild January and a somewhat less onerous meet schedule enabled us to experiment with our line-up as we laid down some very heavy training and technique work. More tweaking of our line-up enabled us to see who might fit best in which events against our various opponents. Hoping to challenge a slightly diminished Andover team to a close dual meet, we traveled up there on January 17, beleaguered by illness and injury, and fell short of the eventual third place New England finishers. However, the battle that ensued that afternoon anticipated several more barn burners yet to come in February, that month that no New Englander will soon forget. The first snowfall casualty was the Hopkins meet, which, in retrospect, should have occurred as scheduled. Instead, we lost a day of competition and training, a harbinger of the brutal month ahead.

Following Head’s Holiday weekend, the boys returned in good health to tackle our four toughest meets of the season: Suffield, Exeter, Choate and Deerfield. All of those teams took us to the mat, and in all four instances, the Pelicans proved motivated, competitive, unified and sportsmanlike, savoring individual victories yet not allowing the team’s losses to erode morale. Even during the thick of the Choate meet, a nail-biter held before a full house on Senior Day, the boys rallied and extended themselves beyond their wildest hopes, taking enormous pride in the consolidated team effort despite succumbing to the Wild Boars by a slim margin. None of us will forget the HUGE injection of spirit and confidence provided by our butterflyers RJ Finlay, Mike Cerny and Bobby Cecere that afternoon, whose sweep of that race placed us right back in the center of the ring (as those three boys did repeatedly throughout the winter). Moments like that, complemented by increasing frequency of season’s best and lifetime best performances, augured favorably for the team’s two championship meets at season’s close.

“Taper” is to a swimmer as rocket fuel is to a Mini Cooper - though the Mini does not pass through the goofy, super-energetic, rambunctious, occasionally annoying phase that resting swimmers enjoy. This year’s taper was no exception, with the usual refinement of starts and turns, the multiple sprints, the relay exchanges, the dyed hair, the special swim suits, and the general craziness. Traveling to Hotchkiss to defend our Founders championship, we were wary of rivals Choate after losing the dual meet scarcely over a week before. However, inspired by Pat Craig’s second place finish in the diving (a mere three points behind Kent’s senior veteran), the Pelicans burst out of the chute with 100% best times in the individual events on the day, defeating the Wild Boars by a commanding margin. It was truly an amazing show, possibly the most convincing team victory the boys have put together in memory, including five first place finishes, eight second places, and two sweeps: Jordan Chen, William Meng and David Chen in the 2000 Individual Medley; and Jordan, Ernie Ribera and Jack Miller in the 500 Free. An unforgettable team triumph, that meet seemed to sap some of the emotional energy the boys needed to tackle the New Englands at Exeter the following weekend. Once again, Pat Craig led the Pelican onslaught with a New England Championship performance, this time taking top honors and vanquishing his friend from Kent. And once again, as we had a year before, the Pelicans fought hard to claim fifth place honors, managing near best times in every outing while submitting some 52% actual lifetime bests on the day, though the degree of improvement was rarely as dramatic as it had been the prior week. Nevertheless, it was the culmination of another amazing season that included both a champion (Pat) and a school record holder (David Chen - 100 Breaststroke).

Our thanks extend to many folks, from our faithful fans (e.g., our devoted parents), to Mr. Howe and Mrs. Scanlon, patient providers of our various needs; to managers Julia Song and Allison Yeh, whose expertise and enthusiasm were exceeded only by their energetic personalities; to Pat Cody who, sidelined for medical reasons, stood alongside his teammates and coaches as an additional manager/assistant coach; to Coach Memo, for his inspiring work with our divers; to Coaches Bucceri and DeConinck, for their immense patience and expert guidance; and to Coach Pond, for his professional oversight of our every home meet (and his status as our #1 fan). To those I add my special gratitude to “Coach Cali” (Coach Shimamoto), assistant coach, statistician, technique expert, armchair psychologist, cheerleader, sounding board and loyal friend nonpareil. Thanks to you all for making the 2015 season another one for the ages!

We say a fond farewell and offer Godspeed to three graduating seniors this year, whose spirited dedication to both their training and their teammates have been vital components to our success throughout the 2014-15 season. Ernie Ribera, can’t you stay on for just one more year? What an inspiring training partner, whose soft-spoken reserve belied his intensely competitive nature. Our distance lanes will miss your reliable leadership next winter. Captain RJ Finlay, three year veteran, certainly one of our keenest competitors - how fitting that RJ concluded his LC career with his best times and his highest individual finishes at the championships this winter? Our butterflyers promise to sustain the impressive depth and momentum that you have helped to inspire, RJ. Finally, Captain David Marchena, four-year veteran. Few can boast of as much progress over their high school careers as David. From the guppy lane to breaking that so significant 1:10 barrier in the breaststroke, your fellow lion cubs appreciate your devotion to LC swimming and diving.

Although we will hope, as always, that some passionate and experienced new blood will infuse our team next year, rarely has our core of returning veterans looked so promising. Twelve individuals who scored points for the team at the 2015 New Englands will be back, and we have all events covered: Sprint Free (Will Meng, Eagle Wang, Pat Cody, Tony Zhang, Hayden Elms, Dave Miccoli, Robert Lotreck), Distance Free (Mike Cerny, Jack Miller, Chris Li, Connor Farrell, Jordan Chen, Robert Lotreck, John-Michael LaDage), IM (Dave Chen, Will Meng, Tristan Rhodes, Connor Farrell, Jordan Chen), Diving (Patrick Craig), Butterfly (Mike Cerny, Bobby Cecere, Alex Gordienko, Jordan Chen, Kevin Rhee), Backstroke (Bobby Cecere, Tristan Rhodes, Pat Cody, Jack Miller, Chris Li, Zach Zhang, Kevin Rhee) and Breaststroke (Dave Chen, Will Meng, Tristan Rhodes, Connor Farrell, Dave Miccoli, Robert Lotreck, Michael Gorgon). Nevertheless, we salute our departing seniors, whose many stitches in the fabric of the Loomis Chaffee swimming and diving program have become integral parts of our sport’s community and culture.

Varsity Wrestling 2014–15

Good evening!

Last time I left you—this very time last year—I told you that we were excited by the wealth of returning talent we’d have this year: nine returning New England qualifiers and five returning place-winners. Well, things don’t always work out quite the way you expect. When we finished this season, only three of those returning qualifiers were still in the line-up, and only two of the place-winners. Tom Ryan, coach of the national champion Ohio State Buckeyes, once said that “There’s no way a wrestler can make it through his career and not at some point go to a place of complete discomfort.” This season could easily have sent us all to just such a place.

Fortunately, that’s not the season we had. Instead, time and again, our wrestlers proved themselves stronger than their circumstances—they were scrappy, resourceful, and resilient. They recognized that wrestling is, essentially, not a very comfortable sport, and they showed themselves, like many of you out there, to be stronger than the temptation of a “comfortable” winter. They supported each other. And, for their hard work, they were rewarded with a very respectable 16-7 dual meet record and four New England place- finishers. And those nine New England qualifiers we were expecting at the beginning of the season? We ended up with those, too.

These are all very positive things. I don’t necessarily think that the sort of “discomfort” that Coach Ryan is talking about is always something that needs to be mitigated or avoided, however. A bit of discomfort can be a good thing, insofar as it gives you a challenge to overcome— an opportunity to test yourself. In this sense, it was a year of considerable growth for our team. Two of our NE qualifiers were first-year wrestlers, both of whom battled their way to a two-thirds winning percentage in their regular-season matches. Even more auspiciously, we had at least eight underclassmen in the starting line-up at various points throughout the season – two of whom placed in the Class A tournament, and many of whom contributed critical wins to our dual meet season. This is the sort of structural challenge that pays dividends down the line.

It was also in meeting challenges that we had some of our best moments this year. We saw Kyle Douglas fight through his last match on one leg after spraining his ankle in the quarterfinals. We saw Benzi Edelson upset the #2 seed to advance to the finals in our tournament at . We saw David Harrison, brandishing a speedy low single, push his opponent into overtime to place at New England’s. At Hill, we slept in a dorm with no heat in the dead of winter, and nobody complained. Then we went out and placed three-quarters of our wrestlers in the tournament. When Cedergren could barely see because his eyes were swollen shut from his matches, he took to singing instead— serenading us with classic rock on every (every) long ride home.

Some people think of wrestling as an individual sport; others recognize its team component. But the most perceptive notice that it’s not really either of those things. You don’t do it on your own and you don’t just do it together. When you stick with something that’s very difficult, you do it for each other. In that sense, I think people are right when they call wrestling a family sport. Certainly, this year’s seniors have shown that to be true. In the midst of a rocky season, their tenacity, perseverance, and fellow-feeling kept their team strong and focused. With that in mind, let’s have a round of applause for this year’s graduating wrestlers, and especially the four-year seniors – Kyle Douglas, who finished his career with a remarkable 96 wins, and Tri-Captains Benzi Edelson, Matt Page, and David Harrison.

I would now like to call the following individuals to the podium to be recognized with awards: Traken Sutton, Santi Torres Guiza, and Matt Page.

Most Outstanding Wrestler: Traken Sutton ’16 Traken Sutton is this year’s Most Outstanding Wrestler. One of the most experienced wrestlers on the team, Traken finished the season with a 36-13 record in one of the toughest weight-classes in the region, a 2nd place finish at Class As, and a 4th place finish in New England. In those 49 matches, moreover, Traken won just once by forfeit. And of the three wrestlers who placed above him at New Englands, three were All- Americans. That’s an extraordinary amount of high-caliber wrestling for a single season. And yet, to talk to Traken you’d never know that he could go toe-to-toe with the best wrestlers in the country. He’s reserved and unpretentious. He just works hard. And he wins. We’re looking forward to another great season with him next year.

Most Improved Wrestler: Santi Torres Guiza ’15 This year’s Most Improved Wrestler is Santi Torres Guiza. A first-year wrestler, Santi managed to accrue a 20-10 record, which is something of an extraordinary feat – especially for a wrestler in weight-class that doesn’t tend to be full of first-year wrestlers. And, indeed, a large number of Santi’s wins were against opponents who were empirically better wrestlers than he was. As he himself acknowledges, he was rarely the most technical or knowledgeable wrestler on the mat. What he had was the most heart and the least fear of losing. In wrestling, that makes a difference. So when we started talking technique before his last match, which he wrestled through an injured rib, we didn’t get very far: “What should I do, coach?” he said. We both knew that there was only one thing I could say: “Just wrestle a Santi match.” We’d love to see more people wrestling Santi matches – or Santi fights, as he calls them – and we’re happy to have had his great, anti-technical example this season.

Coaches’ Award: Matt Page ’15 Co-Captain Matt Page is the 2015 wrestler who best embodies the pillars of Loomis Wrestling: discipline, intensity, and teamwork. Ever since he was a freshman, Matt has worked uncomplainingly to develop himself as a wrestler and a teammate – pushing himself in practice even when he didn’t feel great, fighting to save team points on the mat, and caring about all of the details that make a group of individuals a team. This season was even more demanding: as a captain, he was charged with holding together a fragile team, and as a swing-wrestler he often bumped up one or two weight-classes to wrestle the toughest person in the opposing line-up. Matt never complained, and more than that, he showed that he knew what it meant to subordinate his own desires to the good of the team. We’re awfully proud of his 4th place finish at Class As this year, but we’re prouder yet of the legacy he has left his teammates as a hard worker, a friend, and a leader. Results (16-7 Dual Meet Record)

Opponent Score____ Canterbury Invitational 8th/19 teams Marvelwood W—60-18 Lawrenceville (NJ) L—30-44 Brunswick L—27-51 Greens Farms W—36-29 Trinity Pawling L—25-45 Worcester W—42-27 W—54-30 Battle on the Bay 8th/18 teams Hyde-CT W—70-3 Bissel Tournament @ Hill (PA) 5th/14 teams W—57-15 Avon Old Farms W—55-18 W—43-30 Trinity Pawling School L—27-48 W—66-9 Wilbraham & Monson W—64-9 Tabor Academy L—24-48 W—47-36 W—42-30 Phillips Exeter L—18-49 Brooks L—18-60 Northfield Mount Hermon W—48-18 Buckingham, Browne & Nichols W—54-24 Lawrence Academy W—42-22 W—36-34 Class A Tournament 5th/12 teams New England Championship 13th/48 teams Prep Nationals (PA) 56/121 teams

Wrestling Varsity Roster

Wt. Name Year Class A New England 106 Ian Mann 2018 2nd 7th 113 Kyle Douglas 2015+ 3rd 8th 113 August Donovan 2018 120 Jacob DeRothschild 2017 126 Bill Pieroni 2018 3rd qualifier 132 Benzi Edelson 2015+ CAPTAIN 4th qualifier 138 Traken Sutton 2016 2nd 4th* 145 Matt Page 2015+ CAPTAIN 4th qualifier 145 Trung Vu 2015 152 Ethan Twombly 2016 152 Ryan Durkin 2018 160 Jordan Passarela 2017 182 Santi Torres Guiza 2015 qualifier 195 David Dawson 2017 220 David Harrison 2015+ CAPTAIN 4th 7th* 285 Joachim Cedergren 2015 5th qualifier Mgrs. Yang-yang Kwon 2015 Edgar Guerra Romo 2017 Jenna Ryu 2017

Coaches: Ben Haldeman, Andrew Hutchinson, Nick Barker * Prep National Qualifiers + Four-year wrestlers

2014–15 Boys Hockey

The Boys Varsity Hockey Team finished the season with a 21-5-1 record and with the first Founders League title in over twenty years. Entering the season, this team had high expectations for itself and achieved much by the end. In addition to the Founders League Title, the team won the Avon Tournament for the first time in school and made the Elite Eight playoffs for the first time in over twenty years. The team also spent five weeks, from the middle of December to the end of January as the number one team in New England. Beyond this team’s external achievements was their embodiment of a winning attitude and with that a daily desire to get better. That attitude was born out of a culture of hard work and strong character and consisted of an undying commitment to each other. This team was incredibly skilled but it was the heart that they played with that brought the most success.

The season started with a bang on November 30th with a 9-0 win over Groton in the first match-up at the St. Paul’s Jamboree. When everything clicked that first time out, though no one said it, we knew we had a great team and that we were capable of much this season. In the game, Tim Birarelli earned his first of four shutouts and we got goal production from eight different scorers—we had goaltending, we had scoring ability, and we had depth. Not to mention, this team had perhaps the strongest d-corps in New England: seniors Zach Giuttari, Colin Merrill and Sean Ross, returning junior Andy DeLalla and newcomers, junior Jacob Bryson and sophomore Michael Greenberg. The team earned another shutout the very next day in a 1-0 win over Tabor. On this day, the team showed another face with its commitment to defense and ability to hold a lead in a tight game.

The Pelicans entered the Avon Old Farms Christmas Classic 5-0 and with a chance to win it. The first match-up was against highly touted Gunnery. Our relentless fore checking ability was the story of the day as we spent the better part of the game in the Gunnery zone and came away with a 3-1 victory. The next morning the team earned a gutsy 2-1 overtime victory against Kent at Trinity College before heading back over the mountain for 4-3 win against St. Paul’s later that afternoon at Avon thus earning a spot in Saturday’s tournament championship game. Saturday proved to be the Pelicans’ day as we defeated Tabor 4-0 with a two goal game by Alex Esposito and Tim Birarelli’s twenty-six save shutout. Birarelli’s overall tournament performance earned him the Tournament MVP Award.

Entering the New Year 9-0 and ranked number one in New England the team was full of confidence and optimism as we entered the toughest part of our schedule. Despite starting January with its first loss of the season the team rebounded and went on another streak. By February, the boys were in the hunt for the Founders League title. In an important match-up against Salisbury on the road, the stakes were high both in terms of our place in New England and our quest for the Founders Title. Once again, the team showed guts as we overcame much adversity and earned a 2-1 victory in an incredibly hostile environment.

In the final regular season game against Avon, we needed to win or tie for the whole share of the Founders title, and a win to shore up home ice for the playoffs. The boys came out firing and sunk Avon in a fashion never seen before, 8-1.

One official called our fans the “best in Prep Hockey.” On several occasions this season the Johnson/Savage Arena was rocking. The crowd’s affection for seafood was demonstrated on several occasions once with a trout and another with Larry the Lobster. And they traveled too, most notably to the Salisbury game in mid-February. The atmosphere and support was no different during our final match-up of the season once again, against Salisbury but this time in our barn. Unfortunately, the throwing of seafood was banned for this game.

This team is a special one as it is the first in this century to be completely composed of players whose Loomis hockey experience has been a winning one. In particular, this year’s senior class was special as well. Through their experience, leadership, and ability they played a significant role not only this year, but for those multi-year seniors, over the course of their careers, and have succeeded in putting this program on the map. Our three year seniors, Alex Esposito, Zach Giuttari, Colin Merrill, and Ben Sharf who graduate with an impressive 50-26-4 record, two banners, and several more remarkable achievements, should be recognized for their commitment and efforts.

All New England Winners Alex Esposito Zach Giuttari

All Founders League Winners Alex Esposito Zach Giuttari Ben Sharf

Award Winners Coaches’ Award—Sean Ross: Sean has had a great career here at Loomis on and off the ice. His care and concern for the success of his team and others have made him an asset to the program. Sean leads by example with his conscientious approach in all that he does. His efforts have earned him accolades in the classroom, respect within the school community, and on his team and make him a true embodiment of the character and spirit of Loomis Hockey! Coaches’ Award—David Troiano: David is an unsung hero of sorts as his contribution cannot be quantified. His persistent hard work and sacrifice on a daily basis, whether in practice or in a game, made his team and his teammates better. His toughness, positive attitude, and willingness to accept an inglorious role made David a key contributor to the great success that this team had this season.

Offensive MVP—Alex Esposito: This award is for his work this season but is also somewhat of a lifetime achievement award. In two of his three seasons as a member of the varsity hockey team Alex led the team in points. This season he scored twenty-one goals and assisted on sixteen others for a total of thirty-seven points. That was also good enough for fifth leading scorer in the Founders League. Alex’s achievements this year earned him a spot on the All New England and All Founders teams this year. Over the course of his eighty game career, Alex amassed fifty goals and forty-four assists for ninety-four points, in addition to posting a plus fifty-one rating. That achievement makes him the leading point getter in LC hockey history on record.

Defensive MVP—Zach Giuttari: Zach’s steady play make him a consistent presence at both ends of the ice. He led the team this year in plus/minus with a plus thirty overall rating. In his LC career he was plus forty-five. Zach also led all defensemen in scoring this season with six goals and twelve assists for eighteen points and finished his career with a 13-28-41 line. Zach was a key guy no matter the situation: man down, two-men down, power play, and end of game scenarios whether trying to score or protect the lead. Being one of the least penalized players on our team made him available often for those situations, but more than that, demonstrates his sportsmanship and overall clean approach to the game. Zach’s importance to this team is not an accident. It was built on his daily commitment to improve his game and to do anything that he could to make his team better. Everyone on our bench and in our locker room, knows that you can always count on Zach.

Golden Buoy—Zach Giuttari: The lobster buoy in its intended use offers a sense of place and a sense of direction. While doing such it takes a beating from the ebbs and flows of the tide and the crashing of waves. Lobstering in and of itself is hard work as lobstermen brave cold weather, fog, and haul heavy traps hopefully filled with strong pinching crustaceans. With that in mind, after every win, we have a tradition of handing out a buoy to the game’s hardest worker or MVP. The player who won it previously hands it out after a victory. The Golden Buoy is an award voted on by the team and acknowledges the hardest working and most spirited player who best represents the ideals of Loomis Hockey. In a senior class of quality leaders Zach was the one Captain and thus the one that the team looked to for guidance. Zach’s achievements at the rink and on campus are a testament to what one can do with consistency, hard work, skill, and integrity—when you do everything right, good things happen.

SCHEDULE AND RESULTS Opponent Score Result Groton 9-0 Win Tabor 1-0 Win Trinity Pawling 4-3 Win Pomfret 5-1 Win Canterbury 5-1 Win Gunnery 3-1 Win Kent 2-1 Win St. Paul’s 4-3 Win Tabor 4-0 Win Brunswick 3-4 Loss Kent 4-1 Win Choate 3-0 Win Deerfield 7-2 Win Hotchkiss 7-1 Win Taft 6-4 Win Westminster 6-3 Win Avon 2-5 Loss Kingswood 5-0 Win Andover 4-3 Win Williston 3-4 Loss Deerfield 2-1 Win Salisbury 2-1 Win Westminster 6-3 Win Northfield 1-1 Tie Choate 0-2 Loss Avon 8-1 Win NEPSAC TOURN— 1-3 Loss Salisbury

Name Pos. YR GP G A P PPG P/M Alex Esposito F Sr 27 21 16 37 1.37 24.5 Ben Sharf F Sr 27 9 25 34 1.26 29 Eric Esposito F So 27 18 14 32 1.19 25 Eric Benshadle F Sr 26 8 22 30 1.15 25.5 Justin Grillo F So 27 14 16 30 1.11 25 Cam Toohey F Sr 27 9 16 25 0.93 27 Zach Giuttari D Sr 27 6 12 18 0.67 29.5 Jacob Bryson D Jr 27 5 10 15 0.56 13.5 Colin Merrill D Sr 27 4 9 13 0.48 24.5 Sean Ross D Sr 27 3 9 12 0.44 22.5 Lucas D'Antuono F Sr 20 5 1 6 0.3 3 Shamus Fenton F Jr 27 3 2 5 0.19 3 Griffen Welch F Jr 27 0 5 5 0.19 3 Andy DeLalla D Jr 27 0 4 4 0.15 12 Michael Greenberg D So 27 1 2 3 0.11 11 T.K. Murphy F Jr 27 1 2 3 0.11 1 David Troiano F Sr 27 0 2 2 0.07 -2 Austin Tautfest F So 25 0 1 1 0.04 0 Andrew Lucas FD Fr 27 0 1 1 0.04 4 Tim Birarelli G Jr 27 0 0 0 0 N/A Adin Farhat G So 27 0 0 0 0 N/A Caleb Rudniki G Sr 26 0 0 0 0 N/A Sam Dimaio F Fr 3 0 0 0 0 0 Matthew Giuttari D Fr 2 0 0 0 0 0

Minutes GP GA Shots SV% GAA Tim Birarelli G Jr 1212 23 41 534 0.929 1.78 Adin Farhat G So 227 5 7 82 0.921 1.4 Caleb Rudniki G Sr 9 2 0 4 1 0

Boys Varsity Squash Season

This season was a very successful one for the Boys Varsity Squash Team. During the regular season, the team had a record of 9-7. During the New England’s Class B tournament at the end of the year, Loomis Chaffee players lived up to their potential and came away with a co-championship. This team has shown itself to be determined and competitive all season, and this made the season overall an incredible one. There were a couple notable matches that are worth highlighting in this end of season overview. The first key match was the match in December against Westminster. Ever since Coach Beck has been part of the program, Westminster has had a consistently stronger team that Loomis Chaffee’s team. As a result, they have consistently come away as the winners in the matches played over the past four years. However, the season’s potential was showcased and everything started off well when the Pelicans came away with a 6-1 victory over Westminster to start the season!

Next up was a match against Hotchkiss. Every year Hotchkiss fields a very strong team, and this year was no exception. In past years Loomis Chaffee players have sometimes struggled to even win a game across all 7 matches. This year was a special one for Loomis Chaffee. At the #3 position, Co-Captain Peter DeLalio beat his opponent in 3 straight games in an impressive display of dominance on the squash court. Then, in the first glimpse of just how good Samir Agadi would become over the course of this season, Samir won his match at the #7 position, giving Loomis 2 matches in a competitive 5-2 loss.

The last match highlight for the year was the High School Team Nationals rematch against the . In their first meeting of the year, Loomis Chaffee suffered one of their first losses to Kent in decades, as Kent’s powerful top 3 led to a 7-0 victory against Loomis on their unconventional courts. Kent’s players were understandably elated, but Coach Beck and the Pelicans were convinced that they could have performed better, and the Nationals tournament gave the team a chance to prove it. Although Loomis Chaffee still lost, they lost 4-3 and, at the #7 position, there were several match points, which could have led to a victory. Although the team was disappointed, it was still a wonderful example that the Pelican boys could step up and give some impressive results despite being the underdogs.

Class B New England’s was the opportunity that Loomis Chaffee had to be top dogs and to prove it. Every player on the team commanded a strong seed in their individual draws, and the team performed very well as a whole. The team should be proud of the way that they came together and supported each other, and the trophy they came away with at the end of the weekend was a fitting reward to the hard work and great play that was on display by the Pelicans all weekend.

This year was a landmark one for the Loomis Chaffee Boys Squash Team. The players managed to play at a high level while maintaining their sportsmanship and while coming together as a team at every opportunity. It was a great experience for everyone involved and it bodes well for what is to come next year!

2014–15 Girls Varsity Swimming and Diving

The Girls Varsity Swimming and Diving team enjoyed a very successful season. As a team, the Pelicans finished the season with a record of 6 wins and 5 losses, finishing second at the Founder’s League Championship Meet. In a highly competitive Division I New England Championships, the Pelicans dove and swam their way to a seventh place finish, an improvement of three places from last season. Most importantly, the athletes had fun, worked hard and saw significant personal improvement throughout the season.

The season is divided into three segments: a preseason, which runs through the New Year, the dual meet season, and the championship season. The season began with preseason training and tryouts where the team of twenty swimmers and three divers were chosen, with eight new team members. During this preseason conditioning period the team began to establish a conditioning base for the season and began to form a culture of working together as a team. This team concept would be very important in making it through a demanding swim season as the team would certainly be forming their own identity due to so many young swimmers on the team. As a team we talked about our focus being on swimming our very best each and every time we came into the pool, whether it is practice or a meet, as well as improving our individual swims each time as well. We also set our focus on winning the meets that were within our reach throughout the season. We began the season with a solid win against Miss Porter’s, a team that we had not beaten in three years. Next up was the Convent of the Sacred Heart. The Pelicans were still searching for the lineup that would best use the versatile talents of the girls to our advantage. In this meet, there were some very good early season swims that led to a decisive victory, and the team broke for winter break with a 2-0 record, and with their sights set on a winter training trip to Vero Beach over New Years. It was a wonderful trip and after a great week of warm weather, hard training, and team-building in Vero Beach, we returned a better conditioned, tanner and more cohesive unit than when we left.

Upon returning back to campus and the beginning of classes, our schedule allowed an extra week of workouts before we traveled to Kent on a Wednesday afternoon. After a long drive, it was nice to see the girls swim and dive with such passion and enthusiasm. This was a sign of good things to come. The meet showed the positive effect of the hard training the team has done, and also gave some members of the team the opportunity to swim in meaningful events, allowing the coaching staff to get a better idea as to the versatility of this year’s squad. Our next meet was against a deep Andover team. We swam very well but didn’t quite have enough depth to beat the Blues. Against Williston, the girls swam and dove well against a young and improving Wildcat squad. We were ready to race on that day and it showed with some good swims. The Hopkins Mariners were next up on the docket. Hopkins is always tough and well-coached, and we looked forward to the challenge and a chance to swim in a yard pool. Unfortunately, Mother Nature intervened and the meet was cancelled. It seems that this happens quite often for this meet! Next up was a dual meet against Hotchkiss. The Pelicans swam and dove well and came away with a fairly easy victory over the Bearcats. Prior to leaving for the long weekend, the girls geared up for the last meet of January, against the Hoggers of NMH. The meet was at their pool, and with no diving board, we would not have the support of our divers. With the long weekend on their mind, the team was fairly subdued during the meet but still came away with a solid victory over the NMH girls. It was an awesome way to go into Head’s weekend! Following the Head’s Holiday, the Pelicans returned rested and rejuvenated and swam very well in a loss to a deeper Exeter squad. We matched up pretty well and had some great races along the way. It also gave us a chance to swim in the pool where the Division I NEPSSA meet would be held. An all-deep pool, there would be some fast swimming in that facility in just a few short weeks! Following the Exeter weekend, and a long drive home in snow, the team prepared for our final home meet in Hedges Pool on Senior Day against Choate. The pool was decorated nicely with posters and ribbons and it was a great way to honor our seniors who have meant so much to our team for the past four years. We gave Choate, the eventual NEPSSA runner-up, all they could handle, but once again the lack of dual meet depth proved to be the downfall of the Pelicans. The team finished the dual meet season with a loss to a very tough Deerfield team. Deerfield honored both their seniors as well as ours as we ended the dual meet season on the short end. It was an exciting meet, with the teams tied after the 100 free, but Deerfield slowly pulled away the last few events to secure the victory. During the dual meets, the girls swam and dove great and laid the groundwork for what would prove to be a very exciting championship phase.

As the season progressed, improvement through hard work was continually emphasized. The team’s work ethic was outstanding, not only in the pool, but also on the deck during dry land. Thanks to Coach Bucceri, we continued and built on “BBC” this year. Bucceri Boot Camp! A great way to work on abdominals and core strength. This improvement was evident all season long and going into championships we were confident that we would swim well.

As we began the final phase of the season, the Championship Phase, we began our “taper” or resting period. The Founder’s League Championship, held at the beautiful Hotchkiss pool, ended up being an exciting meet highlighted by some great swims and a second place finish as a team! Overall, the team had roughly 90% season and personal bests! A highlight of the meet was Suzy Ryckman ’18 winning the 100 Freestyle and Madison Perry ’17 winning the diving event for the second consecutive year! All divers performed extremely well all season and showed consistent improvement in the difficulty of their dives and in their scores. Our performances at this meet gave the swimmers and divers the confidence that they needed heading into the New England Division I Prep School Championships. At the Division I NEPSSA Championships, of which thirteen schools participated, the girls swam well, with over 95% swimming personal best times. As always, this year’s meet was again very exciting with fast swimming all around. On day 1 during trials, swimmer after swimmer swam best times, both personal and season bests. It was an exciting day and gave us the confidence for finals the following day, as not only were the finalists swimming but all of our relays would have a chance to compete. Younger swimmers were called upon to make an impact in relays and the veterans swam with confidence. We dove and swam extremely well. It was a great testament to the team’s determination and efforts all season in how they finished the season and finished the meet, with outstanding 400 Free Relay swims! In the end, the Pelicans finished in 7th place, up three spots from last year’s championships. Well done, right to the very end!

From the very beginning of this season, the swimmers and divers came to practice every day focused and ready to work hard. The coaches are so proud of every member of this team for their attitude, effort, and commitment to excellence. Their improvement was phenomenal. Their work ethic was admirable, as was their enthusiasm. Every meet personal best times were broken, time and again. It was especially nice to see the team really enjoy each other’s company this season and support each other day in and day out when things were tough. Psyche boxes, team dinners, and spirit days were welcomed by all. This team has been a lot of fun and a pleasure to coach! Thank you to a great group of parents who supported us all season and kept us well-fed!

The team will miss the fine leadership of senior captains Kelsey Duffy, Sara Pipernos, and Krystal Sung, as well as Kaitlin Adams, Emma Gwyn and Penelope Shao. This is a great group of seniors and they will be sorely missed, both for their talents in the water and for their strong leadership. They have set an example of excellence for others to follow. Thank you seniors and good luck!

As this season comes to a conclusion the coaches are already looking forward to next season. The girls have shown that hard work and commitment will produce positive results. Each and every day the girls brought a hard-working and determined attitude to the pool. We hope that the returning members of this team will work hard over the off season and return stronger, faster, and ready to pick up where we left off this year. Awesome season, girls. Thank you for all your efforts!

Letter Winners Name Grade Adams, Kaitlin 12 Donegan, Grace 10 Duffy, Kelsey 12 Favreau, Emily 10 Finlay, Maggie 10 Gardiner, Emily 10 Gwyn, Emma 12 Hanlon, Kelly 10 Irving, Chloe 10 Kanjanachusak, Pin 9 Kornblatt-Stier, Ruth 11 Lugli, Gabby 10 Ma, Kimberly 9 Moylan, Mairin 9 Perry, Madison 10 Pipernos, Sara 12 Rhodes, Juliet 9 Ryckman, Suzy 9 Shao, Penelope 12 Song, Angel 9 Sung, Krystal 12 Walen, Alexandra 10 Wanikpun, Winda 11

Head Coach: Robert A. DeConinck, Jr. Asst. Coach: Liz Bucceri ‘07 Diving Coach: Memo Alejandro Captains: Kelsey Duffy ’15, Sara Pipernos ‘15, Krystal Sung ‘15 Managers: Xana Pierone ’16, Una Shea ‘16

Results 6 wins, 5 losses

LC 102 Porter’s 82 LC 95 Sacred Heart 76 LC 108 Kent 68 LC 80 Andover 103 LC 96 Williston 85 LC 94 Hotchkiss 76 LC 101 NMH 69 LC 88 Suffield 93 LC 82 Exeter 96 LC 84.5 Choate 96.5 LC 79 Deerfield 107

Founders League Championships 2nd place

Founders League Awards: Kelsey Duffy (200 Medley Relay) (TOP 3) Emily Favreau (200 Free Relay) Emily Gardiner (50 Free, 200 Free Relay, 400 Free Relay) Emma Gwyn (Diving) Kim Ma (200 Free Relay, 100 Back, 400 Free Relay) Madison Perry (Diving) Suzy Ryckman (200 Medley Relay, 200 IM, 100 Free, 400 Free Relay) Krystal Sung (200 Free Relay) Winda Wanikpun (200 Medley Relay, 400 Free Relay) Juliet Rhodes (200 Medley Relay, 200 Free Relay)

New England Championships 9th place

Scorers: 5th Kim Ma 200 yard Medley Relay (TOP 16) Kelsey Duffy 200 yard Medley Relay Krystal Sung 200 yard Medley Relay Suzy Ryckman 200 yard Medley Relay

5th Kim Ma 200 yard Individual Medley

8th Suzy Ryckman 50 yard Freestyle 13th Winda Wanikpun 50 yard Freestyle

4th Madison Perry Diving 9th Emma Gwyn Diving

10th Emily Gardiner 100 yard Freestyle Winda Wanikpun 100 yard Freestyle

15th Emily Favreau 500 yard Freestyle

9th Emily Gardiner 200 yard Freestyle Relay Juliet Rhodes 200 yard Freestyle Relay Krystal Sung 200 yard Freestyle Relay Winda Wanikpun 200 yard Freestyle Relay

8th Suzy Ryckman 100 yard Backstroke 13th Kim Ma 100 yard Backstroke

13th Kelsey Duffy 100 yard Breaststroke

5th Emily Gardiner 400 yard Freestyle Relay Winda Wanikpun 400 yard Freestyle Relay Kim Ma 400 yard Freestyle Relay Suzy Ryckman 400 yard Freestyle Relay

New School Record: Madison Perry Diving (6 dives) 304.65

New Hedges Pool Record: Madison Perry` Diving (6 dives) 269.75

All-Time Top 10 Swims Emily Gardiner #5 50 yd Free 24.84 #8 100 yd Free 54.71 #10 200 yd Free 2:00.64

#3 100 M Free 1:01.46 #6 50 M Free 28.30

Kim Ma #4 100 yd Back 1:00.82 #5 200 yd IM 2:14.35 #10 50 yd Free 25.41 #3 400 M Free 4:46.36 #4 200 M IM 2:29.91 #4 100 M Back 1:10.18 #9 200 M Free 2:16.41

Suzy Ryckman #2 50 yd Free 24.46 #3 100 yd Free 53.70 #3 100 yd Back 59.60 #6 200 yd IM 2:14.80 #3 100 M Back 1:09.28 #4 50 M Free 28.03

Krystal Sung #6 400 M Free 4:52.05 #10 200 M Free 2:16.74

Winda Wanikpun #8 50 yd Free 25.08 #9 100 yd Free 54.90 #8 50 M Free 28.55

Academic All-Americans: Penelope Shao Krystal Sung

Loomis Chaffee Girls Squash 2014–2015 Coach: Meg Blunden

Team Roster: Year: Letter: Anika Bhargava 2017 1st Gaby Foti © 2015 3rd Isa Foti 2016 1st Sherly Francois © 2016 2nd Noelle Gauthier 2015 1st Juliette Haroche 2016 1st Claudia Lamprecht 2016 2nd Izzy Lent 2017 1st Tessa Lightfoot 2015 1st

This season was certainly one of our most successful in recent years. During tryouts, it was clear that the ladder had some impressive depth, as we welcomed a few integral Varsity returners, a couple of new faces, and some of the strongest 2013-2014 JV players to the team. We knew that we would be able to approach our matches with more confidence and compete at a higher level. Of course, we faced some of the usual powerhouse teams over the course of the season. What made the biggest difference is that we were able to beat some opponents that we had lost to by a close margin last season, including both Westminster and Suffield. These are the matches that ultimately made the difference, and we improved from having a 6-12 record last year to having a 9-8 winning record this season! The team also participated in the High School Team Nationals Tournament for the first time in a number of years in early February, and placed 5th in the Division III bracket. We closed out the season with an impressive 2nd place in the New England Girls Division B tournament, and missed the first place spot by just one point! During that tournament, five LC players walked away with trophies: Sherly and Isa in first place, Gaby in second place, and Izzy and Anika in third place in their respective individual brackets.

This season’s success would not have been possible without the behind-the-scenes efforts of all the members of the Athletics Department, or the invaluable support of our parents, who travelled far and wide to support the girls, and made sure that the team always had a full stock of snacks and water (and that I had a coffee in-hand).

Finally, a big congratulations to the girls on the team. Our sophomores: Izzy and Anika. I cannot wait to see your growth in the coming years. We are lucky to have your athleticism and dedication. Our juniors: Claudia, Sherly, Juliette, and Isa. What a great group of rising leaders we have. Newcomers to the team will be lucky to have you to guide them, both on and off court, next year. Our seniors: Gaby, Tessa, and Noelle. It was an awesome season, and you all contributed in meaningful ways. We will miss you as you move on to the next adventure.

Now for the awards…. if I could give nine awards, I would do so in a heartbeat. Each of the girls has grown and improved so much, whether in her movement and shot placement, or in her mental game. I am very proud of the impact that each of you has had on the team.

Coach’s Award: Sherly Francois and Gaby Foti The Coach’s Award goes to Sherly Francois and Gaby Foti, who both made significant contributions to the team as elected captains and as key players on the ladder. Sherly put in great work by sending motivational team emails, and leading by example during matches, as she would always push herself to the limit during rallies. Sherly had a strong personal record this season, and won some integral matches during Nationals to spur the team forward. She also didn’t drop a single game at New England’s, and forged her way to a first place victory in her bracket. Sherly is a true competitor, and inspires success in both herself and others. Gaby was re-elected as a captain for her senior year, and helped to create an inclusive program environment, as the team would often run warm-ups and conditioning alongside the JV squad. Her first few weeks were spent doing a lot of organizational work off-court and helping to run conditioning stations, but she also proved committed and focused when she got back on court in January, clinching wins against powerhouses like Choate and Exeter. Gaby also established a strong personal record this season, finished in second place in her bracket at New England’s, and often provided feedback to teammates between games. Thank you both for your contributions.

Consistent Contender Award: Anika Bhargava This year’s Consistent Contender Award goes to Anika Bhargava. Anika has been an impressive contributor from day one. Moving up the ranks on the JV team last year, Anika became committed to improving her game during the off-season as well, and set her sights on Varsity this winter. Making the top seven line-up early on, she eventually worked her way to number four, and consistently proved a committed, reliable, and inspiring player. Anika had one of the strongest personal records this season, and was able to secure wins in stressful situations. Most notably, the team was 3-3 during a match against Westminster, Atlanta at Nationals, and Anika was last to play. Despite going down 0-2 in her match and her opponent already celebrating, she walked onto the court with completely different focus and body in game four, and dominated point by point to win 3-2 and secure the 4-3 win for the team. Her opponent just did not know how to respond. Similarly, Anika was the last match still going the next day against Episcopal High School, and she again secured the team win of 4-3 with a 3-2 win in her match. Her teammates view her as someone who is always able to refocus and come back, as someone who is dependable, and as someone who is simply cool, calm, and collected. For her mental strength, her consistently strong play, and her unwavering commitment and effort during drills and conditioning, Anika is our Consistent Contender.

Second Place at New England’s!

Thank you for a great season J

Skiing

The Loomis Ski Team had a fantastic season. With a few new additions to the team this year it was the most promising group of skiers seen in years. Bitter cold temperatures couldn’t discourage this devoted group of young athletes from the very first day. The first day of tryouts started out on slopes of Ski Sundown. The well groomed trails were not to be. Instead these trails were covered in ice balls ranging in size from ball to bowling balls. This was the perfect challenge to see who had the ability and courage to be on this Ski Team. Coach Monti Montana stated “It was the toughest try out conditions that he had ever seen.”

The first few races had some moderate finishes for the team until January 29th when Loomis stole the show placing first over Avon Old Farms School, Trinity-Pawling, Miss Porters and Ethel Walker. This day was the turning point for the Ski Team. With a win under our belt we had our eye on the prize, the NEPSAC championships. These young athletes trained like it was the Olympics.

We had the ability and needed to get comfortable with carrying more speed in the race course. These athletes were pushed beyond their comfort zone to speed they had not yet achieved. They trained hard became more and more skilled and were ready for the championships.

The women‘s team finished in 2nd place out of 14 New England Prep schools. Team Co Captain Sara Corsetti posted a 3rd in the Slalom and 5th in the Giant Slalom.

The Loomis women place all 5 skiers in the top 18 for Slalom. Nina Pennoyer 6th place, Sarah Mendelsohn 9th, Katie Warner 15th, and Isabel Guigui in a 17th place finish.

The men‘s varsity team had outstanding finishes as well. Not having Team Captain Tucker Santoro was unfortunate but, the men‘s Varsity really pulled their weight in the Slalom. Let by Ramesh Shrestha with an 8th place finish followed by Yuwi Yamashita, Sebastian Lauders, Bryson Carter and Jack Warner.

The JV team improved all season. Three of these racers never raced before. Madelynne Richmond, Anil Anderson and Andrew Donshik deserve recognition for their hard work as contributor to the success of this team.

Thru hard work and incredible persistence this Ski Team mad the Loomis Chaffee School as well as themselves proud.

Thanks to all the faculty, staff and dedicated Parents that helped make this season a success.

Boys Basketball

The 2014–15 Varsity Boys Basketball team finished the season with a 9-12 record. The team, although hampered with various injuries and sicknesses throughout the year, made impressive strides and progress. In an extremely competitive Founders League and NEPSAC Class A, the Pelicans finished 6th in the League and closely missed a Class A tournament berth.

Due to a coaching change in the pre-season, the team only had one week of preparation prior to their first game against a tough Belmont Hill team, resulting in a 15-point loss. But the Pelicans quickly regrouped and came together, winning 4 in a row with games against Deerfield, Avon Old Farms, Gunnery and Westminster. The Gunnery and Westminster wins came in the Bob Southall holiday tournament and propelled the boys to the championship game against an extremely difficult Kimball Union squad. Although we held a lead deep into the 2nd half, it resulted in a 52-48 defeat in the tournament finals.

After the holiday break, we suffered some unfortunate luck with a string of injuries and illnesses that left us hampered, traveling and practicing with no more than 8 guys throughout the remainder of the year. Throughout the next 2 months, we saw some high points and some low points that ultimately tested the character and teamwork of our squad every step up of the way.

Some of the high points in the 2nd half of the year included narrow losses to eventual Class A champion Williston by 3, Class A semi-finalists, Kent at the buzzer, as well as wins over Deerfield and Brunswick on the road and Pomfret at home. It was refreshing watching the development and strides from the team throughout the year. Although we were very short-handed and lacked depth, the guys kept playing hard and believed in the system.

Notable strides in development were made by sophomore Thomas Anderson and freshman Jake Glezen during the year. Sophomore Grayson Clemmer, Junior Cobey Adenkabi and Seniors Will Hanson and Paul Lee all worked tremendously hard throughout the entire length of the season and never once questioned anything. They were admirable teammates and representations of the school. Devin Clyburn showed signs of being a very talented point guard in the Class A when focused and giving full effort. Junior Mark Byrne, although run down with mononucleosis for the entire 2nd half of the season, was our glue guy, a jack-of-all trades, and we look forward to his return to the court next year. Brandon Johnson had a very good senior campaign and will go on to play at the college level.

I’d like to highlight our award winners for the season:

Coaches Award is given to Will Hanson, who personified toughness, hard work, and a team first attitude. Will never complained, came to work every day, and always had a smile on his face. He will have success in whatever path he chooses because of his work ethic.

The Most Improved award goes to Thomas Anderson who was forced into situations that he may not have been ready to handle. But, Thomas kept improving and making progress as the year went on. As Thomas worked harder, his confidence grew and thus his play on the court.

Our final award is for the team MVP, which goes to Brandon Johnson. Brandon averaged 15.2 points per game in his senior campaign, highlighted by scoring 28 points vs. the Kent School. He is a very good shooter and should have a fine college career.

It was a pleasure coaching all three of these guys along with the entire team. As the season comes to a close, it’s evident that what’s most important is the effort port forth by the team and the fact that they had fun and competed every step up of the way. We will miss the senior group, Brandon Johnson, Will Hanson, and Paul Lee and wish them luck in the college choices and careers. We are also looking forward to coaching next year’s team and feel confident that with continued improvement and hard work, good things are on the horizon.

Girls Hockey

Concluding the regular season at 17-5-3, the LC girls varsity hockey team proved all season that they were among the top in New England in what turned out to be the most competitive league that we have been a part of in the last few years. Earning a playoff berth to extend the season was well deserved and despite the final game’s outcome all the girls should be proud of their effort and accomplishment this winter.

The depth of the team allowed these girls to skate with anyone, tiring out opponent after opponent, and starting the season strong with only 1 loss in the first 10 games. Some season highlights included tying Nobles for the first time in a long time, beating Choate in the Taft Tournament 5-2 and thrashing Westminster with a 4-2 win on a Friday night in February in Simsbury. With 4 full lines, 3 pairs of D and two goalies, the roles on the team were not always glamorous, but a team-first attitude was quickly adopted and each and every player had a significant part in the success of the team.

The senior leadership was strong and they should certainly all be recognized—three year seniors Shannon Strawinski, Danielle Comorre, and the four year seniors, Claire Foran, and tri-captains Sierra Semmel, Gina Mangiafridda and Brittany Bugalski. The six players have been key contributors for several seasons and will be incredibly missed. In their time the caliber of our program has progressed substantially and you all should be very proud of all you have accomplished in your time at Loomis. Thank you for your contributions. Also a huge thanks to Ally Hammel, who went from manager to assistant coach over the course of the season.

Award Winners We have 2 Coaches Awards: Gina Mangiafridda and Brittany Bugalski. Both girls showed great leadership and always put the team first.

Gina did whatever was asked of her, even stepping away from her comfortable defensive position to play forward for a chunk of the season, with no questions asked. Gina impressed the coaches with her daily work ethic and her ability to get the job done. She has grown in her time at Loomis and earned the respect of everyone with her leadership style.

Brittany earns the other coaches award with her contributions to the program this year and over the past four years. She has solidified herself as a top goalie in the league (of which she was recognized as the first team NEPSAC All-Star goalie) and many teams are looking forward to facing another goalie in our net next winter. Brittany’s work ethic and motivation to be the best student-athlete she can be has had a great positive impact on the direction of our hockey program over the past several years.

Both Gina and Brittany will be hard to replace and should be incredibly proud of their accomplishments.

Congratulations and thank you to them and to all the seniors - the returning players have a lot to live up to next winter.

Girls Basketball

Record: 19-5 (9-0 in the Founders League) Founders League Champions New England Class A Tournament Semifinalists

No. Name Position Class Hometown 1 Stephanie Jones (co-captain) G 2015 Shelton, CT 2 Samantha Roy (co-captain) G 2016 Stafford Springs, CT 3 Emma Trenchard G 2017 Windsor, CT 5 Chynna Bailey (co-captain) G 2015 New York, NY 21 Kendra Offiaeli F 2016 South Windsor, CT 22 Aliza Kantor F 2015 Larchmont, NY 23 Isabel Hanson F 2016 Winston Salem, NC 32 Vanessa Young G/F 2016 Wardsboro, VT 35 Nancy Coulverson F 2016 South Ozone Park, NY

Elaine Dealy Manager 2016 Millbrook, NY Richard Ochefije Manager 2015 Lagos Zach Verdi Manager 2016 Plantsville, CT

The 2014–2015 season began shortly after our quarterfinal exit in last year’s New England Tournament. Each member of last year’s squad accepted the challenge to return an improved and even more committed basketball player. This year’s team was small in number, but large in heart. Week after week, I challenged this team to do more, and each week they met or exceeded expectations. Our commitment to our 5 non-negotiables — communication, defense, rebounding, running the floor, and taking care of the basketball — were the keys to much of our success this season. As a result we finished the season 19-5 overall (breaking last year’s record for number of wins in a season), 9-0 in the Founders League, resulting in a 3rd consecutive Founders League championship, and ranked No. 3 in New England at the end of the season.

We would not have achieved all we did without the hustle and defensive “pestitude” of sophomore Emma Trenchard or the contributions of our 5 juniors, such as the solid ball handling and decision making of Sam Roy, the hot shooting of Vanessa Young, the interior presence of Kendra Offiaeli, the finishing ability of Izzy Hanson, and the quick first step and mid-range jumper of Nancy Coulverson. Our seniors undoubtedly played a significant role in our success this year as well. Aliza Kantor’s ability to get to the free throw line, Chynna Bailey’s rebounding and ability to start our transition game, combined with Steph Jones’ scoring prowess, created a lethal combination of power, speed, and grace that led to our opponents’ demise on 19 different occasions. This team defended with toughness, ran the floor with purpose, shared the ball beautifully and scored with precision.

This season we were fortunate enough to have 3 NEPSAC all-stars. Congratulations to Sam Roy, Steph Jones, and Chynna Bailey, who represented Loomis as the West all-stars well.

Award Winners

Sam Roy Steph Jones Chynna Bailey

The awards for these 3 could read MVP, Most Improved, Coaches, or any category we can think of. The fact of the matter is that these 3 are very talented basketball players. They were not only keys to the success of the team, but important to the development and success of each other. Their competitiveness, leadership, and commitment to playing basketball the “right” way set the tone for each practice and lay the foundation for our success this season.

Sam Roy: A 3-year starter, 2-time New England all-star and first-year captain, she demonstrated MVP-like play all season. She shot 50 percent from the field, had an effective field goal percentage of 58 percent and true shooting percentage (which takes into account free throw shooting) of 60 percent. Essentially, what all that means is that when Sam shoots, we are more than likely going to score. Anyone who has seen Sam dribble a basketball can easily see her talent. Sam’s MVP-like performance this season also included her work without the ball in her hands. Her 55 steals and offensive rebounding numbers (2nd on the team in offensive rebounds) gave the team better and more opportunities to score. Sam’s award-worthy improvements this year include a lightning-quick release on her shot and an assist-to-turnover ratio of just under 2.0. Every coach we faced this season commented on Sam’s toughness and smarts on the basketball court. I would just nod, smile, and thank our lucky stars that we had Sam and they didn’t. Sam’s tone-setting leadership each day and her command of our offensive and defensive systems was key to the team’s success this season. I’m sure her teammates would agree that she is a joy to play with, and our opponents would also agree that she is absolute hell to play against. Congratulations on a great season.

Steph Jones: 3-year starter and 2-year captain and 4-year NEPSAC all-star, and arguably the best guard in the region, Steph was pretty much unstoppable in transition or the half court. Steph’s MVP-like play included her team-leading 21.4 points, 4 assists, and 3 steals per game. Every time we took the floor the opponent had to figure out how to control Steph Jones. Most teams were unsuccessful at that. Steph’s growth as a player away from the ball not only opened opportunities for teammates, but even easier scoring opportunities for her. Her 31 points vs. Exeter, 34 vs. Pomfret, 30 vs. Taft TWICE, and 30 vs. Tabor in addition to multiple 20-plus point performances clearly indicate that Steph did not discriminate when it came to scoring. Our JV boys team will attest that she’ll take it to anybody. I think Steph’s biggest improvement this year was in her play away from the ball. She was a great communicator on defense and became a more dynamic player without the ball on offense. Steph, congratulations on a great career, and we wish you the best on the basketball court at Boston College next year.

Chynna Bailey: 4-year varsity team member and 2-year captain, Chynna put together MVP-like performances all season. She led the team with 8 rebounds per game, had a triple double performance vs. Deerfield and several double double games this season, the most impressive being in our quarterfinal game vs. . Two days prior to that game, Chynna crutched out of the athletic training room after spraining her ankle in practice. On game day she refused to be kept out of the lineup and thankfully so. She only poured in 17 points (on 85 percent shooting) and grabbed 10 rebounds to help secure her teammates a spot in the Final 4 of the New England tournament. Chynna’s ability to rebound the ball and start our fast break fell in line with our primary team goals: get stops and run. 166 of her team-leading 191 rebounds this season were on the defensive end. Her improved shooting and strength attacking the basket presented matchup problems for many of our opponents this season. Congratulations, Chynna, on a wonderful career, and we wish you the best on the basketball court at Wesleyan University next year.

Each week of our season the captains select a teammate whose work in practice and games played a significant role to our success in the previous week. We call it the captain’s game ball. We would like to continue this tradition and start a new one by selecting a captain’s game ball award winner for the 2014–15 season. This year the captains select junior Kendra Offiaeli as the “game ball” winner for the 201–15 season for her consistent hard work, dedication, and positive spirit.

I'd like to thank our athletics department, Bob, Bobbi, Jake, Vicky, Keith, Joe, Glen, Craig, Don, and Jean for making it easy for us to focus on coaching while the details that allow us to do what we love are taken care of. Thanks to our parents and student body for consistently supporting this team and our athletic mission. Thanks to our managers, Elaine, Richard, and Zach, for being there when we needed you. Additional thanks to Coaches Dial and Sacchetti and the JV boys basketball team for helping us prepare for each game. Lastly, special thanks goes out to Coach Holland for providing the balance, perspective, and plain old common sense when our girls needed it.

There are many things about this season of which we can be proud. I am most proud of our response to adversity, the physical and mental toughness we exhibited, and the individual and collective growth that took place all season. As I watched all the great players and teams that competed in championship and all-star games that we hosted here on March 8, I was as convinced then as I am now that I wouldn’t want to coach any other group but this one. We had A LOT of fun. We fought, we laughed, we won, and we learned. We gave each other our best effort, and we were able to improve a little bit each time we took the floor as a team.