The Loomis Chaffee School 2013 Fall Athletic Awards Ceremony Sunday

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The Loomis Chaffee School 2013 Fall Athletic Awards Ceremony

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Boys Cross Country Girls Cross Country Field Hockey Football Boys Soccer Girls Soccer Girls Volleyball Boys Water Polo

Loomis Chaffee Fall Athletic Awards Ceremony Sunday, December 8, 2013 4:00 p.m. Loomis Dining Hall

Today’s Program

Welcome Remarks: Bob Howe ’80, Athletic Director

Boys Cross Country: Sally Knight

Girls Soccer: Carey O’Brien

Boys Soccer: Charlie Bour

Girls Cross Country: Becky Purdy

Football: Chuck Reid

Field Hockey: Bobbi Moran

Water Polo: Ed Pond

Volleyball: Jeff Dyreson FALL 2013 AWARD WINNERS

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY: Coaches' Award: Bobby Turner Coaches' Award: Ben Laprise Coaches' Award: Tate Knight

All-Founders League: Dontay Downer, Tate Knight Bobby Turner, Lars Schuster

All-New England: Dontay Downer, Tate Knight Bobby Turner

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY: Rookie of the Year: Erin Jones Rookie of the Year: Margaret Stover Coaches Award: Caitlin Farrell Unsung Hero: Michaela Colangelo

All-Founders League: Erin Jones, Margaret Stover, Caitlin Farrell, Moriah Harris

All-New England: Margaret Stover

BOYS WATER POLO MVP: Jeremy Bogle Most Improved: Landon Thies Coaches’ Award: Dennis Joyce All League: Jeremy Bogle and Landon Thies

FIELD HOCKEY Coaches' Award: Lily Rosenberg Most Improved: Anna Esposito Most Improved: Devon Ide MVP: Hannah Oganeku

NEPSAC All-Tournament Team: Hannah Oganeku Western NE All-Star Team: Hannah Oganeku Sierra Semmel NFHCA* Academic All-Americans: Charlotte Blumenthal, Julia Crerend, Claire Kim, Lily Rosenberg *(National Field Hockey Coaches' Association)

VOLLEYBALL Coaches’ Award: Kayla Schriebstein Coaches’ Award: Maxine Offiaeli MVP: Greer Davis

New England All-Stars: Greer Davis, Maxine Offiaeli, Vanessa Young, Allison Yeh

Boston Globe All-New England Team: Greer Davis and Allison Yeh

BOYS SOCCER Coaches’ Award: Garrett Esper Coaches’ Award: Matt Gomes Most Improved Player: Cyrus Angel Most Improved Player: Ben Caccavale

GIRLS SOCCER Co-MVPs: Danielle Snajder and Melanie Vangel Coaches’ Award: Elizabeth Weathers

All New England: Melanie Vangel All State: Danielle Snajder, Abby Sotomayor Melanie Vangel All League – WWNEPSSA All Star Game: Danielle Snajder Abby Sotomayor Melanie Vangel FOOTBALL

Most Valuable Player: Patrick Afiyie Batchelder: Errol Francis Erickson: Kieran Presley Persuader: Mustafa Anthony Unsung Hero: Jack Blatchford Unsung Hero: Greg Jarnutowski All-Eastern Eight Conference: Reinaldo Maristany, Patrick Afriyie, Sebastian Dovi and Kieran Presley All-New England: Patrick Afriyie and Kieran Presley

OPENING REMARKS BOB HOWE

Welcome everyone. Its nice to see you all again and its hard to believe our fall season ended three weeks ago today for some of you. So many of our teams had extraordinary seasons this fall. Football had its best season in many years and all remaining 7 varsity teams went on to compete at the New England’s. Outstanding accomplishments by all and you made this a fall to remember.

One of our last events of the fall season happened down in our meadows as we once again played host to the New England Prep School Boys Soccer Finals. This year we hosted 3 all-star games and 4 championship games in Class A, B, C, & D. We are asked to host this event every other year and standing down on those fields on that day I thought, “it’s no wonder we are asked to host”. I enjoy being this host because of the beauty of our campus. Our physical plant is incredible and the people we have here working behind the scenes to make us all look good are extraordinary. None of us in this room would have had quite the same experience without their help in preparing our fields, our pool, our turf, our turf with lights, and our running trails. Please join me in extending our thanks to the many folks who work here to make our experience better and be sure to say thanks to them when you get a chance to do so face to face.

There were many reasons to celebrate our success in athletics throughout the fall and very shortly you’ll hear from our coaches, but to start I’d like to share my top ten list of events and moments that put a smile on my face this season.

At number 10 The Lights on Pratt Field. Athletics at Loomis will be forever changed in the fall thanks to the addition of field lighting. Never before have so many of you been able to see so many of your classmates play in big games. These lights gave our school spirit the unexpected shot in the arm throughout the fall.

#9 We’ll never have a better weather situation than we had this fall. There was not a single rainy game day. Warm weather was with us late in the season, just as cooler weather surprised us in September.

#8 The efforts put forth by Nana Minder and her SuperFan Club throughout the fall term. Nana organized and emceed the Pep Rally. Her efforts and love of school spirit has certainly made a difference in student life throughout the fall. She, along with her support group, understands and has worked hard to focus on positive cheering for our teams. They have set the right tone for the entire school year.

#7 Fundraising Awareness events. Every fall several of our teams use athletics as a platform for raising funds and awareness for cancer, for the poor, and other causes. Field hockey and boys soccer both had games under the lights on Pratt field sponsoring a cause. Both events were meaningful and had great crowd support. Girls Volleyball had a cancer awareness game in Olcott Gym a few weeks later. The energy and effort put forth by students and coaches to make these events run smoothly is always very impressive to me.

#6 Boys water polo returning to the New England Tournament. This is a group that has been slowly and steadily improving in the recent years and it has been nice to see the seniors in this program rewarded with the success they so richly deserve.

#5 Girls cross-country winning the Founders’ League championship. Nobody knew the potential of this group with few returners and a lot of new faces. As the season wore on new names began to appear closer to the head of the pack. The same thing was happening with the Boys….With Knight and Turner established as front-runners and leaders of this team new fresh faces began to appear just below them. LCXC circuits in the fall are a staple on the Island. You know they happen every week, we just hope everyone survives.

#4 Football finishing their season on a 5-0 run. During the run they defeated Choate for the first time in a long time. This team got better with every week.

#3 Volleyball and their season. Exciting to watch and see this team come together. Their journey through the playoffs was an exciting one and it was really nice to see the support they garnered along the way from their peers and from the faculty. This type of support came because this happened to be a really nice bunch of people.

#2 Both soccer programs enjoyed winning seasons with a combined won/loss record of 24-5-7. Both returned to the post season for the umpteenth time and had many remarkable moments throughout their seasons. But two things kept reminding me of the true qualities embedded in our programs. The first reminder came from watching players like Ben Caccavale and Cyrus Angel and John Fundock step into significant roles for their team. These players are proof that our soccer program cultivates talent still and allows younger players to develop and eventually, with hard work, have their turn on the varsity field. The other reminder came to me every time I heard Abby Pyne’s voice shouting encouragement from her team’s bench. Her injury may have kept her off the field for the year, but it never kept her from the game. I’d like to think we cultivate that type of enthusiasm and dedication to team with all our programs here.

#1 I give a great deal of credit to our varsity coaches in this room. Without their love of sport and dedication to making you better athletes and better people we have no program. I get emails all summer from every one of your coaches making sure we are prepared to give you the best experience possible. I greatly enjoy watching their energy and creativity as they look for ways to have their teams compete at their highest level each and every day. You are lucky to have them as coaches and our school is fortunate to call them ours.

Now I would like to call Sally Knight to the podium to begin our program with the Boys Cross Country team….”

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY SALLY KNIGHT

Though they are not able to be here tonight, I want to thank my fellow coaches---Andrew Bartlett, Joe Neary, and Pete Gwyn---for all of their contributions to LCXC. Without Andrew’s strategizing, Joe’s voice, and Pete’s Canadian cheer and brawn, the team would never move as far, as fast or as feistily as it does year after year.

The varsity letter winners of the 2013 season, however, ARE here tonight, and I would like to introduce them to you.

First, our captains--- Andrew Jones, Tate Knight, and Bobby Turner. ---and their fellow seniors--- Emilio Arellano, Ben LaPrise, Tim Mahoney, Ben Pipernos, and Alex Smith.

Next, our juniors--- Dontay Downer and Frank Tucci, and our manager Erika Purdy.

And finally, our sophomores: James Jin and Lars Schuster.

While I have your eyes on this side of the room, I’d like to ask Dontay, Bobby, Tate, and Lars to stand again: these four earned All-League honors at the Championships at Avon Old Farms a month ago, with Tate, Bobby, and Dontay going on to earn All-New England honors a week later. Congratulations, guys.

As you might have deduced from such strong All-League and All-New England representation, we finished our season on an amazing high that more than compensated for our rather inauspicious start. Within the first three weeks of September, we had been bested by eight of the 13 other teams that would be competing at the New Englands in mid-November, including our fiercest Founders League rivals, Choate and Hotchkiss. It didn’t help that our number one returning runner was out with a severely sprained ankle, with no definite date of return, or that five of our seven scoring runners had never raced at the varsity level prior to September.

Hence, as we headed into the final fortnight of the season with a modest 4-3 record and none of our usual Invitational titles, no one was expecting much of this year’s Pelican harriers---no one, of course, except the Pelican harriers themselves. Our injured athlete was finally back on his feet; our varsity rookies had mastered the art of training and racing in tight formation; the teams that had beaten us early on were beginning to plateau; and, for all the early season adversity, our Pelicans had kept their spirits aloft, celebrating the longest set of hard circuits by the inane addition of an extra run, leaping into the pool for some impact-free long runs concluding with a shallow-end whirlpool, laughing and mugging their way back from drop-off runs up the Connecticut River.

Much delight, but not too, too much surprise, then, when these guys came home from the Championships-tune-up invitational at Williston with the first place trophy AND their first win of the season over Hotchkiss.

And, again, much delight, but not too, too much surprise a week later, when these guys paced and powered their way to the runner-up spot at the Founders League Championships, well ahead of the Hotchkiss Bearcats again and not all that far off the heels of Choate’s Wild Boars.

The New Englands, however, would be another matter. Remember, 8 of the teams there had bested us earlier in the season. 25 of the guys there had finished ahead of our speediest threesome of Tate, Bobby, and Dontay. The number crunching indicated that places 1/2/3 would go to Exeter/Andover/Choate; that places 4/5/6/7 could come down to sprints among the runners from Hotchkiss, Northfield, Brunswick and Loomis.

We knew what we needed to do. We also knew that no matter what we did, the day would be full of surprises.

And it was…surprise after surprise after surprise, and all of them, the best of surprises. Not only did Tate finish 8th, Bobby finish 10th, and Dontay finish 12th, but with Lars and Ben and Frank and Emilio’s contributions, the Pelican squad finished in 4th overall, good for a hefty All- New England plaque, and, we have to admit, some boasting rights of particular delight: even though Choate edged us by a tiny three points for 3rd, we would have, in dual meet scoring, garnered automatic victory simply by having placed three of our runners across the line before their first.

Obviously, every member of this year’s team, from the very front of the varsity to the very back of the JV ranks, has contributed in award-worthy ways to these measurable and immeasurable successes and memories.

Today, we recognize three in particular as Coaches Award Recipients:

Bobby Turner, Ben LaPrise, and Tate Knight. Gentlemen please come to the podium.

Bobby Turner. As our lone returning 2012 All-New Englander, Bobby was far from the only one dismayed by a pre-season ankle-twist so severe that he would spend the first half of the season relegated to pool and bike workouts. Bobby’s confidence in his recovery became his team’s confidence in his recovery, however, and the symbiotic strength found Bobby back in his racing flats in time for our only home meet, where he clocked a personal best 5km time. By the final fortnight of the season, Bobby, Tate, and Dontay were fully reunited in a training and racing triumvirate, and Bobby ultimately capped his season with repeats of his 2012 All-Founders League and All-New Englands honors, second among Pelicans at both the Avon Old Farms and the St. Paul’s championship races. Congratulations, Bobby, and thank you for all of your positive leadership.

Ben LaPrise. A year ago, Ben still had the luxury of simply running as fast as he could for as long as he could for the finest finish he could nab…and he nabbed some mighty fine finishes, including those as as number one Pelican at both the JV Founders and the Division I New Englands. This year, as the most experienced runner among the varsity 7 newcomers, Ben had a very specific job to do: he had to take charge of the training and racing pace of the second pack. For a team to succeed, pairs and trios need to share the workload. Ben’s absolute composure, nearly metronomic sense of pace, and utterly unselfish racing guaranteed, week after week, that he and James and Lars were in precisely the positions they needed to be when the finish line came into sight. In the big LCXC team scheme of things, Pelican LaPrise, you have soared with distinction. Congratulations on an amazing season, and thank you.

Tate Knight As a freshman, Tate earned his first LCXC varsity letter; as a sophomore, he won the JV divisions of both the League and the New England Championships; as a junior, he moved into the ranks of the scoring varsity five, and this year, Tate has led the team as both captain and as most- frequent first-Pelican-finisher. On the course and off, in practice and in races, with his teammates and with his competitors, Tate is the epitome of the sportsman and the gentleman, the friend and the leader. As Coach Bartlett noted in his end-of-season comment, “it is Tate’s incredible nature, his willingness to challenge himself, his understanding of his own best self, as well as his reasonable determination to pursue that best self while helping others to do the same, that make Tate deserving of accolade.”

(He’s also a pretty great son!)

Congratulations, T8, and thank you!

GIRLS SOCCER CAREY O’BRIEN

The 2013 Loomis Chaffee girls soccer team returned 14 players from the previous year and welcomed 11 newcomers to the varsity squad. With a larger than usual roster, we were excited about the depth of the program and the talented pool of players. Unfortunately, like most years injuries occur and before the season even started there were three girls that were out for the fall. We’d like to recognize these three girls for their commitment, positive attitude, and continued support for their fellow teammates despite not being able to play. Elsa Hermanson, Alli Norris and Abby Pyne served in various managerial positions and did whatever was asked of them. Adversity tests a player’s strength and these three student-athletes will be stronger for what they have gone through. In many ways they inspired the team to work harder and we thank them for all that they did this year.

From the beginning of the season, the varsity squad was determined to continue the strong tradition of excellence that the school has established over the years. The girls set high standards and worked every day to achieve their goals.

Among the highlights of the season included a 1-0 win over Nobles, a 1-0 win over Deerfield Academy, a 6-2 win over perennially tough Class B opponent Wilbraham and Monson Academy, and a 1-0 win over Williston Northampton. Each of these games saw brilliant individual performances from several players including Melanie Vangel and her goal against Nobles, Abby Sotomayor and her game winning goal against Deerfield and her four goals against Wilbraham, and finally Danielle Snajder and her “sniper” goal in the waning minutes of the Williston game.

While individual performances are appreciated and recognized, our team was successful this year because of the people, the program, and the process. This group of girls came together and had fun. The girls loved being around each other and it truly was an amazing group of people to work with. Beyond the people, the girls’ commitment to the program was impressive. As we often said, “It’s not about me, it’s about we.” The girls understood this and put the team before each individual’s needs. They believed in US and understood their role in the bigger picture. Along with having great people and a commitment to the program, was the process. The way in which we did things was extremely important and our standards were high. Focusing on doing things the right way helped us win many games and while we didn’t win a New England Championship, we saw success in so many other ways. The girls should be proud of the season they had and I hope that they will always remember the wonderful moments we shared this year and the friendships and bonds that they created.

Senior Recognition Faith Bent, Sarah Breckinridge, Abby Pyne, Danielle Snajder, Melanie Vangel and Elizabeth Weathers all set high standards for the team and did a wonderful job creating a welcoming environment for so many new and young players. In their own ways, they challenged the group to play their hardest and to never give up.

During the summer, we asked the returning varsity seniors to write letters to the group throughout July and August. The letters were emailed to those attending preseason and their purpose was to keep the group motivated during their summer workouts and to introduce the new incoming players to some of the returning players. The following excerpt from one of the letters summarizes the mentality of this group of seniors and why they did such an outstanding job in creating positive team chemistry:

“This year the number one thing I want for the team is to have fun and enjoy playing soccer, but at the same time work hard. From the moment we step on the field at preseason and each and every moment after that we should give each other everything we have because in the end our desire and our heart will take down any obstacle we face.”

We thank the six seniors for making this a memorable year and for their strong leadership and contributions to the soccer program. Their excitement for the season and belief in the team were contagious and much of what we did as a team is credited to them. We wish them all the best in their future endeavors and hope they leave Loomis with many fond memories of the soccer program.

Team Awards Our 2013 team awards go to seniors Danielle Snajder, Melanie Vangel, and Elizabeth Weathers, ladies please come to the podium.

Danielle Snajder and Melanie Vangel are this year’s Team MVPs.

Danielle‘s Loomis career can be characterized by her heart, dedication, and competitive nature. A consummate teammate and two-year captain, Danielle led with integrity, passion and a commitment to high standards. Whether she was encouraging her teammates by shouting out, “Who wants it?,” scoring the game winning goal in the waning minutes of the Williston game, or stepping up and matching the opponent’s best player, Danielle always impacted the game and training sessions. For her outstanding play, Danielle was named to the WWNEPSSA All- League team, the CGSCA All-State team and the Senior Bowl team.

Melanie entered preseason as one of the fittest players on the team. Her commitment during the summer was impressive and while this preparation was a key to her success, most importantly it was a key to the team’s success. On the field, Melanie used her technical abilities and athleticism to create play and goal scoring opportunities. She finished the season with 11 goals and was named to the WWNEPSSA All-League team, the CGSCA All-State team and Senior Bowl team, and the NSCAA Region I team.

Our final team award goes to senior Elizabeth Weathers. Elizabeth is the recipient of this year’s Coaches Award. Elizabeth’s growth as a member of this team has been tremendous. During the last three seasons, Elizabeth became a key member of our defense and emerged as a leader both on and off of the field. As a player, Elizabeth used her athleticism and grit to win balls and shut down the opponent’s attack. In addition, her ability to strike the long ball created numerous opportunities for the team in front of goal. Off of the field, Elizabeth was a great teammate and very supportive of others. She always wanted what was best for the team and always did her best to create a positive atmosphere.

Lastly, I’d like to thank Coach Hinchman who assisted the varsity team, Coach Kennedy and Coach Leyden who coached the JV team, Coach Hutchinson and Coach Rodarte who coached the Thirds team, and the entire athletic department. We thank them for their commitment to the girls program and for all of their efforts throughout the fall season.

BOYS SOCCER CHARLIE BOUR

Before we begin with senior recognitions, we´d like to thank the boys’ soccer program coaching staff at all levels, Usman Kasumu and Thomas Pipoli of Thirds, Mike Murphy and Andrew Matlack of JV, and Jay Thornhill and Andrew Hutchinson of Varsity. I personally owe ¨Hutch¨ a special thanks for teaching me the benefits of patience. We´d also like to thank the Athletic Department and the incredible Grounds Department for all you do! Loomis hosted the New England championships and all-star games this year on professional quality fields. The last thank you goes out to the amazing parents this year. They have gone above and beyond in taking care of us after every single match. A special thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Epser and Mr. and Mrs. Gomes, parents of our two captains this year.

The Loomis Chaffee boys varsity soccer team accumulated a record of 11-3-5 this fall. The squad also earned the 6th seed in the New England post-season tournament. Reaching the New England quarter-finals was a solid finish to a hard fought season. One of our major highlights was our Nothing But Nets game versus Suffield Academy in which we raised enough money to purchase 200 mosquito bed nets for malaria-afflicted families in Africa.

Senior Recognition: John Fundock knows one level of intensity in training, and that is full till. In his first year on the varsity team, John was an ideal example of what being a hard worker and a great teammate is all about. His never-ending positivity upheld all of the values of we call, “The Pelican Dozen”, in the varsity team. Playing up top and on the wing, John gave us exactly what we needed to make the post-season.

Kevin Cha dazzled us with his play versus Westminster this season. Although his main sport is tennes, Kevin’s reflexes and athleticism shined through on the soccer pitch. Also in his first year on the varsity squad, Kevin led by example and fully bought into his role in the team. As one of the “B” squad leaders, he raised the level of every match regardless of whether he got into the game. We are ever so grateful.

Post-graduate Brooks Clark arrived just to fill a much-needed role at center-midfield. His supple touch and superb vision has helped attract the attention of a number of college programs. Brooks came to us as a new member of the program, but is leaving as a veteran. He adjusted rapidly to the team culture and took my constant teasing in stride. He even laughed a few times, too.

Othman Abu-Samra came to LC from Jordan, yes, Jordan. Despite having to battle a couple of nagging injuries throughout the season, Othman gave us solid minutes and dangled his opponents with his speed and crafty dribbles. Thank you for bringing your wisdom and experience to the LC soccer family. I never dreamed that we would be coaching a Jordanian professional racecar driver.

We hold a special place in our hearts for Teodoro Slemenson. From São Paulo, Brazil, “Teo” has joined us as a post-graduate student-athlete. Teo’s story is bitter-sweet, as he had already generated significant interest among reputable college soccer programs prior to his arrival. However, a higher power had other plans for Teo this fall as he unfortunately tore his ACL in our pre-season camp. Boy, do we wish Teo could have played this season. But Teo has taken advantage of everything that LC has to offer and supported his team 100%. If you have never met Teo, you really should introduce yourself. He has a positive attitude and his desire to help others will inspire you.

Post-graduate goal-keeper Troy Deyo earned us 11 shutouts this season. He considers himself a “Lax” player first, but we won’t stop bugging him to play college soccer until the day he leaves the Island. It was bit tough to convince Troy to learn some new goalie “tricks” this year…actually it was very, very tough. But thankfully, Troy opened up and really made vast improvements as the season went on. Honestly, his communication was a weak point in his game at the beginning of the season. However, Troy ended the season by commanding his team well and even earned a couple of assists along the way. His assist versus Kent this year was…absurd. Check it out on HUDL or Facebook.

Now to the awards: I would like to ask Ben Caccavale, Cyrus Angel, Garrett Esper and Matt Gomes to join me at the podium

Most Improved: Ben Caccavale arrived to practice early almost every single day to improve his skills and help set up the training sessions. His positive attitude and potent enthusiasm were infectious the best way possible. Ben scored a key goal in our comeback win over eventual New England Class A Finalist, Worcester Academy. Cyrus Angel made is his way into the starting line-up approximately a third of the way into the season. Cyrus was a tenacious defender that stepped up when we needed him. His was certainly one of the most, if not the most consistent player in the varsity this year, too. Both young men had serious second thought about whether or not they were going to stick with soccer at all after I asked them to play JV last year. Their eventual reaction and mature response is one of the main reasons I love coaching so much. The change we have witnessed in these young men is what fuels my motivation to keep learning, especially in terms of patience and the will to never give up. Ben and Cyrus made an unforgettable mark on the boys soccer program as a whole in their senior campaigns. Thank you for sticking with us!

Coaches Awards: Two years ago, I drove to Albany in order to watch Garrett Esper play soccer and to meet his family. I needed to seal the deal! Thank God he decided to come to Loomis. Garrett is one of the most passionate and dedicated Pelicans I have seen yet. His sense of pride for program is unrivaled. Garrett truly understands what we mean by ¨details¨ in the soccer program. In addition to his stellar play, he is the only player that consistently started email chains to rally the troops and maintain great communication with his team. His half time speeches got out of the control at times, but people that truly care about something often cannot perfectly harness the energy that must come forth. His willingness to put the team first has built a new foundation with regard to the values of our team culture. Every time that I have asked players to meet with prospective soccer players, Garrett always arrives to say hello. His loyalty is unbreakable.

They say that lightning never strikes twice…whoever said that is unfortunately mistaken. This player worked incredibly hard last year to recover from injury and came on strong for his senior year. For example, he scored a beautiful full-volley to earn us a late victory over Avon Old Farms this season. A game we needed to win. Unfortunately, Matt got injured again in our second to last match versus Choate. Despite being afflicted by injury in his junior year, and again just at the end of his senior year, Matt Gomes did his very best to remain positive and support his team. One of the most exciting, and scary moments of year was when we scored a colossal equalizer versus Kent. Everyone was ecstatic, but then I saw Matt start to run toward his teammates with a torn ACL and I nearly had a melt-down. Matt has really impressed us with his character, I don´t know anyone with a more positive outlook that has been under such circumstances.

Well done seniors. Please keep in touch!

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY BECKY PURDY

In September, few would have predicted the successes of this year’s girls cross-country team. The previous year had been a challenging one, with an uncharacteristic fourth-place finish in the Founders League and 13th-place finish out of 14 teams at Division I New Englands. Two of our varsity seven from last year had graduated. Two of our returning varsity runners continued to battle recurring injuries. And nearly two-thirds of the overall squad was new to the team — most of them were brand-new to cross country, or track, for that matter.

A rebuilding year, you might have called it. And there were hopeful signs for the team’s future: With 48 members, this was the biggest girls cross country team ever at Loomis. The core of returning runners included nine three- and four-year seniors who set a great tone of commitment, comaraderie, seriousness of purpose, and joy in running. The captains, Caitlin Farrell and Michaela Colangelo, were experienced, tough-as-nails competitors who understood the importance of the team in cross country. In addition, a number of the new team members showed promise and a natural propensity for pushing themselves. Next year and the year after held a lot of promise.

But little did we know what this year held in store. Teams, especially cross country teams, don’t usually rebuild quickly, but this one did. Early on, a clear top 5 coalesced: Caitlin, Michaela, and three newcomers: sophomore Margaret Stover, sophomore Erin Jones, and freshman Moriah Harris. Supporting these five was a stalwart group that included Madison Peterson-Porta, Sophie Christiano, Katya Yepifanova, and senior Kara Danielczuk. Kara in particular patiently mentored newcomers Sophie and Katya and top JV runner Hannah McCarthy Potter in the nuances of pacing and perseverance.

And importantly, three- and four-year seniors Victoria Smith, Jenny Li, Xin Wen, Lauren Rubino, Shannon Deveney, Eliano Zhou, and manager Diomand Henry, as well as Caitlin and Michaela, formed the heart of the team, the strength and the commitment upon which all meaningful success would be built.

From a respectable fifth-place finish as a team at the challenging Canterbury Invitational to a great showing at the hilly NMH Invitational through the head-to head tests of a quintuple dual meet, a double dual meet, and a regular old dual meet, the team got better every week, and we began to talk about the outside shot they had at winning the Founders championship.

If this talk rattled the girls, they didn’t show it. On October 26, they put the hammer down at the Shaler Invitational at Williston Northampton and emerged as the victors. Among their conquests: Winsor School, a formidable opponent which two weeks later won the Division II New Englands; and Hotchkiss, the five-time defending Founders League champion. The Bearcats were resting their #1 runner, who would have placed first as an individual, but we did the math and realized we would have won the meet even if she had run.

The stage was set for the Founders League Championship meet on November 2 bringing together all 8 teams in our league. We knew it would be a three-way battle for the championship among Hotchkiss, Taft, and Loomis, and indeed it was. We knew Hotchkiss was likely to place 1st and 2nd, so we needed to get as many of our runners ahead of the Bearcats’ #3 runner as we could. We knew Taft had a similar team to our own — a tight front pack but with greater depth and much more experience than we had. Each of our girls needed to identify her “mark” on the Taft team and race to beat her. Beyond those tactical goals, our strategy was to leverage our strengths, keeping our top-5 pack as close together as possible, pushing hard in the middle mile, and taking no prisoners in the final 1,000 meters.

The girls executed the plan beautifully, positioning themselves perfectly, passing in the middle mile, and running like warriors in the last downhill and track loop of the race. In the span of less than one minute, Pelicans 1 through 5 flew across the finish line in places 6, 7, 10, 11, and 16. As expected, Hotchkiss took first and second. And as expected, Taft fought like Rhinos do. But our strategy held. Our top four finished ahead of the Bearcats’ #3. And in the final meters of the race, our girls surged past one key Taft opponent after another.

Usually, a cross country veteran can eyeball the finishes in a meet and take an educated guess as to which team won. But this Founders race was too close to call. So we went into the post- meet awards ceremony unsure of the outcome but knowing our girls had raced tremendously. I swear the whole team held its breath as the team places were announced in reverse order: 8th place Westminster, 7th place Kingswood Oxford, 6th place Kent, 5th place Miss Porter’s, 4th place Choate, 3rd place Hotchkiss, 2nd place . . . Taft. And the Loomis section of the stands erupted in the realization that the only team left to be named, the girls champion, was Loomis Chaffee. Michaela and Caitlin, after some urging, stepped forward to accept the Founders plaque while the rest of the 48-strong team and coaches cheered them on and exchanged hugs in the stands. What a great moment! And no one would have predicted it two months earlier.

The following week, the Pelicans faced all the big dogs of New England prep schools at the Division I New England Championship at St. Paul’s. One again, the Loomis girls raced with tenacity and teamwork, placing 5th out of 13 teams in the field. Of our varsity 7, just two had ever competed in a New England championship cross country race. But you wouldn’t have known it by their level-headed pacing and their instincts for racing.

Now for the Awards: would the following ladies please come to the podium: Erin Jones, Margaret Stover, Michaela Colangelo and Caitlin Farrell

Rookies of the Year Erin Jones and Margaret Stover

These two sophomores have very bright futures in cross country. At the beginning of the fall, they were novices to the sport. While walking the course before the first meet, I explained to them how cross country scoring works, what to do on the starting line (elbows out), why it’s important to hold back a bit in the first half mile of a race, how to follow course markings, why you should run the tangents, and other guidelines that are second nature to veterans. But these two learn fast, they are both naturals who love to run fast, and mental toughness is not a limiting factor for either of them — not by a long shot. They quickly joined Caitlin Farrell as the top 3 runners on the team, and Caitlin won’t hesitate to tell you how much their presence benefited her, keeping her company, pushing her, eventually sharing the pacing with her, and also sharing the burden of the frontrunner. Erin was our top finisher at the Founders Championship, placing 6th overall in a fast time of 19:55 on Avon’s course. Margaret ran #2 for us at Founders, just behind Erin in 7th place with a time of 19:58. At New Englands, Margaret led the team across the finish line in 18th place and earned All-New England honors. Five seconds behind her, Erin placed 21st, just missing All-New England. In addition to all their impressive racing and willingness to train hard, Margaret and Erin needed no introduction to team commitment or steadiness under pressure. They are no-nonsense racers, and their opponents have plenty to fear in the years ahead.

Unsung Hero Michaela Colangelo

Running in the #5 position on a cross country team is like being the anchor on a tug-of-war team. You are expected to be strong, unflagging, gutsy, and as the final scoring runner on the squad, you are the last line of defense, the guy inside the rope’s end loop. Michaela has taken on this role for the LCXC team for the greater part of three years. She has done so without a whimper of complaint or a hiccup of trepidation. In fact, what you hear and see most from Michaela is her nurturing kindness toward her teammates, her encouragement of their efforts, her admiration for their achievements. Yet this girl has run 20:38 for 5k — a pace of 6:38 per mile — anchored a 3rd-place New England team in 2011, and anchored and co-captained the Founders Championship team this year. Through the years, she has put in a lot — a lot! — of summer miles, has missed hardly a workout or race because of injury or illness, has significantly altered and improved her running form (no easy accomplishment), and has grown into a tremendous leader with an infectious smile as well as an intimidating game face.

Coaches’ Award Caitlin Farrell

From the moment she set foot on the Loomis cross country course as a freshman, Caitlin has been a frontrunner and a fierce competitor. And her finishing kick has been the source of more than a few thrilling moments for LCXC spectators through the years. If you are anywhere near Caitlin with 200 meters to go, you’re probably going to lose. In her freshman and sophomore years, Caitlin followed the lead of her older mentor, Brie Malanga, who won the New England cross country title in 2011. As a junior, Caitlin took on the daunting role of #1 runner on the team, and finished first for the Pelicans in every race. This year, she stepped into the additional role of leader. As a captain of a huge team and as the seasoned veteran among our top-3 pack, she was relied upon to show the way and to set the tone. She never blinked at this responsibility. And even when hypothermia stood in her way, she fought hard for the team, always for the team. Her impressive time of 19:17 at the Shaler Invitational this year is her fastest 5k time — so far. But Caitlin’s even greater legacy lies in her selfless good will, her stellar leadership, and her gutsy racing in a Loomis Chaffee uniform.

FOOTBALL CHUCK REID

The Loomis Chaffee football team produced a fine season. The young men who reported to preseason camp on August 30th came well prepared. Despite a difficult beginning to the season, the competitive will of the team was never questioned. Week after week, despite facing the toughest schedule in New England, the Pelican defense gained confidence and started to jell. The offense struggled to find an identity early on, however the execution began to improve and the squad averaged over 34 points per game over the course of the season.

The ground attack was led by the offensive line of Brenden Edwards, Tucker Massad, Alessandro Schooley, Greg Jarnutowski, Jack Blatchford, Marcus Witherspoon, Sam Wilson, Zach Ellish, Nick Taylor, and David Harrision, all of whom started games for us this fall. Tailbacks Patrick Afriyie, Errol Francis and Kieran Presley rand through large holes with Zach Verdi leading the charge. Not to be outdone, the passing attack was as equally potent and Connor Cox and Sam Healy guided the team down the field as they targeted a skilled group of receivers lead by Reinaldo Maristany, Austin Cave, Mark Byrne, Mustafa Anthony, and Kieran Presley.

Defensively the Pelicans were led by a tough, opportunistic group that created several turnovers and was always a threat to score on defense. The unit was lead by Pat Afriyie, Andrew Cowan, Errol Francis, Sebastian Dovi, Max Cushman, Zach Harris, Derrick Stone, Mustafa Anthony, Chris Sarni, Malachi Hoskins, Sam Wilson, Zach Verdi and Reinaldo Maristany.

The special teams were lead by Brian Hatch, Kevin Lennon, Jacob King, Shawn Adamson, Isaac simons, Cole Poyfair and Jesse Joffray. Student coach Justin Morales was a huge asset to the program this fall and we must also give credit to our managers, Kassidi and Elaine for their tireless work throughout the season.

None of this success would've come to fruition without the efforts of our senior class. We had a core group of young men who were committed to their teammates and to their school. As we graduate 25 seniors this year, they leave behind a legacy of having turned around the football program and earning a 16-9 record over the last three seasons. It was the character of these young men that carried the team. Each player accepted his responsibility completely. The true success of our team lie within the young men who contributed in ways not often seen by the casual observer. Young men who had specific roles whether it was on special teams, as a scout team player, or as a third-down pass specialist were the backbone of our team. Each individual embraced his role and put the needs of the team ahead of his own. That sort of commitment is at the heart of our success this season.

Award winners Before I call up our award winners I would like to announce that: The New England Preparatory School Athletic Council has named

Congratulations gentlemen!

I would now like the call the following individuals to the podium to be recognized: Jack Blatchford, Greg Jarnutowski, Mustafa Anthony, Kieran Presley, Errol Francis, and Patrick Afriyie

Unsung Hero Award: Jack Blatchford and Greg Jarnutowski

The Unsung Hero award honors a young man who contributes to the team greatly by doing all the little things that matter. This person comes to practice each day not expecting accolades and he fully accepts his role within team. This year's winners are Greg Jarnutowski and Jack Blatchford. Greg started his career as a thirds team lineman and worked his way through the program. Greg set an example with his hard work and determination. His off season workouts allowed a young man who did not have the natural size of some of his teammates or any of his opponents to develop into a starting varsity offensive lineman by the time he was a senior. Jaunu’s work ethic has set an example for others to follow.

As a post-graduate, Jack came to Loomis with a ton of work to do in the offseason. Jack committed to the program through his work ethic before he stepped on campus and he immediately gave us a powerful right side for our offensive line. Early in preseason camp it appeared that Jack sprained his ankle on a newly waxed floor outside the trainer’s office. Jack played through this injury all season. Ironically, after twisting his knee against NMH in the season finale, it was recommended that he be x-rayed. The doctor decided to check his ankle as well and what was revealed is that Jack played the entire season on a broken ankle. Jack never backed down from a challenge and he helped lead us to a very successful fall.

The Persuader Award: Mustafa Anthony

The Persuader Award originated in the 1960’s and is given to the player who adds spark to the team with outstanding play and emotion. This year’s recipient is Mustafa Anthony. Also a post graduate, Mu’s emotion and physical play set the tone for others to follow. Mu worked tirelessly during the off-season and his efforts were rewarded. Mu caused havoc from his free safety position. Whether delivering the big hit, blitzing the QB or blanketing receivers, Mu left his mark on our program. Mu’s emotion, energy and willingness to be a team player are the reasons he is the recipient of this year’s Persuader Award.

The Ralph Erickson Award: Kieran Presley

This year’s recipient of the Ralph Erickson award is Kieran Presley. Kieran arrived on the Island as an explosive athlete with a strong reputation. We expected big things from Kieran from day one. Not only did he deliver on the field as a receiver, he also he ended up being a dynamic playmaker at running back too. Behind the scenes Kieran became an leader of the team because of his work ethic, and he served as a model for the younger men. Congratulations Kieran.

The Coach Nathaniel Batchelder Award: Errol Francis

The recipient of the Coach Nathaniel Batchelder Award is a four year player who started his journey on the thirds team and ended as the captain of the Varsity team. Errol Francis was determined to have a great LC career and he put in countless hours of work in the weight room and over the summer in preparation for the fall. Errol was named captain and he led by example with emotional play all season. Errol played on both sides of the ball for us, as a defensive lineman and as a tailback. He always put the team ahead of himself as he sublimated his own personal glory for what was best for the team. Errol has set the standard for which the younger players can model themselves, and his hard work and dedication is appreciated by the coaches.

Most Valuable Player: Patrick Afriyie

On most football teams, the tailback may play corner back or safely; however this year’s MVP is not your typicall player. He played tailback and defensive tackle. Patrick played defensive tackle and lined up on the strong side of the defense all season. He controlled the run game with his physical play and pressured the quarterback with his quickness and athleticism. Patrick lead the Pelicans statistically in rushing yardage, touchdowns and sacks. After playing a year of JV football Patrick took over as the starting tailback his sophomore year and he has never looked back. Defensively, he has played linebacker, defensive end and defensive tackle. Patrick was always willing to put the team first and he did whatever the coaches asked of him. Patrick set the tone in the weight room with his work ethic and he set an example for his teammates to follow. Congratulation to Patrick - this award is well deserved.

FIELD HOCKEY BOBBI MORAN

First and foremost I would like to thank my assistant coach and former LC field hockey player and captain, Kathryn Mullin ’08. It is an honor to coach alongside such a balanced, thoughtful person who is incredibly good at the x’s and o’s of the game. Thanks you Coach Mullin!

In September, few would have predicted the successes of this year’s varsity field hockey team. We had graduated “the spine” of our line up including our goalie. We were young, inexperienced and in need of a lot of work.

What we did have was Coach Mullin ’08, the heart and desire of our three captains: Charlotte Blumenthal, Hannah Oganeku and Sierra Semmel and the buy-in of our 6 returning players (Julia, Lily, Kristy, Charlotte, Noelle and Sam). We took a small squad of 16, 2 of whom were goalies from the JV & III’s team, and the 2013 team learned to play the game together. We knew that no one player was greater than the whole and that made all the difference.

And while no one was taking any notice of field hockey and no one considered Loomis a threat, we began to peak during the final weeks of the season. Winning 8 of our last 9 games, Loomis finished with a 4th place Western New England ranking, topping it off by taking down the Goliath of NE Prep Field Hockey, an undefeated and ten-time consecutive NE Championship Hotchkiss team, who has stood at the top of the prep school rankings for 13 years. This was a first in the school’s history. This “forgettable team” beat the Bearcats 3-2 on Pratt Field in early November, and just like that people started taking notice.

This team is the best team I have had the pleasure to coach in my 13 years here at Loomis. They are polite, respectful, kind and treat one another and their opponents with dignity, thank you parents for raising such great people. They played like best friends and held each other accountable all season long. The team put together a season they can long take pride in. We look for more great things to come next season from returning players Sierra Semmel, Kristy Cheyne, Danielle Commore, Anna Esposito, Hannah Falvey, Charlotte Gacek, Noelle Gauthier, Devon Ide, Ellen O’Brien, Sam Roy and Grace Usilton. Special thanks to our managers Shelby Bannon and Sophie Lary-Kaplan

I want to thank our amazing parents for the bountiful post-game receptions, you have raised incredible young women and I am grateful for the opportunity to work with them. Thank you for your support of our program and our coaching staff.

I would like to ask the following seniors to rise: Charlotte Blumenthal, Julia Crerend, Claire Kim and Lily Rosenberg these ladies have been selected by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association as Academic All-Americans for maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher for their four-years of high school, this is quite an accomplishment for our program and our school, congratulations ladies!

Before I thank my seniors it should be noted that Hannah Oganeku was selected to the New England All-Tournament Team and Hannah and Sierra Semmel were selected to the Western New England All Star Team.

We have five seniors who deserve praise for their leadership this fall, without their commitment our team would not have been as successful.

Charlotte Blumenthal: Charlotte’s passion to be a great team leader was at the forefront of all she did this season. She was a mainstay in our midfield. Her priority was a team first mentality. She was encouraging of her peers and eager to see the team succeed. She took her role as captain to heart making sure that every girl on the field felt included and important. Equally impressive, Charlotte has garnered a 3.65 GPA in her 4 years at LC and leaves the team not only as a captain, but an Academic All-American in field hockey. Well-done Charlotte!

Julia Crerend: Julia’s growth and maturity this season were evident both on and off the field. Her contribution to the team was most felt in the backfield. Julia was often a go-to player for the Pelicans and her man-to-man defense will be sincerely missed. Julia’s 3.56 GPA grants her Academic All American status in Field Hockey as well. Congratulations Julia!

Claire Kim: Claire is humble and hard working. Being a goalkeeper is not a glamorous job. When a field player makes a mistake, few notice, when a goalkeeper makes a mistake the score changes. Claire handled all of the pressure with grace and a tireless work ethic. She prides herself on being a student of the game and is an amazing musician and student in the classroom finishing the fall with a 3.91 GPA and NFHCA Academic All-American accolades, well done Claire.

AWARD WINNERS: I would now like to call the following individuals to the podium: Lily Rosenberg, Hannah Oganeku, Anna Esposito and Devon Ide

Most Improved: Devon Ide and Anna Esposito

Devon Ide: I do not think that there is another varsity team on campus who has moved a goalkeeper from the III’s team to the varsity team in one year. Devon progressed from III’s, to varsity starter, to New England Tournament player this fall. She took shots from the best field hockey players in New England and never waivered. Working hard every day with Coach Mullin asking questions, wondering what she could practice at home with her Dad to develop, and doing all she could to improve her game. I am excited for Devon’s continued progress in net and happy to bestow upon her the team’s most improved award. Congratulations Devon.

Anna Esposito: Anna assumed a position that many others would have given up on. She was a workhorse and for the better part of the season she saw very little playing time. When she did get on the field, Anna was ready and eager to make a statement. A quick learner and an excellent teammate, Anna became a go-to player during several games this season. She spent practices facing the best skilled players on our team and denying them access to the ball. She held her teammates accountable and herself more accountable. The best is yet to come from Anna and the last games of the season gave us all a glimmer of what is on the horizon. Anna stopped goals that looked like sure things and scored the winning goal to get us into the New England Tournament. I am so grateful for Anna’s attitude and work ethic and thrilled to have another year to work with her. Thank you Anna! The Coaches Award goes to

Lily Rosenberg: Every coach should be lucky enough to have at least one Lily on the field. This season Lily truly came into-her-own. I don’t know if it was that fact that this was her senior year and she decided she had nothing to lose or if she realized it was finally time to own her own greatness, but Lily was the backbone of our defense. Her presence, poise, composure and intelligence settled my blood pressure on a daily basis. Lily is a tremendous mentor, kind, compassionate, attentive and trustworthy. I am incredibly grateful for Lily’s presence and work ethic. We will miss her smile and her genius next fall. She leaves us as an Academic All-American garnering all A’s and A+’s this fall and a 3.73 GPA. You Rock Lily!

MVP Award:

Hannah Oganeku Hannah Oganeku is a true leader. What I admire most about Hannah is her character. She has the highest of standards and an excellent moral compass. When Hannah steps on the field, she owns it. She has a way of calming down her teammates with her presence and her poise. Hannah is not and never will be a showboat, but her talent on the field was truly something to marvel at this fall. Hannah commanded both the offense and defense and gave her teammates the confidence they needed to believe in themselves and their ability to succeed. Hannah had a target on her back all season long. No one knew how to stop #22. She refused to leave the field when she was hit. And she was hit a lot. She set the tone for composure under pressure. Opposing players were ejected during several games this season for unsportsmanlike conduct while trying to physically take Hannah out of games, but she never complained and never retaliated. She is simply a class act through and through and we thank her for her leadership and play.

BOYS WATER POLO ED POND

The 2013 Boys Varsity Water Polo team reached our goal of making the postseason tournament and we played a very entertaining and competitive water polo throughout the season. There was a touch of disappointment that this strong team didn’t capture victories against the other top-tier teams in the league, but I’m very proud of how hard this group practiced every day and how much they improved their fitness, their individual skills and their team play over the course of the season. As a group they set a very high standard for themselves and for future Loomis varsity polo programs. Before recognizing our seniors and award winners, I would like to once again thank my good friend – Fred Seebeck for his diligent work developing the young players and the goalies in the program - nearly all of the varsity letter winners came up through the ranks of the junior varsity and I’m grateful that Fred leads the charge with such commitment and insight. Now on to the seniors.

Senior Recognition: Geneth Chin –I had been wondering for three year what Geneth could accomplish as a water polo athlete - this fall we found out. It took a while for Geneth to latch on to this crazy sport, but by season’s end was competing well. I hope he enjoyed the experience as much as we enjoyed having him with us.

Sid Dalal – In his second year Sid made some big improvements in both his individual skills and his understanding of the game. I wouldn’t yet describe Sid as a “monster” in the water, but he certainly was a “pit-bull” on defense and his dedication to the enterprise made the team better.

Owen Dumais –Checking my 2010 stats, Owen, a freshman, was the slowest swimmer on the team, this fall Owen edged out Taylor Roth in a midseason time trial so he’s made some progress. In fact, Owen has developed into a crafty and skilled player who was able to leverage his anticipation and accurate left handed passing and shooting to make some nice positive contributions this fall. I wish we had refined his swimming a bit more, but I’m very glad he was part of the program.

Fred Mun –After a bit of a slow start to the season, Fred really made a leap as an offensive threat and his work in practice and games was determined and thoughtful. I wish we had another season to see what Fred could accomplish, but I’m thankful for the good humor and good will he brought to the pool every day.

Tripp Miller – A captain and leader, Tripp played with commitment and determination, throughout the season. The team relied heavily on Tripp for lots of minutes and steady, consistent play at both ends of the pool. And in our two tough games against Andover? Well, Tripp kicked things up a notch, scoring five goals, while adding four assists and eight steals. Something about playing the Big Blue brought out the best in Tripp, I hope he’ll remember those moments and this team with pride.

John Furlong – At preseason Furry looked destined to be our deep-water goalie (he probably would have been a good one) fortunately David Chen filled that role and freed Furry to be our central defender where he effectively neutralized the toughest offensive threats in the league. His 60 steals led the team and his work against his own teammates in practice made them that much more confident and skilled. We will miss Furry’s passion for the game and I’m sure his father’s persistent cheers of “Get’m John!” will echo around Hedges Pool for at least a few more seasons.

Awards: Coaches Award: This fall Dennis made a big jump into a starting position, but you never would guess that he was the least experienced player in the pool if you watched him compete. Dennis’s style was not fluid or graceful as he moved up and down the pool, but he was an explosive and efficient offensive threat and he never backed down from a challenge. Dennis generated goals, assists and power play opportunities, he devoured game film and “talked polo” with passion and insight. Our younger players learned a great deal from Dennis’s positive example.

Most Improved: It is rare that the team’s only three year varsity letter winner and it’s second leading scorer is the Most Improved Player, but if you watched Landon play this fall you couldn’t help but notice how dynamic, confident and creative his play was. This year, in 17 games he notched 48 goals, 27 assists and gained us 32 power plays while his shooting percentage soared from 33% to 48%. Landon again earned New England Prep School Water Polo All League honors. We applaud the commitment and determination that fostered Landon’s growth and can’t wait to see what he can accomplish as a senior.

MVP: A captain, our MVP and arguably one of the most dominant and effective players in the league, Jeremy was a force to be reckoned with. I believe his 69 goals led all scorers across the league and he too was named to the All League team for a second time. Jeremy combined a prodigious set of physical skills, a keen intellect, terrific vision and a growth-centered work ethic into a combustible mix that ignited quickly and continues to burn. I hope that many of you got the chance to see to Jeremy compete this fall – he was as my colleague Josh Smith likes to say - a True Pelican Warrior - we will miss his passionate and creative play and leadership very much.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL JEFF DYRESON

To put it simply, the 2013 team had the most accomplished season in program history. I have been coaching volleyball for over 20 years (13 years at Loomis) and this was perhaps the most rewarding season I have ever been a part of. I truly LOVED this season and this group of girls. Not just because they were so successful, but rather because they learned so much about themselves, sportsmanship and team.

For the sake of time I going to spare you all of the details from the regular season and just say there were many program “firsts” including wins at Andover and Hotchkiss along the way to a 15-2 regular season. It was a regular season that featured talented players playing very exciting volleyball but more importantly an opportunity for a group of young women to come together, work hard and support each other and learn how to face and overcome adversity.

The regular season finished and the team accomplished its goal of earning a top 4 seed thus a home match in the quarterfinals but it was against the 2012 New England finalists, Hotchkiss. Hotchkiss is the most successful playoff team in the last 15 years and manages to find a way to win come playoff time. Loomis had swept Hotchkiss during the regular season, including a 3-0 sweep just a week prior but knew it was in for a different Hotchkiss team. Sure enough, Hotchkiss came in and dominated right from the opening serve. They took set 1 and seized the early momentum. Unlike many prior Loomis teams, this team had the confidence to battle back and battle back they did earning a 2nd and 3rd set victory. In set 4, Loomis managed to build a big lead but squandered it late and allowed Hotchkiss to tie the match at 2 sets apiece, thus giving Hotchkiss all the momentum going into the deciding final set. Once again, this team, thanks to their self-confidence and faith in each other persevered yet again and pulled out the 5th set earning a trip to the semifinals.

Loomis was back to the semifinals, first time in 4 years and was matched up against #3 seed St. Paul’s. St. Paul’s defeated Loomis in the quarterfinals last year but fell short of the finals and were focused on getting to the finals as they featured 2 very talented seniors, 1 of which was the 2013 Boston Globe New England MVP. Loomis didn’t play its best volleyball that day and found themselves down the entire first set but once again the “never give up” attitude preserved and Loomis snuck out a 25-23 win. Set 2 was all St. Paul’s. They dominated in every facet of the game and handed LC its worse set defeat of the season 25-9. St. Paul’s once again had leads in sets 3 and 4 but Loomis continued to battle and behind a phenomenal crowd of LC parents and friends they willed Loomis to victory and a program first trip to the finals. It was the best win ever for the program and it was due to the contributions of every player and fan in the gym. Fans stormed the court while teammates hugged and cheered with elation; it was a COMMUNITY victory! The spirit of the fans and camaraderie of the team will be a memory that lasts with me and I am sure with every Loomis community member in that gym as well.

Loomis fell short against a very good Choate team in the finals but that loss doesn’t take anything away from this season and just leaves one last “first” for future teams to strive towards.

LCVB would like to thank all the parents and friends. There were so many road warriors and each of you helped make this season special. You all deserve credit for this incredible season and I hope you enjoyed the journey. Lastly, I would like to thank Nancy Cleary for her support and leadership as assistant coach and the entire athletic department for their support throughout this season (I truly believe our athletes have the best school and staff backing their endeavors).

Of special note Maxine, Greer, Allison and Vanessa all were selected to the All Star team with Greer and Allison making the Boston Globe All New England team.

I would now like to call Greer Davis, Kayla Schriebstein & Maxine Offiaeli to the podium

MVP: Greer Davis The unprecedented success of this year’s team came from the strength of unity and featured many talented players but it should come as no surprise that Greer Davis was the unquestioned MVP. Greer was a 3-year starter and was featured at the #1 outside hitter position. Greer is a special talent at the net. Although small in stature she plays amongst the 6 footers on our team and in the league skying over blocks and killing the ball with power and accuracy. Greer’s game evolved this season as she emerged as one of our best passers and defenders. Although she may be one of the most physically gifted players she excels in the mental aspect of the game. The bigger the spotlight and bigger the moment the better Greer played. In the quarterfinal match against Hotchkiss, Greer set a match record for 29 kills and was set 89 times for an efficiency of .287! Greer was named to the Boston Globe All New England team and received votes for league MVP. What perhaps was Greer’s greatest asset was her ability to lead and help others around her play better. She along and junior Allison Yeh have been named captains for the 2014 season and I don’t think expectations will be lowered entering next season.

Coaches’ Award: Kayla Schriebstein & Maxine Offiaeli

This year’s coaches’ award goes to the senior captains because together they led this team in spirit and chemistry. Together they worked hard in the off-season in preparation for the upcoming season and together they kept spirits high during preseason. During the season, when the team faced adversity, both Maxine and Kayla worked hard to keep spirits up and focus on positive. They stayed focused at practice, supportive of teammates and sacrificed their own personal goals for the betterment of the program. Expectations were lofty for both of them, but I believe they exceeded and surprised everyone with how well they acted and performed their duties as captains. They both confessed that they got so much more out of the season than they anticipated and both of them can be proud to say they were part of some very special moments including a Founders League title and a program first trip to the New England finals. They leave behind a wonderful legacy for others to follow and hope they stay connected to the LCVB family for years to come.