The Loomis Chaffee School 2015 Spring Athletic Awards Ceremony
Baseball Equestrian Boys Golf Girls Golf Boys Lacrosse Girls Lacrosse Softball Boys Tennis Girls Tennis Boys Track and Field Girls Track and Field Girls Water Polo
Loomis Chaffee Spring Athletic Awards Ceremony Wednesday, May 20, 2015 7:00 p.m. Loomis Dining Hall
Tonight’s Program
Welcome Remarks Bob Howe ’80, Athletic Director
Girls Tennis Meg Blunden Boys Tennis Josh Smith Equestrian Abigail Googel Girls Water Polo Ed Pond Boys Golf Kurt Winkler Girls Golf Jeff Dyreson Boys Track & Field Scott Purdy
Don Joffray & Girls 3-Sport Awards Bob Howe
Softball Maggie Kennedy Boys Lacrosse Bill Lee Girls Lacrosse Megan Borman Baseball Jeff Ross Girls Track & Field Lilian Hutchinson
WELCOME REMARKS Bob Howe
One of the best parts about my job is the people I get to work with every day. Because we live on the “Island” we get the opportunity to work closely with colleagues and we build people into our lives like an extended family. The not so great part of the job is that sometimes we have to say so long to some people we have worked alongside with and have grown to like very much. Maggie Kennedy will soon be moving back up to Dartmouth to further her interests in Health and Wellness by running their campus program. I’d like to ask Maggie to come to the podium while I say a few words on her behalf.
Maggie is a true Pelican having graduated in 2005 from Loomis after spending her sophomore, junior and senior years with us. When I arrived here in the summer of 2004 Maggie had already won the Jr. class outstanding female athlete award and was gearing up for her senior year. In her senior year here are some of her accomplishments; *She was a starting outside midfielder for the 17-1-1 New England Champion soccer team *She captained the 16-2-2 Founders’ League Champions ice hockey team * In the spring she was also the captain of the Softball team that finished with a winning record of 7-6. *She won the Barbara Erickson Outstanding Athlete Award * She was accepted to Dartmouth early decision as a hockey recruit.
I tell you this now because you’d never hear any of this from Maggie herself. She continued having success in sports at Dartmouth as a four-year impact team member of their nationally ranked ice hockey teams. Being athletic has always come naturally to Maggie. To understand this fully you’d need to watch her play golf; a sport she rarely plays and yet she is basically a “scratch golfer.” Maggie has been a perennial finalist in the Ct. State amateur championship these past several years.
Maggie, I’ve embarrassed you enough exposing your successful past. Since your arrival back to Loomis in the fall of 2009 you have been a terrific role model for countless young women all over campus and in particular members of the soccer, hockey and softball programs. Your commitment to, and love of Loomis Chaffee has made you the effective teacher and coach you’ve become. On behalf of the athletic department and the entire Loomis Chaffee community I want to say thank you and good luck in the years ahead!
2015 SPRING AWARD WINNERS
EQUESTRIAN Coaches’ Award: Molly Berinato Coaches’ Award: Avery Lena
GIRLS VARSITY TENNIS Most Improved Player: Uche Nwokike Mental Toughness Award: Isabel (Izzy) Grant
BOYS TENNIS Coaches’ Award Samir Agadi Coaches’ Award Amir Katz
GIRLS GOLF Most Outstanding Player: Winda Wanikpun Most Improved Player: Julia Thompson
BOYS GOLF MVP: David Miccoli Most Improved Player: Marshall Barnes Coaches’ Award: Jason Liu Match Medalist WNE Tournament David Miccoli
SOFTBALL MVP: Bailey Coyne MVP: Anna Esposito WNEPSSA All-Star: Anna Esposito
BASEBALL Outstanding Player: Ivan Rivera Most Improved: Tyler Mulberry Coaches Award Dylan Hickey
BOYS TRACK & FIELD MVP: Cobey Adekanbi Most Outstanding Player: Sam Wheeler Coaches’ Award: Dontay Downer
GIRLS TRACK & FIELD MVP: Kendra Offiaeli Coaches’ Award: Denver Williams Coaches’ Award: Charlotte Gacek Coaches’ Award: Greer Davis Coaches’ Award: Ciera Hunter All Founders League: Charlotte Gacek, All Founders League: Natasha Otton, All Founders League: Greer Davis All Founders League: Denver Williams NEPSTA Champion: Kendra Offiaeli
BOYS LACROSSE Coaches’ Award: Max Cushman Coaches’ Award: Zach Giuttari Coaches’ Award: David Troiano
GIRLS LACROSSE Rookie of the Year: Abby Sotomayor Coaches’ Award: Lindsey Kendall MVP: Anna Costello Founders League All Star Emma Trenchard Western New England All Star Elsa Hermanson Western New England All Star Carley Phillips
GIRLS WATER POLO Pelican Award: Krystal Sung Coaches’ Award: Vanessa Young Coaches’ Award: Summer Schuster Most Improved: Elaine Dealy NEPSAC All Tournament Team Krystal Sung
Loomis Chaffee Girls Tennis 2015 Coaches: Meg Blunden and Geoff Silver Season Record: 5-8
Team Roster: Year: Letter: Alex Brunstad (C) 2015 3rd Angel Fadila (C) 2015 2nd Izzy Grant 2017 2nd Cathy Hyeon 2018 1st Aswini Melekote 2015 3rd Nat Nabila 2016 1st Uche Nwokike 2018 1st Grace Smith 2018 1st Abi Worrell 2017 1st
Chineze Osakwe 2017 Manager
2015 has been a great season of development for the girls’ tennis team. With two sophomores and three freshmen on the ladder, we are excited to have a number of seasons to continue to build on our growth from this spring. Our top achievement this season was developing a stronger doubles line-up, and it made a massive difference heading into singles match play with a few valuable points in-hand. On the singles front, mental toughness and shot consistency were our main objectives in practice and matches. Over the course of the season, there was improvement across the board, and the girls became more competitive, more eager, and more patient out on court. At the start of the season, we endured 4-5 losses against both Berkshire and Greenwich Academy, with the final score coming down to close individual matches. Toward the end of the season, it was Loomis that had the mental edge. In our Williston match, six of the nine matches included a tiebreaker, either to win the match or secure a set. Five of those six tiebreakers went the Pelican’s way, ultimately culminating in a 7-2 team win. Moreover, in our final match against Kent, things were down to the wire. Loomis took two of the three doubles matches to start the afternoon. With a strong ladder up top, Kent took the #1, 2, and 3 singles matches, while Loomis took the #5 and 6 singles matches. The match was 4-4, and #4 singles was still on court. Despite the pressure and all eyes on her court, Abi stayed calm and closed out the match. How sweet to end the season by finally coming out on top of an epic 5-4 battle! These types of matches reveal just how far the girls have come, and that hard work really does pay off. After a tough 2014 season, with only one win, Loomis tennis is on the up and up—the 2015 team earned 5 wins, and next year we look to build upon our success.
As always, many thanks go to the members of the Athletics Department and to our parents for their tremendous support, snacks, organization, and motivation. Our success is greatly due to all that you contribute behind the scenes and from the side of the court, cheering us on in every match. Thank you!
Our manager: Chineze—Thank you for your contributions as manager, DJ, and cheerleader. We appreciate your organization, cheering, and time commitment, and are eager to see you playing again soon!
Our freshmen: Cathy, Uche, and Grace—What a treat to have three zealous young players on the team. You have worked hard in practice, pushed yourself to the limit in matches, and always done your best to incorporate coaching advice into your games. You have some great things ahead of you, and will be integral players as we continue to build and improve LC tennis!
Our sophomores: Izzy and Abi—You have established yourselves at the core of the ladder, and have consistently proved yourselves against some of the toughest opponents. Your dedication to fitness and mental toughness are commendable, and as upperclassmen next year, you will no doubt become leaders to the younger players.
Our junior: Nat—You have been positive and hard working throughout the spring. You have used the opportunity on Varsity to improve both your fitness and match play, especially on the doubles court, and we hope to see even more from you next season.
Our seniors: Angel, Aswini, and Alex—Thank you for your contributions and hard work over the last few seasons, and enjoy the next adventure as you head off to college!
Angel: Your mental game has come far. Enjoying the game is one of the most important parts of playing tennis, and it was a joy seeing you embrace its ups and downs and become so much more positive on the court. Keep playing and enjoying tennis in college and beyond! Aswini: While this season did not see as much playing time as we would have hoped, you always brought a sense of humor and positive demeanor to practice and matches. We hope that you find some good hitting partners in the coming years. Alex: A profound thank you for your three consecutive years playing at the top of the ladder. It takes a lot of physical and mental toughness to battle the imposing competition at the top of the Founders League. We are very proud of your resilience, hard work, and contributions to the program. Please find an avenue to keep playing—your tennis is beautiful.
Mental Toughness Award: Izzy Grant This year, Izzy Grant is presented with the Mental Toughness Award. Izzy has a quiet and calm way about her on the singles court. She is incredibly consistent, and is able to wear the opposition down by constantly keeping the ball in play and moving her opponent from side to side until that player makes an error or tires out. Izzy has demonstrated the ability to battle players that have more powerful weapons, as she is just so resilient out on court. Most notably, she played up at #2 singles in the Kent tournament, ultimately winning the consolation draw. Despite a tougher conclusion to the season, Izzy’s ability to identify and then minimize her opponents’ strengths have set her up well for success, and we cannot wait for her to complement her mental game as she develops a more powerful arsenal within her own strokes. Great job, Izzy!
Most Improved Player: Uche Nwokike This year, our Most Improved Player award goes to Uche Nwokike. Uche made the team by a close margin, and started the season playing exhibition matches. We recognized that she had raw talent, and a zesty competitive spirit, but her point construction, particularly in doubles, needed some work. After analyzing some videos of doubles play and assessing the players’ movement out on court, Uche was able to implement some of those techniques herself and, as such, enhance her effectiveness on the doubles court. She became a staple on the No. 3 doubles pairing during the latter half of the season. On the singles front, Uche worked her way to the No. 6 spot on the ladder, as she improved her ability to construct points calmly, and finish them aggressively. From where she began this season, Uche has truly become a more composed and mature player. Congratulations, Uche!
Thank you for a great 2015! J
BOYS TENNIS JOSH SMITH
Team Regular Season Record 8-7 Final Record 8-8 New England Class A Tournament Quarterfinalists
The varsity boys tennis team had a good season, compiling an overall 8-7 record. With the addition of sophomore Natt Jaitrong, freshman Ramesh Shrestha, freshman Eric Li, post-graduate Santi Torres Guiza, and senior Andrey Boycko to the varsity ranks, our team grew in much-needed depth. We graduated three seniors last year, so having new Pelicans step up to the charge was necessary. The boys practiced hard and improved a great deal over the course of the short season. In particular, the boys’ confidence grew as they learned how to construct better points (in both singles and doubles) and employ more effective strategy to their game. It is important to note that for about half of the season, we played without our top player, senior Sam Rice, due to conflicts and sickness, which forced the team to play up. Not an easy situation to be in, but one that the team made the most out of, which also required individual teammates to work diligently on their respective games.
Captain Samir Agadi did a very good job leading and supporting the team. Special thanks to Edgar Guerra Romo for serving as our manager this season. I would also like to thank all of the parents who attended our matches and supported the team throughout the season.
The team’s biggest accomplishment this year was qualifying for the New England Class A Tournament, where only the top eight schools are invited to play. While making the tournament is always a goal each season, if you had asked me after our first week of practice at the start of the season about our chances of making it, I would have told you that it would have been very unlikely, as there were several teams that were stronger and deeper than us, and we were and still are a rather young team. Needless to say, we found out nearly one week ago that we made the top 8 and would play for a spot in the New England tournament. The team was very excited for this well-deserved opportunity.
So, last Saturday morning, we drove to Watertown, Connecticut to take on the Rhinos (Taft), the number one seed. We arrived by 9:00 a.m. It had rained for several hours but had just stopped. Taft had a number of people squeegeeing the courts and a gentleman driving a small tractor that had an actual blower attached, trying to dry the 12 courts for the semifinal round of the tournament. (It looked like they were preparing for the US Open!) We had played Taft a few weeks earlier on their home turf, but we did so without Sam Rice, our number one player. We hoped that this time would be different.
From the first point, the Pelicans played hard. Unfortunately, Taft played better. We lost the doubles point, and we were unable to change Taft’s momentum as we began singles play. Regardless of the outcome of this quarterfinal match in the New England Class A Tournament, the Pelicans left everything they had on the court and fought to the end of the match. They demonstrated their persistence and their grit as they had done for the whole season. We were proud of making it this far despite the hurdles that the team endured over the course of the season.
I would now like to call Amir Katz and Samir Agadi to the podium:
Amir Katz: As a junior and as a three-year member of the varsity boys tennis program, I never question Amir’s commitment to the sport of tennis. Every day he shows up ready to practice and play. He is a true competitor and is always looking to find ways to improve and elevate his game. This year, Amir played second and third singles as well as first and second doubles (with teammates Samir Agadi and Alex Chang). He did an excellent job in each of these roles depending on where we needed him to play in a given day against a respective opponent. As a coach, I admire Amir’s flexibility and the selflessness that he demonstrated in a number of ways in a season which brought forth several changes. I also fully appreciate his dedication and devotion to our team and his teammates. For all of these reasons, Amir Katz has earned this year’s Coaches Award.
Samir Agadi: This year, Samir was elected captain by his peers and led and supported his team effectively. He has the respect of his whole team, which allowed him to serve successfully in this role. On the ladder, Samir stepped into the first and second singles spots as well as first doubles (with teammates Sam Rice and Amir Katz) and played some very strong opponents. He has a very solid all-court game, but some days were easier than others given the level of competition he faced in the top spots. Samir has tremendous feel around the net in particular and is developing into a very smart player. For all of these reasons, Samir Agadi has earned this year’s Coaches Award.
2015 TEAM ROSTER: Sam Rice Samir Agadi (captain) Amir Katz Natt Jaitrong Alex Chang Ramesh Shrestha Eric Li Santi Torres Guiza Andrey Boycko Edgar Guerra Romo (manager)
* Samir Agadi and Amir Katz will also be playing in the NEPSITT Tournament at Choate on Saturday, May 23.
EQUESTRIAN ABIGAIL GOOGEL
In our first official year, the equestrian team had some great accomplishments. We gained four new riders and saw much success at our interscholastic horse shows, placing 6th, 7th, 3rd, 2nd, and 3rd out of a large group of teams at each show. We saw our riders flourish individually, strengthening their skills and reaching for higher goals as the year went on. We also saw the team come together as a whole and strive for group achievements.
This year, out of the six riders who qualified for region semi-finals, three came home with ribbons. Ally Piccone and India Carpenter placed eighth in their divisions and Micky Esteban placed fifth in her division.
I would like to say thank you to our seniors Ally Piccone and Micky Esteban for supporting the team and being with us from the beginning. You have both played an integral part over the past two years and we will miss you next year. And, now I would like to present Coaches’ Awards to two of our younger riders. Both of these riders have already played and will continue to play an important role in the success of the team.
AWARDS:
Molly Berinato: Molly had never stepped foot in the show ring before coming to Loomis. Over the past year and a half, we have seen her transition from a timid young rider, to a confident go-getter. She comes to practice each day with a passion for the sport and dedication to the team. We never need to remind Molly to support her teammates. She is always present both at practices and shows, helping and cheering on our other riders. Molly’s technical skills have improved immensely and she keeps striving to be better everyday. Congratulations, Molly!
Avery Lena: Though Avery is only a freshman, she made an immediate impact on the team this year. She has improved very quickly over the course of the year and this was apparent in her show record. Placing fairly well at the first couple of shows, she finished out the season with three first-place ribbons, and three second-place ribbons, helping the team to our second and third place finishes overall. Avery sets a great example for others on the team with her can-do attitude and her strong work ethic. Keep up the good work Avery—there are big things in your future!
Girls Water Polo 2015
TEAM HISTORY
Water Polo at Loomis Chaffee dates back to the late-70's when Coach Bob Hartman created one of the first high school programs in New England. This co-ed team eventually split into girls and boys varsity programs in the mid -90's with both teams having consistent success in their respective leagues. Under Head Coach Bob DeConinck, the girls won the New England Prep School Championship Tournament in 2006, 2007 and 2008 and finished 2nd in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2011.
2014 STATISTICS Overall Record: 8-13
Goals – K. Sung(47), E. Dealy (36), S. Schuster(25) Assists – K. Sung (27), R. Kornblatt-Stier (22), S. Schuster(19) Steals –K. Sung(48), R. Kornblatt-Stier(45), E. Dealy(40)
Goalie Stats League Games: V. Young: Save/Game (10.6), Save % (67%), Goals Against Average (5.33) M. Peterson-Porta Save/Game (6.4), Save % (89%), Goals Against Average (1.0)
Girls Varsity Water Polo 2015
After two rebuilding years, the 2015 Pelicans were looking forward to the spring season and returning all the players that had competed so well during the 2014 campaign. Unfortunately an off season injury to junior Izzy Hanson – last year’s leader in goals and steals – left some important roles to be filled, but the Pelicans led by senior tri-captains Krystal Sung, Penelope Shao and Sara Pipernos and returning junior starters Vanessa Young, Elaine Dealy and Summer Schuster were ready to pick up the slack. Three tightly contested early losses to Exeter, Andover and Williston, revealed that the Pelicans had some work to do generating offense and put the team in a precarious position regarding earning a position in the post season, but the girls kept working on fundamentals and came together as team as the season progressed. Wins over Deerfield, Suffield and Hopkins put things back on track, but a tough rematch loss to Suffield on the road meant the team had some work to do in the closing weeks of the season. The season’s turning point was probably the 3OT victory up at Deerfield, during which the team competed valiantly with Sung stepping up her play in the Sudden Victory period – and scoring a beautiful goal without allowing Deerfield a possession. The girls followed this up a strong game against Choate (that ended in a 5-3 loss), and then rallied to convincingly defeat Andover and dominate a depleted Williston squad in their regular season finale to earn a birth in the post season. A well played game over Hopkins (8-5) in the quarterfinal sent the Pelicans to the “Liquid Four” for the first time since 2012 where they battled Suffield in the semifinal but came up one goal short (8-7) and then soundly defeat Exeter 6-2 to earn 3rd place honors. The growth this season was dramatic and the good chemistry, strong defense and improved ball control allowed the team to compete in every league game they played this year. We will miss our seniors but the Pelicans will be looking to fly high again in 2016.
Team Awards:
Most Improved Award: Elaine Dealy arrived to the pool as a freshman the coaches watched her swim and eggbeat and throw and our jaws dropped. She had never played the game before but she had all the fundamentals needed to become an impact player. Elaine scored one goal that year. Last year she missed some action with injuries and notched seven goals. This year Elaine learned the game and made the impact - she played nearly every minute of every big game (even when injured) and tallied 36 goals, 40 steals and 17 assists. We can’t wait to see what Elaine can do in 2016.
Coaches Awards: Summer Schuster and Vanessa Young. After playing key roles as sophomores on a very young team last year, Summer and Vanessa continued their upward trajectory in 2015. Summer grew into a confident ball handler and tenacious defender who contributed quality minutes and key goals throughout the season. Summer scored nine of our 21 goals in three post-season games and emerged as perhaps the most effective “center forward” in the league. Vanessa established herself as one of the top goalies on the circuit limiting league opponents to 5 goals a game and averaging over 10 saves per game. This competitive and hardworking duo will be instrumental in our 2016 campaign. Congratulations Summer and Vanessa.
Pelican Award: The Pelican Award goes to the senior girl who has made the biggest positive impact on both the swimming and water polo teams – this year we honor Krystal Sung. As a freshman Krystal was on swimming and polo teams that were highly competitive. The 2012 graduation left both programs inexperienced and in 2013 Krystal as a sophomore was central to the rebuilding process. Always cheerful and encouraging, Krystal kept her teammates focused on improving even as defeat followed defeat. This winter and spring, Krystal’s hard work and positive influence bore fruit as both programs competed with the best in their leagues. For all her many contributions we honor Krystal with this well deserved award.
LOOMIS CHAFFEE GIRLS VARSITY WATER POLO 2015 RESULTS OVERALL RECORD 8-13
Date Opponent 4/4 Loomis Chaffee 4 v. Exeter 7 Loomis Chaffee 4 @ Andover 5
4/8 Loomis Chaffee 12 v. Deerfield 0
4/11 & 4/11 Loomis Chaffee 3 v. Greenwich High 14 Loomis Chaffee 4 v. Greenwich Aquatics “A” 15 Loomis Chaffee 4 v. Chelsea Piers 5 Loomis Chaffee 4 v. Knights & Maidens 6 Loomis Chaffee 2 v. Greenwich Aquatics “B” 13
4/15 Loomis Chaffee 3 v Williston 4
4/18 Loomis Chaffee 8 v. Suffield 6 Loomis Chaffee 5 v. Hopkins 4
4/22 Loomis Chaffee 9 @ Suffield 11
4/29 Loomis Chaffee 10 v. Deerfield 9 (3OT)
5/2 Loomis Chaffee 3 v. Choate 5 Loomis Chaffee 7 v. Andover 4
5/6 Loomis Chaffee 13 v. Greenwich Academy 12
5/7 Loomis Chaffee 8 v. Greenwich High 14
5/9 Loomis Chaffee 10 @ Williston 0
5/13 Loomis Chaffee 8 v. Hopkins 5 Tournament Quarterfinal
5/16 Loomis Chaffee 7 v. Suffield 8 Tournament Semifinal
Loomis Chaffee 6 v. Exeter 2 3rd Place Game
LOOMIS CHAFFEE GIRLS VARSITY WATER POLO SPRING 2015
# NAME HOMETOWN 1 Young, Vanessa ’16 Wardsboro, VT 1A Peterson-Porta, Madison ’15 River Edge, NJ 2 Finlay, Maggie ’17 Waxhaw, NC 3 Hong, Catriona ‘16 Glastonbury, CT 4 Gardiner, Emily ’17 South Deerfield, MA 5 Sung, Krystal ’15 (CAPT) Dharhan, Saudi Arabia 6 Lugli, Gabby ’17 Avon, CT 7 Campbell, Maise ’15 South Glastonbury, CT 8 Kornblatt-Stier, Ruthie ’16 Florence, MA 9 Favreau, Emily ’17 Manchester, NH 10 Walen, Alex ’17 Longmeadow, MA 11 Schuster, Summer ’16 Lake Forest, IL 12 Pipernos, Sara ’15 (CAPT) West Hartford, CT 13 Dealy, Elaine ’16 Millbrook, NY 14 Irving, Chloe ’17 Wayland, MA 15 Song, Angel ’18 Shenzhen, China 16 Shao, Penelope ’15 (CAPT) Guanngzhou, China 17 Donegan, Grace ’17 Poquonock, CT
MANAGERS: COACHES: Evan Veshlage Ed Pond David Chen Isso Shimamoto Jack Miller Liz Bucceri Jordan Chen
BOYS VARSITY GOLF KURT WINKLER RECORD: 18-10 2015 Coppola Cup Champions 2015 Founders League Champions 2015 Western New England Champions
This season, the boys’ golf team produced the school’s first Founders League Championship; an 18-hole event played at the Watertown Country Club. The annual tournament is comprised of 9 schools and 54 competitors. The Loomis team score of 391 shattered the previous school record in the tournament of 398 set in 2014. The team also captured the Coppola Cup; an annual 18-hole event hosted by Avon Old Farms. It marked the 3rd time in the last 5 years that Loomis Chaffee has won the tournament. The team finished the regular season with a record of 17-8.
A special note of thanks goes to our departing seniors Matt Covello and Captain Matt Bullock. The coaches and players appreciate their contributions to the boy’s golf program, and wish them well next year in college.
Sophomores David Miccoli and Jason Liu packed a lethal one-two punch in leading the boys golf team to victory over 23 schools in the 42nd annual Kingswood Oxford Invitational Golf tournament held at Oakridge Golf Club. Miccoli carded a 3-over par 73 and finished in a tie for second place while Liu finished with a 75 and tied for fifth place among the 115 competitors. These were impressive scores given the difficult windy and chilly conditions.
The tournament is generally regarded as the Western New England golf championship for independent schools given the amount of schools represented and the breath of geography covered.
Loomis edged Westminster who finished second with a team score of 400. Exeter finished third with a score of 406.
The title marks only the second time in school history that Loomis Chaffee has returned to campus with the championship plaque. It will be displayed in the trophy case in Olcott Athletic Center.
The golf team peaked at the right time at the end of the season as this victory came on the heels of claiming its first ever Founders League championship on Saturday. The squad also captured the Coppola Cup hosted by Avon Old Farms. With these three major championships, the 2015 boys golf team had a memorable season.
LOOMIS SCORES: Miccoli (73), Liu (75), junior Marshall Barnes (80), sophomore Emmett Hannigan (84), junior Tiger Yan (86)
AWARDS:
MVP – David Miccoli. As a new sophomore to the school and to the golf program, David had a tremendous season. His 9-hole season average of 38 was the lowest on the team. David played in 12 of our 15 events this season, as an injured shoulder kept him out of 3 matches. His score counted in each event he played in. He was the team medalist twice and match medalist another 6 times. David set a school record for 9 holes with a 3-under par score of 33. He also tied a school record for 18 holes with a 1-under par score of 71. David captured the individual title at the Bader tournament hosted by Loomis Chaffee and had his name etched on the Bader Cup. His score of 72 at the Founders League Championship tied the school record in that event and earned him medalist honors among the 54 competitors in the field.
Most Improved Player – Marshall Barnes. Marshall’s 18-hole scoring average improved 4 strokes over last season – a significant accomplishment! This was achieved though a lot of hard work on his swing plus improvements in the mental and emotional side of golf. Marshall is the only player on the team whose score counted in all 15 events this season. He was a significant contributor to the team’s success as he finished the season as our #3 ranked player. Marshall was the 18-hole team medalist at the annual Andover Invitational held at Newport Country Club. Marshall is a 3-time letter winner.
Coaches Award – Jason Liu. Jason ended the season as our #2 ranked player. He played in 14 out of 15 events as a date with AP Chinese got in the way of 1 match. Jason was team medalist 3 times and match medalist another 3 times this season. His score of 3-under par 32 set a new school record for 9-holes. Jason has a love for the game of golf. His leadership, integrity and unselfish approach proved to be a good example for the rest of the team to follow. He consistently encouraged his teammates; especially the younger players, and his positive attitude towards his teammates helped everyone improve their golf games. Jason is a 2-time letter winner.
2015 TEAM ROSTER Name Class Hometown Robert Barnes 2016 West Hartford, CT Matthew Bullock (captain) 2015 Marblehead, MA Matthew Covello 2015 West Hartford, CT Jason Liu 2017 Windsor, CT David Miccoli 2017 Ludlow, MA Feihu Yan 2016 Lake Mary, FL
GIRLS GOLF JEFF DYRESON
2 wins – 9 losses – 1 tie
Roster: YOG Varsity member Season Best Score Match wins Winda Wanikpun 2016 3 yr 42 5 Xana Pierone 2016 2 yr 55 3 Olivia McCaughey 2016 2 yr 1 Biridiana Guerrero 2015 2 yr 2 Cynthia Hui 2016 1 yr - Julia Thompson 2018 1 yr 49 4
Season Summary: The girls golf program entered the 2015 season with excitement but with one big question; how will the team fare graduating 4 starters last year? We returned junior Winda Wanikpun at the #1 position and juniors Xana Pierone, Olivia McCaughey and our lone senior Biri Guerrero all were on the team but didn’t have a lot of match play experience. We added freshman Julia Thompson and junior Cynthia Hui but suffice it to say we were young with experience. The long winter and late spring threw a wrench into our early season plans but the team remained positive and worked out in a variety of different conditions at a variety of golf locations. Highlights for the season include wins versus Ethel Walker and Westover and a tie against Miss Porter’s. Several matches were very competitive including Williston and Choate, which featured close matches at every position that came down to the final holes. The future is bright as we only lose one senior (Biri Guerrero) and I am confident that the team will take a big step forward next year.
AWARDS: Most Improved Player: Julia was the lone freshman on the team. Although she came into the program with a great deal of playing experience, she was new to match play and competitive golf. From the start, Julia was a dedicated player, working hard on all aspects of her game and earned the position of #4 on the team. Although she was competitive early on, she wasn’t performing at the level she believed she was capable of. As the short season progressed, Julia seized every opportunity to work out kinks in her swing (often playing on Sundays) to make corrections in her ball striking and her confidence in match play grew with every match. Several times Julia had to step up into the #3 position, most notably versus Hotchkiss and Sacred Heart and in fact won her match against #3 Hotchkiss player. Julia capped off a strong season with a personal best of 49 against Taft at East Hartford Golf Club (a course Julia played for the first time). It was a pleasure to see Julia’s improvement and growth over the season and I anticipate her improvement will continue over the coming years!
Most Valuable Player: To put it simply, Winda is a gifted golfer. She stepped onto the Island as the girls #1 golfer her freshman year and has compiled an impressive resume. In three years she has recorded over 20 match wins at the #1 position and has personal best scores around par every year including a 37 last season. Winda has the skills and length to compete with boys and as a credit to her drive to get better, requested that she practice against our boys. Kurt Winkler (the boys varsity coach) thought she might have been an asset for the boys program this year. Thank goodness we aren’t coed! Several of the league coaches always have glowing accolades for Winda and can’t wait to see her graduate (take that as a compliment). Winda’s resume at Loomis is impressive and I know the best is yet to come as she enters her senior season next year.
BOYS TRACK AND FIELD SCOTT PURDY
This year’s track and field team finished 5-5, earned fourth place at the Founders Championships, and finished tenth at the Division I New England Championships. In sum, however, they did more than we coaches thought they could. With just seven seniors and PG’s, this is the youngest team I have ever coached at Loomis. At times, that inexperience hurt us as we had to learn on the fly, during meets which are, as some would say, an organized circus. And while it took some time for us coaches to adjust, we really enjoyed the growth we saw in athletes. For example, veteran but first-time captain Frank Tucci gracefully assumed leadership, Shackeel Brown developed into an impressive jumper/hurdler and three- year letter winner, and Harrison Parsons improved four seconds in a 25-second race (that’s like dropping almost half a second in the 40). The Freshmen Ryans, Heskin and Durkin, led the youth movement, and on the other end of the spectrum, PG Sam Wheeler took up the javelin and became Founders League Champion. I won’t talk for long – I talk way too much in our practices, and the team knows how much we coaches enjoyed working with them. I will finish with this: they are still a work in progress, and I am sad to see the season end, but I hope we’ve inspired in them a love of competition and an appreciation of the self-discipline that can help these young men as they progress throughout their lives.
Most Valuable Performer: Cobey Adekanbi ‘16
A hurdler, Cobey led the team in points this year, and he was the only guy on our team to score in multiple events at the New England Championships. Even more impressive: Cobey accomplished that against the deepest hurdling field in New England in decades. This spring, he learned to take risks, to power out at the start of a race and focus throughout his event. We are glad that he will be back with us again next year.
Most Outstanding Performer: Sam Wheeler ’15 (PG)
Sam is not inexperienced in track and field, having run and jumped before coming to Loomis for a PG year, but this season Sam followed the urgings of coaches Pipoli, Tyo, and Stewart, who convinced him to try the javelin. After a modest best of less than 100 feet in our practice meet, he went on to throw 170 feet, eight inches, at the Founders Championships, good enough to win the league title. In addition, he finished second in New England, and he set the Loomis Chaffee record in the javelin.
Coaches Award: Dontay Downer ’15
Dontay was a solid, dependable, utterly selfless leader this season. Anchoring the distance running squad, voted a captain by his peers, Dontay agreed with coaches when we moved him from of his favorite event, the 800, to the 1500 so that we as a team could gain more points overall in the Founders League Championship meet. That selfless devote and his excellence at his craft – he is our only four-year letter winner in track and field – make Dontay worthy of the coaches award.
DON JOFFRAY & GIRLS 3-SPORT AWARDS BOB HOWE
The Donald Joffray Award and the Outstanding Three-Sport Female Athlete Awards are presented annually to the senior athletes in the graduating class in recognition of outstanding achievement in 3 varsity sports as elected by their fellow varsity athletes. This year there are three recipients: Sierra Semmel, Santiago Torres Guiza, and William Hanson
Your peers have spoken and I have to say I agree with them. All three of you have done so much for Loomis Chaffee athletics and your coaches and teammates. When I ask your coaches to reflect back on their time with you nothing but the highest of praise comes back. You have learned to be humble with success as well as being gracious in defeat. You have made other players in your programs feel like they belong and given them the confidence to flourish.
Don Joffray was a math teacher here for over 45 years and he was a tremendous athlete himself. In fact, few people who knew him realized he was an Olympic kayaker. He went about his business perfecting the skills and sharing himself with those who were interested in learning from him. You three, like Mr. Joffray, represent so well what is good about sports. You don’t expect praise, you play because you like to, and you make those around you much better. Mr. Joffray will be very pleased to learn all about you when I call him next week.
This year the three of you have earned 9 different varsity letters in nine different sports. Santi has been a student with us for just one year, William for three, and Sierra has been with us for four years. You all have made a difference on your teams and across this campus. For your efforts you three have secured a spot on the wall in our Olcott Center. You three, yes Santi even you, are true Pelican warriors! Thanks very much and Congratulations!
SOFTBALL MAGGIE KENNEDY
Loomis Chaffee Varsity Softball 2015
Roster Year # Years on Varsity
Lindsey Barrett* 2015 2 4 Danielle Comorre 2015 17 3 Anna Esposito* 2015 11 3 Claire Foran 2015 4 4 Sophie Lary-Kaplan 2015 9 2 Gina Mangiafridda* 2015 10 4 Sierra Semmel 2015 14 4 Nancy Coulverson 2016 22 2 Bailey Coyne 2016 12 2 Devon Ide 2016 16 3 Shelby Pedersen 2016 6 3 Sharon Frankel 2017 8 1 Kelly White 2017 7 1 Sarah Olender 2018 3 1
Hanna Hameedy 2017 Manager
*Captains
Record: 11-4
This year we had a very special group—frustrating, yes—but definitely the most depth and talent we’ve had in a long time—also probably the most relaxed group we’ve ever had; hence, the frustration at times. Despite struggling a bit in our last few games of the regular season, the girls finished with a record of 11- 4, which gave the softball team it’s best season since the 2003 team 12 years ago. For the second straight year, the team earned a spot in the Western New England Tournament as the #4 seed, facing off against #5 Williston. We knew it was going to be a battle, coming off a big win in extra innings against Williston in the regular season—and what a battle it was. Unfortunately, we fell just short 2-1 but it was one of the best games we played all year, so despite the sting of defeat, the girls could walk away proud. The season as a whole was a special one, and every single person on the team stepped into important situations and roles to make it a successful one.
This season we say goodbye to seven seniors, each of whom had a significant role on the team. Danielle Comorre, Claire Foran, Sophie Lary-Kaplan, Sierra Semmel and tri-captains Lindsey Barrett, Gina Mangiafridda and Anna Esposito. Each and every senior brought something special to the team, whether it was Danielle’s willingness to play wherever she was asked, Claire’s hard work to improve every day, Sophie’s energy and enthusiasm, Sierra’s ability to stop every ball behind the plate and her homerun bat, Lindsey’s passion for softball and desire to help others, Gina’s ability to catch anything in the outfield, or Anna’s positivity and clutch hitting in the most crucial situations—they will all be incredibly missed. When many of these seniors were freshmen four years ago, our record was 3-12. They now leave the program in much better shape than when they came in, and their talent and growth over the past four years have played a huge role in bringing the team to where it is today. Thank you guys for all that you have done for this program and best of luck in your future endeavors.
I’d like to quickly recognize our three captains, Lindsey Barrett, Gina Mangiafridda and Anna Esposito for constantly doing the little things right. Your teammates elected you because of your positivity and passion for the game, but you each stepped out of your comfort zones throughout the year to become better leaders and we greatly appreciate your efforts. Big shout out to Devon Ide for being our only pitcher for the third straight year. The difficulty of that role and the pressure it brings every day is certainly not lost on us. Regardless of our immense talent in the field and achievements behind the plate, without you on the mound, there is no way we would have seen the success that we did. Thanks for battling through yet another season—I expect big things from you next year. I’d like to give a huge thanks to Betsy Conger and Missy Wolff for everything that you guys do—I know I certainly could not have made it through the season without you two. You were constant sources of insight, humor and expertise, graciously serving as sounding boards for all of my thoughts. You are incredible coaches, and I’m lucky to have been able to work with both of you.
Four years ago, Sean Barrett came to the field offering to help. We had no idea how much he would impact the team and the program, and boy what an invaluable addition he was. Sean showed up every single day to every practice and every game with high energy and an incredible passion for softball. He has always done anything possible to help the team, and his thoughtful nature and immense commitment have not gone unnoticed. We just wanted to thank you, Sean, for all of your help and for the care and kindness you have shown to the kids and the coaches. The past four years would not have been the same with out you—we really appreciate everything that you have done, and we will miss you tremendously next year.
Big thanks Bob Howe and Vicky Scanlon for taking care of everything this season—with all of the cancellations and make up games—I’m sure it was a pain to deal with and we really appreciate all that you guys do. Also thanks to Craig Lamenzo and Glenn Buckley for getting our field ready every day and helping us immensely throughout the season. Last, but certainly not least, thank you to our parents for all of the support they have provided this season. It is always nice to have fans at the games cheering the team on and of course constantly bringing goodies and Gatorade. The coaches really appreciate it and I know the girls do as well.
MVPs: Anna Esposito, Bailey Coyne
As an elected captain in her sophomore year, Anna returned to the team after last spring in Colorado and picked up right where she left off. Immediately Anna stuck out as a leader and her teammates took notice. It wasn’t just her talent that caught everyone’s attention, but her unwavering positive attitude and energy and her incredible love for the sport. Anna is an athlete and a competitor and her leadership combined with her skill played a huge part in the team’s success this year. Anna’s quick reflexes and willingness to get her body behind the ball made her a reliable and consistent fielder, and as the #4 batter all year, Anna did not disappoint, proving how clutch she could be when needed most. Anna finished the year with a .463 batting average, including a homerun and 4 triples, a .569 on base percentage, a team leading 31 RBIs and 22 runs scored. Anna is a quiet leader, but a great leader nonetheless. Her positive energy and love for the game have driven her to excel as a softball player, and I can’t wait to see what she does in college. Anna was also selected to play in the league’s all-star game, where she did a great job. Thank you for everything you’ve done for this team, Anna—Congrats and good luck at Bates next year.
Bailey, in addition to Anna, has the whole package—a great glove, an amazing bat and an infectious love for the game. Bailey proved day after day why she was one of the best shortstops in the league, with her smooth fielding and her powerful throw. Offensively, Bailey was always a threat, leading the team with a remarkable .684 batting average, an even better .746 on base percentage and 24 RBIs with a team leading 28 runs scored (and she went 3 for 3 in the playoff game against Williston). On the bases, she is as smart as they come and incredibly aggressive, not to mention super speedy. With 6 homeruns on the year, she had the ability to be a power hitter but also had the slap down to near perfection. Bailey has been incredible for us since she came to Loomis, and with her positivity and competitive edge, she makes others around her want to be better. The talent and intensity she brings to the field every day has been instrumental in building this program back up. Awesome job, Bails—I can’t wait to see what the future holds for you.
WNEPSSA All-Star: Anna Esposito
Seniors
Lindsey Barrett will leave us this year as a four-year senior, making her mark on Loomis Chaffee Softball. This year, right from the start, Lindsey impressed the coaches with her willingness to step out of her comfort zone to make others feel more comfortable. Her passion and love for the game is clear every time Lindsey steps onto the field. Lindsey was not only the first to the field everyday, but she was often the last to leave and would consistently stay after to help with the clinic, something that she put everything into, no matter how tired she was. Lindsey switched from her comfortable position at 3rd base to 2nd for the majority of the year without a single complaint. She embraced the new position and kept on moving forward. At the plate, she was the lead off batter and did a phenomenal job, with a career high, .528 batting average (2nd on team), a .617 on base percentage (also 2nd on team), 10 stolen bases, 20 runs scored and 13 RBIs, including a homerun and 2 triples. Lindsey pushed herself everyday to be a better leader, a better fielder and a better hitter and it certainly all paid off in her final year. We will miss Lindsey and her dedication to Loomis Chaffee Softball.
Danielle Comorre was the ultimate utility player for the team this year. As a mainstay at second base last year, this new role was certainly not as glamorous, but she took it in stride and remained a reliable fielder wherever she was needed. Danielle remained positive for much of the season and brought energy and enthusiasm to the field each day. The three years she has spent as a Pelican have been incredible, no matter what the situation, she would always have a smile on her face and try to get the energy up in anyway that she could. Danielle finished this season with a .333 batting average, a .450 on base percentage, including a triple against Deerfield, and played a lot of first and second base, where she stepped in and did a great job in important situations. Danielle and her dedication to the softball team these past three years will be incredibly missed.
Anna Esposito has been incredible for the Pelicans this season and for her entire career. We took a big hit when she was away her junior season but relished in her return. Anna was elected captain as a sophomore and again as a senior and the reasons were incredibly clear. Anna exudes leadership, not by being outspoken or trying to take charge, but by being herself and working hard and loving the game. Despite Anna’s quiet demeanor, everyone on the team looked up to her and what a good role model she was this year. Her positivity and excitement about softball and her teammates make her a fun and trustworthy person to be around. Anna also switched positions from shortstop in her previous years try some 2nd and eventually found her place at 3rd. No matter where Anna played, she did so with a smile and a drive to excel. As the 4th batter all year, she had 31 RBIs, a .463 batting average, 22 runs scored, 1 homerun and 4 triples. Anna has been an incredible asset to the team and the program in her 3 years on the team. Anna, along with all that she brings to the team, will be impossible to replace.
Claire Foran has seen so much growth since her freshman year on the softball field. She realized quickly that if she kept a positive attitude and put in the work, she would get the opportunity to be a starter. That is exactly what happened last year. She grew as a person and player tremendously over last season and earned her spot in the outfield, where she got better each day. This year, with the depth on the team, she had to fight again and she did so with hard work and a positive attitude and saw a ton of playing time as a result. At the plate, Claire ended with a .217 batting average and a .379 on base percentage. Her confidence in the field and her ability to hit her target on the throws became stronger and better as the year progressed. An injury plagued Claire at the end of the season, but she kept pushing through and her increased growth as a person and player throughout her four years on the team will certainly be missed.
Sophie Lary-Kaplan continually brought a lot of energy down to the field when she could make it. Unfortunately, Sophie battled injury all year, which limited her time with the team, but when she got the chance to participate in practice at the beginning of the year, she gave it everything she had. Her love for softball was clear and her enthusiasm every time she was out there was remarkable. Sophie’s two years with the program have been memorable and she is a person that is impossible to replace.
Gina Mangiafridda is another four-year senior who has done a tremendous amount for this program. As an immediate impact in the program, Gina’s continued growth has been incredible and she will certainly leave the team coming off of her best season yet. As an elected captain by her teammates, Gina displayed her leadership qualities, as she continually remained positive in the face of any adversity. Gina led by example and constantly did the little things right. When she got injured halfway through the season and missed some games, she stayed engaged and energetic for her team. Gina only batted half the season, but what she did in the field was incredible. As the center fielder, there were not many balls that Gina couldn’t get to and even threw out multiple runners trying to get home. She guided her younger teammates in the field and showed them the way to success. Gina had a really great year both on and off the field and the program will miss her very much.
Sierra Semmel has been tremendous for the softball program in her four years as a member of the team. Sierra stepped in right away as the catcher and has done a phenomenal job behind the plate ever since. She has a powerful bat, a quick glove and a strong and accurate throw. She certainly made some crucial plays for the team this season and has been a big reason why the program is where it is now. Sierra really stepped it up in the last couple of weeks, reining her focus in on the game and her role on the team. Always a very fun and energetic person, Sierra channeled that energy into helping her team be successful. She finished the year with a .500 batting average, a .561 on base percentage, 17 RBIs, 13 stolen bases, and 16 runs scored, including 2 homeruns and 3 triples. Sierra will leave this program on a high note and will be incredibly missed.
Juniors
Nancy Coulverson has been incredible for us this year at 1st base. With her long reach and her unbelievable stretch, Nancy proved herself to be one of the best first basemen’s in the league. Her split stretch to beat out runners left every single person at the field in awe and disbelief whenever she used it. At the plate, Nancy’s bat came alive in a very big game for the Pelicans against Ethel Walker. She went 2 for 4, but 4 for 4 on base and had 2 RBIs in the very important win. She finished the season with a .344 batting average, and a .444 on base percentage. Nancy is not only an incredible player, but she is an even better person. Nancy has been so fun to be around and we are lucky to have her on this team. I will miss Nancy but am excited to hear about all her accomplishments next year!
Bailey Coyne is incredible all around. She is a fierce and intense competitor but she is the sweetest person off the field. Bailey’s work ethic and talent combined make her one of the top shortstops in the league and Loomis is incredibly lucky to have her for another year. Bailey led in almost all offensive categories, with a .667 batting average, a .695 on base percentage, 24 RBIs and 27 runs scored. Bailey’s knowledge and passion for the game have been incredible in her time at Loomis. There are not enough words to describe how great Bailey is as a person and a player and I can’t wait to hear what she does next year.
Devon Ide has been the only pitcher for three years in a row now and each year she has had the pressure of carrying the team on her shoulders every single game. Devon has certainly grown since her freshman year and has developed as a pitcher as well. Devon had a great year on the mound and at the plate this year, with a .436 batting average, .500 on base percentage, and 23 RBIs and 81 strike outs on the mound. She had multiple games with 10 or more strikeouts and her best was 12 against Williston in extra innings during the regular season. Devon has the potential to be a great leader and I hope she rises to that challenge next year! I will miss Devon and all she brings to the field and the program will be lucky to have her for another year on the mound.
Shelby Pedersen has been such a great addition to the team these past few years. Shelby can play anywhere and has, for the most part in her time here. She never complains and does anything and everything that the team needs. Shelby is a very fun person to be around and is fearless when it comes to putting her body behind the ball. Even though she seemed to be a magnet to the ball, she always had the best attitude about whatever came her way. At the plate, she finished the year with a .357 batting average, a .563 on base percentage and ended the season with an incredible hit against Kent. Shelby will be great for the team next year and I can’t wait to hear how the season goes for her!
Sophomores
Sharon Frankel has been such a welcomed addition to the team this year. Coming in with very little experience, we weren’t sure where Sharon fit in. As soon as we saw her work ethic, speed and ability to track the ball in the outfield, any doubt of where or how she would fit in was gone. Right from the start, Sharon proved to be an incredible outfielder and aside from her talent in the field and on the bases, her work ethic brought so much energy to the field. She finished with a .490 batting average, .589 on base percentage and 24 runs scored. I am so glad she decided to play softball and I can’t wait to hear how the next two years go for her as a member of the softball team.
Kelly White has been such a consistent player for the softball team this year. Kelly is also incredibly versatile and does whatever the team needs. Her niche is definitely in the outfield and Kelly has excelled in that position all year. Not much gets by Kelly and her throw is always incredibly accurate. At the plate, Kelly had a great year at the plate, with a .237 batting average, a 366 on base percentage and 7 incredibly important RBIs. I can’t wait to hear how Kelly does in her next two years on the team!
Freshmen
Sarah Olender has been such a great addition to the team this year. She came in with a lot of experience and a lot of knowledge and as the only freshman on the team, she has really impressed us. Though she did miss a chunk of the season with a concussion, Sarah was a very important piece to the success that the team had this year. She played some outfield and got some time behind the plate and finished the season with a .294 and an impressive .368 on base percentage with a hard hit triple at Deerfield. Sarah has great potential and I can’t wait to hear how her Loomis career goes.
BOYS LACROSSE BILL LEE
The 2015 boys lacrosse team had a couple of themes it wanted to live by at the start of the season. The first was one word: “Together.” This word is emblazoned on the bottom of our practice shirts. The concept is simple. We work hard on the field, we win, we lose, together. It is a powerful idea when you know that you are not in it alone, that no matter what, you have many others by your side. The second theme was: “We bow to no program at Loomis Chaffee.” Basically, we wanted to let ourselves know that we could compete with anyone in our league, which is possibly one of the strongest in the country.
And in 2015, this team surpassed many expectations by not only competing with all of those teams, but even beating them. Signature wins over Trinity Pawling, Deerfield, Phillips Exeter, Choate and Taft and close games with Salisbury and Phillips Andover proved to the League that Loomis was back on the map. A final record of 10-6 and going undefeated on the road, 9-0, was proof that we had very good team. From going 0-7 last year in the Founder’s League to going 5-2, placing second, and playing for the Founder’s League Championship against our rival Avon was quite a turnaround. Congratulations gentlemen for a job well done and working your hardest this season.
I would like to recognize our seniors: Max Cushman, Tom Elcock, Sebastian Dovi, Zach Giuttari, Tucker Santoro, David Troiano, Alex Esposito, Cole Poyfair, Peter Desimone, Nick DeBlasio, and Paul Lee. And managers Gaby Foti and Maddie Brown. The Loomis Lacrosse program is in a strong place because of you. Thank you all for your dedication and efforts this year.
Coaches’ Awards. David Troiano. This first Coaches’ Award goes to a post-graduate who was the glue of our defense. Always there working hard in practice, always doing his job with no fanfare or flash. Consistent. He played at a very high level this year and was one of the important leaders of our defense and our team.
Zach Giuttari. This young man has been a leader for our school for the last three years. His leadership was always one by example on the field or the ice. His work ethic and determination are at the highest level. He represents a few of our team members who are also Division 1 players in another sport – guys like Sebastian Dovi and Alex Esposito – who are going to college, playing a sport other than lacrosse. They all could have easily taken the spring off and hung out and taken the easy road. Instead, they played lacrosse at a high level. I have a great deal of respect for these athletes. In particular, I have respect for Zach Giuttari and his contributions to our team and our school. Thank you Zach for your dedication to the lacrosse program.
Max Cushman. This senior is the only 4-year member of the Loomis Lacrosse Team. He has seen some difficult times on the lacrosse field while here. It was nice to see this young man experience some success in his last year as a player. He had a fantastic season with 23 goals and 7 assists, even with having the toughest defender play him in every game we had this season. He brought a good balance of intensity and levity to the team. I enjoyed being his coach for the last two years and thank him for his dedication. Lastly, I want to thank our parents, Bob Howe and the athletic department for their help and support this year, also, a special thanks to Steve Colgate for all of his great coaching this year.
2015 Boys Varsity Lacrosse Roster No. Name Position Class Hometown 2 Maxwell Cushman (co-captain) M 2015 Marblehead, MA 6 Thomas Elcock (co-captain) A 2015 Medfield, MA 8 Zachary Giuttari (co-captain) D 2015 Warwick, RI 14 Cole Poyfair (co-captain) G 2015 Greenwood Village, CO 1 Jacob Bryson D 2016 London, ON 3 Samuel Kent M/D 2016 West Hartford, CT 4 Liam O'Brien D 2016 Unionville, CT 5 Charles Hanson A 2017 Greenwich, CT 7 Sebastian Dovi D 2015 Newark, DE 9 Tucker Santoro M 2015 Newbury, NH 10 Colin Phelan M 2016 Danbury, CT 11 David Troiano D 2015 Winchester, MA
12 Alexander Esposito D 2015 West Haven, CT 13 Timothy Murphy M 2016 Windsor, CT
15 Peter DeSimone A 2015 East Greenwich, RI 17 Zachary Zavalick M 2016 Glastonbury, CT 18 Declan Moylan A 2016 West Hartford, CT
19 Nicholas DeBlasio M 2015 Saunderstown, RI 20 Joseph Hinton M/D 2016 Middletown, CT
21 John Kelleher A 2017 East Walpole, MA 22 Michael Greenberg M 2017 Briarcliff Manor, NY
24 Paul Lee M 2015 Cresskill, NJ 25 Alec Paulson D 2017 Glastonbury, CT 26 Justin Grillo M 2017 Rockville Centre, NY 27 David Dawson D 2017 Easton, CT 29 Michael Matteo A 2018 South Glastonbury, CT 33 Seung Hyun Lee D 2017 Seongnam-Si 34 Matthew Giuttari D 2018 Warwick, RI 35 Frederick Dreyer G 2017 Elgin, SC Madeline Brown Manager 2015 Glastonbury, CT
Maryam Fokur Manager 2018 Kabul
Gabrielle Foti Manager 2015 Farmington, CT
GIRLS LACROSSE MEGAN BORMAN & CLARISSA CLARKE
Many of you know by now we were the new coaches on the scene this year, but we could not have been happier to have made the decision to join the Loomis family. It was this team that made this season so memorable. From our lone freshman, Lia, to our super sophomores, big junior class and finally a great foursome of seniors, our inaugural season was one for the record books. We asked the girls to bring their focus, competitive spirit and work ethic to everything they did this season, and they responded. This group of 19 harnessed their strengths together and challenged each other to become Founders League Champions. We could not have been more pleased with their effort and perhaps just as importantly their ability to become teammates, keep each other laughing and to enjoy their hard work and accomplishments.
We would like to recognize and thank Chuck Vernon for his tireless work with our goalies. Chuck is truly an asset to our program and we are so grateful for his time and talent. Thank you to Vicky Scanlon and Bob Howe, the LC trainers and grounds crew for their help on our behalf.
We want to take a minute to recognize our four seniors; ladies please stand at your seats: Kristy Cheyne, Noelle Gauthier, Lindsey Kendall, and Anna Costello: This is a great group that chooses to be together as friends when they can and it shows on the field. You four have made such an impact on the girls’ lacrosse program and your legacy will continue. Your example in practices and games is immeasurable. We thank you for being here for us as coaches as we started this Loomis journey. You each have a bright future ahead and we thank you for all you have given.
Would Emma Trenchard, Elsa Hermanson, and Carley Phillips please stand at your seats…. Emma Trenchard has been recognized as a Founders League All-Star this year. Emma led the girls this season with her hustle and competitive spirit. She was a force to be reckoned with on the field. Emma will receive a Founders League All-Star certificate for her performance this season. Congratulations also goes to Elsa Hermanson and Carley Phillips who were both named as Western New England Prep School All Stars this spring. Thank you ladies.
At this time we would like to call, Abby Sotomayor, Lindsey Kendall, and Anna Costello to the podium:
Team MVP: Anna Costello Anna Costello's leadership, determination, work ethic, talent, athleticism and energy have had an overwhelming impact on this season and the Loomis Lacrosse program. She competes hard in every game and leaves everything she has on the field. A fierce athlete, Anna is highly respected by her teammates, coaches and even opponents. Although her talents shine most in the defensive end of the field, Anna's endurance and game sense has allowed her to contribute valuable minutes in the midfield and attacking ends. The lacrosse program and the Loomis community will greatly miss this spectacular young woman as she heads off to UCONN next year.
Coaches’ Award: Lindsey Kendall Lindsey's leadership, encouragement and team-first attitude were integral to the success of our season. She always put her teammates and the team before herself. On and off the field Lindsey acted as a true captain and over her four years on the varsity team has earned the respect of her teammates and coaches. Each day Lindsey worked hard at practice and was a true competitor. Her positive attitude, defensive skills and team-oriented leadership style will be sorely next spring.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Abby Sotomayor Abby exemplifies the true meaning of "athlete". Although Abby is committed to play Division 1 collegiate soccer at Colgate, she decided to try out goalie. She started with coach Bruno in the winter on her own time to learn the position. Worked incredibly hard mentally and physically during pre-season to develop into a force in the cage for us, and comes to practice each day ready to work. Her positive energy has been contagious throughout the season. Abby has an ability to be competitive, focused, all the while making her teammates smile and laugh. Abby has been a great addition to the Loomis lacrosse program and surpassed all expectations in the cage. Your coaches and teammates are so glad you decided to join us this year!
GIRLS VARSITY LACROSSE ROSTER 2015 No. Name Position Class Hometown 2 Lia LaPrise D/M 2018 Windsor, CT 3 Carley Phillips A/M 2016 Waterford, CT 4 Anna Costello (co-captain) M 2015 West Hartford, CT
5 Michaela Giuttari M 2016 Warwick, RI 6 Lindsey Kendall (co-captain) D 2015 Weston, CT 8 Kristina Cheyne A/M 2015 Avon, CT
9 Sara Corsetti A 2016 Longmeadow, MA 10 Noelle Gauthier A 2015 Avon, CT
11 Ellen O'Brien D 2016 West Hartford, CT 12 Isabelle Lent D/M 2017 Madison, CT
13 Elsa Hermanson M 2016 Mountain Lakes, NJ 15 Katherine Warner A 2016 West Simsbury, CT
16 Emily Bivona M 2016 Glastonbury, CT 17 Grace Usilton D/M 2017 Middlebury, VT 19 Abigail Marmer D 2016 Dorset, VT 20 Margaret Stover M 2016 West Simsbury, CT 23 Emma Trenchard M 2017 Windsor, CT 24 Madeline Giordano G 2017 Granby, CT 25 Abagail Sotomayor G 2016 Colchester, CT
BASEBALL JEFF ROSS
The 2015 varsity baseball season was very much a tale of two seasons. We often won in decisive fashion, piling up big leads early, getting into double digit in both hits and runs, and winning contests by an average of nearly ten runs per game. When we played the teams with whom we battled most closely for a spot at the top of the league, the results were frustratingly not in our favor. 2-1 and 3-1 losses to Choate and a 5-4 loss to Taft epitomized this part of the season – putting the tying or winning runs on base late in the game, hitting balls that had the look of game changers that were caught or deflected into the right hands on the other team, giving up runs in inopportune ways and at inopportune times.
Until today – we nursed a 2-1 lead against Taft into the sixth inning, scored an insurance run to go up 3-1, and then exploded in a seven run seventh to take a 10-1 win in the season finale. Our defense wasn’t perfect (three infield errors), but we pitched exceptionally well (seven strike outs and two double plays) and finally got some big hits when we needed them (two doubles, a triple, a couple of infield hits and bunts).
The good news is that even though we’ll most likely look back on this season as a mixed bag, a number of key objectives were accomplished – we had another winning season, including getting into double digits in the win column, and we were once again a baseball team with a lot of talent, both present and future, as those one-sided wins and close losses clearly showed.
Tonight the focus should be on our seniors, a whopping seventeen of them, and what they have accomplished not only this year but in the last few. It’s impossible to speak about them all, even though each has stood out in some way at some time by doing something that impressed us in terms of their skill or character that made us a better team. Instead, I’ll ask three of them to come forward to be honored, not only for the significant contributions they made to the baseball program, but as representatives of several things for which I hope Loomis baseball will always stand:
Dylan Hickey, Tyler Mulberry, Ivan Rivera
Coaches Award:
I once heard Chuck Vernon tell a story about two lines of people – the one where they stood if you wanted to get the credit and the one where they went if they wanted to do the work. Stand in that second line, he advised – it’s a lot shorter. I doubt you’ll ever find Dylan Hickey in any line but the second one, not because it’s shorter but because that’s where his character tells him be – in the one where the work gets done. A three year varsity letter winner, Dylan’s reward for all of his hard work hasn’t been to play a ton of innings or to land at the top of any of the statistical categories associated with baseball success like batting average or RBI’s or home runs (although he did take me deep in batting practice the other day), but rather to rank at the top of the team each year in terms of effort, improvement, and unselfish commitment to the team. He is as hard a worker as anyone in the program; he is easily one of the “smartest” hard workers we have , a player who doesn’t just put in a lot of effort but strives to incorporate the information his coaches provide into everything he does; and he is a someone who always puts the team ahead of himself. If you’ve ever been assigned the job of being the bullpen catcher, then you know what I’m talking about when it comes to the latter. Congratulations on this Coaches Award, Dylan, and thank you for being such a great leader by example and a force for good in the baseball program since the moment you entered it.
Most Improved Player Award:
Tyler didn’t used to be this tall. Any of us who remember him as a freshman will recall that. He didn’t used to be a particularly good soccer player, but that changed, too. He also didn’t happen to be a varsity baseball player right away, either, earning his stripes as stand out JV player in his first two years in the program. And, it wasn’t until this year that he became the very talented right fielder and highly capable clean-up hitter that we were fortunate to have in our lineup this spring. An infielder for all of his career, including with the varsity last spring, and a promising hitter who began to come into his own a year ago, we knew that Tyler would be a key contributor this season. What we didn’t know was that he would do that from right field, a position he’d never played before. He didn’t miss a beat. In fact, he excelled, routinely turning any ball hit to him into an out, even the toughest chances, and unleashing a throwing arm that became a real weapon. Tyler recorded three outfield assists in one game this year – one at second on tag play, one at the same base on a force play, and then a critical tag play to cut down a run at the plate. I love the formula for success Tyler employed on his way to this award – putting in a couple of seasons at the JV level before arriving on the varsity, playing multiple sports and benefitting from the resulting increase in athleticism and mental toughness, and being willing to play wherever the team needs you, even if you have never played there before. Congratulations, Tyler, both for your baseball success over the course of the last four years and on this Most Improved Player Award.
Outstanding Player Award:
You’ve most likely seen the movie in which Tom Hanks’ character says something about the beauty of baseball being that it is hard, otherwise everybody would play it. It isn’t that other sports aren’t difficult, but it is true that baseball is especially challenging when it comes to being good at all phases of the game and on a consistent basis. Baseball players are often evaluated on the basis of five “tools” – can you throw, can you run, can you hit, can you hit for power, and can you field? If you are above average in any two of those areas, you can play college baseball; if you stand out in any three and you might get drafted. Ivan Rivera has become, over the course of his four years in our program, our best player, or very close to it, in each of these five areas. This spring he led our team in batting average, stolen bases, extra base hits, and RBI’s, and tied for the lead in home runs. He is also one of only a handful of players in my time with the Loomis baseball program to have been not only a four year varsity letter winner but a four year starter. As all of that suggests, Ivan often makes a very difficult game look easy, and he was particularly good at doing that this year. Congratulations, Ivan, one of the best position players at Loomis since 1988, for four strong years on the varsity, for your fine 2015 season, and for this Outstanding Player Award.
2015 BOYS VARSITY BASEBALL ROSTER No. Name Position Class Hometown 1 Blaise Brown 2015 New Orleans, LA
2 Carl Francalangia 2016 West Hartford, CT
3 Aidan Scott 2016 South Glastonbury, CT
4 Eric Benshadle 2015 Getzville, NY
5 Peter DeLalio 2015 Glastonbury, CT
6 Robert Cecere 2016 Glastonbury, CT
7 Aidan Dunlavey 2015 Windsor, CT
8 William Hanson 2015 Winston Salem, NC
9 Cameron Toohey 2015 Salisbury, MA
10 Ivan Rivera 2015 Brooklyn, NY
11 Christopher Torres 2015 Bronx, NY
12 Tyler Mulberry 2015 Middletown, CT
13 Justin Legowski 2015 Farmington, CT
14 Alejandro Lopez-Wheeler 2015 Cambridge, MA
15 W. Benjamin Suski 2015 Avon, CT
16 Evan Hsia 2015 Windsor, CT
18 Callum Slater 2016 Basking Ridge, NJ
20 Kendall Pomeroy 2015 Shrewsbury, MA
21 Dylan Hickey 2015 Windsor Locks, CT
22 Fletcher Lent 2015 Madison, CT
23 Arnav Kapur 2015 Ellington, CT
26 Patrick Vinal 2016 Swampscott, MA
Phanawat Ayanaputra Manager 2017 Bangkok
Jacob Bryson 2016 London, ON
Patrick Craig 2017 Fairfield, CT
Connor Rush 2017 East Longmeadow, MA
Jordan Scott 2017 Rego Park, NY
Graham Struthers 2017 West Hartford, CT
Eisuke Tanioka 2017 Tokyo
Bao Thai Manager 2015 Ho Chi Minh
GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD LILIAN HUTCHINSON
LOOMIS CHAFFEE GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD
2015 Season
9-2 Season Record
2015 FOUNDERS LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
2015 CLASS A NEPSTA CHAMPIONS
Loomis Chaffee Girls Track and Field Athlete Roster – 2015
Kaitlin Adams (12) Sherly Francois (11) Taylor Lynch (11) Mira Anderson (9) Charlotte Gacek (12) Chelsea Offiaeli (9) Chynna Bailey (12) Louisa Gao (9) Kendra Offiaeli (11) Anika Bhargava (10) Amanda Gallop (11) Gwen Osborne (9) Sara Boe (11) Adri Gonzalez (10) Natasha Otton (11) Faith Breen (11) Isabel Guigui (12) Elissa Perez (9) Eli Carpio-Fiasse (12) Emma Gwyn (12) Mariana Prosperi (12) Rose Carter (12) Ally Hammel (12) Erika Purdy (12) Sophie Christiano (10) Ciera Hunter (12) Juliet Rhodes (9) Greer Davis (12) Erin Jones (11) Maddy Richmond (12) Olivia Diong (11) Shanelle Jones (10) Haleigh Stewart (9) Skyler Dovi (10) Steph Jones (12) Anna Turner (9) Helena Dupont (10) Zaneb Kenney Shawa (10) Denver Williams (12) Sophie Elgamal (10) Tatiana Lovera (11) Allison Yeh (12) Madeleine Fargis (11) CC Lutz (11) Katya Yepifanova (11)
*BOLD denotes VARSITY LETTER RECIPIENT *
2015- Season Stats: 9-2 regular season
Loomis Chaffee v Greenwich Academy 130-28 W
Loomis Chaffee v Miss Porter’s 130- 17 W
Loomis Chaffee v Taft School 84- 52 W
Loomis Chaffee v Hotchkiss School 70- 73 L
Loomis Chaffee v Deerfield Academy 70- 38 W
Loomis Chaffee v Choate Rosemary Hall 80- 65 W
Loomis Chaffee v Hopkins School 116- 29 W
Loomis Chaffee v Andover Academy 63.5- 83 L
Loomis Chaffee v Northfield Mount Hermon 63.5-22.5 W
Founders League Championship 163pts 1st Place
NEPSTA - INTERSCHOLS Championship 100 Pts 1ST Place
3 School Records fall and two international showings in 2015!
• 4x100m team travels to PENN RELAYS and wins with a time of 51.65. That mark was later broken at FOUNDERS (49.34) this ranks them #3 in the State of CT. PENN and FOUNDERS Relay Members: Senior Charlotte Gacek, Junior Natasha Otton, Senior Greer Davis and Senior Denver Williams
• 4x 400m team travels to PENN RELAYS for retribution and win over favorite Hotchkiss with a time of 4:13.10. That mark was later broken at FOUNDERS (4:09.70) this ranks them 8th in the State of CT.
PENN Relay Members: Senior Charlotte Gacek, Junior Natasha Otton, Senior Greer Davis and Senior Denver Williams
• Denver Williams Breaks her previously set record (2014) in the 400m with a time of 57.98.
• Ciera Hunter ties her own previous Pole Vault Record set in 2013 with a height of 10’ 0” set at the FOUNDERS Championship. Ciera has won this event 3 times, one of the most in NEPSTA history.
• Kendra Offiaeli breaks 26 year old record in the Shot Put with a distance of 41’ during a rainy Taft dual only to break it again at the NEPSTA championship with a throw of 43’1” a new NEPSTA record, a record that has been standing since 1998.
No matter how old or young we are, we set goals for ourselves day in and day out. In sports, everyone wants to win, to repeat a championship, to set a record, we constantly strive to be like those that inspire us. Track and Field is a sport that hides nothing and shows everything; every step you take, every jump, every tear, every exhausted breath fully knowing that it is not for a particular race or day but for the last one, the lasting one. In recent years, Loomis Chaffee Girls Track and Field has been known for the legacy it has created; one that has been recognized by many of the coaches around the league. Many of our girls have contributed to that legacy by tenaciously working every day and during the off season. The seniors inspired their new teammates to try new things, to fill the gaps left by last year’s graduates and most importantly to never give up when adversity or doubt crept into their thoughts. They embodied the full meaning of TEAM, which in an individualist sport like track and field it is very hard to do. They never lost sight of the overall goal and at times sacrificed their own individual points and positions for the team win; for the possibility of returning as champions and honoring their teammates, their coaches and their school in the best possible way.
Their drive and desire led the team to achieve greatness this season: 85 PRs, 2 Penn Relay titles, 2 Founders League title, 1 tying school record, 3 new school records, 1 New England record, and 1 New England MVP. All to finish with a third New England title in four years. Not bad if I may say so myself! To our seniors, 4 yr members and Captains Emma Gwyn, Charlotte Gacek, Greer Davis, Denver Williams, and Ciera Hunter, our four-year members Isabel Gugui, Kaitlyn Adams, Erika Purdy, our two year member Allison Yeh and our first timers Steph Jones, Ally Hammel, Rose Carter, Maddy Richmond, Eli Carpio- Fiasse, Mariana Prosperi and Chynna Bailey thank you for motivating the others all season long, rest assured you have represented your team, your school and your coaches’ well!
This year, the LC girls track bestows the Founders Certificate to the record setters in the following events: the 4x100 team, SP, PV and 400m.
The ALL FOUNDERS CERTIFICATE presented to athletes who demonstrate unprecedented accomplishments during the season. Our honorees are:
• Junior Kendra Offiaeli for setting a new school record in the SP; a record that has stood since 1989. Her distance an impressive, 43'1" and a new NEPSTA record ending a 19 year reign!
• The 4x100m Team: Senior Charlotte Gacek, Greer Davis, Denver Williams and Junior Natasha Otton for their impressive 49.34 sec time and new school record in the sprint relay.
• Senior Denver Williams for resetting her record in the 400m with a time of 57: 98.
• Ciera Hunter repeats school record with a height of 10’, wins NEPSTA for a 3rd year in a row!
AWARD WINNERS: Junior Kendra Offiaeli and Seniors Captains Charlotte Gacek, Greer Davis, Denver Williams and Ciera Hunter.
The MVP Award is presented to the athlete who has greatly contributed to the success of the season based on the total points. Junior Kendra Offiaeli (96 pts) has been relentless since her arrival on the Island. She came into the season hoping to improve in both the SP and DT distances and eager to establish her dominance in those events throughout the League. She trained on and off the track throughout the year and stepped into a leading role amount the throwers. She repeated as Founders League champion and broke the school record and a 19 year old NE record in the process to become a NEPSTA Champion and be honored by the New England Coaches as League MVP. Congratulations Kendra for your hard work………we are sure glad to have you back next year for another season!
The Coaches Award is one of the most important awards we can bestow upon an athlete. It is given to the athlete (or athletes) who has gone above and beyond the expectations set before them. This year, we honour four young ladies who infused the team with their selfless spirit. Their confidence, steadfast leadership, sheer determination and hard work ended in cementing the TEAM in obtaining another Founders League Championship and helped garner the third New England title in four years. This year’s Coaches Awards go to Senior Captain Charlotte Gacek, Senior Captain Denver Williams, Senior Captain Greer Davis and Senior Captain Ciera Hunter.
All these ladies exemplify discipline and modesty, they understand the true essence of an effective leader. They are the "perfect teammates": encouraging, hardworking and selfless. They all came to us from various sports backgrounds and have united an expecting bunch of girls to be their best selves.
Thank you ladies, for your unending commitment to the Loomis Chaffee Track and Field program rest assured your legacy will be a long one!
2015 Girls Track Scoring Leaders
K. Offiaeli 96 N. Otton 57.25 G. Davis 86.25 D. Williams 56 C. Hunter 82 C. Gacek 54.25
A NEPSTA Championship by the numbers: (3rd in 4 years!)
• Lost 12 expected points
• Gained 14 unexpected points
• 15 PRs or SB
• 19 seed improvements
• 3 school records
• 1 NEPSTA record
• 1 NEPSTA League MVP
• 8 NE graduating seniors
• 13 returning NE participants
Loomis Chaffee Girls Track and Field Records
1500m 4:43.66 (2012: L.Gabow ’12)
100 HH 15.54 (2012: C. Moran ’12)
400m 57.98 (2015: D. Williams ‘15)
100m 12.53 (2013: N. Minder ‘14)
12.6h (1980: Patty Davis, 1982: Brandrup) * none FAT time
11.5h (1979: P. Davis) * cinder, none FAT
800m 2:18.35 (1994: Papadopoulos)
300 IH 45.86 (2012: C. Moran ’12)
200m 25.93 (2012: K. Adamson ’12)
3000m 10:25.7 (1991: Springer)
High Jump 5’ 4” (1989: Booker)
Long Jump 17’ 10” (2004: S. Faulkner ‘04)
Triple Jump 36’ 8.75” (2012: A. Burris ’12)
Pole-Vault 10’0” (2014, 2015: C. Hunter ’15)
Shot-put 43’ 1” (2015: K. Offiaeli ’16)
Javelin 119’ 8” (2012: F. McCarthy ’13)
117’ 8” (1998: Martin) * Old Javelin Standards
Discus 141’ 8.5” (1997: Hayes)
Hammer 138’ 9” (1997: Hayes)
4 x 100 49.34 (2015: N. C. Gacek ’15, G. Davis ’15, N. Otton ’16, D.
Williams ‘15)
4 x 400 4:06.67 (2012: K. Adamson ‘12, C. Farrell ‘14, B. Malanga ’12, M.
Mitchell ’12)
DMR (1200-400-800-3000) 13:28.37 (2012: M. Colangelo ’14, M. Mitchell ’12, B.
Malamnga´12, L. Gabow ´12)
4x 800m 10:10.56 2012: (C. Farrell ’14, M. Mitchell ’12, B. Malanga ’12, l.
Gabow ’12)
160 Shuttle Hurdle Relay 25.94 2012: (C. Moran ’12, C. Alexander ’12, G. Davis ’15)
4x 200m 1:51.6 (2009: A. Johnson, D. Robbins, A. Hess, S. Moran) Junior 4x200 1:58.69 2012: (G. Davis ’15, K. Adams ’15, D. Williams ’15, D.
Houghton ’15)