Introducing our Athletes of the Week program! Each week, Williston coaches nominate one student-athlete from their team who stood out by demonstrating our core values of purpose, passion, and integrity. These athletes show exceptional dedication, leadership, and sportsmanship, both on and off the field, embodying what it means to be a Williston Wildcat. Read below for more information on each of the Athletes of the Week.
David Truoiolo ’30 – Boys Varsity Cross Country
David has burst onto the scene this year for the boys cross country team and has steadily worked his way up into the top seven runners on the team. His great work ethic, positive attitude, and natural ability have combined to make him a force on the team. Only in eighth grade, David has a tremendous future in the sport ahead of him and the coaches are very excited about his potential.
Gus Cunha ’31 – Boys JV Cross Country
Gus has been making steady progress since the start of the season and ran a PR this past weekend at Williston’s Shaler Invitational by over 60 seconds. Gus works hard in every practice and has a quiet determination to do his best in every workout. The coaches are really excited to have Gus in the program and look forward to watching him continue to improve in the future.
Francesca Gionfriddo ’26 – Girls Varsity Cross Country
This week we are proud to recognize Senior, Francesca Gionfriddo ’26. She is a dedicated leader and steady presence within the team, an example of commitment, perseverance, and teamwork, making her a valued and powerful teammate. Throughout the season, Francesca has demonstrated consistent improvement, shaving an impressive three minutes from her opening time. This past week at the Shaler Invitational, she achieved her fastest performance of the season at 24:44, finishing just 12 seconds shy of her personal record. This milestone is a direct reflection of her sustained effort, discipline, and drive to improve. Francesca’s continued progress and leadership serve as an inspiration to her teammates and a model of what it means to compete with dedication and heart. Go Wildcats!
Julia Lloret ’30 – Girls JV Cross Country
This week we are proud to recognize Julia Lloret ’30. She is a newcomer to the cross country team and has quickly demonstrated exceptional dedication and enthusiasm, embracing the challenges of daily runs and workouts, while valuing connections with teammates. At the Shaler Invitational, she led the JV squad, finishing first among her teammates and recording her fastest time of the season at 26:26. Her steady improvement and willingness to push herself each day are a testament to her determination and focus. We are excited to celebrate Julia’s growth and accomplishments, and we look forward to her continued success throughout the season and in the years to come.
Ava Carr ’28 – Varsity Field Hockey
This week and every week, Ava is the energy source for our team. Whether it is coming up with games or team sayings, Ava has a knack for making every drill, every practice, and every game better. As the team had a practice week with no games, Ava helped everyone find the joy. She inspires her teammates to arrive early or stay behind to get additional shots and practice in. During the Pink Game, Ava was the catalyst for much of the team’s offense. She ran fearlessly with the ball and helped transition it in the midfield. Also, Ava scored her 50th point in just her second season playing with the team. We are excited to see all the success still in store for Ava!
Sam Sada ’30 – JV Field Hockey
Sam had a standout performance in JV’s pink-out game against Suffield. Sam scored the only goal in a very exciting fourth quarter. Multiple shots on goal that missed the cage by inches set the stage for a tension-filled final three minutes of play. Sam took control of the ball and broke into the circle, taking a strong shot that resulted in a goal. Throughout the game, Sam played effectively and decisively, supporting her teammates and carrying the ball down the field on multiple breakaways. Over the course of the season, Sam has shown tremendous growth in her field hockey skills. Her teammates and coaches look forward to more strong play from Sam in the final weeks of the season.
Nate Ellis ’26 – Varsity Football
Nate did it all for the Wildcats in their 58-28 win over their rival. On the ground he finished with 18 carries for 185 yards and 2 TDs. Furthermore, he added three two point conversions. He also caught two passes for 14 yards and a touchdown. Nate also did a great job blocking for his teammates!
Paolo D’Arrigo ’26 – Boys Varsity Soccer
Paolo’s performance at center back has excelled in recent weeks, helping his team to impressive performances against Taft, Wilbraham, and Suffield. The Bordeaux native anchors a defense that has been strong all fall, which is one of most significant reasons for the team’s success. Paolo’s hard tackling and clear communication from the back has given his teammates confidence to absorb pressure and launch devasting counterattacks. Paolo, and his teammates, look to finish the regular season with more impressive performances when they host Salisbury on Wednesday and travel to Deerfield on Saturday.
Alberto Metta Taraboulsi ’27 – Boys JV A Soccer
Alberto has been a lynchpin in JV A’s backline all season long by playing an aggressive style of centerback that makes him both strong in the tackle and crucial to starting counterattacks on numerous occasions, including the recent tie against Suffield, he won the ball off an opponent and carried the ball past several more to start the offense. He has played most every minute of the season, so the team owes much of its success this season to his efforts. That he is a good, supportive, vocal teammate only means he brings that much more to the team!
Declan Baxter ’26 – Boys JV B Soccer
Declan has been an essential member of the JV B soccer team this season. He is very coachable and always asks for and respects feedback with a smile. Declan is an energetic and enthusiastic player who gives 100% effort in every game. He has shown steady improvement since the beginning of the season and has become our leading scorer. Last week, he played very well, scoring an Olympic goal directly from a corner kick against Deerfield on Wednesday and a decisive goal against Suffield on Saturday that secured our win. We are looking forward to a great finish to the season with him.
Zoe Melia ’27 – Girls Varsity Soccer
Zoe is a player who has been steady and reliable all season long. This past week her consistency, effort, and commitment to the team has really stood out and has made her a key contributor to our success. In our three games last week she especially stepped up—bringing an incredible work rate, a positive attitude, and an unselfish approach that lifted everyone around her. Her tough defense and ability to connect through balls in the attack have been major factors in our success. She has led by example last week and has set the standard for what it means to compete with heart and purpose.
Mia Goulet ’30 – Girls 3rds Volleyball
Mia is an important member of the Thirds Volleyball team. Practice wouldn’t be the same without her positive energy, sense of humor, and consistent effort. In games, Mia gives it her all; she’s always moving for the ball and doing her best to keep it off the floor. During practice, she takes feedback in stride and works hard to apply it right away. Mia also helps keep things running smoothly by pitching in with equipment cleanup and cheering on her teammates with enthusiasm. Her positivity and effort make her a great teammate, and we’re glad she’s a part of the group.
Wes Gibbons ’28 – Boys Varsity Water Polo
Wes has developed this fall as one of water polo’s most consistent defenders. This past week, however, Wes displayed another side of his game with an offensive explosion scoring three goals in the game against a tough Choate squad and tallying another goal and assist against Suffield. Wes developing as a dual threat in the pool will be very important to the team’s success as they move into a critical final weekend of the regular season while the team fights for a playoff berth.