Dylan Fulcher-Melendy ’20- Girls Varsity Squash
For the past 3 seasons, Dylan has epitomized the best in sport. A dedicated and talented athlete, she inspires teammates and opponents alike to play their best squash. In the past week Dylan earned hard-fought victories in two of three matches against Westminster, Suffield, and Ethel Walker. More importantly, the way Dylan played set the standard for our team, indeed for everyone on the court. A brilliant shot maker and tireless player, Dylan is ever attentive to her opponent – so much so that in a recent match she complimented her peer in the middle of a point! Truly a great athlete, Dylan is more – she is a terrific person who brilliantly represents Williston every time she wears the blue and green by playing with purpose, passion and integrity.
Cam Lawrence ’20- Wrestling
Cam has had a great season for the Wildcats. Cam was seeded 4th at the Northern New England tournament this past weekend. He entered his final match of the day wrestling for third place. More importantly, though, he was also wrestling to qualify for the NEPSAC Championships. A win and he qualifies, a loss and he does not; it was that simple. Cam and his Exeter opponent battled, but neither could get a takedown in the first period. Cam’s opponent escaped quickly in the second period to go ahead 1-0. In the third period Cam worked hard and after a minute managed an escape of his own to tie the match at 1-1. With less than 20 seconds remaining Cam attacked ferociously and would not be denied. He finished his takedown by putting his opponent straight to his back and pinning him with 11 seconds left in the match. It was an emphatic finish to a very close match. Cam is a dedicated wrestler, a fierce competitor, and a real gentleman on and off the mat. He is a great role model for our younger athletes every day.
Emma Gentile ’19- Girls Varsity Basketball
Emma has been a huge part of the girls varsity basketball team this season. Her timely play continued as she had a strong performance this week in the team’s games against Loomis and Pomfret. In the game against Loomis Emma had great leadership, hustle, and a calm demeanor on the court. She kept her team’s head in the game and challenged everyone to play harder. Against Pomfret Emma came out shooting! Her consistent defensive hustle and offensive movement led to her hitting 6 3 pointers. Emma is consistently one of the hardest working athletes on the floor and her work ethic has clearly paid off. The team looks forward to her performance this coming week against tough opponents.
Luke Po ‘20- Boys Varsity Squash
Luke has been a key contributor to the boys varsity squash program this season. Last week Luke portrayed outstanding resolve, tenacity, and resourcefulness in the team’s national tournament championship run. Luke was the only member of the team to proceed through all four rounds of the tournament bracket without a loss! A huge credit to his resolve and growth as a squash player, Luke’s undefeated day was without a doubt a huge part of the team’s victory as each match win was separated by only one game. As he always does, Luke was a class act on behalf of Williston for his character and sportsmanship along the way.
Sally Alrutz ’19- Girls Varsity Swimming
For the past six seasons Sally has been a very important member of the girls varsity swim team. This past week she continued her reign of unstoppable performances. This Saturday, on senior day, she led off the 200-medley relay which finished first and set a new pool record. She then went on to win both of her individual events against some of the best competition in NEPSAC. Lastly, and most importantly, she anchored the relay team in the final event of the meet, to close out the win for Williston over Suffield. Her point scoring ability for her team is without a doubt one of the biggest reasons the Cats have an undefeated season so far. In her 6-year career she has swum in over 70 dual meets, and has never finished outside of first or second in any event!! The Wildcats will continue to rely on Sally as they head into the final stretch of the season.
Solomon Neuhaus ’19- Boys Varsity Basketball
Solomon has been a strong contributor to the success of the boys varsity basketball team this season. He has developed into a strong vocal leader in both practices and in games. During games, his impact can be felt both on the floor and on the sidelines. His passion for the game and his support of his teammates is a constant. In addition to his leadership, he made strong contributions to the team’s victories over both St. Paul’s and Andover. Against St. Paul’s, he scored 10 points, including several slashing drives to the basket, exemplifying his basketball IQ and experience. In the squad’s big road win at Andover, he impacted the game on both ends of the court including scoring two key buckets. The team will look to Solomon for continued leadership as the Cats face a number of big games in the last stretch of the season.
Mateo Bratt ’23- Boys 4ths Basketball
Mateo has had a great season for the Wildcats. On Saturday, against a talented WMA team, Mateo scored a career high 11 points. From the opening tip, he displayed great energy on the court, forcing multiple turnovers which led to many fast break points for himself and his teammates. He has consistently been a great leader and key contributor for his squad. Mateo is a positive teammate who can always be counted on to support his teammates on and off the floor.
Zoe Okaisabor ’19- Girls JV Squash
Co-captain and senior Zoe Okaisabor stepped up to the challenge of playing up the ladder against school rival Suffield last Saturday and won her match after three games. Leading the way during warm-ups before practice or before games, Zoe is ready to lead and cheer on her teammates. She consistently makes practice fun and you can catch her smiling or hear her laughing on the court. She shows her teammates how to have fun with the sport! On game day, she always knows how to bring the energy and cheer to the team and everyone can count on her support and guidance!
Kai Paik ’22: Thirds Squash
Kai embodies purpose, passion, and integrity on and off the squash courts for the thirds squash team. He demonstrates a consistent purpose to advance his squash skills while looking out for the well-being of his teammates. He can be seen listening attentively to the daily skill, then intentionally and relentlessly practicing it for the remainder of practice. He selflessly places his teammates before himself when taking turns, holding the squash court door open for others, and checking in with teammates when they are injured. Kai’s immeasurable passion for squash is evident through his growth mindset, his commitment to helping others grow and learn, and the fact that he is always adding new moves, skills, and techniques to his court performance. Kai’s integrity in squash is seen in how he represents himself on and off the court as his teammates all respect and look up to Kai as a leader. The team looks forward to Kai’s continued growth on the court.
Olivia Lawry ‘22- Girls JV Hockey
Olivia joined our team this season as a 9th grader and has been an impact player from the start. Although a quiet presence on our team, her effort and hard work speaks loudly every time she hits the ice. She scored two key goals in our recent hard-fought 6-5 loss to Deerfield Academy. She is now second overall on the team for goals and assists with 15 goals and 10 assists, and has scored and/or assisted in every game she has played in this season. Her positive attitude and good efforts have helped our team to an 8-2-1 record so far this season. The team will continue to look towards Olivia to aid in their continued success.
Chris Denham ’19- Boys JV Basketball
Chris has been a consistent contributor for the JV boys basketball team this season. He scored 34 points and made 8 three pointers during the team’s most recent wins over Choate and Cheshire Academy. Chris is one of four seniors that have led by example and have consistently been a positive presence over the course of the season. The team will continue to lean on Chris’s experienced play as they head into the final stretch of the season.
Praghya Raja ‘22 -Girls JV Basketball
Praghya has been a defensive force for the girls JV basketball team this season. Her quickness and agility have played an instrumental role in averaging 7 steals per game, putting her on top in the steals category amongst the team. Her ability to have a hand in every play has effectively allowed her to capitalize on the other team’s errors. In addition to her defensive ability she has played well on offense, making her a great all-around player. In the team’s last three games, Praghya has led the Wildcats offensive assault with scoring totals of 18, 12, and 12. Not only has Pragyah been a huge part of the team’s success this season, she has also led her team by example as she is one of the hardest workers on the floor and is extremely coachable.
Mike Toth ‘22- Boys JV Hockey
Mike has been a big part of the Wildcats success on the ice this season. He works incredibly hard in all practices and games, and he always displays great sportsmanship. His improvement this season has also been outstanding. He has become one of our grittiest players both defensively and offensively. His strong game sense and intense effort has resulted in a scoring streak over the last few games, and he currently leads the team with goals and total points. As one of the younger players on the squad, Mike leads by example by proving that hard work and determination pay off!