Abigail Touhey ‘22- Girls Track and Field
Abigail had a stellar start to the season for the Wildcats. On Saturday, she won three events: the 1500, 3000, and 4×400 relay. She began the meet with the 1500, running a 5:27 for a convincing win, and just one second slower than her personal best. A great way to start the season! A few hours later, she came back to win the 3k, and then immediately after that race, ran an impressive 3rd leg of the winning 4×400. Despite having just raced 3000m, Abigail ran the fastest of the four legs for her team. While just a 9th grader, this three-year veteran of the program is already a leader by example and a valuable points contributor for her team.
Oscar DeFrancis ‘20– Boys Track and Field
Oscar ran a great first race of the season on Saturday. He won both his events: the 800 and the 4×400 relay. Shaking out tired legs after hours of ACT testing, Oscar went out hard in the 800 and opened up a lead by the first lap. He maintained his speed over the second lap, and finished in an impressive 2:07.3, just half a second off his personal best time, set at the end of last season. A great way to start his season! An hour later, Oscar doubled back on the third leg of the 4×400. After the hard work of his teammates against two solid Berkshire runners, Oscar received the baton with a narrow lead, and then opened space against his opponent, eventually passing off with a large cushion for the final runner. With the run, Oscar has solidified himself as a valuable member of the relay team as well as for the Wildcats as a whole.
Tyler Senecal ’19-Boys Varsity Golf
As captain of the boys varsity golf team, Tyler leads by example through his calm and confident demeanor. After playing a big role in several years of successful teams, Tyler recognizes the talent and potential of this year’s squad, and he has helped to foster an atmosphere where determination, strong play, and sportsmanship is the expectation. Despite not having his best rounds in the first two matches, his solid scores helped the team to a 3-1 start. Last Saturday, in the third match of the season, Tyler shot a 37 and helped lead the Wildcats to a two stroke win over rival Loomis Chaffee. Tyler’s steady play and confident leadership will be a key to the success of the boys varsity golf team in the matches to come.
Christina Vote ’21- Girls Varsity Lacrosse
Christina stepped in as the girls varsity lacrosse team’s starting goaltender this year, and the transition has been seamless. In two 15-4 wins this past week over Miss Porters and Berkshire, Christina buoyed a strong team effort by making 20 total saves. Managing to tally eight saves against Miss Porters and 12 against Berkshire, she was instrumental in the team’s success. Not just a goal stopper, she is instrumental in the team’s clearing game. Christina possesses great field vision and athleticism which helps the team immensely in transitioning the ball from defense to offense. The team looks forward to Christina’s continued strong play and leadership.
Aidan Burke ’19- Varsity Baseball
Aidan has started the season with a bang for the Wildcats! On Saturday, he got the starting nod on the mound and proceeded to pitch a gem: a complete game shutout (4 hitter) with 6 K’s. On the season he is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA. This is an almost impossible stat in the game of baseball and is undoubtedly the result of his attention to detail and drive to hone his skills. More than that, he has shown tremendous leadership as a captain of the team. His positive and jovial spirit combined with his strong work ethic is an inspiration to our younger players. Aidan is respected greatly by both players and coaches and the team will continue to lean on Aidan for the remainder of the season.
Mariel Sutinen ’20- Girls Varsity Golf
To say that Mariel’s first season with the Wildcats has started strong would be an understatement. She has been the team’s match medalist for the first two matches of the year. On Wednesday she shot a 46 at Southampton Country Club on a very windy day helping the team earn a victory over Ethel Walker. On Saturday her fantastic play continued as she rifled off a strong score of 43 on a rain-soaked Watertown Golf Course. Her play on Saturday helped the team defeat both Taft and Westminster. Mariel’s steady, unflappable play has been vital to the team’s 3-1 record in match play. Additionally, Mariel brings a great attitude as well as a strong desire to improve her game to practice every day.
Steven Wang ‘20-Boys Ultimate
After a brief period of being sidelined, Steven came back in full force this week for the boys ultimate team. He dominated the team’s win against Northampton JV on Thursday contributing on 9 out of the 13 goals scored by the team, either throwing or receiving. He has become a great cutter, with awesome speed and field sense, as well as a great thrower with excellent touch. Steven is an excellent teammate as he is always working to improve not only his skills, but the skills of his teammates. Steven has been and will continue to be a huge part of the Wildcats success this season.
Shoko Ishikawa ‘22- Varsity Softball
Shoko has been an outstanding addition to varsity softball program this season. With her baseball background, she brings a remarkable amount of experience, passion, and skill. In the team’s game against Marianapolis last week, the Cat’s found themselves down 1 run with the opponents best hitter at the plate with 1 out and a runner on 3rd. Shoko made a nearly impossible catch in deep center field, and an even more impressive throw to the third base line to keep the runner at third. Her spectacular play helped keep the team in the game and swung the momentum in favor of the Wildcats, leading to an eventual 3-1 win. In addition to her stellar defense, Shoko also had a strong day at the plate as she recorded an RBI as well as a run scored for the team. Shoko works tremendously hard on and off the field and, by doing so, creates a positive example for the rest of her teammates.
Brodie Fazio ’21- Boys Varsity Lacrosse
Brodie’s first season for the boys varsity lacrosse team has started strong. As the team’s goalie he has been fantastic between the pipes so far this season. On Wednesday he managed to rack up 8 saves vs a tough Kimball Union squad, helping to keep the team in the game and within striking distance. His valuable play continued Saturday as he stood between the ball and net many more times, recording an additional 7 saves against a talented team from Millbrook. Brodie works incredibly hard to improve his skills and his effort and determination have paid dividends.\
Dylan Fulcher-Melendy ’20- Girls Varsity Water Polo
Dylan has been a force, yet again, for the girls varsity water polo team. She has been outstanding in the goal thus far, keeping the team ahead in many of the first competitions this season. This past week against Suffield she made 7 saves, while only allowing one goal against. Over the weekend in two competitive matchups, she made keys saves to keep the Wildcats in the matches. Her goaltending ability is just a small piece of her overall game as her pinpoint outlet passes start the team’s deadly transition game. Her ability to get the ball out of the defensive end is the reason she currently leads the team in assists. Dylan’s calm exterior gives her defense great confidence and allows all of her teammates to be at their best. The team will count on Dylan to be at her best as she is a big part of the team’s early success this season.
Lauren O’Donald ‘22-Girls JV Lacrosse
Lauren has been a strong contributor for the girls JV lacrosse team this season. On Saturday she had an outstanding game at Berkshire, stopping 13 shots from her goalie position. She single-handedly kept the Wildcats competitive and present in the game. She always brings a positive attitude to every practice and game and by doing so provides a positive example for all her teammates. Lauren is constantly looking to learn more about the game of lacrosse to improve her skills between the pipes. The team will count on her continued growth as the season continues.
Poon Phentrakul ‘21-Boys JV Tennis
Poon bumped up to the second single’s position on the ladder unexpectedly this week and proceeded to put up a good fight in his match at Loomis. He is one of the most cerebral tennis players on the team, consistently considering ways to improve his own game and analyzing his opponent’s strategies. He matches this with a fiery drive to win- a trait that can often be hidden by his calm demeanor. He is assertive in a game where opponents make their own calls, and complimentary when encountering a wonderful play, providing a great example for how the game should be played. Poon’s example is a great asset to the development of the young squad of players.
Glede Wang ’19- Girls JV Tennis
Glede has been a vital part of the girls JV tennis team this year. She has demonstrated leadership through guiding drills and warm ups, along with making sure everyone is having fun. She cares for the team so much and shows it through the positive energy she brings each day. She’s always the one to make sure that every final piece of equipment is picked up. Glede has shown a huge improvement in her serves and really prides herself on continuing to make them better. She is often the first and last one on the court, trying to hit as much as she possibly can. She has taken on a new challenge of being a singles player and enjoyed learning new strategies for this style of play. The Wildcats will continue to look to Glede for leadership throughout the season.