Chloe Prouty ’20-Girls Varsity Cross Country
Chole had her best race of the year this past weekend for the girls varsity cross country team. The senior co-captain answered her teams call in a tough matchup against Westminster School on Saturday. She started the race out hard with a 6:30 first mile, and then battled the #2 Westminster girl for well over a mile through rocky, hilly terrain. In a dramatic one-on-one battle, both girls passed and repassed one another in the last mile, but Chloe got the last word, outsprinting her opponent on the final downhill to earn a 4th place finish overall, out of 38 runners, and helping the Wildcats to a 23-32 win over the Westminster squad. She trained very hard this summer, and all those miles paid off on Saturday, with an impressive 5K time of 21:42. Chloe continues to place consistently in the top five on a very good team, and she has been a very important factor in the 5-0 start to the season, both as a captain and as a competitor in races.
Daniel Simpson ’20- Boys Varsity Cross Country
Daniel has performed well all season for the Wildcats cross country team. He had a great race this past weekend at Kingswood-Oxford, where he placed 4th overall and ran a personal record of 18:26, which is a 30 second improvement from last year. Daniel has consistently been in the top three runners and is determined to keep pushing himself. The team and his coaches saw his determination in this week’s workouts as well as his summer training, which was quite extensive. His hard work all season has certainly paid huge dividends for this athlete. Daniel brings a positive spirit to the group but also knows when it’s time to work hard. He’s a strong role model and leader for the Cats this season and the team looks forward to his continued contributions.
Rachel Goodman ’20- Girls JV Cross Country
As a Senior co-captain, Rachel had a break out race for the Wildcats with her best race of the year against Westminster and Kingswood on Saturday at the reservoir in West Hartford. Her time of 26:10 was her best 5K this year by several minutes, and her hard training during the week has now begun to pay off. Rachel continues to serve as a strong captain who earns the respect of her teammates. A four-year member of the team, this was Rachel’s 28th race in a Williston uniform, a testament to her toughness and her reliability to always show up on Saturdays ready to run, regardless of illness or injury. The team will continue to rely on Rachel’s leadership ability and positive attitude for the remainder of the season.
Eni Falayi ’21- Varsity Football
Again this week, Eni made major contributions on the field to the varsity football team. On Saturday, on the road at Avon, he had a monster game on both sides of the ball. Defensively, he led the team with 5 tackles. Despite his strong performance defensively, it was on offense that he was able to make the biggest impact. Tallying 8 catches for 148 yards, he was almost uncoverable. Eni brings a work ethic to the field every day that is unmatched, and by doing so he has provided a clear example as to how achievement can be attained for all his teammates. Eni has been an invaluable piece of the puzzle for the Wildcats this season and the team will continue to look to him for his leadership and strong play.
Aimie Wipulakorn ’22- Girls Varsity Volleyball
Aimie has been a staple in the girls varsity volleyball team’s success this season. Improving each week in practice, she slid into the right-side hitter position seamlessly after an injury took out the starter. She combines the ferocious attitude of an attacker in the front row with the joyful exuberance of a player who loves being on the court playing a game that she loves. The past three games have revealed her rapidly expanding game, adding new variations to her repertoire of net approaches- sharply angled cross court strikes, deft dinks, and straight on kills. Her ability to adjust midstride allows her to receive and defend more plays and opens up options to the setters in initiating plays. This versatility adds a new dimension to the offensive attack for the Wildca6ts. Despite giving up several inches in most match-ups, Aimie’s defensive presence is also growing in the form of more frequent jousts at the net and outright blocks against her opponents. As a sophomore, her future, and that of the team’s is bright.
Hakeem Morgan’s ’20- Boys Varsity Soccer
Hakeem has been a staple to the success of the boys varsity soccer team this fall. This past week, his strong play continued as he rifled off a two-goal, two-assist performance over a feisty Millbrook team on Saturday. The win made the Wildcats 5-0 in league play. His offensive performance over the month of September is one of the most important factors as to why the Wildcats are off to their best start in over a decade, winning all five WNEPSSA league matches by a multiple goal margin. Hakeem will be relied upon to raise the level of play of his teammates, as they will need to be at their best in the coming weeks when they take on powerful Class A opponents. He does this every day in practice, lift and matches by always being the hardest worker in whatever space he is in. Hakeem’s ability does not happen by chance, and because of his work ethic, he provides a great example to his teammates as to how to go about each day, giving everything in the tank for the benefit of the team.
Maddy Cardaci ’20- Varsity Field Hockey
Maddy continues to be the heart and soul of the varsity field hockey team this season. She has the ability to keep everyone focused and motivated, all the while leading by example on the field. In the team’s most recent victory over a challenging Berkshire team, she earned the second goal for the Cats with a beautiful shot off a penalty stroke. Her passion for competition is infectious and every player on the squad has been benefitting. On the field, Maddy plays a key role as a center back, which makes her essentially the control center of the game. She is integral on both offensive and defensive corner plays, which kept her quite busy during the teams two very competitive games this week. The team will need Maddy’s strong play and fantastic leadership as they head into the second half of their season, relying on her during when the inevitable challenges arise.
Jason Albanese ’20- Boys Varsity Water Polo
Jason has been a steadying presence for the boys water polo team this fall. In practice he has consistently put his best foot forward and approached every drill with attention to detail and seriousness. This past week he was a vital force on defense as the team faced two strong opponents from Loomis Chaffee and Suffield. In addition to his strong performance in the pool, he brings a positive attitude and a love for the sport of water polo that wears off on his teammates, raising the excitement and intensity of the whole team. Jason’s approach to both practice and games will continue to make him an important role model as the season progresses.
Grace Lane ‘20–Girls Varsity Soccer
Grace has had an excellent start to the season for the girls varsity soccer team. A leader in the defense, Grace has been a steady and outstanding performer in the back every game this year. This week she played magnificently against Deerfield showing great skill and grit, helping the team to earn a strong 0-0 tie. Against Berkshire on Saturday, Grace once again showed great leadership and strength helping to shut down some of Berkshires top offensive threats. In addition to her tenacious play, she is a terrific leader and teammate. Grace’s ability to connect with and motivate her team has without a doubt been critical in the teams outstanding growth this season. Her coaches are so proud of her contributions this season and look forward to her continued success on gameday.
James Elliott ’24- JV Football
James played a critical role in the JV football team’s victory over Loomis Chaffee on Wednesday. He scored a touchdown on special teams when he returned a Loomis punt for a touchdown and he scored on offense when he caught a short pass from Alex Paulson and ran 75 yards into the end zone for his second score of the game. James has also played a key role on defense from his outside linebacker position. James brings an enthusiasm and a passion for the game of football that is contagious, and by doing so has helped every one of his teammates find that passion. The team will continue to rely on James for the remainder of the season.
Sam Yunes ’23- Girls JV Soccer
Sam has had a great start to the season for the girls JV soccer team. She brings heart, aggressiveness and versatility as a teammate and player to every practice and game. Sam has worked hard to make everyone on the team feel welcome and make the team feel like a family. She cares for each individual and their progress as a player and a person. Additionally, she played two great games this week, and in two very different positions. Sam’s ability to stop attackers in their tracks both as a defender and as a goal keeper is incredible. She goes into every tackle with a sense of strength and purpose. In goal, she is just as aggressive, coming out and stopping break-a-ways. She was able to minimize rebounds and even had a play where she tipped a shot into the cross bar to save it from going into the goal. Same earned a shutout in the Wildcats game against Berkshire for all her efforts! Sam’s dedication to this team is unrivaled and the team will continue to rely on her leadership for the rest of the season!
Anaya Akpalu ‘21-Girls JV volleyball
Anaya has been instrumental in the success of the girls jv volleyball team so far this year. She has provided stabilizing leadership and increasingly athletic, versatile, and skilled play. Her terrific serving and energetic court play have been both critical and inspirational for the recent strides as a team toward consistency of play. In addition, Anaya has helped the other athletes around her to be better athletically, personally and to bring a higher level of sportsmanship to every practice and game.
Henry Foster ’23- Boys JV Cross Country
Henry has had a strong season for the boys JV cross country team. He ran an excellent race at Kingswood-Oxford this past weekend, finishing 17th overall and 10th on the team. Henry ran the race in 20:33, which is a 2 and a half minute personal record. This time was over three minutes faster than last week at the Westminster Invitational. Henry’s quiet in nature but has a desire to push himself and accomplish his goals. The team and his coaches can’t wait to see what’s ahead for him the rest of the season!