Tomi Akisanya ’21-Girls Varsity Volleyball
As a senior captain, Tomi brings a consistently positive attitude to practice with her words, commitment, and practice habits. In a season with extra ups and downs, this steadiness has proven to be the keel that allows the varsity volleyball team to navigate toward improvement as a team and as individuals. It is a huge reason that this season has been a success. Interestingly, on the court, Tomi plays a similar role. Her presence at the net sets the tone for our defense and allows us to flip from defense to offense smoothly. Once there, her aggressive attacks draw the attention of the opposing side and frees up the other players to take advantage of openings on the floor. It will be bittersweet to consider the kind of season that she would have played in a competitive season- yet an appreciative feeling triumphs as the team heads into their Senior intra-squad game this Friday.
Eni Falayi ‘21- Varsity Football
With so much uncertainty this fall, the varsity football team needed a leader and they found just that in Eni. He has been a consistent and positive role model for his teammates all season. He has worked incredibly hard both on the field and in the weight room to improve his skills and the skills of each of his teammates. Due to his work he has grown to be the phenomenal player that he is, and the Wildcats are lucky to have him. Eni has left an indelible mark on the Williston Football program as he has left it better than he found it when he arrived last fall. Eni’s coaches are incredibly proud of the player and person that he has become.
Audree Edmunds ‘25 – Girls JV Volleyball
Audree has been a joy to work with this fall as a member of the girls JV volleyball team. She brings an abundance of energy and positive spirit to practice every day. She works hard to improve on whatever skills we work on, and she is always a supportive teammate. Her enthusiasm is infectious and her helpful spirit is appreciated! Despite being one of the youngest members of the team she has led by example all season and the team atmosphere each day at practice has been better because of her efforts.
Charlie Vachet ‘21- Boys Cross Country
Charlie has been a consistently reliable leader for the boys cross country team this fall. He did extensive training this summer to prepare for his senior campaign, and his efforts have clearly paid dividends. This past weekend, In difficult conditions running on a wet and icy course, he ran an incredible race finishing in 19:41, which is not far off his personal record! Charlie pushes himself everyday at practices, encouraging others to do the same and because of this has been an excellent role model for the Wildcats. His teammates and coaches look forward to seeing Charlie compete and get closer to his personal best!
Sara Johnson ’21- Varsity Field Hockey
Sara has been a consistent leader this entire season through her endless positivity for the varsity field hockey team. She always comes to practice ready to work and improve her field hockey abilities. Sara is ready to work hard no matter the drill or activity inspiring others to do the same. Her motivation is infectious. She is constantly smiling and providing laughs to her teammates and coaches. She has been such a great addition to the Varsity squad and her coaches are so glad she decided to join during this unprecedented season. Sara’s leadership by example has been so valuable in these challenging times and her teammates and coaches are endlessly thankful!
Luke Grabowski ‘25- Boys JVB Soccer
Luke has had a fantastic attitude all season long for the boys JVB soccer program. He shows up to every practice ready and excited to play, inspiring others to do the same. He has given his all in every drill and in every intra-squad game that the team has played, never complaining about the situation that has been dealt to him and his team this season. Luke has been a real pleasure to work with on the team this year and his coaches look forward to his continued growth and contributions in seasons to come.
Emily Zambarano ’21- Girls Varsity Soccer
Emily has been a hugely important piece to the girls varsity soccer program this fall. Her great spirit, enthusiasm and intense effort has provided excellent leadership for the team all season. The positivity she brings to each practice and into the weight room consistently brings life to her teammates affects, as she can be credited for lifting her teammates up and helping to keep everyone feel connected. Her intense work ethic has helped raise the level of play and therefore has helped to improve the skills of each of her teammates during these difficult times. He coaches are very proud of her team first mentality and are thankful for all that she has done to help the team excel.
Gemma Polino ’25- JV Field Hockey
Gemma is a terrific new addition to the JV field hockey team this year. She is a very skilled player and has the ability to see the big picture on the field. She makes well-timed passes and can dodge defensive players as she carries the ball up the field. It’s unfortunate that the team didn’t have any games this fall as Gemma would have been a top scorer for sure. Gemma is a hard worker with a positive attitude which has served both her and her teammates well this fall. Her coaches and teammates are all thankful Gemma is a member of the JV field hockey team!
Poojaa Prakash Babu ’21- Girls Cross Country
Poojaa, a senior co-captain, arrived late to campus this fall, but she has made up for her late start by a consistent and high-energy dedication to her leadership role on the girls cross country team. This has been a difficult fall, with no chance on Saturdays to enjoy a payoff for all the hard training that the girls have done since September 1, and Poojaa’s upbeat enthusiasm every day during practice has been a great help to the coaches in maintaining interest and a positive attitude on the team. Poojaa is a wonderful role model for the younger runners, and she has proven that personal records on our 5K course are possible, even without another school to run against. Poojaa had her best time on our course during the October 24 time trial, putting her at #8 on the all-time Honor Roll for the current course, with a time of 23:29. Poojaa is admired and respected by coaches and by her peers, and her contributions to the continued success of the team, even without races, cannot be overstated.
Kai Hori ’22- Boys JVA Soccer
Kai has been a force in intra-squad scrimmages for JVA since day one, making great use of his length and attacking mindset to dribble past defenders. He’s also consistently in front of the pack on fitness runs both short and long. He is a pleasure to work with and raises everybody’s game with his intensity and focus. His hard work and dedication to improving his skills has risen the level of play for the squad this season and has provided a terrific example for all of his teammates to follow.
Erin O’Keefe ’22- Girls JV Soccer
Regardless of what has been thrown her way this fall playing for the girls JV soccer team, Erin shows up to practice ready to work. She has shown great leadership throughout the season as she’s always willing to step up her own competitive spirit as well as her teammates. You can always find Erin lifting those around her as she consistently finds a way to bring a fun energy to our drills and small-team competitions. Erin has demonstrated great growth as an athlete this season as well. Her desire to get better has been showcased in her improving footwork and ability to play dynamically with any of her teammates. We look forward to continuing to watch Erin grow as a player and leader on the team!