Congratulations to this week’s Athletes of the Week!
Jr. A Boys Soccer: Gerry Alexander, 10th grader
We would like to submit Gerry Alexandre for Junior A soccer. Gerry had an outstanding game against Loomis on Wednesday. He played a very strong defensive game, shutting down the Loomis attack on several occasions. Gerry also took one for the team with a shot block inside the box the help preserve our lead. A great kid with a great attitude!
Jr. B Boys Soccer: Noah Jung, 10th grader
Noah Jung for athlete of the week. He scored 4 goals against Suffield and controlled the midfield for us. Great job, Noah!
Boys Varsity Cross-Country: Tom Dillon, 11th grader
Tom Dillon ’18 moved up to the varsity seven for the first time in his career at the Richard Miller Invitational at Westminster School. Despite some pre-race jitters, Tom ran a terrific race securing the 6th spot overall on our team. He stirred the crowd near the finish line with a furious finishing kick, an inspiration to all his teammates and coaches. It’s digging deep and rising to the occasion like that that galvanizes a team for the season ahead. Way to go, Tom!
Girls Varsity Cross-Country: Jane Mallach, 9th grader
Ninth grader Jane Mallach was the first Deerfield runner at the Miller Invitational on Saturday at the Westminster School, finishing fourth overall in a surprisingly competitive varsity girls race. Jane exploded from the start with an aggressive and yet intelligent race strategy of getting out immediately, settling down, and then trying to pick off opponents one-by-one. Ill with a severe cold last week, Jane took her new health status for a serious spin at Simsbury, and all accounts suggest she is fit and ready to help lead a highly competitive girls’ team to what is shaping up to be an amazing season.
Varsity Boys Soccer: Alex Platt, 11th grader
This week’s boys varsity soccer Athlete of the Week goes to Junior Alex Platt. Alex stepped up in a big way this week, needing to play center back for almost the entirety of two games. A tough task considering the fact that he had not played in any defending role so far this season. Despite the lack of practice reps at the position, Alex was eager and willing to fill the void when the team needed him to. Furthermore, the junior midfielder/defender, is consistently the first to show up to practice and is often the last to leave, showing his dedication to the team and his willingness to improve as an individual.
Thirds Girls Soccer: Annabelle Mauri, 11th grader
Annabelle has been a key part of our defense so far this fall. She stands out to both coaches because of her work ethic and unwavering focus on the field during games and practices. Annabelle’s concentration on playing the best soccer she can, honing her defensive skills, and working to get to the ball first is truly admirable. The number of times this year she has come out of nowhere during a game and stopped a breakaway show how her hard work and dedication have paid off. Finally, Annabelle exemplifies the true purpose of Deerfield athletics and especially of thirds teams, as she demonstrates true sportsmanship in every interaction with other teams and cares more about whether she has lived up to her own high standard of commitment and hard work than about what is on the scoreboard at the end of the day, contributing a great deal to the kind of positive and mutually respectful team dynamic we hope to cultivate. Her teammates and coaches truly respect and value her skills, leadership, and, most of all, her persistent and resilient attitude. Thank you, Annabelle!
Varsity Girls Soccer: Erin DeMarco, 10th grader
While it was a tough week on the soccer pitch, we appreciated Erin’s strong efforts and positive attitude in the goal and we were impressed with her remarkable maturity and poise on the sidelines. In addition to her athletic ability, Erin has all of the makings of an excellent teammate and a talented leader.
JV Boys Soccer: Iqbal Nurjadin, 11th grader
Smart, disciplined, tough, and eager to improve, Iqbal has not only helped anchor our defense, he has also modeled the effort and attitude that we want to see on our team. A great teammate and leader!
Varsity Boys Water Polo: Zach Seibold, 11th grader
Three weeks into his first experience playing water polo, junior Zach Seibold has mastered the basic skills and gained important game awareness, especially in contributing in important ways with the JV squad. His coaches appreciate his willingness to learn and adapt to his evolving roles. Beyond his effort in the water, Zach has demonstrated the selflessness of a team player, most recently in simply noting the floating goal hadn’t been removed from the diving well after practice. Instead of heading to the locker room, he strode across the deck without prompting and removed the equipment on his own.
JV Girls Volleyball: Soo-Min Lee, 10th grader
Soo-Min Lee has been a great asset for JV volleyball. Her commitment is greatly shown as she dives for every ball that’s about to hit the floor. Our recent game against Loomis Soo-Min worked extremely hard to excel in the back row. Thanks Soo-Min!
Thirds Girls Volleyball: Chenelle Jones, 10th grader
Chenelle Jones is the thirds volleyball athlete of the week! Chenelle’s determination to perfect her serve over the last few weeks paid off big time helping the thirds volleyball earn several points in last week’s match against Ethel Walker’s School. Chenelle is a player that moves on the court and is not afraid to dive for the ball! Her positive attitude, willingness to learn and support of her teammates has earned her the thirds volleyball player athlete of the week!
Varsity Girls Field Hockey: Katherine Von Weise, 12th grader
Katherine Von Weise is the vocal leader of Deerfield field hockey’s forward line-up. She leads the attacking line by example and is always a strong and encouraging force. Whether she is in game-mode and showing her teammates how to play with aggressiveness and speed, or in post-game mode where she’s making sure that everyone is feeling a part of the team and having fun and being silly, Weise’s leadership on our team is invaluable. Last week, she played tremendously well in the rain at Exeter and kept spirits high and the girls on the team focused.
JV Girls Field Hockey: Deirdre Mullowney, 10th grader
Deirdre Mullowney ’19 earns designation as JV field hockey Athlete of the Week for scoring our only two goals against Exeter this past Saturday—in a hard-fought match on a classic field hockey afternoon—cold, rainy, getting darker by the moment. Deirdre is a fierce, no-nonsense competitor who consistently demonstrates tenacity, aggression and composure together with great field sense and timing. She is a team player whose hard work raises the level of play of those around her. Deirdre (almost single-handedly) kept us in the game. Thank you, Deirdre and congratulations!
Varsity Football: Dallas Hobbs, PG
Dallas Hobbs contributed an outstanding performance for the varsity football team which resulted in the team’s victory over Hotchkiss. Hobbs, who is a post graduate student-athlete, led an exceptional defensive effort with 11 tackles, 2 sacks and seemed to be around the football throughout the game. He also contributed on the offensive side of the ball, where he scored the game winning touchdown on a 16 yard catch and run that put the “Big Green” ahead for the remainder of the game. Dallas is a great competitor who has risen to the challenge throughout the young season. Each week he is working to improve on the little things and we are excited to see him continue to thrive both on and off the field for DA.