Congratulations to this week’s Athletes of the Week!
Varsity Field Hockey: Christina Halloran ’20 & Ellie Wenners ‘21
This week’s AOTW for Varsity Field Hockey go to both Christina Halloran ’20 and Ellie Wenners ’21 for their contributions to a hard-fought battle against Andover on a rainy Sunday afternoon and for the work they have put into practice this past week. In the past two weeks specifically, Halloran has made some incredible defensive plays and has impressed both teammates and coaches alike with her clean and tenacious play in the circle. Near the end of the second half in our game against Andover on Sunday, Halloran came up with some huge defensive stops and used her speed to rush the ball out of our defensive end. She is a reliable teammate and leads by example every time she steps out on the field. For our second, AOTW, there was no one who screamed louder than Ellie Wenners did during the entire match against Andover on Sunday. Her love for the game, her understanding of what it means to be a teammate and her relentlessly positive attitude has earned her AOTW honors this week. Wenners kept up the energy on the sidelines during the whole game despite the heavy rain, cheering so much at one point that she became dizzy. She also led by example on Sunday, and was a big contributor to our team’s rainy day victory.
Boys Cross Country: JJ Siritantikorn ‘19
The boys cross country athlete of the week is JJ Siritantikorn. JJ returned to competition after missing nearly a month with an injury, and he managed to gut out a strong race to be our fifth finisher overall. JJ is one of our tougher competitors, so having him back in the lineup will help us physically and psychologically as we enter the final two weeks of the season. It was great having him back and benefiting from his competitive fire.
Girls Cross Country: Esme Benjamin ‘20
Esme Benjamin contributed a big effort to help Deerfield defeat powerhouse rival Andover yesterday. Running with a sore abdominal muscle, Esme took it to the Big Blue the final mile of the wind-swept, rain-drenched, muddied-grass course. Benjamin emerged from the southern loop of the course (which constitutes the second mile) with a large pack of Andover runners ahead of her. She, over the course of the final mile, reeled them in like a bayou fisherman hauling in some alligator gar. The particular trio tried to fend her off but she was too strong for them; closing with an outstanding time for her, considering the incredibly adverse conditions. Because of her bravery, doggedness, and plucky resilience, Esme Benjamin is this week’s Athlete of the Week for Girls’ Cross Country.
Boys Varsity Soccer: Jackson Pitcher ‘18
Jackson Pitcher is the boys varsity athlete of the week. Jackson has played his heart out at the back over the past few games, and he has shut down some excellent attackers with well-timed tackles, strong challenges in the air, and patient, careful 1v1 defending. He is also delivering great balls into the box off of free-kicks. Compliments from opposing teams’ coaches testify to Jackson’s performance on game-days. And in practice Jackson is focused, good-humored, and inclusive. We’re proud to have him as one of our captains. Congrats, Jackson!
Girls Varsity Soccer: Emma Visnapuu ’21
Emma Visnapuu ’21 is the girls varsity soccer athlete of the week. Emma is a true student of the game. She is always asking questions about style of play and tactics. In practice everyday, she pushes herself to get better and even does extra work on her own to improve. This past week, Emma made great strides as a center back, communicating with teammates and commanding the back line. She even managed to kick the ball off our goal line to prevent Andover from scoring in our big 0-0 tie on Sunday. It has been great to watch Emma grow from week to week this season. Congrats, Emma and thank you for your hard work!
JV Volleyball: Emma Weech ‘21
The JV Volleyball athlete of the week is Emma Weech. Emma played with skill and conviction in our game against Andover last weekend. Emma is always stepping up and rising to any challenge put in front of her. She is also a good friend and teammate. Thank you for all that you add to our team, Emma!
Varsity Football: Will Kolman ’19
Will Kolman ’19 was the Athlete of the Week for the Varsity Football team’s win over Andover. Will has been a dominant force for the Big Green at linebacker all fall and his efforts led the way to keeping an impressive Andover offense scoreless in the game. Will led the team in tackles and his effort and tenacity on the field lead the way as well. Will is an impact player in many ways and a player to watch this fall.
Go Big Green!