Congratulations to this week’s Athletes of the Week! Thank you for your efforts and contributions to your teams!
Jr A Boys Soccer: Frederick Boulton, 10th grader
Frederick stepped in to play goalie for us, and played about 50 minutes of shut out soccer! He was a steadying influence for the team by giving them confidence that he could do the job!
Varsity Girls Cross-Country: Carolyn Melvin, 11th grader & Sofia Sintes, 11th grader
The honor for Athlete of the Week for the girls’ cross country team is shared between Sofi Sintes and Carolyn Melvin, who both chopped off half a minute from their season’s best times for the 5k. Facing a daunting Andover lineup, Sintes and Melvin challenged themselves and attempted dramatic chased downs of Andover runners in the last mile. Because of their efforts, the score against Andover was much closer than it would have been had they simply tied their best times ever. Congrats on two gutsy performances!
JV Field Hockey Anna Scott, 11th grader and Emily Henderson, 10th grader
Center back Anna Scott ’18 (Scottie) has kept us in the game, game after game, all season long. She is relentless in her pursuit of the ball, controls the center of the field, deftly switches fields as needed, and leans into the game with her passionate style of play. Scottie leads by example: congratulations on being JV field hockey’s Athlete of the Week!
With her cool head under pressure, booming drives, great stick skills, and dependably smart defensive play, backfielder Emily Henderson ’19 has helped anchor our defense this season. She is quick to the ball and good at adjusting her position—even, on occasion, adjusting to a different position on the field—middie. Congratulations on being JV field hockey’s Athlete of the Week!
Varsity Volleyball: Tarah Almonacy, 12th grader
Although we are already entering the last few weeks of the season, Tarah continues to come to practice every day ready to work hard and learn. Her attitude makes her very coachable and allows her to continue improving and building upon what she already knows. Recently she has made some important changes in her blocking and hitting – she is jumping higher and snapping her wrist to put topspin on the ball. As a result, she has been providing us with several crucial blocks and exciting kills. Tarah’s attitude and desire to grow as a volleyball player makes her a pleasure to coach and a great teammate to compete with. Great job this week, Tarah!
Varsity Field Hockey: Anya Shevzov-Zebrun, 12th grader
Having to sit out a game with an injury is tough. Having to sit-out half your senior season while wearing a captain band around your leg must be even harder. Anya Shevzov-Zebrun ’17 was forced to lead from the bench for the first half of our season. But, she returned to the field full-time last week and is working harder than ever to lead her team from on the turf. Anya’s two goals against Worcester on Wednesday helped propel DA’s varsity girls to a 5 – 0 win, and her dominant play on both the forward and midfield lines at Andover helped DA play right alongside the 2016 New England Champions. Both the coaches and her teammates are thrilled to have her healthy once again!
Thirds Girls Soccer: Anna Harvey, 11th grader
Anna embodies the spirit of Deerfield athletics: hard work and sportsmanship no matter the level of play or the number of wins. Anna is a key member of the team’s defense during games, and utilizes her strength and speed to consistently execute shot-stopping plays. Focusing on clearing the ball wide of the goalmouth and utilizing the sides of the field, Anna has been tremendously helpful in generating offensive momentum, as she sends strong kicks from deep into Deerfield territory all the way up the field. During practice, Anna’s focus and determination translate into productive practices for her and the rest of the team: she works as hard as she can to accomplish the goals of the drill and improve her play. The team would not be the same without Anna’s focused energy and huge effort, and her coaches and teammates are grateful she is with us. Thank you, Anna!
Varsity Boys Soccer: Jack Wood, 12th grader
The boys varsity soccer athlete of the week is twelfth grader Jack Wood ’17. After missing the majority of the beginning of the season due to an injury, Jack has worked his way back into the starting lineup and has been an integral part of the team over the past couple of games. This past Saturday, Jack was asked to play in the center of the field as a holding midfielder and he stepped up in a big way. Brining a physical presence to the midfield and an ability to play quickly and precisely, Jack helped the big green make a late push in a tightly contested match at Andover.
Varsity Boys Cross-Country: Ricardo Gonzalez, 10th grader
The boys’ XC athlete of the week is Ricardo Gonzalez ’19. After missing a few weeks of training and racing due to injury, Ricardo returned to action on Saturday against Andover and ran a personal best time. He ran aggressively despite the layoff and has set himself, and his team, up for a strong finish to the season. We are glad to have him back!
Boys JV Soccer: Austin Philie, 10th grader
Competitive, smart, hardworking and willing to do whatever it takes to help the team succeed, Austin Philie has had a great week at center back for the JV Boys soccer team, and played a crucial role in helping the Big Green to a victory against a strong Andover team.
Varsity Football: John Esposito, 12th grader
Deerfield’s athlete of the week for Varsity Football was John Esposito. John is a 4 year student from Greenwich, CT. He has been a staple in the Deerfield football program since his arrival on campus. John always plays a role and he plays it extremely hard. He has battled every day in practice and this week all the hard work paid off on the field for John. He was in on a number of tackles both on defense and special teams and he worked hard to rack up a decent amount of yards after the catch on the offensive side of the ball. John is a leader out there and his teammates can always count on him. He represents Deerfield and the football program in all of the right ways. For his top notch effort and play, John Esposito is the athlete of the week.
Boys Varsity Water Polo: Boys Varsity Water Polo Team
Team members include: Graham O’Brien, Zo Williams, Gordon Johnson, Henry Lowe, Andrew Penner, Daniel Cui, Bobby Meyer, Avery Reed, Shaun Kronenwetter, Nolen Rockefeller, Owen Louis, Javier Irizarry, Luca Basile, Max Scalamandre, Ryan Kim, Ryan Safiry, Zach Seibold, Jeffrey Sun, Alex San Martin
The Boys’ Varsity Water Polo team has rebounded from a 1-5 start in the league to earn a spot in the quarterfinals of the New England Tournament. Strong senior leadership from Jeffrey Sun, Gordon Johnson, and Bobby Meyer, relentless defense anchored by sophomores Henry Lowe and Shaun Kronenwetter, and consistent scoring by junior Andrew Penner have made the difference in the season’s second half.
Junior Varsity Volleyball: Soo Oh, 9th grader
Soo has been working extremely hard for her team by showing her perseverance as a setter. Our recent win against NMH (3-2), Soo gave her all despite her hand aching periodically which was difficult for being one of two setters on the team. She pulled through and passed her teammates some beautiful sets to earn some points. Her dedication to her team is greatly shown on the court. Let’s bring the same energy on our home game on Saturday against Taft; thanks Soo keep it up!
Varsity Girls Soccer: Felicia Renelus, 12th grader
Sneaky fast and hard working, Felicia is a defensive standout. During the past few weeks Felicia has adeptly shut down some of the best players in the league and managed to make a few offensive runs of her own. We have all appreciated Felicia’s quiet leadership and her willingness to go the extra mile.
JrB Boys Soccer: Will Song, 9th grader
Will Song, for playing through an injury suffered on Friday during practice and having a great game against Andover.