Congratulations to this week’s Athletes of the Week!
Girls Cross Country: Grace Russell ’21 & Victoria Patterson ‘20
A dual award this week, the athletes of the week for Girls’ Cross Country are Grace Russell and Victoria Patterson. Grace ran an incredibly smart race with boundless determination that sealed the deal for our team’s victory at the Canterbury Invitational on Saturday. Working with calf soreness, she managed a herculean effort to finish the hilly 5k course in 21:16. In typical Victoria fashion, Patterson mashed the six year old course record of 18:38, running 17:55 over difficult terrain, besting second place by well over a minute. These two girls, and all their teammates, are investing with a combination of effort, camaraderie, and enthusiasm that will pay off at the New England Championships come November.
Girls Reserve Field Hockey: Elsa Marrian ‘21
Elsa Marrian earns Reserve Field Hockey Athlete of the Week for her steady play and sportsmanship against Hotchkiss. Since our team was mostly made up of new players who had never even seen a game, the coaches asked Elsa to play deep defense knowing that we would be tested by a tough Hotchkiss squad. Though Elsa normally plays midfield or attack, she never hesitated to accept the request from her coaches to play defense. Elsa’s experience shined through as she acted as a field general who helped out new players with their positioning. During the most intense moments of the game, time and time again, Elsa came up with the big plays to get the ball out of danger. Elsa stands out as our Athlete of the Week not only for her steady, smart play but especially for her generous spirit and willingness to play the role that would best help her team.
Girls JV Volleyball: Emma Weech ‘21
The JV volleyball athlete of the week is Emma Weech ’21. In Wednesday’s match win against Worcester Academy, Emma led the attack with a ferocious serve, twice running up five straight points, many from serves that the opposing team simply could not return. She also led the team in kills, demonstrating that her powerful stroke is just as effective at the net as at the baseline. As a returning sophomore on the JV team, Emma serves as a role model to the first-year players as she works hard every practice and always has her game face on, even as she laughs and enjoys her time with the other girls. Emma is a key member of the team, and we look forward to her contributions throughout the season.
Varsity Volleyball: Daphne Gavros ‘22
This week’s Athlete of the Week for girls’ varsity volleyball is Daphne Gavros ’22. Daphne has immediately stepped into a key role on the varsity team with her excellent serving and incredible defensive plays. She has impressed everyone on the court with her ability to get to balls that seem unreachable and turn them into opportunities for Deerfield points. Her passion for volleyball and her desire to continually improve as a player set a great example for everyone on the team. Congratulations!
Boys Cross-Country: Charlie Lewis ’21
In the first varsity race of the season, Charlie Lewis, a tenth grader, seized the #2 spot in the boys’ cross country lineup with a boldly raced 5k at the Canterbury Invitational. Charlie ran an aggressive first mile to get into good position before the hilly middle of Canterbury’s course, and held on over the last third of the race to run a strong early season time
Girls Reserve Soccer: Ella Foulkes ’22
Ella Foulkes is the Girls Reserve Soccer Team’s Athlete of the Week. Whether she’s demonstrating defensive footwork, leading dynamic stretches, or participating in practice drills, Ella does so with enthusiasm and a positive attitude, enhancing the team dynamic with her effervescent spirit.
Varsity Field Hockey: Ali Fujiyoshi ’19, Meredith Heaney ’19 & Mimi Pastor ‘19
The athletes of the week from the Varsity Field Hockey team are our three senior captains: Ali Fujiyoshi, Meredith Heaney, and Mimi Pastor. Since the beginning of the season, these three outstanding athletes have done a great job of establishing a positive and fun team culture for all of the players on the squad. Heading into a challenging contest against Hotchkiss School this past Saturday, Ali, Mere and Mimi made sure to make Thursday and Friday’s practices both competitive and fun, ultimately focusing on our team and our game instead of the competition.
Each one of our captains played for the full 60 minutes of our game against Hotchkiss and contributed significantly to our 4-2 victory. Heaney’s intensity and strong play in the midfield (plus her goal off of a penalty stroke), Fujiyoshi’s solid defense and strong leadership, and Mimi’s tenacity on the forward line that led to her 2 goals were all invaluable during our Saturday contest. These three young women have set a strong standard so far and we look forward to seeing how the rest of the season goes!
Varsity Football: Luke Terry ‘20
The varsity football team’s athlete of the week for the Suffield game is Luke Terry. Luke led a strong defensive effort from his strong safety position. He has a nose for the ball making his 1st interception of the season in the 4th quarter. Luke plays the game with tenacity and has a knack for making big plays for the Big Green.
Boys Varsity Water Polo: Vojta Kupka ‘20
Playing against Cantebury, Vojta Kupka ’20 scored his first career goal on a splendidly executed counterattack, employing a shot he had learned just a day earlier in practice. Speed and a willingness to learn a new game on the fly have already made Vojta a key starter.
Girls Varsity Soccer: Annie Kane ‘20
Annie is the girls varsity soccer Athlete of the Week. Her tenacity, consistency, positivity, grit and determination have been keys to the team’s early success. At practice and in games, Annie has led by example including, stepping up to take a penalty kick in the final five minutes of the game at Milton. She buried the PK to level the score at 1-1 for the Big Green. Annie continued scoring in last week’s game vs. Westy, when she made a back post run to finish a cross and opened the scoring for the Big Green. We will continue to rely on Annie’s tenacious and determined play in the midfield this season! Keep it up Annie!