Congratulations to this week’s Athletes of the Week!
Girls JV Hockey: Bailey Cheetham ‘19
Bailey Cheetham ’19 is the girls JV hockey player of the week. Bailey is a tremendous leader on the team as she is always positive to be around and is a tireless worker on the ice. She does a great job rallying the troops and making the experience fun for everyone. For instance, after going down 0-3 to Andover in the first period of the game on Saturday, Bailey spoke to the girls in between periods and got them fired up to play with more confidence and focus. We scored two goals in the second period and although we didn’t get the win, we played much better the rest of the game. Bailey is an absolute pleasure to coach and we are grateful that she is one of our captains this season. We look forward to her tremendous leadership and strong play for the remainder of the winter!
Boys Varsity Squash: Chait Shah ’19, Merritt Wurts ’21, Teddy Durfee ’19, Adrian Todd ’21, Max Geraci ’19, Charles Braff ’21, Ahmed Elwabory ’22
In a huge team effort, the boys varsity squash team defeated a talented St. Paul’s squad on the road, 6-1. To quote Coach Silipo, “the kids played great!” A special mention to Chait Shah for his performance last week against his Tabor and St. George’s opponents, both of whom he defeated to lead the Big Green to a 7-0 team victory.
Boys JV Basketball: Nikhil Barnes ’21
After a demoralizing defeat on Friday against Eaglebrook. The boys JV basketball team had something to prove to themselves and to each other. From the opening tip our boys took over the game and never let up for four quarters. Nikhil Barnes lead the way with 15 points and 7 rebounds. Nikhil set the pace with 8 of his points coming from a tremendous second effort: a missed shot, his own rebound, and a basket off the class! His outstanding effort became contagious as our front court out rebounded Williston’s front court for four quarters. Great effort from Nikhil and a well timed victory for the team!
Girls Varsity Hockey: Kelly Howe ‘22
Kelly Howe is our athlete of the week. Kelly has continued to impress this season with her consistency, effort, and attitude. Her stick handling is excellent, and she does a great job of possessing the puck, finding the openings, and getting to the net. Kelly had a huge week for the Doors, with her excellent play against Pomfret and Andover which earned her several goals and assists. Whatever you need of Kelly, she will deliver, with a smile on her face. Her hard work this season and last week has earned her Athlete of the Week for GV Hockey.
Boys Varsity Hockey: Matt Miron ’19
The boys hockey athlete of the week for last week is Matty Miron. Matty suffered a serious shoulder injury but worked hard to rejoin the team as quickly as possible and is putting in lots of extra effort to get back to 100%. He is a big part of our team and has been a great senior leader for us all season.
Varsity Wrestling: Anne Duong ’22
Bold, intense, determined. In the wrestling room, Anne Duong is all we expect and more. From the beginning of the season, Anne’s enthusiasm for the sport has been evident and inspirational. She’s worked through injury and hard matches, always with a smile; despite tough days and setbacks, she’s never tired and always ready to practice. Anne’s steady improvement and steadfast enthusiasm are an inspiration to her team. On January 27th, Anne represented Deerfield at the Fifth Annual Phillips Academy Girls’ Wrestling Tournament in Andover. She won fifth place in her weight class—a fantastic achievement for a first-year wrestler. DA Varsity Wrestling is fortunate to have such determined athletes at the novice level; we’re excited to see how far Anne will go!
Boys Thirds Basketball: Jason Hutchinson ’21 and David Thomas ’20
Jason Hutchinson continues to impress us with his enthusiasm for the game of basketball. Along with being a strong and dynamic guard and a triple threat, Jason has grown increasingly proficient in distributing the ball and ensuring our offense finds the best possible shot. We have been impressed with his knowledge of the game as well as his willingness to learn more. Authentic and hard-working, Jason seeks to inspire his team with his optimism and strong work ethic. Along with Jason, David Thomas earns distinct recognition for his achievements this week. Along with posting a season-high 27 points against a talented Avon squad, David leads his team in rebounds and assists; his performance against Avon electrified The Barn. All season long we have witnessed David secure rebounds, push the ball up the court in transition, and score, both in the paint and beyond the arc. Whether in games or in practice, David has been a consistent contributor and instructor of the game. With his deep understanding of basketball, David has been invaluable to our team, and his hard work and leadership have raised the quality of play for all his teammates. Go Big Green!
Boys Varsity Swimming & Diving: Robert Amundson ‘22
For his determination in practice and his willingness to swim any event for the team, Robert Amundson is the athlete of the week for Boys’ Varsity Swimming & Diving. In his first season as a Deerfield swimmer, Robert has already improved in every event he has swum for the team and he has swum nearly all the events in one meet or another. This success in competition results from his openness to feedback and self-motivation in practice. Robert listens to coaches and incorporates their comments immediately, striving to become the most efficient swimmer possible. He also challenges himself to swim on more challenging intervals in order to build strength and endurance. His focus and sense of purpose in the pool and during dryland training have made Robert a wonderful addition to the team. We are grateful for his commitment and look forward to seeing what he will achieve over the next three and a half years.
Girls Varsity Squash: Isabella Rolfe ’21
For always giving 100%, for her can-do positive attitude, for her team spirit, for her focused intensity on the court and lighthearted banter off the court, Isabella Rolfe is the Girls Varsity Squash Player of the Week.