Congratulations to this week’s Athletes of the Week!
Girls Varsity Basketball: Nina Tanaka ‘21
Our final athlete of the week is Nina Tanaka. She has taken on the challenging role of point guard this year, which means she has added pressure to know all of our plays inside and out. She is a fierce competitor who never shies away from contact. She confidently handles the ball in the back court, and she is always looking for opportunities to make something happen on offense with a quick pass or outside shot. She played particularly well in our game against Westminster last week — leading by example and hustling all over the court . We appreciate Nina’s hard work on a daily basis in practice, and we are so glad she a part of our team.
Boys Varsity Basketball: Ben Diffley ‘20
Ben Diffley is the AOTW for boys basketball. Ben scored 15 points, had 9 rebounds and 7 assists in our big win over Choate.
Girls Varsity Hockey: Aurora Devereaux ‘20
Our final Athlete of the Week is Aurora Devereaux. All season long Aurora has been a leader on the team, both in the locker room, and on the ice. She is a steady presence in our defensive unit, as someone we can count on when we are down by a goal, or when we need to hold on to a lead. She has been an excellent leader for us this season, and during her entire career at Deerfield. In both our games this week, against Williston and Loomis, Aurora made key defensive plays that either kept us in the game, or directly stopped a goal from going in. We will miss her strong play next season and thank her for such a great career at DA!
Girls JV Hockey: Hunter Keller ‘20
The girl’s JV puck AOTW is Hunter Keller ’20. Hunter had an outstanding final game in net against Loomis, and her quick saves and stellar play helped lead us to an exciting 4-3 win! On Wednesday, she kept our Westy loss to only a three-goal difference as well. Over the course of Hunter’s time on the JV puck team, she has improved tremendously and we are so grateful for her effort, dedication, and positive attitude. She is a terrific kid and a role-model for others. Hunter also did a great job in her role as captain this season and we will greatly miss her leadership on the squad next year. Hunter—thank you for all that you did for the JV puck program and please know that the apple does not, in fact, fall far from the tree!
Boys Varsity Hockey: Brian Grant ’23
Brian Grant is our Boys Varsity Hockey Athlete of the Week! Brian has been playing great and scored his first Deerfield goal on Friday night. It proved to be the game winner!
Girls JV Basketball: Whitney Vogt ’20, Annie Kane ’20, Samara Cummings ’20, and Molly Fisher ’20
Our season ended with a dominate victory over Choate. Our girls had a tremendous season ending the 2019/2020 run with a 12-2 record. This week’s AOTW acknowledges our four seniors: Whitney Vogt, Anne Kane, Samara Cummings, and Molly Fisher. All four have been leaders throughout the entire season. They truly exemplify the very best of Deerfield. All four lead by example on and off the court. No matter the score they gave 100% on the court. When on the bench they cheered for their replacements, and when a game was out of reach they never once quit. Lastly, win or lose they carried themselves with class and integrity. As their coach, I simply want to say thank you; it has been a pleasure!
Boys Varsity Squash: Freddy Manning
Freddy’s two wins against Hotchkiss and Belmont Hill were the clinching fourth wins giving the Big Green the match victories!
Girls Thirds Squash: Megan Ng ’23
Megan had a terrific rookie season. To every practice she brought a dedication to self-improvement, a calm demeanor, and a team-first attitude. On a talented roster with several returners, Megan spent the winter on the bubble, sometimes playing in one of the seven official mathes and sometimes in exhibition matches instead. But her intensity never wavered—and neither did the results. Megan won every interscholastic match she played. In our final match of the season, Megan stepped in for a teammate who couldn’t play and delivered the decisive win in our 4-3 victory. But even when she wasn’t on the court helping us win, she showed up to matches to cheer on her team and help matches run smoothly. We’d be lucky to welcome Megan back next year.
Boys Varsity Swimming & Diving: Mark Cai ’22
For his steadfast commitment to his training and the team, Mark Cai is athlete of the week for Boys’ Varsity Swimming & Diving. Throughout his first season, Mark trained and competed consistently well. In practice, he challenges himself and his teammates to put their best effort into every set. In meets, the coaches frequently relied on Mark to cover the 200 IM and the 100 Breaststroke and he maintained impressive times around a 2:06 and 1:02 respectively. In our final home meet, Mark dropped a second in the 200 IM to achieve a new personal best time of 2:05.19. He will swim these events again this coming weekend at our New England championships and we cannot wait to see how he concludes this notable first season!