Congratulations to this week’s Doors of the Week!
Boys Cross-Country: Nico Pfeifler ’25
Door of the week is Nico Pfeifler, who raced hard this weekend to place 5th for the team, notching his first points for the Doors in his carrier as a harrier.
Boys Water Polo: Patrick Zhang ’26
Patrick has recently transitioned into the role of 2 meter defender/offensive point guard — arguably the most challenging position in the pool. This position calls for tenacity and thoughtfulness in every possession, both defensive and offensive, and Patrick has proven his mettle admirably!
Varsity Volleyball: Ariana Djunic ’26
DOTW this week for varsity volleyball is Ariana Djunic ’26. Ariana joined the Varsity team this year after playing thirds her freshman year and JV last year. She has continued to improve rapidly as she adjusts to playing some new positions on varsity. Ariana is becoming a versatile hitter that has been called on to play outside, right side, or middle. She has been working hard to improve her consistency everywhere on the court and we are excited to see her continue to push her abilities. Congratulations Ariana.
Boys JV Soccer: Gunter Weldon ’27
Gunter has earned this week’s DOTW for his rapid improvement. He’s new to this team and to DA soccer, but clearly has some soccer in his background. We love multi-sport athletes and we love athletes who find ways to be good teammates and “make it work.” This is Gunter. With so much focus on tennis and school, he made room to learn the wing-back position, learn when to contain and when to tackle, learn the typical seams for passes in our shape, and learn when to take risks with such passes. He quickly assumed a starting role at right wing-back and shut down opposing wingers in two consecutive games. In his third, he scored a clutch goal after a deflection from Kent’s keeper. He was outside the 18-yard box with the ball when so many were expecting a whistle. When none came, he just fired the ball into the goal and the referee awarded it. Very heads up play! Overall, Gunter has been a great addition to this squad, for his quality play as well as his team-first attitude, competitiveness, attention to detail and coaching.
JV Field Hockey: Linnea Knox ’27
JV FH would like to nominate Linnea Knox ’27 as DOTW this week. Linnea has played every minute of every game for us so far this season at center back. She is an unstoppable force in our defensive end, regularly making high-speed, high-pressure block tackles look effortless. When Linnea is on the field, you can hear every player take a deep breath; all will be okay when Linnea has your back! She is the picture of consistency, patience, and skill, but remains deeply humble about her play. She is kind and friendly to all and will be an amazing leader on our team this year and in years to come. We are so lucky to have her and are excited to watch her continue to blossom this season!
Thirds Volleyball: Willow Tugume ’28
The Door of the Week for Girls Thirds Volleyball is Willow Tugume ’28. Willow was a wonderful new addition to the thirds volleyball team this year. She is great at anything you ask her to do, from passing to serving to hitting, and even the occasional set. Willow continues to grow as a young leader on the team. She brings a contagious enthusiasm to practice each day and has fun with everything she does. Still, she manages to lock-in and bring laser focus when needed in the game. As such, she is contributing both to the positive and inviting energy at practice and to our successful season. We are so glad to have Willow on the team and cannot wait to see what she accomplishes over the next four years.
Community Shout Out: Zander Auth ’26
On crutches since the start of school… he’s been to every Friday morning “shriv”…. crutching to the river, getting in, and crutching back. He’s demonstrated determination!
Varsity Field Hockey: Mary O’Shea ‘25 and Lexi Rohan ’25
VFH has two Doors of the Week: Mary O’Shea ‘25 and Lexi Rohan ’25. Mary and Lexi have both earned this recognition for their positive attitudes, superb work ethics, and team first mentalities. They both played great against NMH as well, with Mary executing several smart defensive plays and Lexi scoring an important goal to secure DA’s win. They are great teammates, and we are lucky to have them as senior leaders!
Boys Jr. A Soccer: Howard Jin ’27
From the first day of try-outs, Howard has brought a great energy to the soccer program, always working hard with a big smile on his face. Thrust into a stressful role in our front line, often at striker, he has had high expectations for himself and taken it hard as our team struggled in its early contests. So it was very satisfying to watch Howard score the winning goal in our first victory at NMH on Wednesday. Going forward, our record and our chemistry will owe much to what Howard brings to the team.
Boys Jr. B Soccer: Magnus Selvig ’26
The Quad Squad Door of the Week is Magnus Selvig! New to our team this year and coming off a break from soccer for the past several years, Magnus has made a huge impact from the keeper position. Always focused and working hard, Magnus has proven that he is not only a dynamic soccer player but also a fantastic leader. As we get into the toughest portion of our schedule, we are eager to see if Magnus can keep up his clean sheet from the first 5 games of the season!
JV Volleyball: Selin Aksoy ’27
Selin Aksoy has proven herself to be an incredibly skilled setter and a tremendous asset for the JV volleyball team. Selin is steady with her hands, quick on the court, and consistently sets her teammates up for kills. Against Williston this week, Selin had 15 assists, 3 kills, and 4 aces, the last two of which finished out the match win. Beyond her skill and talent on the court, she is a great teammate with a constant positive attitude and generous with her time, often practicing late with teammates who want to perfect their skills.
Girls Varsity Soccer: Hazel Patton ‘26
Hazel Patton is recognized as this week’s girls varsity soccer team Door of the Week! Hazel has started the season with great focus, a positive attitude and a high work rate. She has selflessly stepped into different roles and been willing and eager to play different positions from one game to the next. Her work rate and determination on the field have been fun to watch and exciting to celebrate when she registered her first goal of the season on Wednesday to help the Big Green secure the win! Hazel’s goal exemplified her determination and work rate as she hustled to the back post to burry a rebound into the back of the net! We look forward to watching Hazel continue to grow this season! Keep up the great work, Hazel!
Music Concentration: Vivian Wan ’25
Vivian Wan ’25 has been leading the School Meeting House Band this term with more than just her singing voice. She brings positive energy to every rehearsal, leaving any outside stress or negative energy at the door when she arrives. The example she sets as both a musical contributor and vibe-setter has infused tbe band with energy and inspired the focus that has allowed the group to learn new music for school meeting every week.
Theatre: Henry Cron ‘26
New to Deerfield’s Theater Program, Henry Cron is already making his mark. What is notable about Henry is how far he has come as an actor in just a short month! Henry is a quick learner and he swiftly sensed that our rehearsal room is a place of focus, commitment and deep engagement. He witnessed how earnestly we toil to create productions here at DA and has adapted his efforts by really digging in deeper and more consistently. He is a generous ensemble member too, offering helpful suggestions when they come to him, taking direction well, doing the hard work of character creation and most impressively, he has disciplined himself to remain focused and being in the moment – a crucial skill for an actor. He also doesn’t take himself too seriously and brings a positive, cheery vibe with him to rehearsal every day. Bravo Henry!
Dance: Hannah Horner ’25 and Katherine Goltra ’27
Hannah and Katherine demonstrated wonderful resiliency this past week throughout dance rehearsals for the FFW showcase! Rather than throwing in the towel on a challenging Tap piece, they mastered the choreography with grace and poise, while demonstrating excellent collaboration and teamwork. Their motivation, communication, and performance ethic have been exemplary ~Bravo, Hannah and Katherine!
Girls Cross-Country: Olivia Port ’26 and Anna Ogborne ’25
This week we nominate Olivia Port and Anna Ogborne. Both of these girls set a good example for the team and work to connect all the runners each day! They demonstrate what it means to be a good teammate through their great attitude.
Conditioning for Athletes: Grey Altemeyer ’27
Grey is focused, committed and improves with every practice. His willingness to show up and give his all is an inspiration. Great job Grey!