Congratulations to this week’s Doors of the Week!
Boys Cross-Country: Amay Katare ’27
This week’s DOTW for boys XC is Amay Katare, who has taken the philosophies of the program to heart and yielded major progress as an endurance athlete over the past year. By doing a little bit of honest effort every day, Amay has achieved a whopping 42 second improvement on his timed mile over just one year of work. To boot, Amay is kind, thoughtful, and genuine, and we’re so grateful to have him on the team.
Drawing & Painting: Aeris Chang ’26
Mark Making Explorations
Material: Micron Pen
Dance: Emily Schumacher ’28
Emily has been a wonderful new addition to the Dance Ensemble! She humbly stepped into a piece with the aim of supporting her fellow dancers and has been exemplary in her work ethic, effort, and generosity of spirit!
Girls Cross-Country: Rowan Skinner ’26, Haley Hickman ’26 and Jane Bannon ’26
This week, Girls Cross Country nominates Rowan, Haley and Jane as Doors of the Week. These three dedicated members of the cross country team set a goal for themselves last season: by next fall, they would run the Montreal half marathon. This past weekend all three of these awesome seniors conquered the race in matching outfits! We are unbelievably proud of them and of our team for their support! It’s awesome that a team can help girls achieve such big, admirable goals!
Boys JV Soccer: Rabi Diallo ’29
Rabi scored both of our goals in this week’s tough matchup vs Taft. More importantly, he carried himself with poise and respect for his opponents and the referees throughout this emotional game. The ref could have called two earlier fouls as PKs in Rabi’s favor, but only the third was granted. Rabi was surprised by the non-calls, but he moved on and kept playing soccer. Minutes before the third foul, Rabi himself was whistled for bringing down from behind the same player who’d been fouling him earlier. In a class act, he immediately offered his arm to the opponent to help him from the wet grass. And when Rabi scored, he celebrated only with positive energy toward his teammates, This is the spirit of Deerfield athletics: when you don’t get a call, you move on with more motivation; when you are clearly in the wrong, you express your respect for the opponent, the refs, and the competition itself; when you score and prove victorious, you focus on your teammates and you let your jersey do the talking. Coach Jarcho and I are supremely impressed that Rabi, a 9th grader in his first weeks at Deerfield, is modeling these mature and essential behaviors for our team.
Varsity Field Hockey: Alessandra Picard ‘29
This week’s DOTW for VFH is Alessandra Picard ‘29. Since the first day of the season, AP has been an absolute offensive force. She consistently cuts back to ball, runs full force up the field, and gives it her best effort in all games. In our competitive 4-3 win against Hotchkiss, she scored 2 goals and also netted the first goal against Milton this Wednesday. We are so excited to have her as part of the program and appreciate everything she brings to the team.
Boys Junior A Soccer: Max Yau ’28
A returning player to the Junior A team, Max arrived at tryouts and surprised coaches with his increased speed and confidence on the ball. After a season slotted in at defense, he now has become a valuable piece on offense. This led to an early season highlight for the squad in Saturday’s game against Taft, when Max scored the first goal of his career, sending our bench into a frenzy. “I had never scored a goal—even in practice!” he added, with his trademark humility. The truth is Max has been a big contributor to Deerfield soccer, thanks to his commitment to the team, his sunny disposition, and the productive tone he sets at practice, day in and day out.
Conditioning For Athletes: Colton Simas ‘28
Always positive, mentally ready and willing to go the extra mile. His work ethic is inspiring, he’s commitment, focused and challenges himself each and every day. Great Job Colton!
Theater: E.C. Tate ’29
E.C. plays the lead in the fall production, Blue Stockings. Her character is in almost every scene and she has lots and lots of lines to learn. For some this would be stressful, but E. C. takes it all in her stride. Instinctual, generous and courageous in her choices, E.C. has demonstrated professionalism from the first day of rehearsal. She remains highly focused and maintains a beautifully positive and cheerful outlook, even though she may be tired or sick. Keep up the excellent work ethic E.C. as it will soon pay off during the performances. Brava!
Boys Water Polo: John Comite ’26 and Patrick Zhang ’26
I’d like to nominate our captains, John Comite and Patrick Zhang, for DOTW. Captaincy requires a level head, strong leadership ability, and a resiliency. After years on the squad, John and Patrick are perfectly suited to lead their team. They know how to keep the positivity going when we’re up and, maybe more importantly, they know how to lift up their teammates when we’re down. Above all else, being a captain requires something that John and Patrick have in excess: HEART. Proud of you boys, keep up the good work!
JV Field Hockey: Miriam Toschik ’29
JV Field Hockey would like to nominate Miriam Toschik as door of the week. Miriam has been rock solid for us on defense; she gives her all to every practice and game and has impressed us with her speed and athleticism. She loves to play and is always eager to try new things! In our game against Frontier, Miriam requested to try playing midfield. Despite her unfamiliarity with the position, she hustled, recovered, and pushed the ball forward like a pro. In our Hotchkiss game last Saturday, Miriam was our only goal-scorer, skillfully dumping the ball in on a stroke! It speaks to her maturity and skill (as a 9th grader) that the team unanimously nominated her to take the stroke when it happened. We’re so looking forward to watching Miriam grow and thrive in the coming season and coming years!
Football: Michael McColgan ’26
The football team’s DOTW is Michael McColgan. Michael has paced an explosive offensive attack for the Big Green in the first two games. He went 24 for 42 and 296 yards while throwing 3 touchdowns and running in a 4th on a 26 yard run this Saturday against Suffield Academy. He has been an amazing leader, competitor and we are excited to see him get back at it this Friday night under the lights at Jim Smith Field.
Varsity Volleyball: Zora Fenton ’27
DotW this week for varsity volleyball goes to Zora Fenton (’27). Zora joins the DA volleyball team as the only junior on the team. Despite being new this year, Zora has quickly shown her leadership in the back row. Her calm play, drive to win, and constant push to get better has helped improve Deerfield’s defensive game considerably this year. On Wednesday, Zora had an excellent outing against Lumis, one of the best teams in the league, helping Deerfield secure a win for the first time in 3 years. She had multiple highlight level defensive plays and kept the energy of the team high through 4 hard fought sets. Congratulations Zora.
Boys Jr. B Soccer: Desmond Drake ’29
The Quad Squad Door of the Week is Desmond Drake! Desmond is new to the team this year but has already made a big impact. While not originally approaching the season as a keeper, Desmond tried it out in one of our first practices and was an obvious natural fit for the position. His already high soccer IQ and great work ethic allowed him to excel quickly in this position and become a formidable force in goal. We are proud of him stepping up to try something new and working hard to get better every day!
Girls Varsity Soccer: Hazel Patton ‘26
This week, the girls varsity soccer team recognizes Hazel Patton as their DOTW. Hazel’s determination, outstanding work rate, tenacious defending, positive attitude and joy have been on display day-in and day-out all season long! Hazel is a competitor who leaves it all of the field from her commitment to 1v1 defensive battles to help our team transition to attack, she’s someone who we have and will continue to lean on in our backline. Hazel is eager to learn and grow as player; she has taken coach instruction and put it into practice right away. Furthermore, as a senior she’s always checking in with her teammates with a warm smile! Awesome job, Hazel!
JV Volleyball: Jessica Wu ’27
This week, we’re proud to recognize Jessica Wu as our Door of the Week. Jessica stood out in our match against Loomis Chaffee, not only for her solid on-court performance but for the energy and sportsmanship she brings to every game and practice. She delivered key aces in multiple sets, especially in Set 2 where her serving helped Deerfield stay neck and neck in a hard-fought battle. More than just her stats, Jessica exemplifies what it means to be a great teammate. She plays with heart, encourages others, and always puts the team first. Whether she’s on the court making a play or supporting from the sidelines, Jessica brings focus, positivity, and determination every time she steps into the gym.
Girls Thirds Volleyball: Aicha Kaba ’29
Aicha has made enormous strides as a player this season. Through her own consistent effort, Aicha has become one of our most reliable passers. She takes risks when she’s on the court and it’s clear that her future in the sport is very bright.