Congratulations to this week’s Doors of the Week!
Girls Varsity Soccer: Ryan Rodgers ‘27
Ryan Rodgers’ work ethic, determination, and blazing speed are a triple threat for opponents to deal with on game day and challenge for her teammates daily. These qualities and attributes are second to Ryan’s contagious competitive drive, joy to play, care for her teammates and her thirst to get better. It’s been an absolute pleasure to welcome Ryan to DAGV soccer this fall! Ryan’s been a true spark plug for the Big Green this fall. We look forward to watching her continue to make an impact in the final week of the season! Go Ryan!
Boys Junior A Soccer: Jasper Gruhl ’28
Thirds got a preview of what Jasper can do on the field when he joined the team for our final two games last fall after Quad Squad’s schedule wrapped. So the coaches were excited to welcome him back for a full season, where he’s done extraordinary work at holding midfielder, the quarterback of the 4-3-3 formation. His soccer IQ is off the charts. He makes one good decision after another, shutting down opponent’s attacks and jump-starting our own. His hustle is unmatched and now, with a late season injury to his complement at the position, he’s showing off his tremendous endurance, playing 73 minutes of Wednesday’s match against Loomis. But his greatest asset may be his varsity attitude, always committing fully at practice, supporting his teammates, and living and breathing soccer. Don’t let his modesty fool you: Jasper’s a big reason we’ve had the success we’ve enjoyed this season.
Girls Thirds Volleyball: Temidire Junaid ’29
Over the past two weeks, Demi has shown tremendous improvement. Her confidence is evident as she is stepping up into opportunities in both practice and pour games where she can contribute her talents. The progress comes from hard work and Temi has been putting into the time and effort needed to grow as a player. Her attitude, joy, and humor have been equally as valuable to our team this season as well. Congrats Temi!
JV Field Hockey: Grae Guenther ’29
JV FH would like to nominate Grae Guenther for this week’s DOTW. Grae comes to each practice ready to give her all. From warm up shuttles to the cheer at the end of practice she is focused and energetic. Grae has been a key member of our defense all season, playing center back and sweep with excellent block tackles and patience under stress. Her doggedness is unmatched. It takes a brave and determined soul to be the fly on a corner, sprinting out to meet the opposing team’s first big shot on goal. Grae is not only fearless, but she has great stick skills which means that most of the time when she is the fly, our opposition does not stand a chance of scoring. However, Grae’s best trait is her optimism! When other members of the team get frustrated or down, Grae is there to prop them up. In every way, she has made our team better. We are thrilled to have her on our team.
Theatre: Henry Cron ’26, Ellie Maeda ’27, Juliet Lopez ’28 and Gershom Munene ’27
Henry Cron, Ellie Maeda, Juliet Lopez and Gershom Munene, were the captains of the Dressing rooms during the run of Blue Stockings. As Captains they inspired, led with joy and found love in the work. They made my job easier and helped their fellow team members when things were lost or needed a pep talk. I was very proud of the way they saw each challenge and never did they complain or think the work was beneath them. They actively led their teams to victory and showed others what a true theatre community looks like and that is why I am nominating them to be Doors of the week.
Dance: Elizabeth Goltra ’29 and Rania Limam ’27
Elizabeth and Rania both have demonstrated excellent work ethic, dedication, and drive in dance this Fall. Despite injuries, they show up, focused and ready to engage every day, in whatever capacity possible. They exemplify outstanding work ethic and positivity every day!
Girls JV Soccer: Sophie Frost ’26, Kaelen Beardsley ’26, Emsy Pfeifler ’27, Araceli McCoy ’29, Kiely Kinchla ’28 and Josie Kalish ’26
The Girls’ JV Soccer team’s D(s)OTW are our forwards: Sophie Frost, Kaelen Beardsley, Emsy Pfeifler, Araceli McCoy, Kiely Kinchla and Josie Kalish. These players have combined to score 65 goals over the course of the season (thus far). Across the board they have been collaborative, hard-working and hungry for goals.
Varsity Football: Winston Huber ’26
The DOTW for the Varsity Football team is Winston Huber. Winston led the team in both receptions and tackles against a tough Brunswick team on Saturday. He plays with outstanding passion, effort and physicality which makes him a great teammate to play with and a fun player to watch. We can’t wait to see what he brings to the big stage this week against Choate. Go Big Green.
JV Volleyball: Karen Park ’26
This week’s Door of the Week is Karen Park ’26, recognized for her leadership and steady contributions in Deerfield’s 3–0 win over St. Paul’s School in the team’s Senior Game.
As Team Captain, Karen has been a consistent leader all season. In the match against SPS, she anchored the defense with strong passing and reliable digs that set up key offensive plays. Her calm presence and clear communication kept the team organized and composed, especially as St. Paul’s challenged late in the match.
Beyond her on-court performance, Karen continues to lead by example through her work ethic, composure, and positive attitude. Her dedication to improvement and her steady support of her teammates have made her an essential part of the team’s success this season.
Karen’s effort and leadership embody the teamwork and spirit that define Deerfield Volleyball. We will miss her next year!
Boys JV Soccer: Jack Webb ’27
The curse is broken! Jack’s first JV goal finally came at Avon and it was a beauty, struck purely one-time from outside the box. It went knuckling to the upper right, well out of the keeper’s reach. Jack turned to the bench with his hands in the air, not really sure how to celebrate. And then yesterday vs Suffield, Jack scored again to prove that his prowess was not an anomaly. The truth is, however, that Jack’s prowess is really passing. His deliveries activate his teammates and direct the team to attack into spaces sometimes only Jack is seeing. In the midfield, Jack must communicate and make decisions in very little time, meaning that he must be scanning the field prior to the ball arriving at his feet. He also must find creative ways to get the ball from his foot to the place it must go: sometimes on the ground, sometimes in the air, sometimes at pace, and sometimes sneaky slow. In short, Jack Webb is a fantastic midfielder and has been instrumental in our team’s attack, predominantly as a creator and now, unsurprisingly, as a scorer of goals.
Varsity Field Hockey: Izzy Kirby ’26
This week’s DOTW for varsity field hockey is Izzy Kirby. In her second year playing field hockey goalie, Izzy’s fearless, determined, and positive approach makes her stand out as a leader. At times the unsung hero, Izzy has made countless game-changing plays throughout the field hockey team’s successful season. Izzy sets an example for the younger members of the team with her consistent humility and love for the game. We congratulate Izzy on an impressive season thus far and look forward to seeing her shine in the remainder of the season.
Boys Cross-Country: Nate Ugwonali ’27
The Door of the Week for boys cross country is Nate Ugwonali, who bravely took on the 5k distance at a pace he’d never done before. He hammered across the racecourse and finished 50 whole seconds ahead of his previous personal best. Nate has been putting in the work throughout the fall, and this effort represented a terrific cap on what has been an excellent season. Great work, Nate!