Congratulations to this week’s Doors of the Week!
JV Volleyball: Alex Kelsey ’23
Senior Alex Kelsey has stepped into the role of setter this year and has excelled since the first days of tryouts. On the court, Alex is a fierce and relentless competitor. Against Exeter, she served a few important runs and saved several points with seemingly impossible squash-inspired one-handed shots.
Girls Cross-Country: Alexis Miller ’24
Alexis Miller, ’24 – new to Deerfield this year – was the only Deerfield runner (from either boys’ or girls’ teams) to score in the top 5 at our 5-school race at Exeter last weekend. She has trained consistently, maintained a good attitude, and quietly inspired others. She ran the 5k with a time of 20:38, matching her P.R.
Boys Jr. B Soccer: Tucker Gongaware
Our DOTW is Tucker Gongaware. Tucker stepped up and played keeper for us last Saturday against Eaglebrook with no previous experience at the position – and turned in a clean sheet to help us win the match 1-0. He’s anchored the defense all season and has been one of our most consistent players.
Theater: Reed Ferguson
Reed is wearing two hats in the Fall production, Radium Girls – an actor and assistant stage manager. As an actor, Reed plays a couple of roles too, and so it is a busy term in theater for him! Ever watchful, Reed is responsible for making sure furniture and props are in the correct positions, and he has helped smooth out the many scene transitions. As an actor, Reed is fearless, always ready to jump in, and he relishes the roles he is given. Often the first to volunteer to do something, Reed continues to be a valuable and valued member of our ensemble. Thank you Reed!
Girls JV Soccer: Mariam Kokosadze ’24
Mariam Kokosadze – Mariam is a rock star! She is a leader by example and her steady presence and smart play have been invaluable to our team this year.
Varsity Field Hockey: Bailey Miller ’24 and Ilsa Borgen ‘26
Bailey has been instrumental in our offense this season, as her speed, quick passes, and strong transitions have helped to create many scoring opportunities in the circle. Moreover, Bailey is a great teammate – she works well with her peers, loves to have fun, and competes every time she is on the field. She puts in the time to get better and is a positive and happy leader on the field. Keep up the great work, Bailey!
Ilsa is an incredibly versatile player and very coachable. She is willing to play any position at any time and always bring tremendous speed and intensity to the field. Isla made some big plays in our overtime period against Taft last weekend, and although the outcome was not what we had hoped, we were very proud of her for her contributions. She is a great teammate and a terrific athlete, and we look forward to her strong play in the final few weeks of the season!
Varsity Volleyball: Greta Trapp
Door of the week this week goes to Greta Trapp. Greta has made outstanding progress this year and has become a vital part of the Deerfield setting core. Her effort on the court is unmatched, as she regularly finds herself on the ground diving for a ball. As the only Sophomore, it took Greta no time at all to weave herself into the fabric of the team. Greta always has a smile on her face, and you can tell that she loves the sport when she plays. She inspires that same love of the game in anyone that plays with her. Congratulations Greta.
Girls Varsity Soccer: Kaelin Creagh ‘24
Kaelin Creagh is this week’s girls varsity soccer Door of the Week. With only a couple of practices, Kaelin switched positions from one end of the field to the other – from a forward to center back position – shifting from being the goal scorer to the goal stopper. This is no easy task. Kaelin has approached this shift with confidence, eagerness to learn the position, her always present competitive drive and a team-first attitude! Her communication, timeliness to step to the ball, gritty 1v1 defending and speedy recovery runs have all been wonderful to watch develop in the back line. Keep up the great work, Kaelin!
Varsity Football: CJ Williams ‘24
Football team Door of the Week is CJ Williams. His effort and improved physical play have helped to solidify the offensive line. He is also a matchup problem for the opposition when he is in on defense. We are hoping to see CJ continue to develop and grow throughout the season.
Thirds Volleyball: Karen Park
The 3rds volleyball team would like to nominate Karen Park for DOTW. Karen has been making steady improvements throughout this season. She has become quite a reliable passer and in our game against Frontier she served 11 straight points in a row. Karen is also a caring teammate. She willingly shared her shoes with another player during our game against Loomis when a misplaced bag left a few players without their sneakers. We really appreciate all that Karen brings to the team and we are excited to see her further development over the next few weeks.
Boys JV Soccer: Henry Shearer
In our 1-0 victory vs Loomis Chafee, Henry came up big in the back, clearing ball after ball when Loomis advanced the ball toward our goal. His instincts and physical presence have really been assets. Additionally, Henry has been a leader of positive communication while on the field and from the bench. He has cheered on good play, given direct instructions, and listened to criticism all with humility and with a desire to improve. And finally, Henry has volunteered in nearly every practice and game to carry equipment to and from the field. As a ninth grader, Henry has already delivered on so many aspects of leadership, particularly in the areas of communication and service to the team. We are lucky to have him on this squad.
Boys Jr. A Soccer: Evan Galli ’25
New to the Deerfield soccer program, Evan impressed all the coaches during tryouts. But soon after earning his place on the Junior A squad, Evan was sidelined with an injury and had to wait weeks to get back on the field, champing at the bit the whole time. But since his return to action two weeks ago, he has been a sparkplug for us at midfielder. He never, ever stops running and that tenacity has put him in place to score several goals for us in short order, including getting his head on the game-winner against Eaglebrook on Saturday. He is as laser-focused on the game when he’s sitting on the bench as he is when he’s carrying the ball through bewildered defenders, and his future in the program is bright.
Boys Water Polo: Alex Volkman ’23
In a season featuring a number of close games in which each shot mattered in the final period, no shot was more exhilarating than the one Alex Volkman ’23 made with seven second remaining to secure the 10-9 victory on the road against Williston. Game after game, Alex has played vital roles on defense at the 2-meter position in front of the goal and on offense as the key playmaker.