Congratulations to this week’s Doors of the Week!
Varsity Field Hockey: Caitlyn Lodge ’24
The varsity FH DOTW is Caitlyn Lodge ’24. Caitlyn shows up to practice every day with a smile on her face and competes every time she is on the field. She has a great shot and plays hard with her stick down. Caitlyn had an outstanding game against Worcester Academy on Wednesday, scoring two beautiful goals and creating many scoring opportunities, and she played well against Andover on Friday. She is a pleasure to coach and very deserving of the DOTW recognition
Varsity Volleyball: Loran McGruder ‘24
Door of the week this week goes to Loran McGruder. Loran has put in a ton of work this year to become the best volleyball player she can be. She often spends time in the gym before practice working on her serve alone or passing with her teammates. She is an exceptionally cheerful teammate and loves laughing with her team even while correcting her own mistakes. Loran had a great game against Andover last Saturday, with her best service and defensive match of the season. There is no question that DA volleyball is more fun with Loran.
Girls JV Soccer: Sophia Sotirhos ‘25
Sophia has been working hard and grown tremendously as a goalie this season. We appreciate her patience, good cheer and excellent work ethic.
JV Volleyball: Alessia Root ‘23
Senior Alessia Root, new to volleyball this year, served for the first time in a game against Stoneleigh-Burnham on Wednesday and scored an unheard of 4 consecutive aces on her first four career serves. Alessia has been an outstanding addition to the team this year; she is coachable, competitive, and relentlessly enthusiastic.
Girls Cross-Country: Teagan Farley ’26
Teagan Farley, ’26, who began the season as a novice runner, logged 10 miles for her “long run” in our last building week of the season, more than anyone else ran on a single day of this fall! She has been a committed member of the girls’ XC team and brings a positive spirit to all of her workouts, inspiring the rest of us!
Boys JV Soccer: MacGregor Hynds ’25
Mac has played many positions this season and most recently has been playing center back because some of our defenders were promoted to Varsity or injured. Mac has been an offense-first player for most of his soccer life and has now become a very good defender. He uses his height to elevate and play with his head. He uses his touch to settle, move the ball, and distribute. He uses his speed and good decisions to gain strong positions and clear dangerous attacks. He takes the ball into space in midfield when it becomes available and he jumps into the box on corner kicks. He has yet to score, but has come very close. On top of all this, Mac’s energy in practice, his enthusiasm in the huddle, and his overall positive approach to teamwork has lifted this team immeasurably. He has made huge contributions and we’re excited for more next week!
Music: Aka Egbosimba ‘24
Aka Egbosimba has worked incredibly hard this term towards his first ever public performance as a pianist. He has been preparing the very difficult piano part to “Trio pathétique” by Mikhail Glinka for a performance with his trio which includes Jeff Wang ’22 on clarinet and Ms La Puma on bassoon. You can hear the result of his work at the Fall Chamber Music Showcase on Wednesday November 16th at 6:30pm in the Concert Hall.
Conditioning for Athletes- Elizabeth Richards ‘24
With a commitment to excellence, a desire to motivate and a positive outlook, Elizabeth sets goals and works with focus and determination. With the drive to improve every day and always focused Elizabeth makes things happen. Well done, Elizabeth!
Theatre: The cast and crew of the Fall production, Radium Girls
The entire cast and crew of the Fall production, Radium Girls, richly deserve their nomination for Doors of the Week. We are so proud of their dedication, energy, and professionalism. Actors and technical crew alike have worked collaboratively for 9 weeks to present the very best production possible to our community, and we recognize their immense effort.
Thirds Volleyball: Holly Bernstein ‘26
Thirds volleyball would like to nominate Holly Bernstein for DOTW. Holly is a delight to have at volleyball every day. During games, Holly is excited to play and to be a part of the team. At our game against Miss Hall’s, she kept the team’s spirits up during challenging parts of the match with her natural joy and exuberance. Holly has also eagerly volunteered each game for the responsibility to collect and distribute uniforms, which is very much appreciated. It has been fun to see Holly’s development as a player during this season, and I know that she will continue to be a light to the team.
Boys Jr. A Soccer: James Kurto ’25
The beating heart of our team culture, James Kurto has returned to the Thirds squad every bit the energetic and committed player he was last year. On the field he can play any position, never, ever, ever stops running, and steals an opponent’s ball with the grace of a ballet dancer. He is still working on softening his powerful shot but has scored several meaningful goals for us this season nonetheless. Off the field, you can’t find a player more devoted to his team—cheering from the bench, strategizing in the dorms, promoting at the Dining Hall podium—than James. We’re so lucky to have him!
Boys Jr. B Soccer: Nico Pfeifler
Nico Pfeifler is the Boys Jr. B Door of the week. Nico has shown steady improvement throughout the season, has been working hard in practice and games, and is making more and more of an impact on the team every week.
JV Field Hockey: Melinda Aznar Klein ’25
In JV Field Hockey, Melinda Aznar Klein ’25 is our Door of the Week — for her tenacity on the forward line, her athleticism, determination, and several incredible goals!
Varsity Football: Christian Reavis ’23
Christian Reavis is the football team’s Door of the Week for his leadership as a captain as well as his tenacious defensive play on the field. Reavis who has been a 2 year standout linebacker plays with the effort and physicality that sets the tone every game. He does not stay blocked and both his passion and effort are remarkable. Christian leads the team in tackles while also scoring on a “country ball” scoop and score as well. We are excited to continue to see him grow and lead this week against Cheshire.
Girls Varsity Soccer: Eve Andon ’23
Eve is this week’s girls varsity soccer Door of the Week. In the team’s past two games, Eve has provided an offensive spark for the Big Green; netting the team’s lone goal at Andover and again netting the game equalizing goal at Suffield to help the team secure the league point by scoring the game tying goal. Eve has been a tireless worker all season and unselfishly transitioned to a different position. A big shout out to Eve for her commitment, attacking mindset and tireless work ethic this season! Congrats, Eve!