Rams of the Week

Finian Bivens ’25 - Varsity Boys Squash
Fin jumped up a spot on the ladder earlier on Monday by winning a challenge match against a higher ranked player, then had a very strong win yesterday against Friends Central School.

Aman Gupta ’23 – JV Boys’ Basketball
Aman has led by example each and every day, working hard in practice and helping the team with his leadership and dedication. Aman gives his all every day on the court and helps make the guys around him better!

Mia Jacobs ’24 – Varsity Girls’ Basketball
Mia has been working extremely hard to continue improving her skills.  In practice she is playing hard and is pushing her teammates to get better. She is always listening to her coaches and teammates on ways to improve her game. Mia has come a long way since the beginning of the season, and we are excited to continue to watch her grow!

Michael Kealey ’25 - JV Boys’ Hockey
Michael has been a rock in net for the Boys JV hockey team this season. He's played in every game so far, and has often kept the team in the game facing a high volume of grade A scoring chances. His attitude and work ethic every day in practice have been exemplary and he's earned himself time in varsity practices, as well. Great job, Michael!

Chelsea Kuang ’25 – Diving
Chelsea learned an inward dive on the spot on the day of the Villa Maria Academy meet, did 2 of them in warm up (which didn’t leave time to warm up some of her other dives for the meet), competed in the meet, and broke 100 points - which is fantastic for a new diver.  She stepped up majorly for our team and we are super proud of her.

Casey Li ’23 – JV swimming
Casey has worked hard at practice and was rewarded with the granddaddy of all high school swimming events: the 500-yard freestyle, in the meet against Malvern Prep. He didn’t bat an eye but put his head down and just kept swimming. Great attitude and great work ethic – proud to have him on the team!

Charlie Rauch ’24 – Varsity Girls’ Hockey
Charlie set a new program record, scoring four times in a game in the team’s 5-3 win over Winchendon on Sunday. This was Rauch’s third multi-goal game of the season, and she currently leads all of New England Prep in goals this season with ten.

Olivia Cimorelli ’23 – V Girls’ Hockey
Olivia gave up only two goals in two games, which included a shutout against Kimball Union Academy and two outstanding shootout efforts.

Devin Eisman ’25 – JV Boys’ Hockey
Devin has been an immediate contributor for the Boys JV hockey team. He works hard each day in practice and it’s translating to success on the scoreboard with 4 goals in the first 4 games of the season. Devin’s positive attitude in the dressing room and on the bench have helped get our team off to a terrific start this season!

RJ Jordan ’24 – JV Boys’ Basketball
He has really stepped up and always gives 100% on and off the court for us, setting a great example for his teammates.

Lauren Kuppinen ’23 – V Girls’ Basketball
Lauren played extremely well in practice this week and especially in Saturday’s game against the Perkiomen School. Her hustle and determination were evident in keeping a very good player in front of her. As a 3rd former she stepped into a very important starting role and showed poise as a young athlete on the team. 

Anna Schlegel ’22 - V Girls’ Swimming and Diving
Anna has approached every day cheerfully and with a positive attitude. In our intrasquad meet and our meet against Perk, she swam two of the hardest races: the 500 Freestyle and the 100 Butterfly. When the music starts at practice, she is practically dancing in the water. Her positive energy makes practices and meets better for coaches and her teammates alike.

Eddie Proffitt ’22 and & Andres Arevalo ’22 – V Boys’ Squash
Eddie and Andres have gone undefeated in their opening 5 matches.

Maya Brigandi ’22 - Varsity Swimming and Diving
Maya has rejoined the aquatics world after two years away. This time she is trying her hand at diving and is already making substantial progress. In our first meet, which did not include diving, she volunteered to help the team by swimming the lead leg of the 4x50 Butterfly Relay. Her energy and enthusiasm have made a positive impact on the team.

Luke Cawley ‘22 – Wrestling
Luke kicked off his 6F season by making the finals of the Battle at Germantown Academy.  Luke showed a lot of resilience by winning a very tough opening round matchup and, as one of our captains, really helped to set the tone for our team in our season-opening event.

Ivy Dietrich ’24 – Varsity Girls’ Hockey
Ivy scored the first goal of our season and the first goal of her Hill career in a 1-1 tie with Westminster. She has worked hard since the start of the season and been a great, positive teammate.

Kate O’Brien ’25 - JV Girls' Basketball
Kate has improved so much already over the past few weeks.  She is a rebounding machine!  In our most recent game, Kate's rebounds were in the double digits, greatly contributing to our win. Kate gives 110% every time she steps on the court. Can't wait to see what she is capable of as the season moves forward.

Nick Rafetto ’22 - Varsity Boys’ Basketball
Nick brings energy to every practice, literally bouncing into the gym each day. His hard work has paid off, as he went from just trying to make the team to jumping in to play some valuable minutes in our season-opening tourney.

Andres Villarreal ’22 - Varsity Swimming and Diving
Andres is putting in a solid effort in his first year on the team. He trains hard at practice and never complains. He filled in during our first meet when two swimmers were unable to compete. In his debut, he swam a grueling event, the 200 Freestyle. He did so cheerfully, making it a pleasure to coach him.

Jaelynn Bucinell ‘25, Reet Tharwani ’24 - Thirds Girls’ Tennis
Jaelynn Bucinell and Reet Tharwani playing First Doubles, combined grit, determination, and a competitive drive to win for the Thirds Tennis team in a tie breaker against a JV B Lawrenceville Team.  It was a classic David vs Goliath match, with Jaelynn and Reet demonstrating that a daily positive attitude and consistent effort can lead to victory in competition!

Chloe Moser ’24 - Varsity Girls’ Soccer
Chloe put everything on the line in our games against Germantown Academy and Lawrenceville last week. She was a strong force in helping to clear balls out of the back and helped up to keep our composure despite the rowdy opposition fan sections against GA. Additionally, Chloe displayed her flexibility by seamlessly transition to the midfield when her team needed her during our game against Lawrenceville. This move ultimately forced L'ville to change their lineup to accommodate the threat that Chloe posed. We are fortunate to have young, committed players like her in our soccer family.

Ariana Pearson ’24 - JV Field Hockey
Ariana always gives her all on the field, but during Saturday’s game against L’ville she was a dominant presence both defensively and offensively. Ariana played with more confidence than she has all year, and our victory would not have been possible without her. We’ve been working with her to be more aggressive and intentional with her play, and on Saturday it paid off.  When there was a turnover, she fought to get the ball back.  Her dominance at the midfield created the opportunity for us to score as a team.  Ariana is not a flashy or loud player.  She puts in the time and does the work. She embodies what it means to be a team player. We are lucky to have her as part of our team. 

Kerr Redner ’24 - Boys’ Water Polo
Kerr scored 2 goals in a 9-8 victory over Malvern Prep on Sunday, Nov 7 to help the team finish second at the Easterns Prep "B" Division tournament and bookend the season with wins over the Friars. Kerr played great defense and made some stellar passes over the course of the three-game tournament. Of the field players on the team, Kerr finished the season in the top 3 in goals, steals, and ejections drawn.

Mia Jacobs ’24 and Carrington Bernabei '24 - V Girls’ Tennis
I'd like to nominate Mia Jacobs and Carrington Bernabei for their performance at the MAPL championships. Despite being a new doubles team, Mia and Carrington rebounded from a first round loss to have a strong consolation bracket victory. More importantly, they competed intensely all day and stepped out of their comfort zone as tennis players.

Andre Lo ’24 - Thirds Soccer
Andre is not a natural or experienced soccer player, but what he lacks from limited past experiences, he makes up for in the present with grit, drive, and passion for the game. Andre’s goals are not personal: he would rather focus on the success of the team and his teammates. Andre is the heart of the Thirds backfield and has played a major role in the team’s recent success: winning 4 of the last 5 matches.

Cate Jacobs ’23 - Girls’ Water Polo
5^th former Cate Jacobs is in her first season playing water polo. Her strong work ethic and competitive spirit have allowed her to progress rapidly as a goalkeeper. In addition to being the starting goalie on the JV team, Cate has been invaluable to the varsity team as a practice player and vocal supporter of every girl in the program. Congratulations Cate and thank you for all you do for HGWP and The Hill School Family! #HillPride

Tasha Feldman ’25 - Girls’ Cross Country
Tasha has been an extremely hard worker all season. She is the first to show up at practice each day and gives everything she has to each practice and race. She has been working to steadily improve her racing and last week at the State Championship she placed 2nd among all freshmen girls, the only team award for the day! She is a terrific teammate and a great example for Hill Athletics.

JiHwan Sung ’22 - V Boys’ Water Polo
As the only 6th former and captain suited up for the game, JiHwan helped lead one of the youngest teams in program history to a thrilling overtime victory over Lawrenceville. JiHwan made key adjustments on the offensive end and helped stop the potent Lawrenceville counterattack. Statistically, he contributed to one steal, one assist, and one field block in the one of biggest upsets in the history of the water polo rivalry.

Charlie Hewitt ‘25 – Football
Charlie Hewitt stepped into the starting role for a passing focused game against a tough Blair team. Charlie completed 19 passes on 22 attempts, throwing two touchdowns. His continued growth was on display when Charlie started again as Quarterback, vs. a talented Kiski team. Charlie is also our long snapper with a great arm and has the hand-eye coordination to consistently catch the ball. Charlie is a young man of many talents that has grown, and will continue to grow, through his determination and competitive nature. 

Jacob Faulkingham ’25 - Boys’ Water Polo
In JV games, Jacob Faulkingham scored two goals at Lawrenceville on Oct 23 and another two against Blair on Oct 27. He also served up three assists in the Blair game. Jacob’s defense has significantly improved in his first season of water polo; most notably when he is tasked with challenging and defending more experienced teammates in practice.

Ella Grindle ’24 - Girls’ Water Polo
Fourth form student-athlete Ella Grindle is in her second season of playing water polo at Hill. Ella’s combination of speed and selfless play has made her a major contributor to the JV program this year, and with a teammate injury, she found herself playing impactful minutes in the varsity games over the past two weeks. This past Saturday Ella played almost half the varsity game vs rival Lawrenceville. She played excellent defense and scored a goal late in the game, helping Hill’s Varsity Girls’ Team defeat L’ville 18-8. Congratulations Ella!

Anthony Grosso ’25 - 3rds Boys Soccer
Anthony is having a great season for the Thirds squad. He leads the team in scoring - including an astonishing 10 goals in the last three games including a double hat-trick (6 goals!) versus Church Farm School, and a single hat-trick versus Peddie. In addition to his scoring prowess, Anthony is a team leader and positive role-model during practices and games; his character and good sportsmanship set an example for both teammates and opponents.

Luke Rasmussen ’25 - Football
Luke Rasmussen played an all-around good game this past weekend. Luke led the charge with our offensive scout during the week of practice. Luke defines the phrase “always ready!”. He played quarterback, defensive back, and helped on special teams. 

Kaleigh Spatarella ’25 - Varsity Girls’ Soccer
Kaleigh has battled back after various injuries and come back stronger each time. She is a supportive teammate and brings focus and enthusiasm to each practice. Not to mention, her tireless work ethic and an upbeat attitude enhances the environment for everyone. Finally, she demonstrates flexibility and commitment to the team with her willingness to step into whatever position we need her to play. Kaleigh makes our team a welcoming yet competitive space helping us to get better each day. 

Chloe Willman ’25 - JV Girls’ Soccer
Chloe Willman has consistently been an impact player for the JV girls’ soccer team all season. She has played nearly every minute of every game and has played a key role in strengthening the defensive line as one of our center defenders. Chloe played a key role in helping the team shift out of the defensive end against a strong Blair team this past weekend and never backs down when up against challenging and physical opponents. Outside of games, Chloe can consistently be relied on to show up to practice ready and hard working. She’s never one to cut corners and puts her all into every drill and every moment on the field. We’re grateful to have such a talented and hardworking player on our team!

Julia Saraniti ’25 – Varsity Girls’ Soccer
Julia has been a significant offensive contributor for Hill girls’ soccer. Julia has battled injuries throughout the season but seems to come back stronger each time.  In our MAPL home opener against Hun, Hill went down early 1-0. With Julia’s determination,  work ethic, and the help of the team she played a pivotal role in Hill’s rally by assisting the game-leveling goal less than a minute later. 

Ella Lee ’24 – Girls’ Cross Country
Ella has been working exceptionally hard this season and has seen her 5K time drop substantially. She is beginning to understand how to be a distance runner and just how good she can be. As we head into the final stretch of races the coaches are eager to see just how much improvement she can show this fall.

Harry Whaley ’25 – Boys’ Cross Country
Harry began his distance training this summer and was the only third former to join boys’ cross country preseason. His enthusiasm and work ethic were terrific, and he is a positive glue that has connected our experienced varsity members with the new, younger teammates. Harry graciously gave up a spot on the first varsity trip to lead and encourage the JV team at another meet. Over the next races he has improved steadily, finishing 8^th on the team twice, and then 5^th on the team Saturday vs Hun. He has shown great leadership potential and a positivity that energizes our team. Keep it up, Harry! 

Pat Patterson ’22 and Zachary Zindle ’25 - Football 
Both Pat and Zak stepped up and played positions that were unfamiliar to them against a very competitive Hun School of Princeton. Their ability to be flexible and put the team first was on full display!

Mark McKeon '22 - Football
Mark is a post-graduate captain and has gone above and beyond the duty of the captain. Given MAPL rules, only certain number of PGs can participate in league games. With that said, despite Mark not being able to play in those games, he has been a tremendous leader for scout for the last two weeks. He is making himself better, as well as those football players around him. Keep up the good work, Mark!

Mallory Horner '22 - Girls'  Water Polo
When sixth form tri-captain, Mallory Horner arrived at Hill as a third former, she had never played water polo. Over the next three seasons she trained and competed as a field player. When the team returned for preseason practice this fall, Mallory was asked if she would consider becoming the team’s goalkeeper. Her response, “Coach I will play whatever position you think will best help the team.” In the past four weeks Mallory’s development as a goalkeeper has been nothing short of remarkable. She is widely regarded by Hill’s opponents as the best goalkeeper Hill has had in recent memory. Her ability to defend Hill’s net and serve as a team leader, has truly elevated this year’s GWP team. Congratulations, Mallory, and thank you for all you do in and out of the pool for all of us in The Hill School Family!

Matthew Flynn '25 - Boys' Water Polo
Matthew has played more varsity minutes than any third former in the last 15 years of Hill boys’ water polo. In the team’s victory at St. Benedict’s Prep, he scored a goal and stole two balls to bring his season totals to six goals and eight steals. Beyond the stats, Matthew brings valuable experience, determination, and versatility to the 2021 Hill team.

Paige Hartshorn '23 and Helena Van Gheem '23 - Varsity Field Hockey
Paige and Helena have been incredible additions to the Hill Field Hockey Program this fall. As two new fifth formers in their first season for The Hill, Paige and Helena have made an immediate impact both on the field and amongst their teammates. Their love for field hockey and commitment to being great teammates makes them an integral part of the Hill Field Hockey varsity team. Not only do their push themselves past their own personal limits, but they are also constantly encouraging and supporting their teammates to do the same. We are proud of all the hard work Paige and Helena have put in so far this season. They are incredibly deserving of being Rams of the Week. Keep up the great work Paige and Helena! We love you! GO HILL!

Ross Bussilo '24- JV Boys' Soccer 
Ross had a stellar game in goal against Pennington. He was aggressive and confident off his goal line and made several point-blank saves to help us maintain our one goal lead. Ross stepped up big in a game where the team needed him.

Mary Kathryn Barnhart '24 – Girls' Cross Country:
MK has come a long way in just the start of our season. Her hard work has paid off for her and the team. She brings a relentless positivity to practice every day and follows it up with a determined work ethic. The coaches can’t wait to see how she finishes the season.

Thomas Beaudoin '22- Boys' Golf
Thomas made a rare hole-in-one in our match versus Malvern Prep.  A great accomplishment for a great guy.

Zoe Brafman '23– JV Field Hockey
JV FH nominates Zoe Brafman for RAM of the Week. Zoe has come into this season with not much field hockey experience. Zoe has picked up the game and is growing in her skills each week. She accepts feedback from coaches and works hard in each part of practice always giving her full effort. She is a positive influence on the team by always cheering on and supporting her teammates. 

Maya Brigandi '22 - JV Girls' Soccer
Maya has stepped up this year in a big way by filling in as the JV girls' soccer team goalie, a position she has never played before this season. So far, she's been averaging over 10 saves a game and has played a huge role in keeping the team competitive in tough situations. In addition to her stellar performance on the field, Maya has emerged as leader off the field and was unanimously by her teammates to be team captain. She can always be counted on to lead the team through warmups, pick the team up during halftime and has helped develop a culture of respect, hard work, and fun on the team. We wouldn't be where we are this year without her!

Rowan Karas '24 – Girls' Varsity Soccer
I’d like to nominate Rowan Kara for girls' varsity soccer RAM of the Week. Rowan has brought a high work ethic to every practice and game since preseason and it was rewarding to see her efforts pay off on the game winning goal against Westtown this week.

Piper Schmidt '23 – Field Hockey
Every day Piper comes to practice willing and ready to give her all to hear teammates and coaches. Piper’s love for HFHF is second to none and she is dedicated to being the best version of herself that she can be. Piper consistently answers the call whenever she is needed. Whether it’s comforting a teammate or stepping onto the field in big moments, Piper epitomizes what it means to be a great teammate and member of the Hill Field Hockey Family. It is clear that big things lie ahead for Piper this season and beyond! Keep up the great work Piper. We love you!

Aryanna Bodge ’23 (Pottstown, Pa.) and Belle DiCampello ’24 (Pottstown, Pa.) Varsity Softball
Ary pitched and Belle caught all 3 games we played last week, totaling 20 innings in 4 days of work. Their partnership has been the backbone of our squad and they were tough as nails to the end. 

Ella Grindle ’24 (Collegeville, Pa.) Girls’ Swimming and Diving  
Ella has demonstrated dedication and flexibility throughout this entire season. She stepped up to swim the 100 Fly in our first virtual meet against Stony Brook School, despite swimming alone. She then agreed to swim the 200 IM, one of the most challenging events in swimming, against Lawrenceville. Every time I ask her what she wants to swim, she replies that she will swim whatever the team needs. Her cheerfulness and team spirit have been an inspiration to her peers and to her coaches.

John Imperato ’21 (Kingwood, Texas) Varsity Boys’ Lacrosse
John had a 5-point week scoring 3 goals vs Peddie and 2 goals vs Lawrenceville.  A PG who will continue his playing career at Bellarmine University, John was the winner of the Rip Davy Award as the Hill Most Valuable Player of the L’Ville v Hill lacrosse game.  In 9 games this year John has totaled 13 goals and 3 assists.

Terry Shao ’24 (Shanghai, China) Boys’ Golf
Terry stepped up in a big way against Lawrenceville, shooting his career low score at home, and then defeating his opponent on a L’Ville course that was greatly impacted by campus construction.  Terry's good play was instrumental to the team retaining the Crooked Stick.

Deven Vennera ’24 (Pottstown, Pa.) Boys’ Swimming and Diving
Deven is a quiet, consistent contributor both in practices and in meets. He has shown steady improvement over the season, and even ended up swimming the 500 Freestyle (the longest event in high school swimming) against Lawrenceville, thereby contributing to our victory over our rival. He is agreeable and eager to learn.

Tyler Chenevert '22 (Shrewsbury, Mass.) Varsity Baseball
Co-captain Tyler Chenevert has helped lead the Baseball team all season long. He's vocal in the dugout, in centerfield, and he models hustle and effort in every drill during practice. Tyler has contributed on the mound, too, relieving starting pitchers in some tough spots. Opposing coaches have taken the time to compliment Tyler's talent and attitude. This past week against Peddie and Blair, Tyler had several hits, scored many runs, and earned a save. 

Anna Cowan ’24 (Arlington, Va.) Varsity Softball
Anna has been ready and willing to play multiple positions over the course of the season and has been a consistent and solid contributor throughout. In both games this week she recorded multiple hits and made key outs in the field.

Brett Reynolds ’21 (Chapel Hill, NC), Joey Asterino ’23 (Reading, Pa.), Anthony McMullan ’23 (Easton, Pa.) Varsity Boys’ Lacrosse
All three players contributed greatly in our game at Kiski on Saturday.  Brett had another great day at the faceoff X, winning 21 of 26 draws on the day and scooping up 11 ground balls which allowed us to claw back into the game.  Joey was a spark off the bench scoring 3 goals and dishing out an assist while playing both attack and midfield.  Anthony also registered a hat trick.  He was very good the week before at Hun and carried that into Saturday’s game vs. Kiski.

Emily Rakos ’21 (Lehighton, Pa.) JV Girls’ Lacrosse
Emily received the game ball in our win against Hun as she played every minute in the midfield. She had two draw controls, four ground balls, and a caused turnover. She was steadying on attack and strong in our re-defend. She certainly was the energy that the rest of the team could feed off of against Hun.

Kenny Palmieri '22 (Royersford, Pa.) Varsity Baseball
The 5th Form second baseman has done a great job all season at the top of the lineup, generating offense for the club when we need it most, and providing relief for our starting pitchers if required. In this past Saturday's win against Kiski, Kenny went 3-5 with 4 RBI, while also pitching 2 innings with 5 strikeouts.  Kenny's passion for the game and positive attitude help to make him a great teammate and leader on the diamond and in the dugout.

Will Schaller ’22 (Bel Air, Md.) Varsity Boys Lacrosse
Will was instrumental in the team’s victory at Blair Academy last weekend, marking Blair’s leading scorer throughout the game and limiting him to just one assist.  Additionally, he scooped up three ground balls, had one pass knockdown, and had one goal and one assist.  

Piper Schmidt ’23 (Wilmington, Del.) Varsity Girls Lacrosse
Piper has done an outstanding job steadily growing each day on our team. Many people say, "grow one percent better every day," - that's much easier in theory than in practice. Piper has done just that, if not more, this season. Working her way into being a stronghold on a strong midfield unit, we are excited to see her continue to step into her role on this team in the coming weeks!

Colette Zidek ’23 (Anchorage, Alaska) Girls Track and Field
In the meet against Blair last Wednesday, Colette won the javelin throw – her first time ever competing in the event after the coaches approached her to see if she’d be interested in trying it – and then moments later she stepped onto the track and won her 1600m race, out-kicking her Blair opponent in what became a sprint over the final 100 meters to win the most exciting race of the day by one-tenth of a second.  The team-first mentality Colette exhibited in learning a new event and the competitive spirit and mettle she displayed in fighting through fatigue (and shin splints) to hold off her opponent at the end of the mile are just some of the attributes that make her a valuable team member and teammate.      

JV Girls Lacrosse Starting Defense
Claire Hartemink, Ava Gawronski, Rosa Rodriguez and Camille Beeding are our starting defense and have held our opponents to 9 goals in 3 games. Camille and Rosa had never even picked up a stick before this year and all four have worked hard together to provide great stability in our defensive end. Going into our last three games, we will count on them to continue to lead the team.

Maya Brigandi ’22 (Pottstown, Pa.) JV Girls Lacrosse
In the game last week against Mercersburg, Maya had 7 draw controls, 4 ground balls, and 3 goals, and followed that up with another strong performance against Blair with 5 draw controls, 7 ground balls, and 3 goals. Her hard work and positive attitude bring the whole team to a better level of play, we are lucky to have her.

Brendan Grable '21 (Phoenixville, Pa.) Varsity Baseball
Brendan, the team's backstop this spring, caught 14 innings of baseball this past weekend and worked with 6 different Hill pitchers to keep the Blues in both games till the end.  Brendan works hard each day to improve in all aspects of his game and responds positively to feedback from coaches and peers alike.

Girls Crew: 1V Boat
The 1V girls boat of Raina Shah ’21, Amber Cao ’21, Melody Chen ’22, Avery Reigner ’22, and Audrey Lehneis ’21 went into their competition this past weekend at Manny Flicks in Philadelphia with accustomed zeal for racing.  They are always at their best when next to other crews and that showed itself in spades in their flight.  Cox Raina Shah commented “The girls’ race was full of solid power and high spirits, with our ‘fiery’ start that allowed us to get ahead and stay ahead from the very beginning of the race as we like to do.  Our focus became to increase the distance between us and the other crews, and we then raced against the clock.”  The girls thus had a full sprint and ended 20 seconds ahead of 2nd-place Haddonfield and the rest of the 5-boat field.  It is a joy for their teammates and coaches to see these girls zipping around the river looking to “crush souls” at every opportunity!

Girls Track and Field: 4x100-Meter Relay
In Thursday’s win at Lawrenceville, the girls’ 4x100-meter relay team of Kiki Lange ’21, Sarah Kenvin ’23, Susanna Soderman ’21, Sydney Floyd ’21 set a new school record of 50.52 seconds in the event.  Success in the 4x100m relay depends on a collection of four talented sprinters, and on the timing of the handoffs.  For our girls to have put together both essential pieces of the 4x100m relay—talent and chemistry—already in the first meet of the year, when we are not even at peak fitness, is extraordinary. Such an accomplishment is a testament to their incredible talent, their experience in the sport, and the work they put in with Coach Dollhopf at practice to put together quality exchanges.

Brandon Bastian '21 (Barto, Pa.) Varsity Baseball
Brandon's performance on the mound in Saturday's MAPL opener gave the Blues plenty of confidence on their way to a 10-5 victory over Peddie.  Brandon pitched 4 innings, giving up 4 hits and only 2 earned runs while striking out 5. In three innings of work last week, the co-captain also picked up 5 K's.  A Varsity contributor since he arrived at Hill, it's great to see Brandon handle his leadership role this year with such enthusiasm and pride.

Faisal Choudhri '24 (Alpine, NJ) JV Baseball
Faisal has embraced Hill Baseball fully and this year and he's performed many tasks for the squad, including operating the scoreboard, and none more thrilling than singing the National Anthem prior to Saturday's MAPL opener. Even the umpires noted Faisal's courage and talent for his singing such a demanding piece.

Louis Gimbert ’21 (College Station, Texas) Boys Track and Field
New to track this year, we asked Louis to try one of the sport’s most physically demanding events, the intermediate hurdles.  His performance in the 300-meter hurdles in our time trial was impressive, so we placed him in the event for our opening meet at Lawrenceville.  Only, in New Jersey, they run the 400-meter hurdles; so, in his second time ever running the event, we added another 100-meters to the distance.  Not only did Louis willingly do this, he ended up winning the race by four seconds.  He then came back to run a leg on our 4x400-meter relay team.  Louis has exhibited a selflessness and toughness that have allowed him to quickly become a valuable contributor to the team, and we look forward to seeing what the rest of the spring brings for him.   

Anna Lignelli ’22 (Pottstown, Pa.) JV Girls Lacrosse
Anna was incredible in the goal in our 7-1 opening win against Peddie. She had 8 saves and two ground balls and definitely inspired the team with how well she played. She is very skilled in her position but at the same time an amazing teammate who is always supporting and cheering others on. We are so lucky to have her in the cage and on our team.

Nikheel Madhoo ’23 (Perkasie, Pa.) Varsity Boys Tennis
Nikheel went 2-0 in our match at Peddie on Saturday and battled through an injured arm, after almost withdrawing from the match, to pull out an important singles win which was crucial in helping our team win the match 4-3. 

Mandy McCarrick ’22 (Elmira, NY) Varsity Girls Lacrosse
Mandy has been a force on the field from day one. In addition to her relentless drive on the field, she brings the energy and enthusiasm to the team each and every day. Leave it to Mandy to lead the team in song or start the dance party. We would be a different team without her vibes and love her for it! #cellygamestrong

Katie Newkirk ’22 (Montclair, NJ) Varsity Softball
Last week we asked Katie to adjust positions, moving from the outfield to 3^rd base, and she took the challenge in stride. Her willingness to jump in wherever the team needed her was paramount to our victory on Saturday as she accounted for 2 key outs at 3^rd base when Peddie tried to rally late in the game.

Boys’ Crew Novice 8+
This past Saturday, the Boys Novice 8+, consisting of Benji Wang ’23, Michael Rapp ’24, Ben Sullivan ’24, Carver Fulmer ’23, Ariston Goeke ’24, Colin McLenaghan ’24, Isaac Ramon ’24, Nate Whittemore ’23, and Patrick Dunn ’23 raced to a convincing 27 second win over intraleague rival, Blair Academy. Led by some skilled and motivating coxing from Benji Wang, the boat settled into a nice rhythm and got to an early lead. They never took their foot off the gas and continued to increase their lead throughout the entire race. Special shoutout to Nate Whittemore, who was racing in his second race of the day, a truly impressive athletic feat.

Girls Crew: Novice 4+
This Saturday, the Girls Novice 4+, consisting of stroke Ella Lee, 3 Isabelle DiLiberti, 2 Smeena Gill, bow Mia Jacobs, and coxswain Nicholas Won, won their 1500m race against a Blair Academy Novice 8+ rowing in 6s.  This was an unusual arrangement, but it highlights how many things that novices need to learn in order to row and then to race successfully—the stroke and physical training sufficient to sustain maximum effort for a full race, boat handling skills, and the melding of the crew into a unit that can work together.  The 4+ is a challenging boat—unstable, heavy compared to other boat classes, bow-coxed which is tough for cox and crew alike.  These girls and their coxswain Nicholas—in rowing, boys can cox girls and vice-versa—performed splendidly in fast water and heavy winds in the runup to Saturday and then executed flawlessly both their race and the innovative “practice pieces” after.  These rowers and their coxswain have shown an unusual level of athleticism, enthusiasm, and stick-to-it-ness.  Bravo!    

Colin Brown '23 (Boyertown, Pa.) JV Baseball
Colin has improved in all aspects of his game since the Autumn 2 session, especially hitting. Colin works hard during every drill, listens to instruction, and applies it as best he can. He is also the first player every practice to put the bases in when we start and drag the infield when we're done. Colin has been a tremendous model of selflessness and dedication.

Will Lesko ’22 (Villanova, Pa.) Varsity Boys’ Lacrosse
In the team’s game at US Military Academy Prep School, Will contributed on four of the team’s 10 goals with one goal and three assists, bringing his totals on the season to seven goals and four assists.  He also collected four ground balls and sparked our Extra Man Opportunity unit that converted on 5 of 8 opportunities. 

Lulu Nakagawa ’23 (Las Vegas, NV) Varsity Girls’ Golf
In the first match of her Hill career, 4^th former Lulu Nakagawa maintained her quiet yet confident demeanor and managed to figure out a tricky Blair Academy golf course which usually rewards local knowledge. Having never seen the layout, Lulu led Hill in scoring with one of the lowest rounds of the day from both teams, carding a 47. Look for even lower scores in Lulu’s future.

Amelia Nordhoy ’22 (Reading, Pa.) Varsity Girls’ Lacrosse
Right out of the gates, Mimi has found her voice on and off the field and shown to be a reliable and consistent force on our attacking unit. Over the last three years she has worked hard at her craft of lacrosse and it has paid off. We are excited to see Mimi's impact on the field as this season unfolds.

Gilbert Saunders '22 (Gilbertsville, Pa.) Varsity Baseball
In the Blues' first game since May 2019, Gilbert did it all by going 4-4 at the plate with two doubles, 3 runs scored, and two RBI last Saturday against Pennington en-route to a 12-2 victory.  On the mound, Gilbert pitched four scoreless innings with five strikeouts, giving the squad plenty of breathing room to play sound, relaxed baseball.  Gilbert's leadership in the dugout and on the field has helped keep our younger players focused and contributed to a strong sense of ownership among this year's team.

Romil Shah ’23 (Collegeville, Pa.) JV Boys’ Tennis
Romil is very open to learn new techniques, and he loves to compete and leaves it all on the court every day.  The other day, he got hit in the nose with the ball and had a bloody nose. While he was being attended to, his primary focus was finishing his match. That is the kind of player I love to work with. Whomever I pair him up with, he just gets on the court and tries his best. 

Andres Villarreal ’22 (Victoria Tamaulipas, Mexico) Varsity Boys’ Golf
Andres has made tremendous improvement as a golfer this year. He works hard and he is a great teammate. 

Courtney Bodolus '23 
Kerry Elliott '23 
Ric Guan '23 
Mallory Horner '22 
Spencer Metz '22 
Poppy Otten '21 

Kamilia Barkasi '21 
Luke Cawley '22 
Aidan Dunn '21 
Ava Gawronski '22 
John Ju '23 
Kunal Patel '21 
Susanna Soderman '21 

Sydney Floyd '21 
Tess Gray '21 
Eric Nordquist '21 
Ruthanne Sandner '22 
Colette Zidek '23 
 

Andrew Chirieleison '21 
Zach Kaplan '21 
Mia Keane '22 
Maggie Kondrath '23 
Marah Krick '21 
Jake Mitchell '23 
Dami Odubona '23 
Carrie Shang '23 

Mamadou Bah ’21
Mary Kate Barnhart ’24
Anna Cowan ’24
Olivia DeVol ’21
Quinton Tang ’21