Athletes of the Week Include Record-Breaking Runners
Maybe it was the crisp autumn air or all the cheering families on campus for Parents Weekend. Perhaps it was just a concerted show of grit and determination.
Whatever the explanation, the boys cross country team—Groton’s Team of the Week—racked up a string of personal bests over the weekend, with some runners beating their previous records by significant margins.
Other Athletes of the Week for the week concluding on October 26 came from the field hockey, boys varsity soccer, and girls JV soccer team. Coaches nominate players who demonstrate outstanding performance or leadership.
Other varsity runners who beat their personal records on Saturday were Will Norton '17 and Kei Nawa ’17 (by about 50 seconds), Jamie Thorndike '14 (by nearly 40 seconds), and David Howe ’14 (by 35 seconds). On JV cross country, Jonathan Briggs '16 ran 3:10 faster; Jack Fanikos '17 shaved 1:51 off his best; Matthew Higgins-Iati '17 cut 4:10, Victor Liu '17 3: 21, Michael Ma '15 1:40, Zhamoyani McMillan '16 1:28, Will Popik '15 2:36, and Andrew Sudol '16 3:50.
In varsity field hockey, Athletes of the Week were Melissa Cusanello '14 and Charlotte Gemes '14. "Both girls led the team to an exciting victory over St. Paul's on Saturday," said Coach Martha Gracey. "Melissa provided the scoring punch on a corner play in the first half; Charlotte was the steadying presence on defense who time and again came up big in intercepting and taking away St Paul's attacking opportunities. These two showed their focus and grit under pressure."
In boys varsity soccer, Jared Belsky '15, Alec Reiss '17, Ross Coneybeer '14, and Andrew Popp '14 received much of the credit for the week's two shutout victories. Centerbacks Alec and Ross and wingbacks Jared and Andrew provided an inpenetrable backline defense. "Reiss continues to play like a veteran member of the varsity, working seamlessly with stalwart Coneybeer (who scored over the weekend) to anchor Groton's play," said Coach Peter Quagliaroli. "Popp turned in two excellent performances after being shifted from the left to the right side of the pitch, and Belsky not only stepped into a new role without complaint, but also played fantastically well, getting forward to ignite the offense."
On the girls JV soccer pitch, Min Shin '18 has earned a starting spot on the defensive line. "She is consistent in her ability to shut down attackers before they get a shot on goal, and she does a great job covering for her fellow defenders," said Coaches Kristen Leatherbee, Chris Hampson, and Sarah Meyer. "Min is someone we can rely on to bring forth her best effort through the entirety of the game. She played a huge role anchoring our defense in our recent game against St. Paul's, for which we recognize and applaud her tireless efforts!"
Congratulations to all of Groton's Athletes of the Week!
Congratulations to all of Groton's Athletes of the Week!
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