Kudos to Spring Teams, Including Three New England Champs

June 5, 2008

Goodwin award winners for sportsmanship and particpation, 2004-2008: Ali Comolli and Cameron Chaput

When the spring sports season ended, Exeter used one of its last student assemblies to recognize the hard work and team play of the school's athletes. Captains and coaches were seated on stage as Athletic Director Rob Morris called on the more than 400 athletes to stand up for a round of applause. "I'd like to ask everyone who played a JV or Varsity sport this school year to stand up so that we can show some appreciation for your dedication, spirit, hard work and athleticism!"

After a rousing cheer from the student body, Morris thanked the coaches and congratulated the team captains, who accepted the certificates of achievement for their teams.

Next, Morris read season summaries for each team, calling out for particular merit the success of the cycling team, boys crew and girls crew—all of whom won their respective New England Championships. Most Valuable Players (MVPs) were then called to the stage to cheers and congratulatory calls from fellow students. Here's a small sample of what contributed to their athletic success this year:

Principal Tingley congratulates Crew captains on
outstanding seasonBoys Crew MVP Andrew Safir '08 attributes this year's success to the team's hard work. "I really appreciate the honor that comes with receiving an award like this, but this was in no way the highlight of my season." He continued, "The boy's first boat saw our hard work pay off as we completed an undefeated New England Championship season. The best feeling was crossing the finish line 1.7 seconds in front of Andover, throwing my hands in the air, and then roaring at the top of my lungs. Once we got onto the awards dock and received our hardware, we tossed our cox and coach in the lake. It was such a sweet day!"

Cycling MVP Alexander Chen '08 appreciated the support of his teammates and coaches. "The support on the cycling team is phenomenal—the team members often go riding together on off days, and the coaches are always available for advice or help. Our team is a loud and tight one that cheers enthusiastically and gets music going to bring the party to the race. Ultimately, success is contingent on the tangibles and intangibles—physical preparedness and experience are key, but the support of the best team and the best coaches often makes all the difference." He went on to describe his first-place showing at the Proctor Circuit in early May, "Before and during the race, I scouted the position I wanted, envisioned my move in the last corner into the final sprint. This all paid off wonderfully at Proctor."

Softball MVP Lily White '09 had these comments on her award, "I was a little bit surprised to win, also very happy and excited. I had a good support system of teammates and coaches that helped me get to where I am. The coaches have been helpful and have pushed me to do my best, my teammates as well."

Water Polo in tough battle with Andover this seasonBaseball MVP Taylor Denson '09 described his experience this way: "The highlight of this year was our 5-4 walk-off win against Andover in the first game of our doubleheader. Coming into the game, Andover and our team were ranked one and two in the league respectively. It was wet and cold, and it wasn't the best-pitched game, but the offense really stepped it up in the last inning. We had a two-out rally and first basemen Charles Davis hit a walk-off double against Andover's ace. It's always awesome to beat your archrival but especially on a walk-off!" Describing the team's chemistry, Denson said, "There's chatter on the field, and in between innings on the bench. My coaches have criticism sometimes but it's always helpful and keeps me focused on the task. Everybody encourages everyone else. The team chemistry this year was outstanding."

Tennis MVP Mark Coutin '08 also appreciated the encouragement of his teammates, saying, "It was very flattering to receive the award based on the support of my peers. I would attribute my success to the long hours of practice and preparation. Most importantly, my teammates helped me improve each day by trying to push me as hard as possible."

Coach Kathy Nekton receives applauseThe school community also took a moment to recognize and honor Coach Kathy Nekton P'98 with sustained applause on her retirement and for her many contributions to Exeter's athletic programs.

Interested in learning more?

Read more about Exeter's sports teams…
Prospective students can send information to Exeter coaches using the online Prospective Athletes form…
Explore sports pages from a recent The Exeter Bulletin...
View a Crew picture gallery...