By: Caroline Bazinet ’10, Rick Bhattacharya ’10, Chip Lebovitz ’10, Ben Millard ’10, VJ Gandhi ’10, Luke Min ’10, and Neelesh Jain ’10
The News Staff
Girls Track
After ending the 2007 dual-meet season with a record of 7-0, the 2008 girls track and field team starts 2008 with a brand new track and big spikes to fill. The successful 2007 season also included a second place finish at the Founders League Championships and a fifth place finish at the NEPSTA Division I Championships. While Head Coach Jorge Olmo was “completely happy” with these finishes, this year’s team hopes to improve even more in its championship performances. This spring, strong Loomis and Hotchkiss squads may be the only hurdles preventing another 7-0 season, and the team definitely has a shot at the Founders League title. Paige Seaborn ’08, the reigning New England Champion in the 4000-meter dash, joins Kulubya to lead the 2008 squad. Coach Olmo sees, in addition to a seasoned core of veterans, a significant portion of the team made up of “young and new talent that’s developing.” The girls suffered major losses when the class of ’07 graduated, but welcome the addition of distance runner Brett Lewis ’09 and sprinter Lauren Gambardella ’08. Two faculty members new to Choate join the coaching staff this year: Coach Beth Butler, an All-American hurdler and 800m runner at Middlebury, and Caleb McArthur, who was an experienced cross country and jumping coach at his former school, Hopkins. Perhaps the most important addition to the team will be the new track, funded by an extremely generous donation from the Gelb Family. Coaches and players are equally enthusiastic and believe that the track will strengthen the team spirit and make it easier to adapt to new events. Olmo sees the track as another avenue for improvement, for he never expected the team to do as well as it did without a track in 2007. Kulubya exclaimed, “This track…gives [us] pride and that extra drive to go out there every day and give it our best!”
Boys Lacrosse
Although looking at one of the toughest schedules in New England, co-captains Jon Beek ‘08 and Jamie Nudy ‘08 are confident as the begin this year’s Boys Varsity Lacrosse team. New faces are abundant on the team and include one new senior, six new juniors, six new sophomores, and one new freshman. The post-graduates for this year’s team are Kevin Donovan ‘08, Devon Dobson’08, and Zach Rubin ’08, who combined are expected to make this year’s offense a scoring machine. Choate’s defense this year should be strong, with returning players Christian Kelso ’09 and Toby Armour ’10 leading the way. The goalie position, held by two seniors last year, is expected to be filled by two new players, Austin Reiss ’09 and Jon Maddalone ’10. Choate has a challenging schedule that will include regular lacrosse powerhouses Deerfield Academy, Avon Old Farms, Hotchkiss School, Loomis Chaffee School, and Salisbury School. “[These teams] will provide stiff tests for a Wild Boar team with a strong balance on both offense and defense,” says coach Mike Velez.
Boys Track
In 2007, the boys track and field team saw a very solid 6-2 dual-meet season. A fifth place Founders League finish and an eleventh place finish at the NEPSTA Division I Championship leave room for improvement in 2008. Although head coach Jorge Olmo was happy with the boys performance despite the lack of facilities (i.e., a track), the boys have to face a rebuilding year in 2008, and Olmo has “no idea” what the outcome of the season will be. However, as a large part of the team is new, the future looks very bright. Olmo worries that the team may be “lacking in too many areas” with the loss of several key players, such as thrower Steve Kwizera ’07, pole vaulter Channing Tooke ’07, and a member of the “distance duo” Andy Holden ’07. The team hopes that the newcomers in several disciplines, in particular distance and hurdling, will be able to step up. The team puts faith in its veteran captains, Dan Cannata ’08 and Uchenna Nwogu ’08, both All-New England runners in 2007. Despite Coach Olmo’s concerns about the young team, Cannata has optimistic ambitions for the team. His goal is “to win the Founders League Championships,” though he admits that Hotchkiss will be the greatest competition “by far.” Agreeing with Olmo, Cannata reports that the team’s strengths lie in the running events, and weaknesses in the throwing, because “Nick [DeChello ’08] is the only returner, but [there is] a lot of potential.” Cannata already sees throwers Mike Gabriel ’08 and Kyle Seddon ’08 and sprinter Ryan Jacobs ’10 as great newcomers. Hopefully excitement about the new track will give the boys momentum to face a potentially challenging season. Olmo believes that the track “will enable us to run deeper.” While the boys of 2008 know they will need to face a fair number of challenges, the strength of the coaching staff and the determination of the young athletes can make the season successful, starting on April 9th with the first meet of the season, at Taft School.
Golf
With spring term upon us, the golf teams are fully prepared and ready to hit the fairways. This year for the first time, a Girls Varsity Golf team was formed with the help of Katie Partridge ’10 and CJ Bernstein ’11. The team consists of four players, the two others being Ashley Holt ’11 and Pim Chirathivat ’11. Despite the girl’s team’s youth, they intend to compete on the highest level possible. Both the boys and girls teams play at Traditions in Wallingford and share the same coaches, Bob Demarco and John Marrinan. The Varsity Boy’s Golf team, having graduated four seniors last year is at a bit of a handicap, but it’s reassuring to know that they still have Captain Alex Cohen ’08, and returning varsity players, Jack Kazickas ’10, John Schilling ’09 and Phil Risman ’08. Though the teams haven’t been set for the thirteen golfers, their first match is on April 9th, where Varsity will take a swing at the Pomfret School at home and Junior Varsity will meet on the greens of Loomis Chaffee. As the spring weather sets in, tryouts will come to a close and a new Girl’s Varsity Golf Team will be joining the Boys for the 08’ season.
Boys Tennis
The Boys tennis team looks to improve on its third place finish in New England last year in a new 2008 campaign. The team is rather similar in composition to last year’s team, in which upperclassmen played a major role. However, with the loss of former captain Ben Gettinger ’07, it will be up to current captain William Mullen ’08 and coach Ned Gallagher to lead the tennis squad back to the New England championship. Additions to the team add a new unique flavor to the group. Freshman including Jamie Greenwald ’11 and Harry Muth ’11 will provide youth and vitality to a mostly older squad. One of the team’s weaknesses from last year, doubles, will hopefully be filled by newly recruited doubles ace Alessio Gallarotti ’08. The tennis team begins its season with two scrimmages against Suffield and Hopkins and then dives right into play at the Kingswood Oxford Invitational Tournament. The tennis team expects to face stiff competition from many schools including rival Deerfield Academy and Phillips Andover Academy. Regardless of the level of competition, expectations and confidence are high at the Hunt Tennis Center in anticipation of another successful season.
Girls Tennis
The Girls Varsity tennis team looks to improve on last year’s successful season. With veteran leadership by Captains Claire Monagan ’08 and Xana Salsman ’08, the team hopes to wins at least the Founder’s League Title. Coach Kevin Rogers notes that the current squad is one of the “deeper” teams that he has coached, and the “fusion of younger and older players” truly makes this team unique. However the balance leans toward returning players. In fact, according to Coach Rogers, 80% of the team have played on it already. The ladder is unformed at the moment, and so the identities of the newer players have not been confirmed. Despite the large number of veteran players, competition is fierce. The team opens its season with a scrimmage against its New Haven neighbor Hopkins. After the opening scrimmage against Hopkins, the girls start play with three straight road matches at Northfield Mount Hermon, Hamden Hall, and Tabor Academy.
Boys Crew
This year’s Boys Crew team has what Captain Taylor McDonald ’08 calls, “a lot of breadth and depth, and a very good attitude going in.” Only four rowers graduated from last year’s team. With this depth, Choate crew hopes to be a major competitor on the water this season. The team consists of a rowers with varying levels of experience. Some of the senior rowers will continue their careers at some of the top college crew teams. The team has a full and demanding season of dual meets rowing against the likes of Pomfret, Gunnery, and Deerfield. McDonald says that the dual season culminates with the Deerfield race, but the main goal for the team is to win the team point trophy at the New England Interscholastic Rowing Association Regatta. Captain McDonald states that a goal for individual boats is to have an undefeated dual season, but work as a team to win the team points trophy at the New England’s regatta.
Girls Crew
This season, the girls team has what co-captain Erin Grajewski ’08 describes as “a lot of experience” having nine seniors on the team. Grajewski says that because many of them have been rowing for three or four years at Choate, the seniors will have a large impact on how well the team does. Co-captain Grajewski stated that Miss Porter’s, Deerfield, and Gunnery will be both important and possibly exciting races. Grajewski also says, “We all want to make it to the New England finals at the New England Interscholastic Rowing Association regatta. We are all working together to make sure that will happen.” The goals for the girls this season are two-fold, become more united with the boy’s team so both teams will become one big team, and push each other to their limits and beyond.
Archery
The archery team is looking to do big things this season. With twelve returning archers, many of them juniors and seniors, and twelve new archers, there are the makings of a strong team. Coach Tom Day said, “We are going to be young…but, the team initially is really gelling very well.” With a team this young, Coach Day was excited about some of the returning and new archers, which was evident when he explained, “I think some of those who have only one year of experience will surprise me which is going to be exciting.” Instead of shooting against other high schools, the archery team competes against classified Junior Olympic clubs. Coach Day said that co-captains Margaret Vallone ’08 and Miles Sackler ’08 are two of the archers to watch this spring. “Archery,” as Coach Day described, “is an unusual sport in the sense that what is most required is focus and concentration… and the degree to which one can focus and concentrate is the degree to which you succeed.” The goals for the season, as Coach Day explained are, “Learn how to shoot, have fun, and try to get better.”
Baseball
The always-competitive Varsity Baseball squad is coached by Tom Yankus who is coaching his 51st season. There are multiple returning varsity players, including the captains Mat McCullough ’08 and Sam Wheeler ’08. The veterans are joined by the new players, who “fitted right into the team,” according to Mr. Yankus. Some of these players include Bill Rivellini ’09, Will Elmore ’08, and Nick Goodspeed ’08. With a goal of winning the tough Colonial League, the team’s lineup includes a good balance of new and old players. The team will field some good hitters, according to Coach Yankus; however, hitting will be stronger than pitching this year. The team will be looking to develop its pitching staff this spring. Michael Bozzi ’08, a current pitcher, points out that “there are too few pitchers” on the team. Nevertheless, all the pitchers are looking to improve throughout the season. The team played some season-opening scrimmages, including against Lyman Hall and Xavier. The boys won both games. Thanks to the scrimmages, the team learned about its strengths and weaknesses. Though the team shared the championship last year with Avon Old Farms, an all-boys boarding school, this season the team seeks to win it alone this year. Coach Yankus is looking forward to the team playing to its potential and having a strong season.
Girls Softball
As spring comes to Choate, the Girls Varsity Softball team is ready for another season. Last year’s team won the Western New England Class A Championship as #1 seed under the leadership of head Coach James Irzyk. Irzyk, In his 16th season as head coach, is assisted by Assistant Coach Grunwald this year. His expectations for the team are high: “if we stay focused, work hard in practice, remain confident and poised, we can accomplish great things this season.” The team has many returning players as well as some excellent new players. The three captains, Emily Vitale ’08, Bridget Vaughn ’08 and Jackie Salzillo ’08, have strong leadership skills and will be sure to build up a good team spirit. There are still areas in which the team can improve, however: Irzyk mentions “defense, base running, scoring runners from third base with less than two outs, having our pitchers throw strikes and not walk batters.” Coach Grunwald highlights “knowledge of softball” as an always-improvable area. The team has had the chance to scrimmage other schools early in the season. They have played public high school teams like Platt, Maloney, Lyman Hall and Sheehan. Irzyk notes the importance of these scrimmages: “The fact that we have had so many scrimmages gives the players lots of game situations and the coaches the opportunity to see the players in many different situations.”
Girls Lacrosse
New coach Amanda Bellichick “believes that [this year’s] team has a lot of potential to follow last year’s great season.” To help accomplish this, Choate’s Girls Varsity Lacrosse is lead by co-captains Caroline Shumway ’08, Lily Ackerman ’08, and Layne McVey ’08. A strong core of veterans return for another successful season, joined by a large group of newcomers to supplement an already strong squad. Top scorers are anticipated to be Kelly Walsh ’09, Shumway, Lauren Miller ’08, Ashley Rinere ’10, and, in spite of her injuries, Lane McVey ’08. The team’s biggest rivals are Deerfield Academy, Loomis Chaffee School, Greenwich Academy, Westminster School, Taft School, and Hotchkiss School. Girls Varsity Lacrosse opens with a scrimmage against Greenwich High School and then starts the official season against Berkshire School. Talking with some of the athletes, everyone is thrilled for the upcoming season, and especially excited to be with coach Amanda Bellichick.
Girls Waterpolo
Girls Varsity Water Polo is on track to have a great season. Bill Berghoff, the team’s head coach, says that his expectations for the season are high, and that he is hunting for success. For his team, Bill Berghohff says a successful would consist of “Our team is winning more games than they lose, getting to New England’s finals, but also success is going to be getting a lot of younger newer girls to develop into strong players that can eventually lead the team.” These newer girls include sophomores Katie Kaspar ’10, Lindsay Albino ’10, Cori West ’10, and Yulia Oumarbaeva ’10. The strong nucleus formed of team leaders consists of Ariel Baugh ’08, the goalie, Caroline Wilson ’09, who made the all New England’s water polo team last year, Emily Hunter, the captain of the team, Kristy Zera ’08 and Annie Oxborough-Yankus ’08. The team was able to tie Greenwich High School, a squad that beat Choate 15 to 4 last year. “Greenwich High School’s girl water polo team is historically the best in New England, and we were able to go head to head with them and come out with a tie. Emily Hunter ’08, team captain, says, “At the beginning of the game we were a bit rusty but by the end we were playing tight defense and now we know what our weaknesses and strengths are.” With such an auspicious beginning to the season, Girls Water Polo looks poised to do very well this year.
Boys Volleyball
Despite a completely different staff, the volleyball is confidently preparing for the upcoming season. Only four varsity players, including all-New England player Dan Thomas ’08, remain on the team. However, several new players have risen through the ranks. These include Nick Jones ’09, Alex Manti ’08, and Sang Won Koo ’08. Additionally, newly hired coach Jung Park makes his debut this spring. Park is replacing the former coach, Rod Mobley who left Choate last year. The team has already been successful its first two games against Greenwich High School and Wolcott Technical School. On the upcoming season, Suril Kantaria ’09, a returning varsity player, believes, “After winning our first two games, the team heads confidently into the upcoming season. We especially have faith in our young upcoming players.” The team intends to continue its high quality performance in its next match at the Amity Regional High School play day.
Jamie Nudy ’08 runs past a Lawrenceville player. Ian Morris
