Faculty and Students Honored at Spring Awards Ceremony

Students, faculty and parents gathered on the Commencement Lawn May 26 for the spring award's ceremony to recognize the achievements of members of the school family who excelled in different activities or contributed in significant ways during the term and year. Click here to view a photo gallery.

Headmaster Graham Cole welcomed everyone by saying:

"Let me begin with my warm congratulations to the Class of 2007 and to your parents and families. Frankly, although the Sixth Form has occasionally felt that it has been an eternity, I can hardly believe how quickly the year has flown by and that graduation is now upon us. It seems like just yesterday that the Sixth Form was greeting our newcomers at the top of the Hill in September.

"In this Headmaster’s view, we have enjoyed another very successful year with the Sixth Form leading the way. We have, once again, shattered records in admissions and fund-raising, eloquent testimony to how people beyond the Hill feel about Westminster.

As a school, we can point to both individuals and groups who have brought distinction to us: student scholars, artists, athletes, teams and faculty members. Over these next two days, we will be recognizing all of these talented and good people.

We should also take great pride as a school in an excellent spring."

Academic Awards
Director of Studies Greg Marco announced the following academic honors for Sixth Formers for the spring term:

Summus: Laura Arciero, Matt Emmel, Woo Jae Eum, Kelly Harrington, Adam Lewicki, Pat O’Brien, Caroline Reigeluth, Thames Sae Sue, John Sherman, Carl Spevacek, Rachael Susaneck and Gavin Zalinger

Superus: Emma Anquillare, Leah Barker, Erica Briggs, Leila Campoli, Mal Coquoz, Ali Evans, Corrie Ferguson, Tim Gavrich, Alexandra Geitz, Alex Gerson, Chelsea Hall, Carsey Hawkins, Chris Heilakka, Pat Hesketh, Chad Horsford, Mandy Hyne, Andrew Kim, Graham Kohan, Caroline Kokulis, Clark LaMotte, Sarah Lobdell, George Lyon, Grace Moore, Taylor Neighbours, Augie Perrigo, Brian Pierre, Olivia Robinson, Charlie Rocco, Andrew Ryan, Nick Stevens, Andrew Sutherland, Elsie Swank, Parker Swenson, Ellie Thom, Graham Thomson, Devon Torres, Drew Ugalde, Jake Utzig, Jessi Waters Jamie Whittendale, Kelsea Wigmore, Peter Williams, Liza Winship, Kevin Wu and Alexander Young.


Athletic Awards
Director of Athletics Dennis Daly began the spring athletic awards with the Berry Awards, named in honor of faculty member Richard P. “Scott” Berry, which recognize the player from each lower team who gave the best effort and demonstrated the best attitude throughout the season. Awardees included:  
    
Second Baseball: Sean Kelley
    Second Boys' Lacrosse: Jake McPhee
    Third Boys' Lacrosse: George Lyon
    Second Girls' Lacrosse: Ali Bragg
    Third Girls' Lacrosse: Juliette McComb
    Second Softball: Karin Yoshida
    Second Boys' Tennis: Chris Shimamoto
    Third Boys’ Tennis: Foster Baker
    Second Girls' Tennis: Sarah Bingham and Leah Brewer

He also announced the following First Team Awards:

First Baseball:
         Michelini Most Improved Player: Conor McGovern
         Lea Most Valuable Player: Ryan Riffe
Golf:
         Most Improved Golfer: Will Smith   
         Most Valuable Golfer: Tim Gavrich

First Boys' Lacrosse:
         Class of 1981 Most Improved Player: Jason Gilmartin
         Hovey Ground Ball Award: David Earl
         Hovey Most Valuable Player: David Earl

First Girls' Lacrosse:
         Ground Ball Award: Ali Evans
         Most Improved Player: Chelsea Hall
         Kurtz Most Valuable Player: Heidi Bitter and Sarah Warnke
    
First Softball:
         Most Improved Player: Corrine Werner
         Most Valuable Player: Mandy Hyne

First Boys’ Tennis:
         Most Improved Player: Charlie Lent
         Davenport Most Valuable Player: Adam King

First Girls’ Tennis:
         Most Improved Player: Alli Papa
         Most Valuable Player: Caroline Reigeluth

Boys’ Track:
         Most Improved Player: EJ Nisbeth
         Scull Most Valuable Player: Graham Kohan

Girls’ Track:
         Most Improved Player: Chi Chi Okpalanma
         Scull Most Valuable Player: Jackie Savage


The Stephen Harris Squibb Bowl Awards, which honor the athlete from each first team who demonstrated the greatest sportsmanship, consistent effort and inspired performance throughout the season, were given to:
 
Baseball: Wilson Bak
    Golf: Adam Lewicki
    Boys’ Lacrosse: Andrew Ryan
    Girls’ Lacrosse: Erica Briggs
    Softball: Marianne Specker
    Boys’ Tennis: Peter Williams
    Girls’ Tennis: Chanler Murphy
    Boys’ Track: George Payne
    Girls’ Track: K.D. Ahmed


The spring Hopley-Jackson Award, which is presented to the Westminster lower team with the best season, was presented to Third Boys’ Lacrosse and accepted by coaches Elliot Dickson and Tim Quinn, and captains Oliver DeClue, George Lyon, and Dylan Spevacek.
            

The spring Houghton Award, which is given to the Westminster team with the best season, was presented to First Girls’ Softball and accepted by captains Bethany Demarczyk and Mandy Hyne and coaches Mitch Overbye and Drew Tanzosh.


Spring first team captains then announced the 2008 spring captains as:

    Baseball: Tommy Cross and Bobby Fitzgerald
    Boys’ Lacrosse: Scott Morell, Carson Cristman and John LeClerc
    Girls’ Lacrosse: Emily Walsh, Liz Cole and Helen Rogers
    Golf: James Einstein
    Softball: Nicole Palazzo, Marianne Specker and Bethany Dymarczyk
    Boys’ Tennis: Charlie Lent
    Girls’ Tennis: Bailey Spalding
    Girls’ Track: K.D. Ahmed
    Boys’ Track: George Payne and Luke Lamothe

    Next, individuals were recognized for service and volunteerism and for accomplishments in other areas of school activity that warranted special praise.

Admissions
Director of Admission Jon Deveaux presented the Ganzenmuller-Buckey Award given annually to the student who has contributed the most to the Admissions Office over the year to Mallory Coquoz.

Performing Arts
In the performing arts, Amy Graham, head of the Visual and Performing Arts Department, presented the Frances Laurel Hopkins Award to John Sherman. She also awarded Williams Hill status to Corey Starbuck, Carsey Hawkins,. Shelby Brown and Sal Gutiéerrez, who amassed an incredible 500 hours of work both on stage, back stage, on the sound board and the light board, in the shop, and in other various, important capacities involved in the production of dramatic presentations.

The Westminster School Dramat Presidents then announced the names of the presidents for the 2007/2008 school year as Sal Guttiérez, Courtney Stafford, Shelby Brown and Renzie Chipman.


WALKS Essay
Betsy Tanzosh, head of the History Department, recognized Renzie Chipman and Michelle Yoon as this year’s finalists from Westminster whose 3,000 word essays in response to a question dealing with the Constitution went on to compete against the best from the other WALKS schools.

Yearbook
Mallory Coquoz and Hilary Sargent, editors of the yearbook, presented a 2007 yearbook to faculty member Barbara Adams on behalf of the Class of 2007.


Barnes Award
Based on his extraordinary work on social service projects within Westminster and in the Greater Hartford area, Matt Emmel was named Westminster’s winner of the Barnes Award.

Headmaster Awards May 2007
Finally, Headmaster Cole presented the Headmaster's Awards, which are given at the conclusion of each trimester to individuals in the Westminster community who have contributed or enriched the life of the school in some special or significant way during the term, with particular emphasis on service, leadership and citizenship.  The award comes in the form of a pin.

“I begin by recognizing two groups of people who all share the common bond of stepping up, of going the extra mile, to help colleagues, students and programs in their hour of need during the spring term,” said Headmaster Cole as he presented awards to faculty members Doug Allen, Eliza Childs, Gloria Connell and Amy Graham and students Shelby Brown, Salvador Gutierrez, Carsey Hawkins, Corey Starbuck, and Josh Zalinger. Then, he presented the award to students Tim Gavrich “for strength of character and purpose,” Mallory Coquoz, for being an “outstanding leader” and ESU exchange student George Lyon for being “a wonderful ambassador and an outstanding addition to our community.”