Achievements Recognized at Spring Awards Ceremony

After welcoming parents and families of the Class of 2009 to the spring awards ceremony under the commencement tent May 23, Headmaster Graham Cole congratulated the Class of 2009 saying, “we have enjoyed another very successful year with the Sixth Form leading the way.”  He then highlighted some of the achievements of the term including the Day of Difference, the spring dance, the One Acts, the Cabaret, Step Sing, the Spring Arts Festival, a play written by faculty member Dan Aber and the MS Walk.  “We should take great pride as a school in an excellent spring,” he said. Photo Gallery

Athletic Awards
Director of Athletics Dennis Daly presented the spring athletic awards beginning with the Berry Awards, named in honor of faculty member Richard P. Scott Berry. These awards recognize the player from each lower team who gave the best effort and demonstrated the best attitude throughout the season.

    Second Baseball: Ben Mandell
    Second Golf: Morgan Wilson
    Second Boys' Lacrosse: Roger Peikin
    Third Boys' Lacrosse: Christian Coquoz
    Second Girls' Lacrosse: Juliette Ferrari-McComb
    Third Girls' Lacrosse: Erin Wallace
    Second Softball: Amanda Humphrey
    Second Boys' Tennis: Allessandro Giacometti
    Third Boys’ Tennis: Jake Medina and Emmet Shipway
    Second Girls' Tennis: Jaime Ferrari-McComb and Abbigail Pribble
    Second Boys’ Track: Vladamir Bok
    Second Girls’ Track: Martha Zamora

He also announced the following First Team Awards:

First Baseball:
    Michelini Most Improved Player: Tyler Papa
    Lea Most Valuable Player: Charlie Keegan

Golf:
    Most Improved Golfer: Joey Campanelli
    Most Valuable Golfer: Will Smith

First Boys' Lacrosse:
    Hovey Ground Ball Award: Kieran McDonald
    Class of 1981 Most Improved Player: Burt McGillivray
    Hovey Most Valuable Player: Kieran McDonald

First Girls' Lacrosse:
    Ground Ball Award: Gaby Christman
    Most Improved Player: Alie Philip
    Kurtz Most Valuable Player: Emily Walsh

 First Softball:
    Most Improved Player: Amanda Boulier
    Most Valuable Player: Brittany Sutton

First Boys’ Tennis:
    Most Improved Player: Robbie Hamblett
    Davenport Most Valuable Player: Mac Cahill

First Girls’ Tennis:
    Most Improved Player: Christina Grey
    Most Valuable Player: Elizabeth Melhado

Boys’ Track:
    Most Improved Trackster: Eric Wainman
    Scull Most Valuable Trackster: Chris Sailor

Girls’ Track:
    Most Improved Trackster: Vanessa Larracuente
    Scull Most Valuable Trackster: Mikaela Bengtsson

The Stephen Harris Squibb Bowl awards, which honor the athlete from each first team who demonstrated the greatest sportsmanship and consistent effort were presented to:

    Baseball: Sean Kelley
    Golf: Harry Richards
    Boys’ Lacrosse: Kirby Zdrill
    Girls’ Lacrosse: Caroline Scott
    Softball: Avi Greene
    Boys’ Tennis: Mac Cahill
    Girls’ Tennis: Olivia Frank
    Boys’ Track: EJ Nisbeth
    Girls’ Track: Kathryn Brady

The Hopley-Jackson Award, which is given to the Westminster lower team with the best season, was presented to:
Second Girls’ Lacrosse
Coaches: Dana Chapin and Jess Keeley
    Captains: Juliette Ferrari-McComb and Abby Stevens

The 2009 spring Frederick D. Houghton Award, which is given to the Westminster team with the best season, was presented to:
First Girls’ Softball
Coaches: Mitch Overbye and Drew Tanzosh
Captains: Avi Greene and Sara Ugalde

The Brian T. Bruyette Senior Athlete Award was presented to Kieran McDonald and Emily Walsh.
        
Spring first team captains then introduced the captains-elect for next spring as:
Golf: Will Smith
Girls’ Lacrosse: Margaret Miller and Gaby Christman
Boys’ Lacrosse: Kevin Boyle, Stephen Seymour and Win Hotchkiss
Softball: Sara Ugalde, Corinne Werner and Amanda Boulier
Boys’ Tennis: TBD
Girls’ Tennis: Sara Nolan and Colby O’Neil
Baseball: Mack Lauzon and Ben Ross
Boys’ and Girls’ Track: TBD


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

Admissions

Director of Admissions 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 Taylor Gould.

Performing Arts
Theater Director Rob Lazar presented the Frances Laurel Hopkins Award to Andrew Marco.

Dramat presidents Jeanne Kim and Andrew Lunenburg then announced the newest members of Dramat, the student dramatic organization requiring 120 hours of service, as Sam Boures, Grace Brown, Xavier Fowler, Maggie Hark and Chris Sailor.    

WALKS Essay

Betsy Tanzosh, head of the History Department, recognized Adam Susaneck as the winner of the WALKS constitutional essay contest.  He is the first Westminster student to receive the award in a number of years. Kathryn Brady was a finalist.

Barnes Award

Based on his extraordinary community service both on and off campus, Taylor Gould was named Westminster’s winner of the Barnes Award.

Morehead-Cain Scholar Nominee

Anne Cervas was nominated to compete for a Morehead-Cain Scholarship to the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. The scholarship ranks among the most respected merit scholarship programs in the nation and includes four years of full tuition at UNC, an outstanding summer enrichment program and an impressive array of opportunities and privileges at the university.  Westminster selects one Fifth Former annually to compete for this scholarship.      

Princeton Prize in Race Relations
Tiffany Liu was recognized for the Certificate of Accomplishment she received in this year’s Princeton Prize in Race Relations for Connecticut. She was among six students in Connecticut who received an award in this program that recognizes high school students for their efforts to increase understanding and cooperation among people of different racial backgrounds.

2010 National Merit Scholarship Program

Five Westminster students in the Class of 2010 met the requirements to enter the 2010 National Merit Scholarship Program. They include Anne Cervas, Alex Gioia, Suchita Mandavilli, Sam Reynolds and Adam Susaneck. Each of these students is among the 50,000 highest-scoring participants of some 1.5 million program entrants in the 2008 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).


Headmaster's Awards

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 to 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.  

Avi Greene and Whitney Fitzpatrick received the award for their outstanding performance as dorm prefects this year. “They both set a wonderfully positive tone and made their dorms a fun, friendly and happy place to live and work this year,” said Headmaster Cole.

Kierra Jones and faculty member Melinda Wright were honored for their “extraordinary effort of countless hours and extensive thought, careful planning, and impressive commitment, sensitivity, leadership, and sacrifice” in bringing the Westminster community together for the hugely successful Day of Difference.

Adam Susaneck was recognized for his “commitment to and hard work for citizenship in the fullest sense.” He played a leadership role on the EcoTeam and worked last fall on the presidential campaign and this spring at the Simsbury Town Hall.

The last award was presented to Sixth Form Dean Peter Briggs ’71 for his contributions as a coach over the years. “He has coached our boys tennis teams since 1981 and this spring he steps away from this program after 28 years, which makes him literally the dean of New England tennis in every respect,” said Headmaster Cole. “I salute today one of our finest people and coaches and thank him for his devotion to the tennis program, to our players and to his school.”