Headmaster Graham Cole opened the Winter Awards Assembly March 25 by talking about high-profile awards ceremonies such as the Winter Olympics and the Academy Awards and how easy it is to forget the names of those who receive awards at these events.
“The people who make a difference in our lives are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, the greatest fame, or the most awards,” he explained. “They are the ones who know you, who care about you, who make a difference in your life. Those people probably will not win an award today, but fundamentally, that's not really important.
“So even as we salute our award winners today, and I do not want for a minute to diminish their significant achievements, let’s also keep people in mind who have truly achieved in those personal ways that make a difference in our daily lives.”
He cited among the highlights for the winter term: a beautiful Candlelight Service; a successful winter Parents’ Weekend; an outstanding winter arts festival; the winter musical, "Godspell”; numerous athletic accomplishments; and academic achievements. “All told, a very good term, with much to proud of and thankful for,” he said.
Academic Awards
Director of Studies Greg Marco and the deans presented the following academic awards:
Third Form:
Summus
Julia Emily Benson, Marissa Milly Eklund, Margaret Ahl Garrison, Bridget Marie Gorham, Gregory Charles Jarvis, Julie Desmond LeBlanc, Jane Haiyon Lee, Alexandra Chiara Marshall, Charles Xavier Morin, Dana Julia Niland, Sydney Grace Rivers, Morgan Anna Rubin, Stanley Spencer Sandoval, Eleni Marie Tebano and Ronald Man Ho Yeung
Fourth Form:
Summus
Judner Attys, Ellen Barnes Baker, Caroline Hendrie Brady, Alana Kelly Carpenter, Alex Anthony Chaffee, Marquez Nivét Cummings, Christiann Ross DeSimone, Hadley Elizabeth DesMeules, Sarah Kerr Dimmitt, Darby Ellis Drake, Isha Aakriti Garg, James William Green, Kathleen Kerrigan Gudas, Elena Jungwon Kim, Matthew Gregory Knudson, Marielle Rose Lafaire, Michael Arthur LeBlanc, Joo Hee Lee, Jiaxuan Lu, Quan Anh Vu Luu, Marissa Wickman Mason, Jacob William Medina, Meaghan Ann O’Herron, Tyler Leighton O’Neil, Gwendolyn Rea Pastor, Caroline Anne Pluta, David Emmet Shipway, Seung Bum Sonn, Logan Hippach Spalding, Pasquale Patrick Spano, Shilong Tang, Emily Ann Teschner, Dillon Stuart Tiner, Aaron Matthew Ugalde and Sungsoo Yoon
Fifth Form:
Summus
Grant Douglas Brainerd, Casey Ellen Breese, Katherine H Cheng, Jae Hee Cho, Andrea Claire Cross, John Michael Eder, Nora Patricia Edmonds, Bridget Alyce Eklund, Caitlin Campbell Fabbri, Olivia Paula Frank, Charles Murphy Geitz, Kathryn Wilkins Griffith, Kathryn Judith Hill, Kaleigh McKenzie Kelley, Edward Kim, Vanessa Heart Larracuente, Matthew Charles Leach, Hannah Meeker Leathers, Jacob J. Lee, Nicholas John Liberator, Nicholas Michael Mahany, Andrew Richard Marco, Louise Ahern Marenakos, Ashley Elizabeth Mercede, Sarah Caroline Ogden, Stephanie Rae Piperno, Marguerite Glass Prescod, Emily Schrumpf Schwartz, Rebecca Louise Wardell and Shishan Zhang
Sixth Form:
Summus
Kwaku Obeng Akoi, Vladimír Bok, Kathryn Clarke Brady, Anne Elizabeth Cervas, Gerard Paul Denoyer, Brook Geremew, Alex James Gioia, Jacqueline Denise Grant, Isabelle Patterson Hill, Sean Paul Kelley, Jeanne Suhn Ju Kim, Madeleine Heather Ann King, Riana Margaret MacKenzie, Suchita Mandavilli, Madelin Lillian McPhee, Tammie Victoria Moopenn, Francheska Munoz, Connor Edward O’Brien, Charlotte Louise O’Herron, Colby Carpenter O’Neil, Tanakrit Rungrojchaiporn, Kingsley Manning Schroeder, William Haig Smith, Emily Marie Paradis Snoddon, Adam Paul Susaneck, Clare Everett Ulrich, Margaret Benton Wyatt, Karin Yoshida and Martha Alicia Zamora
Athletic Awards
Scott Berry presented the winter athletic awards beginning with the Berry Awards that recognize the player from each lower team who gave the best effort and demonstrated the best attitude throughout the season.
Third Boys’ Basketball: Cameron Kurtz
Second Boys’ Basketball: Gordon Santry
Second Girls’ Basketball: Alexandra Colon
Third Boys’ Hockey: Ryan Hallisey
Second Boys’ Hockey: Ryan Strange
Second Girls’ Hockey: Maddie McPhee
Fourth Squash: Peter Tang
Third Boys’ Squash: Kip Denoyer
Second Boys’ Squash: Alessandro Giacometti
Third Girls’ Squash: Libby Kelter and Sayre Reimer
Second Girls’ Squash: Whitney Powel
First Team Awards:
First Boys’ Basketball
Most Improved Player: Sean Kelley
Keyes Foul Shooting: Rafi Rojas
The Donald H. Werner Most Valuable Player: Greg Miller
First Girls’ Basketball
Most Improved Player: Karin Yoshida
Keyes Foul Shooting: Corinne Werner
Most Valuable Player: Corinne Werner
First Boys’ Hockey
Most Improved Player: Jeff Smolens
Most Valuable Player: Ryan Tyson
First Girls’ Hockey
Most Improved Player: Eleni Tebano
Most Valuable Player: Sara Ugalde and Amanda Boulier
Most Valuable Player New England Prep School Tournament: Paige Decker
First Boys’ Squash
The Talbot/Edwards Most Improved Player: Matt Leach
The Fritz Zeller Most Valuable Player: Ross Bolling and Michael LeBlanc
First Girls’ Squash
The Talbot/Edwards Most Improved Player: Charlotte O’Herron
The Fritz Zeller Most Valuable Player: Alexandra Marshall
Boys’ Swimming and Diving
Most Improved Swimmer/Diver: Josh Kokulis
Most Valuable Swimmer/Diver: Javier Vargas and Colin McLaughlin
Girls’ Swimming and Diving
Most Improved Swimmer/Diver: Natalie Biedron
Most Valuable Swimmer/Diver: Rebecca Wardell
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:
First Boys’ Basketball: Steven Seymour
First Girls’ Basketball: Kingsley Schroeder
First Boys’ Hockey: Brian McQuillan
First Girls’ Hockey: Paige Decker
First Boys’ Squash: Cris Gomez
First Girls’ Squash: Olivia Frank
Boys’ Swimming and Diving: Conor O’Brien
Girls’ Swimming and Diving: Maddie Garnett
The Hopley-Jackson Award, which is given to the Westminster lower team with the best season, was presented to:
Second Boys’ Hockey
Coaches: Peter Briggs and Charlie Griffith
Captains: Ben Ross, alternate Oscar Ladd
The Frederick D. Houghton Award, which is given to the Westminster team with the best season, was presented to:
First Girls’ Hockey: Division I New England Champions
Coaches: David Pope and Jess Keeley
Captains: Sara Uglade and Paige Decker
The winter team captains then introduced the first team captains-elect for next winter as:
Boys’ Basketball: TBD
Girls’ Basketball: Marielle Lafaire, Eliza Breed and Louise Marenakos
Boys’ Hockey: Peter Michalidis and Corey Taber
Girls’ Hockey: Rachel Farrel and Amanda Boulier
Boys’ Swimming and Diving: Eric Wainman and Josh Kokulis
Girls’ Swimming and Diving: Caitlin Fabbri and Emily Schwartz
Boys’ Squash: Matt Leach
Girls’ Squash: Olivia Frank and Chessy di Galoma
Performing Arts
In the performing arts, Theater Director Rob Lazar presented the Frances Laurel Hopkins Award to Grace Brown.
He then introduced the newest members of Dramat, the student dramatic organization requiring 120 hours of service on at least two different Westminster productions, as Tiffany Liu, Heather Frew and Ryan Smythe.
Headmaster’s Awards
In the final segment of the ceremony, Headmaster Cole presented the Headmaster’s Awards, which recognize members of the Westminster community “who added to the school's success, tone and spirit, especially in the areas of service, leadership and citizenship.” The award comes in the form of a gold Westminster lapel pin.
The recipients were Francheska Munoz ’10 for a performance at the winter arts festival “that should remind us all of what artists do, why we enjoy them and what long hours they give to prepare”; Ellen Hannah, a member of the Alumni and Development Office, for “giving countless hours this winter, especially during this last month, to our Admissions Office, helping them to implement and learn the new Blackbaud system, which serves as the new technology platform for their operations”; faculty member Scott Berry who “stepped in to take on the major responsibilities of Athletic Director on top of his own regular duties with nary a complaint and performed splendidly in all of his roles”; and First Girls’ Hockey captains, Paige Decker and Sara Ugalde, and coaches, Dave Pope and Jess Keeley, “on behalf of our 20-win, New England champion girls’ hockey team.” Headmaster Cole praised the team saying, “Great teams have great soul and heart, or better yet, Grit and Grace, and this team put those qualities on display throughout the seasons on the ice, in the locker room and the fitness center.”