Winter Sports Preview

While First Boys’ Basketball returns four starters, the team will miss the scoring and leadership from last year's MVP, Tim Lyons ’12, and hopes that they can recover that absence through tough defense and some true team offense led by Kris Hargraves ’13, who missed most of last season due to injury. Captains Hargraves and Alex Tomashoff ’13 and veterans Kevin Murray ’13, Jordan Smart ’14, Mike McNally ’14 and Roman Liu ’14 are joined by newcomers Yianni Gavalas ’13 and Chris Jones ’16. Westminster won a big Founders League game against then first-place Kent toward the end of last year, and it hopes that game was a statement about the team’s strength of character and its will to win. The Martlets need to use that as a starting point on which to build for the 2012-2013 season.
 

With a large group of returning players, First Girls’ Basketball plans to improve upon its record from last year. Despite lack of height, the team is scrappy and athletic, which should allow them to compete at a high level. Captains Laura Tingley ’13 Charlotte Gould ’13 and Annie Lacey ’14 will have support from experienced players Lizzie Hark ’14, Rachel Monroe ’14, Eugenia Naamon ’14, Alyssa DiMaria ’15, Meg Richard ’15 and Olivia Tawney ’15. Three Third Formers, Emma Merlin, Lexi Organ and Jacqui Richard, join the squad and will look to contribute to the team’s success.
 

This winter, First Boys’ Hockey hopes to improve on its 2011-2012 record of 14-10-3. Westminster will be led by captains David Hallisey ’13 and Danny Snyder ’13 when the team welcomes the Hoggers of Northfield Mount Hermon to Jackson Rink on Dec. 1 to kick off its 2012-2013 season. The Martlets look to have a highly skilled offensive attack as they welcome back forwards Vincent Gisonti ’13, Sean Orlando ’13, Ryan Mowery ’13, Tristan Rai ’14, Anthony Di Placido ’15 and Mario Benicky ’14. Along with those returnees, the Martlets added some more firepower up front with the addition of Ethan Holdaway ’13, Jack Fitzgerald ’15 and Third Formers Taggart Corriveau and Brian Smyth. Snyder will be in good company on the blue line this season with returnees Xavier Morin ’13 and Erik Rost ’14, who are back for their third and second seasons respectively. Snyder will also welcome highly touted newcomers Frankie Sullivan ’15, Aidan Keohane ’13 and Will Brophy ’15 to the Martlet defensive corp. Zac Hamilton ’14 is ready to lead the team in net, and the coaching staff is looking forward to working with this group.
 

After a tough loss in the quarterfinals of the New England tournament last season, First Girls’ Hockey will be out for revenge this winter but with the realistic understanding that there are a number of good teams they will be up against. Good goaltending and timely scoring will be key to the success of the Black and Gold. Captains Sydney Daniels ’13, Eleni Tebano ’13 and Alli Devins ’13 will lead the team. Tebano and Daniels were all-stars last year. Other key veterans are Kat Pate ’14 and Kaitlin Tse ’15 on defense and Tori DeAngelis ’14 on offense. Brooke Wolejko ’14 and Emily Crocker ’14 will share the responsibilities in goal. There are a host of impressive newcomers who will immediately have an impact. They include Erin Ozturk ’15, Katie Savage ’15, Catherine Crawley ’16, Ashley Carbone ’16, Sarah Melanson ’16 and Paige Capistran ’16. It is essential that the new girls become integrated into the team quickly as they must be ready to contribute in what will surely be fast-paced and highly competitive games.
 

While it will be hard to top the 2011-2012 squad that proved to the best in the school’s history with an undefeated No. 1 player, this year’s group of Martlets will still be tough to beat. With excellent depth, the team will be strong up and down the ladder. Captain Beau Orchard ’13 leads a group of older and experienced teammates who will be very fit and well trained. Key returning players Alvin Heumann ’14, Harry Ganek ’14, Ben Shively ’14 and Will O'Donnell ’13 combine with newcomers Sam Matlick ’13 and Wonjune Kang ’16 to make what will surely be another exciting edition of Westminster squash.
 

Some key new players join a strong group of returnees for what promises to be an exciting season for First Girls’ Squash. Captain Alex Regan ’13, Eliza Worcester ’13, Cricket di Galoma ’14, Ginny Durfee ’15 and Charlotte Poler ’14 bring experience to the courts, all with at least one varsity season under their belt. Laila Samy ’14 is new to Westminster but will immediately make an impact at the top of the lineup. Katherine Kelter ’14 will also move up from the Seconds squad to play on the First Team ladder. There are high hopes for improving upon last year, as this largely returning team has been improved by new players.
 

Girls’ Swimming and Diving looks to rebuild this year after the graduation of school-record holders Emily Teschner ’12 (50 freestyle) and Sarah Dimmitt ’12 (diving), but key returning swimmers and a talented group of newcomers looks to step into the fray. Captain Sarah Holmes ’13 looks to build upon her solid performances in the butterfly, individual medley and distance freestyle events of her previous two seasons, as does co-captain Emily Kunsman ’14 in the IM and breaststroke races. Kunsman looks to improve upon her runner-up in the 100 breaststroke at the 2012 New England Championships and finalist in the 200 IM. Co-captain Kayla Foley ’13, third in the diving at last year’s New Englands, had a productive off-season training regimen and is prepared to reach new heights. Newcomers to the squad include Phebe Huth ’16, freestyle and breaststroke specialist, Claire Hotaling ’16 (freestyle), and Elizabeth Foster ’15 (breaststroke, freestyle), who all look to add depth and make their mark in their inaugural winter season with the Martlets.
 

Boys’ Swimming and Diving looks toward a talented crop of new and returning swimmers to carry the torch passed along by the five, school-record-setting seniors who graduated last year. Swimmers to watch include co-captain Herbert Cheng ’13, a backstroke specialist who put in a tremendous effort in the off-season preparing for the winter. Drew Poling ’13 and Henry Chou ’14, also captains, look to round out the sprint freestyle and butterfly/IM events respectively. Travis Percy ’14 will battle for the top spot in freestyle races for the Martlets, and newcomer Toby Casper ’14 will have an immediate impact in breaststroke and freestyle events. Other first-timers include Tariq Keshavji ’16 in the backstroke and Jimmy Guiliano ’13, whose gymnastics background will quickly vault him into prominence within the league in the diving event.