Spring Sports 2016 Preview

37 boys lacrosse players and coaches gathered at the Francisco Sports Grande training facility in Casa Grande, AZ for five days of triple sessions... what better way to spend a week of spring vacation! The First Boys’ Lacrosse team had the following numerical goals for the week:

3 - Win all three of our scrimmages.
2 - Receive at least two unsolicited compliments about our team's comportment.
1 - Award one White Chin Strap (to a new First team player with the best week of training)

All goals were accomplished, and the weather was just about perfect!

Captains Zack Orzech ‘16, Tim Sanford ‘16 and Brian Smyth ‘16 led an eager group that worked very hard to come together for another challenging Founders League and West I schedule. It was our first time in Arizona, and Trilogy Lacrosse ran a flawless program. While the travel is "involved," this was one of the best trips we have taken in the past ten years and launched us into what should be a terrific 2016 season.

First Girls’ Lacrosse

Members of First Girls’ Lacrosse spent five days during spring vacation in Clear Water Beach, FL to hone their skills in practices and scrimmages in the warmer weather - and under beautiful skies!

The Martlets look to have another competitive season with seasoned returners and new blood on the team, all contributing the speed, skill, and athleticism it will take to connect all the pieces for a successful season. We also are excited about welcoming Kathleen Devaney, another seasoned vet, who used to head the program several years back. Her insight and game sense will be priceless in the next month and a half.

The Class A Western New England Champion softball team hopes for another successful season in 2016. The Martlets are led by the strong hitting and fielding abilities of captains Catherine Crawley '16, Kaitlyn McCausland '16 and Brenna Monroe '17. Monroe returns as one of the top pitchers in New England, and will throw to Westminster's outstanding catcher Emily Samar '18. The team also features standouts Gabby Brown '17 and Mackenzie Griffith '17 at second base and in right field. Ashlee White '18 continues to excel at shortstop, while Hannah Stone '18 defends at third base and Katie Nielsen '18 fields well at first base.

The team began the 2016 season by taking a trip to the Wide World Of Sports complex in Orlando, FL. It marked the 14th consecutive year that Westminster Softball has played games and held practices at Disney Sports.

First Boys’ Golf

In spite of the graduation of several First team players from last year's very successful team, the First Golf squad looks to continue its strong performance of the past three seasons (56-7 overall record).

Captain Addison Cilmi '16 leads a talented group of returning players, with a depth of First team match experience. Taggart Corriveau '16, Jack Griffith '17, Wonjune Kang '16, Brett Roenick '16, Ted Sirbaugh '16 and Rylan Williams '16 all have extensive experience, so the team looks to have another strong season.

In preparation for the season, six players participated in the team’s trip to Mountain Lake Country Club in Lake Wales, Florida during the school’s recent spring vacation. The weather was perfect and the golf was very enjoyable.

Overall, the team is looking forward to a great season and is hoping to once again be in the running for the Kingswood Invitational Tournament title.

First Girls’ Tennis

Energized after a fun and productive trip to Florida over spring break, First Girls' Tennis is excited for the opening of the 2016 season. The team spent 5 days at Saddlebrook training with pros during the day and having fun in the evenings. 

Six players return from last year's squad. With strong leadership from Katherine Ogden '16 and Wells Poler '16, the girls have established a competitive and earnest approach to practices. This is fueled by some new Martlets who are eager to fight for a place on the ladder. With a number of young players on the team, there is great potential for growth and development this season and in the future.

The Boys’ and Girls’ Tennis teams headed south to Tampa, Florida for their annual spring trip, with six boys and six girls traveling to the Saddlebrook Resort to fine tune their tennis games from March 20-25. The group played six hours of tennis per day and were given high quality instruction by the professional staff. 

First Boys’ Tennis has reloaded with a number of new, young talent to compete this spring. Connor Anderson '16 is a nice addition to the squad and will play in the #1 position, while Carl Ekholm '19, Ethan Na '19 and Jimmy Zhang '18 are also newcomers who will be valuable assets to the team. Returning Martlets Henry Amory '18, KJ Maturine '16, Stone Brown '17, Connor Seeley '18 and Ashton Howey '18 will round out the remainder of the team. The group has a great deal of potential and, with the new talent, should be strong for years to come.