Spring Sports Highlights 5.6.19

The young Martlets traveled north on I-91 for a non-league game against Williston Northampton. Westminster got off to a fast start, scoring three runs and sending all nine batters to the plate in the top of the first inning. Kendrick Freeman '21 got the first of his four hits on the day and four more Martlets either walked or were hit by a pitch. Williston got off to an equally fast start in the bottom of the first, scoring four runs to take a slim one-run lead. Westminster answered right back in the top of the second inning when a double to left center by Will Carlisle '19 scored Ryan Pineault '20 on a close play at the plate. Williston proceeded to score the final three runs of the game in the bottom of the second. At that point, each team's pitching and defense settled in for the remainder of the game. Final score Williston 7 - Westminster 4. The Martlets received solid pitching performances from both Carlisle and Ben Mihailovich '22. Defensively, Owen Murphy '22 made the play of the day, with a tremendous over-the-shoulder catch after tracking down a deep fly ball to left field. Not only did it end the inning, it also saved a run scored late in the game. The offensive player of the game was Freeman, who collected three singles and a double in four at bats.

 

The Martlets were already on their heels at the outset of this match, competing with only a group of three players and not their usual five. However, that hurdle didn't stop Susie Mahoney '20, Eve Cathcart' 20 and Elaina Comia '19 from channeling their competitive spirit and grinding out some challenging matches against girls from Choate, Loomis and Williston. Although Comia struggled to find her usually consistent long game, she remained sharp around the greens and competed hard until the last hole. Cathcart too was searching for her swing in the early holes and finally found a groove on the first par 3 of the day where she landed a beautiful dart 10 feet from the pin and just missed making birdie. Mahoney, playing at the No. 1 spot, enjoyed her best round of the year, carding two birdies on the side, almost getting a hole-in-one on number nine, and shooting a 39. She lost two tight matches with Williston and Loomis while halving her match with her stingy Choate opponent. Lots for the team build on from this outing.

 

May 4: Golf - First Girls' 1 vs Ethel Walker School 3
The rain finally subsided to allow the team to meet EWS for its match at Wintonbury Golf Course. The squad was small, three golfers competed against Ethel Walker; Hotchkiss was unable to attend. Emma Gurnell ’21 played her first competitive match and managed to par and bogey a number of holes. A great showing for her first time out. She will definitely be seeing more play in the future. Elaina Comia ’19 had a solid round against her most formidable opponent. Ishika Nathan ’19 had the shot of the day on the par three ninth hole. As her father and the coach Iooked on, she chipped in for a birdie continuing her already healthy lead.

 

On a cold and wet May 1, more appropriate to a warm fire and a good book, the Martlets traveled to nearby Farmington Woods to tee it up against Founders League rivals Avon and Taft. Avon had bested the Seconds earlier this season by four strokes in a tight match, and the Black and Gold were ready for another chance against this strong side. Taft came in with an impressive record under its belt and so the stage was set for some good golf and exacting competition. The course played long and narrow, with soft and muddy fairways and very challenging pin positions set to avoid low spots on the greens. But the Martlets were equal to the task up and down the roster. Will Scott '20 led the way with a solid 41 on a tough day and tough course for scoring as the Martlets tallied a strong 217 score against Avon's 224 and Taft's 227. Wisely leaving his driver in the bag on most holes, Scott kept his ball down the middle on this tight, tree-lined track. Newt Cutler '22 chipped in with a 42 and Vincent von Nordeck ’21 added a 43 despite a double-bogey on the final hole. Other Westminster scores were Darion Benchich '20 (who also battled the last with a triple-bogey) with his usual 45, Peter Sanger '21 with a 46 and Niclas Swahn '22 with a 47. Avon's Will Allen '19 was medalist on the day with an impressive 40 after hitting his opening tee shot OB.

Westminster traveled north to take on the Tigers of Suffield Academy. Westminster got on the board early with three quick goals in the first two minutes of play, attempting to set the tone for the rest of the game. However, due to the lack of communication and tight defense, the Martlets lapsed and allowed Suffield to notch a few goals in, keeping the game closer than it should have been. Westminster won almost every draw of the game, thanks to team- and season- high 10 draw controls from captain Blake Cote '19, but the Martlets struggled by turning the ball over up and down the field. Luckily, after turning the ball over, Westminster was gritty in the re-defend and on the 50/50 balls and was able to regain possession and capitalize on those wins. Westminster was up 10-5 at halftime and, again, scored three quick goals to start the second half. They found themselves in the same situation as the first half, though, allowing Suffield to stay in the game thanks to Martlet turnovers. In the end, Westminster did indeed come together to piece the strong draw controls, fluid transitions, and smarter shot selections to beat the home team.

 

Westminster hosted the Wildcats of Ethel Walker School for an afternoon game on Hovey Field during Reunion Weekend. The visiting squad was tough and got on the board first in the first three minutes of play, stunning the Martlet attack. It took Westminster 10 minutes to tie up the game which remained a close, tight battle for much of the rest of the first half. The Martlets struggled to find their rhythm as EWS was quite physical and played a backer defense until late in the first half. However, it was when the score was 2-5 favoring EWS with 8:37 in the first half that Westminster really turned it on, shifted the momentum its way, and decided to take charge to turn the game around — and the team sure did. The Martlets pieced it together end-to-end to go on a 14-goal run for the next 25 minutes of play. This tremendous run began with taking control of the draws led by captain Blake Cote '19 who had a team- and season-high 13. Jenny Guider '20 was also key on the circle and putting two in the back of the net. Joining Guider as goal scorers during this high-scoring game was Georgia Nolan '20 with a team- and season-high of six goals and one assist, Ridgely Green '20 (5g, 1a), Casey Winslow '21 (3g), Cote (2g, 1a), captain Georgia Swank '19 (1g, 3a) and Ali Hatfield '20 (1g). Defense had a busy first half with strong leadership from captain Susie Renehan '19 and goalie Ellie Bailey '21 had key stops to prevent any resurgence from the Wildcats.

 

First Boys’ Lacrosse traveled around the corner to Windsor Locks to take on the Loomis Chaffee Pelicans on a chilly, gray day. The Martlets came flying out of the gate, tallying the first goal of the game on a hard move by Tyler Hendrycks '19. Wyatt Pastor '20 and Matt Quinn '19 also put shots past the Loomis goaltender to take a 3-1 lead after the second quarter. Jordie McKenna '19, Walker Stevens '19 and Quinn Armstrong '20 added goals in the second quarter to help the Martlets take a 6-3 lead into halftime. Westminster kept the energy going in the third and fourth quarters while the defense held stout against the Pelican offense. Riley Wood '19 finished the scoring for the Martlets, notching his first career goal for First Boys.

 

 

The Martlets took on the Pelicans on a rare appearance on Hovey Field. The first half was defined by a slow pace and a quick first quarter. After giving up two man-down goals in the second, the Martlets were able to rebound and tie the game at four apiece at halftime. Stellar defense on both sides kept the teams knotted at four-four at the end of regulation. In the final minute of overtime, the Martlets won key ground balls and found the back of the net for the thrilling OT victory. Teddy Schellbach '20 had two goals and he was supported by a dazzling coast-to-coast effort from Charlie Flam '20, a powerful and precise goal from Baker Morton '22, and Jordy Nelson '21 ripped home the game-winner. Ben Ferrell '21 continued his stellar season, making three key saves in overtime to keep the Martlets alive.

 

On a cloudy afternoon, the Brown Bears of Brunswick rolled into Simsbury to take on the Martlets. Despite the Bears only having three subs, the Martlets were unable to take advantage. They struggled to convert on many opportunities in the first half, which ended with the Martlets down by three goals. Fueled by a strong performance from Sam Pagon '21 at the face-off dot, the Martlets clawed their way back to within one but could not find the back of the net in the waning minutes. The goal scorers were Teddy Schellbach '20 (3), Theo Vandervoorn '20 (2) and a lone goal from Travis Paulsen '20.

 

Westminster traveled to Lakeville on a chilly afternoon to face off against Hotchkiss for the second time this season. Despite a short bench, the girls competed for the entire game and produced a full team effort. Shelby Oken '22 led the offense for the day with three goals, while Hannah Tarazi '22 and Arin Goldberg '22 both had two goals each. India Lalor '21 finished off the scoring while Michaela Crabtree-Crowley '22 and Katherine Ashe '21 both had assists. Isabel Sanchez ’20 stepped into the cage for the first time this season for the Martlets and stopped three shots.

 

In their most complete game of the year, Third Boys’ Lacrosse took down a well-coached and highly-skilled IMS varsity team. From the first faceoff win by Alex Tonioni '22, the Martlets battled for every groundball, cleared the ball with determination and incessantly drove to the cage with purpose. Two goals from Hunter Hoogkamp '21 helped the Martlets out to a 4-1 first-quarter lead, and yet a resilient fight from the opposition kept them in the game at 5-3 going into the half. From then on, the defense clamped down and Juan Jo Garibay '20 made several big, second-half saves to seal the win for Westminster. Game ball went to birthday boy, Johnny Van Leuven '22, who notched the first goal of his young Westminster lacrosse career.

 

 

Callista Adorno '22 blasted a grand slam and Gabby Nemarich '20 tripled and had two doubles to lead the Martlets to a win over the Titans. Adorno also pitched a terrific game, allowing just three Wilbraham base hits. Mandy Busky '21, Abby Munger '20 and Hailey Tullo '22 added two hits apiece for the Black and Gold. Alayna Tawney '19 reached base in all four at bats and had two runs batted in. The game began with a nine-run outburst by Westminster in the first inning. In the third frame, the Martlets added three runs. During a three-run fourth inning, Munger had her second RBI and the contest was suddenly 15-0. Adorno then struck out three consecutive batters to end the game. Westminster was prepared in the field, playing error-free softball. Adorno had great command on the mound, striking out nine Wilbraham batters. Meg Cournoyer '19 returned to catch after recovering from an injury and was strong behind the plate.

 

Mandy Busky '21 had four hits and Gabby Nemarich '20 doubled, tripled and drove in three runs as Westminster defeated Milton Academy 8-5. Busky scored the first run after tripling to left field in the opening frame. In the fourth inning, Hailey Tullo '22 singled, Bethany Winters '20 drew a walk, and both runners scored after Abby Davis '20 popped a single to center field. In the fifth inning, the Martlets scored two more runs when Busky singled, Nemarich tripled and Alayna Tawney '19 delivered a line drive base hit. Callista Adorno '22 pitched a 1-2-3 sixth inning, and then led off the top of the seventh with a single up the middle. Busky then drove a pitch into left field, and Nemarich blasted a double to score both runs. Milton kept battling and scored a run in the bottom of the seventh. The Mustangs had runners on second and third base with two out, but Allie Masthay '21 made a nice play at third base to end the game. Masthay, Tullo and Winters each had a strong game defensively. Adorno fielded her position well, registering eight putouts from the mound.

 

After six consecutive wins, the Martlets hit a bump in the road with a 12-6 loss to Kingswood. Westminster gave up seven early runs and found it challenging to bounce all the way back. In the bottom of the first, Mandy Busky '21 doubled and scored a run. In the second frame, Hailey Tullo '22 and Bethany Winters '20 singled, while Allie Masthay '21 and Lili Birrell '22 drew consecutive walks to bring the score to 7-4. However, K-O added four runs in the third. The Martlets had runners on base in the next two innings, but were unable to get the timely hit. In the sixth, Busky singled and later scored, yet three runners were left on base at the end of the frame. Bright spots on a dreary weather day included the fine play of Winters, who had a double and two singles. Busky had two hits and scored two runs for the Black and Gold. Playing second base for the first time, Abby Munger '20 assisted with four putouts, and Tullo was sharp at first base.

 

Callista Adorno '22 and Bethany Winters '20 combined to allow just three Pomfret singles during a 14-1 victory in front of large Alumni Weekend crowd. Meg Cournoyer '19 had a great day at the plate with multiple hits and five RBIs. Gabby Nemarich ’20 added three singles and drove in three runs, while Mandy Busky '21, Hailey Tullo '22 and Adorno had two hits apiece. Allison Kijanka '20 contributed a run scoring single and played well in left field. Abby Davis '20 fielded her position well, and infielders Busky, Nemarich, Tullo and Winters were sharp throughout the afternoon. Cournoyer caught a strong game for the Martlets.

The Martlets hosted Hotchkiss in what was a competitive match at many spots on the singles and doubles ladders. While the home team was only able to pull out one victory, the Black and Gold challenged the Bearcats and forced them to play good tennis. In doubles, the No. 1 match was particularly intense and exciting. Playing confident, inspired tennis, Lauren Way '20 and Alex Wolf '19 were ahead at various points in the match. Ultimately, Hotchkiss was bit more consistent and successful at net in order to get the win 8-6. Clara Ekholm '20 and Ellie Suit '20 also played well at No. 2 doubles but fell 8-4. In singles, the lone win came at No. 6 where Wolf put pressure on her opponent from the beginning and maintained a great effort throughout the match, tracking down balls and coming into net. She won 10-6. Maggie Chaves '19 at No. 3 was also ahead throughout the entirety of her match. With the score 9-8, however, she twisted her ankle and had to forfeit. At No. 1 singles, Olivia Zhang ’20 battled hard against a strong opponent and lost 10-5. Way also had a good match at No. 2. She was up at points during the match and had her chances but lost 10-7.

 

Westminster played hard and fought well but could not close out matches when opportunities presented themselves. Kingswood displayed good depth in its lineup and won nearly every match.

 

Westminster faced a talented Deerfield squad and could not manage a point against their top seven. Ethan Na '19 played the match of the day at No. 2 singles and fought for every point in his 5-7, 3-6 loss.

 

The Martlets hosted Trinity-Pawling on Alumni Weekend and did not drop a set en route to a 7-0 win. It was the first varsity win for the No. 3 doubles team of Scott Lee '20 and Scoobi Wilson '19. Nate Chaves ’19 also earned his first win at No. 6 singles 6-1, 6-1.

 

Elise Strawbridge '22, Mae Cilmi '22 and Miranda Douglass '21 all played incredibly well and won very close matches.

 

Every player on the Westminster team played incredibly well. Ola Szopa '20 fought hard to come from behind and win her match in a very close tiebreaker.

 

On an overcast day in the mid-50s, the team traveled to Deerfield on a bona fide bus, no, coach. No sun was spotted, but nor were any raindrops. With Matt Lewin ’20 unable to make the trip, Jake Monroe ’20 teamed up with Peter Barrett ’22 for No. 3 doubles. Like John Clofine ’21 and Eddie Shin ’21 at No. 2 doubles, they were only able to garner two games. Charlie Crowther ’21 and Mac Dye ’20 had many close games but still only managed three total at No. 1 doubles. Will Warner ’22 and Grand Tantichot ’22 rounded out the doubles with an exhibition match. In singles six players got shutout, not because they played poorly, but because the Deerfield players had better serves and more consistent groundstrokes. Crowther played a great match at No. 1 against an opponent who moved him to all corners of the court. The highlight for the Martlets, though, was Monroe’s match. He tracked many balls down, moved his opponent strategically, and wowed the crowd with some quick reactions at net, including one volley where he seemed to be defending his body from a point-blank shot while he jumped and managed to hit a dying drop shot for a winner.

 

The throwers led the way in a good effort despite the losing result. Westminster throwers won each event: Maya Ruffin '19 won the shot put and discus, and Alisa Toner '21 won the javelin. She also finished second in both the shot put and discus. Claire Taylor '21 won the triple jump as well as the pole vault where she tied the school record at 8-feet 6-inches. The jumpers also had a successful day. Dylan Foster '20 won the long jump and took second place in the 200m. On the track saw a flock of young Martlets take second place in their events. Sam de Kanter '22 scored in the 300 meter hurdles and the 800 meter. Alexa Dwyer '22 scored in the 100m. Molly Rubin '22 notched points for Westminster in the 400 meter, followed closely by Anna Veber '21. Solveig Nycander '20 placed second in the 3000 meter and third in the 1500 meter.

 

The girls started and ended the meet with exciting relay performances. A 4-x-100 meter relay team of Dylan Foster '20, Bella Tawney '22, Alexa Dwyer '22 and Claire Taylor '21 came in second, and the 4-x-400 meter relay team of Dwyer, Tawney, Taylor and Sam de Kanter '22 also finished in an exciting second place. These Martlets were quite busy. Foster won the 200 meter and finished second in the long jump. Taylor won the triple jump and placed second in the pole vault. Dwyer finished third in the 100 meter, and de Kanter notched a point for the team with a PR in the 300 meter hurdles. Also scoring on the track was Solveig Nycander '20 with a third place finish in the 3000 meter. The throwers continued to excel. Maya Ruffin '19 won the shot put and placed second in the discus. Alisa Toner '21 finished third in the discus, right in front of Ashlyn Clapprood '22, who placed second in the shot put, and went on to win the javelin. 

 

 

The boys won 12 out of 17 events and earned points in all but one. Emmett de Kanter '19 and Sean Clarke '19 led all scorers on the day. Both boys were part of the winning 4-x-400 meter relay team with fellow Martlets Dylan Holley '20 and Nate Pane '19. De Kanter won the 1500 meter and the 800 meter. Clarke continued his unbeaten season in the 100 meter and notched another win in the 200 meter. The throwers took seven out of nine scoring places in their events. Leo Kolomeiskii '21 won the javelin and Dinh Truong '19 won the shot put. Drew Brownback '19 won the pole vault. Also, in the jumps were high jump champion Tunji Osho-Williams '21 and long jump champ Matt Park '21. On the track, Justin Schuster '19 won the 3000m. In total, 21 different Martlets contributed points to the big victory.

 

Sean Clarke '19 was the high scorer on the day as he continued his unbeaten streak in the 100 meter dash. He was not alone there as Xander Cardia '21 took second place and Gabe Mays-Sanchez '22 took fourth. Clarke also placed second in the 200m and competed on the second place 4-x-400 meter relay team along with Emmett de Kanter '19, Greyson Pane '22 and Aidan Petrie '20. De Kanter continued to rack up points for the team as he won the 800 meter where he was followed by Dylan Holley '20 in second place. Petrie placed third in the javelin, right behind Phalla Phoap '20. Tunji Osho-Williams '21 was the high jump champion, and Cardia and Jalen Sears '19 came in third and fourth places, respectively. Osho-Williams placed second in the triple jump, followed by Drew Brownback '19 who also won the pole vault. Justin Schuster '19 placed second with a blistering time in the 3000 meter, and Pane placed second in both hurdle events.