Fall 2008 Athletes Celebrated at Sports Assembly

November 18, 2008

With the fall sports season at an end, Exeter paused to recognize the hard work and team play of the school's athletes. Captains and coaches were seated on stage as Athletic Director Rob Morris thanked the teams for their outstanding performances and congratulated them on their dedication. He also thanked the student body on its great support for the teams during the Exeter/Andover weekend. "We asked you to cheer on all the teams vs. Andover in a fun, enthusiastic and classy manner. And you did just that!" He continued, "I would also like to thank our Student Council for planning, organizing and implementing a great Pep Assembly and Pep Rally!"

After a rousing cheer from the student body, Morris had all JV athletes rise for another round of applause.

Team captains and Most Valuable Players (MVPs) were then called to the stage to cheers and congratulatory hoots from fellow students. Here's a sample of what contributed to their athletic success this year:

Football MVP Patrick Donnelly '09: "The season was successful for me because of how well we came together as a team and peaked at the end of the season. We showed tremendous heart playing our last two games. The highlight of my season was taking a knee on the last play against Andover and watching the Exeter crowd storm Andover's field."

Volleyball Co-MVP Talia Bolnick '09: "Our whole team dynamic was fantastic this year; everyone got along, on and off the court. Especially in volleyball, there's only so much that you can do on your own—compatibility is intrinsic to an individual's performance. What I think made the season so successful was our team play as a unit, and not any specific skill that I mastered individually."

Boys cross-country MVP Thomas Leger '09: "My season was so successful because it was the culmination of all the work that I've put in since starting to run my lower year. Every year I've built up more strength and trained harder, and it was great to see steady improvement over my career. I'm proud of the fact that I never had an off race this season and I think I led well by example, particularly for the many new guys on the team. The highlight of this season for me was definitely Exeter/Andover. We raced on our home course in beautiful conditions, and not only did I run my personal best time, but I managed to hold on in the last thousand meters and win the race."

Boys soccer Co-MVP Igor Carvalho '09: The highlight for Igor was "scoring the first goal on our home game opener against Loomis from 30 yards out." The season was a success because of  "staying healthy, focused, and realizing that the best soccer comes through when one isn't trying. When the game is played with happiness, positive results are sure to follow."

Boys water polo MVP Alex Rafter '09: "I saw this season as my chance to be one of the leaders on the team and not play in anyone else's shadow. Nothing can compare to what the team has accomplished over the years I've been on it, especially coming together with such a relatively inexperienced team this year and playing above everyone's expectations."

Fall season team highlights include:

• Boys cross-country: Despite losing three of its top five runners from last year, the team showed it had the home-grown talent and work ethic to contend with its perennial rivals Andover and St. Paul's, though in the end it fell just short of both of them, losing a one-point heartbreaker to Andover and finishing third overall at Interschols.
• Girls cross-country: Morgan Kelly '09, Natalie Russell '10 and Margaret Ayers '09 were Hall of Fame runners, and earned medals at the Division I Championship Race and were named to the All-New England Team. Finished third overall at Interschols.
• Field Hockey: A strong team led by its 10 senior starters. Only 12 goals scored against this team during the regular season. Impressive overall record of 18-2, after a tough 1-2 loss in the finals of the NEPSAC tournament.
• Football: A strong, resilient team that bounced back from several key injuries during the season to finish strong with 6 wins, including a dramatic 21-13 victory in the perennial Exeter/Andover contest at Phillips Academy.
• Boys soccer: After a 2-3 start, the team won 9 out of its 10 remaining games for a strong finish. The team limited Loomis Chaffee to only one goal, handing them their only defeat of the season. 
• Girls soccer: This season will be remembered for the team's unwavering willingness to work to get better every day. But the real trademark of this team will always be the chemistry. Friends on the field. Friends off. Shoulder to shoulder each and every day.
• Volleyball: Seeded fourth in the league, the girls rallied for a stunning win over Deerfield in the quarterfinal round NEPSAC playoffs. The game was a valiant comeback win from the two-set lead that Deerfield had taken.  Aggressive serving and defense pulled Exeter through with some incredible offensive plays by Talia Bolnick '09 and Tina Lipson '10. The girls were unable to get past Andover in the semi-finals.
• Water Polo: The team came into the New England tournament seeded fifth. During the tournament, Exeter knocked off Andover (number 4 seed), lost to Deerfield (number 1 seed), and then beat Suffield (number 3 seed), to finish third in the tournament. Highlights include two victories over Andover. 

Team	Captain(s)	MVP
BV Cross-Country	Thomas Leger '09, Raymond Tilden '09, and Andrew Weinstein '09	Thomas Leger '09
GV Cross-Country	Margaret Ayers '09, Molly Hassell '09	Morgan Kelly '09
GV Field Hockey	Lauren Greer '09, Elara Mosquera '09, Julia Ryan '09, Katelin Wahl '09	Moxie 2008
BV Football	Patrick Donnelly '09, Samuel Gardner '09, Ebenezer Gyasi '09	Patrick Donnelly '09
BV Soccer	Thomas McIntire '09	Igor Carvalho '09, Thomas McIntire '09
GV Soccer	Kendrick Campbell '09, Alexandra Ellis '09, Lily White '09	Kendrick Campbell '09 (Coach's Trophy: Lily White '09)
GV Volleyball	Talia Bolnick '09, Ariana Marnicio '09	Talia Bolnick '09, Olivia Fankuchen '09
BV Water Polo	Adam Lebovitz '10, Alexander Rafter '09	Alexander Rafter '09

 

Interested in learning more?

Winter sports aren't far off. Check the athletics pages to see game schedules, team pages and team season summaries.

See photos of the Exeter/Andover  games...

Replay the video of the Exeter/Andover  football game...