All posts by Admin

Athletic Hall of Fame 2015: Jim Edwards ’65

During his two years at Williston Academy, Jim Edwards was a 12x All-American swimmer in six different events (50, 100, 200, 400 free, 200 relay and 400 relay) while setting 10 national records.

Screenshot 2015-06-03 10.51.20“Without a doubt, the most outstanding member of the team was Jim Edwards,” the yearbook noted at the end of his senior year. “During the season, he bettered his own national mark of 1964 in the 200-yard free-style by one second, turning in a 1:47.3.”

The yearbook went on to describe how Jim had “smashed” the national mark in the 100 free by .5 second, and took on Olympian Don Schollander during a competition between Williston and the Yale freshman.

“Schollander, who later said it would take ‘two months to recover from that one,’ swam a 0:47.5 to Jim’s 0.47.6,” The Log noted.

IMG_0557 (2)Twice voted New Hampshire Male Athletic of the Year, Jim appeared in Sports Illustrated, competed in the 1964 US Olympic Trials (missing the squad by 0.1 sec), and was a member of the AAU squad that competed in Germany in 1966, an event in which he finished third in the 100 Free and second in the 400 Medley Relay.

While at the University of North Carolina, Jim set American records in the 110 free and the 4×220 relay, and a world record as the anchor of the 440-yard free relay.

The Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony, dinner, and reception were held on Saturday, June 6, 2015. Jim Edward’s award was presented to him by Kevin Hoben ’65.

Nominate your favorite athlete, team, or coach for the 2016 Athletic Hall of Fame here.

 

Athletic Hall of Fame 2015: Harlow “Chip” Ide, Jr. ’55

 

A three-sport athlete at Williston Academy, Harlow “Chip” Ide used his speed and competitive nature to excel on the gridiron, in the pool, and on the track.

Chip Ide 2 (1)An All-American swimmer in the 50 Free, Chip helped set national prep school records in the medley relay, 200 free relay and 400 free relay. In 1954, he was a member of the 400 free relay team that placed fourth at the AAU National Championships.

The depth and extent of his accomplishments can perhaps be best summed up by a newspaper’s breathless account of Mr. Ide. The Williston Academy team had just win their third-straight title at the 18th annual Trinity College preparatory schools meet and the news was describing the team as the “Bay State Powerhouse.”

“Ide, who already gained considerable fame on the football field and is a fine track performer in addition to his swimming brilliance,” the story noted, “won the 50-yard sprint and did a sizzling anchor lap as Williston took the 200-yeard freestyle in 1:36.9 which was both a meet and Trinity pool record.”

After his senior year at Williams College, he was presented with the Richardson Medal for the best swimmer. On the Williams football team, he averaged over 8.1 yards per carry, played in the 1959 All-America Bowl, and was honored with the Brooks Memorial Medal, given to the best small college halfback in the East.Chip Ide 1 (1)

The Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony, dinner, and reception was held on Saturday, June 6, 2015. Chip Ide’s award was presented to him by Joel Schiavone ’54.

Nominate your favorite athlete, team, or coach for the 2016 Athletic Hall of Fame here.

 

Athletic Hall of Fame 2015: 1992 Boys Golf Team

The 1992 boys golf team started a mini-dynasty at Williston Northampton by going 15-1 under the leadership of longtime faculty member Bob Blanchette.

That year, the team had wins over Loomis Chaffee, Northfield Mount Hermon, the Williams College junior varsity team, Deerfield, Choate, and Suffield.

image004With captains Jeff Brunelle ’92 and John Swierzewski ‘92, the team won the prestigious Kingswood Invitational Tournament (the New England championship) with an impressive score of 407. Jeff Brunelle led the way by medaling with a 74.

“The Golf Team enjoyed its most successful season ever,” proclaimed the 1992 yearbook. “John fixed a 72 at the Loomis course, while Jeff sparkled at Williams College with a 2 under par 69.”

Following graduation, the team travelled south to take on top prep schools in the Eastern Seaboard Championships, where they took home the title in the 3-Man Division with a final score of 475.

Team members included seniors Brunelle, Swierzewski, junior Greg Knight, and sophomores Paul Burns, Chris Shields and Aaron Uschmann.

On June 6, at the official Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony, the boys golf team award will be accepted by Jeff Brunelle ’92.

The Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony, dinner, and reception will be held on Saturday, June 6, 2015. Register to attend here.

Nominate your favorite athlete, team, or coach for the 2016 Athletic Hall of Fame here.

 

Athletic Hall of Fame 2015: Anthony “Tony” Lavelli ’45

A phenomenal athlete with a love of music, Tony Lavelli came to Williston Academy as a post-graduate. He was elected captain of the varsity basketball team and led the team to a 14-0 record, scoring 307 points out of the team’s 672  total, before moving to tennis in the spring.

Tony Lavelli
Tony Lavelli

At the end of the year, Coach Lash toldThe Log that it had been “probably the greatest team in Williston’s basketball history.”

“This can be attributed to several factors,” the yearbook went on, “accurate shooting, aggressive team play, smart ball handling, and especially to a certain chap by the name of Tony Lavelli. Tony’s marvelous team play and sparkling leadership helped the Lashmen tremendously as Williston produced its first undefeated basketball team in thirty-five years.”

At Yale University, Tony scored 1,970 points (a school record that stood for 35 years) and, in his senior year, led the nation in (averaging 22.4 points per game).

Tony Lavelli 11 (1)Tony was named second team All-American selection in 1946 and 1948 and a first team All-American selection in 1949. He was also named the College Player of the Year. In February 1949, Life magazine called his hook shot “the most spectacular offensive weapon in college basketball history.”

Tony was the number four overall pick of the Boston Celtics in the 1949 NBA draft. In his rookie year, he averaged 8.8 points per game; he was traded to the NY Knicks the following year.

Tony had a great love of music, so he had it written into his contracts with the Celtics and Knicks that he could play the accordion at halftime to entertain the crowds. After his first year with the Knicks, he quit the NBA to pursue a career in music at The Juilliard School. Tony then returned to play for the Harlem Globetrotters, where be was named captain of the College All-Star team and the Globetrotters musical director. Tony went on to release two albums and had a long career as a songwriter and musician.

In a March 1949 issue of Sport Life Magazine, Anthony “Tony” Lavelli ’45, who as trained as a musician, was described as having taken up basketball for relaxation—a nice break from his musical training.

“Some think that the secret of Lavelli’s prodigious scoring—he averages 20 points a game against the severest opposition—is in his hands, the hands that were trained for music,” the magazine said. “They are large, powerful hands, with tensile fingers, fingers study enough to control a basketball held at arm’s length.”

The Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony, dinner, and reception was held on Saturday, June 6, 2015. Tony was the Veteran’s Committee selection for the 2015 Athletic Hall of Fame. His award was presented by Jake Ross ‘16 and accepted by his sister, Ginny Lovett.

Nominate your favorite athlete or team for the 2016 Athletic Hall of Fame here.

Athletic Hall of Fame 2015 Inductees

Five outstanding athletes, two amazing teams, and one beloved coach to be inducted

They would win New England championships, set school records—and national ones—and go on to play at Yale, Columbia, Boston College, or Williams College. They would be given such titles as best small college halfback in the East, Massachusetts Player of the Year, or Eastern Seaboard Champions and would compete at the U.S. Olympic Trials, with the Harlem Globetrotters, and with the New England Mutiny.

On Saturday, June 6, these five outstanding athletes, two amazing teams, and one beloved coach will garner one more honor: as inductees to the Williston Northampton School Athletic Hall of Fame.

The fourth class of athletic superstars will include pro basketball player Anthony “Tony” Lavelli ’45; the 1986 girls basketball team; the 1992 boys golf team; pro soccer player Katie Coffey ’04; All-American swimmer and football player Harlow “Chip” Ide Jr. ’55; All-American basketball player Roger Walaszek ’65; record-setting swimmer Jim Edwards ’65; and Coach Sue Curry Barnett.

Even while they were students, the athletes earned praise from their peers. That admiration can perhaps best be summed up by a description the 1945 student yearbook of “the greatest team in Williston’s basketball history” and the special player who made that possible.

“Tony’s marvelous team play and sparkling leadership helped the Lashmen tremendously,”The Log noted, “as Williston produced its first undefeated basketball team in thirty-five years.”

The inductees were nominated by their friends, families, classmates, and teammates and then chosen by a Selection Committee.

Nominations are now being accepted for next year’s Athletic Hall of Fame here. Eligible nominees who were not chosen this year will be automatically added to the list of candidates for next year.

Athletic Awards for Spring 2015

v-softball-vs-deerfield-2015_17299056692_oOn Friday, May 22, Director of Athletics Mark Conroy held the annual spring athletic assembly to recognize the outstanding athletic achievements of the past season and to particularly honor the contributions by members of the Class of 2015. The assembly, which kicks off a weekend of end-of-year ceremonies, culminated in a slideshow of the year in Wildcat Athletics.

Spring highlights included such individual achievements as junior rider Lacey Gillis qualifying for the Regionals; freshman pitcher Jordan Strum throwing a perfect game (facing the minimum of 21 batters in 7 innings) during a softball game against Cushing Academy; and Mike Dereus breaking the school record in the 200 with a time of 21.8 in boys track. Sophomore Alexis Ryan won the NEPSAC discus event with a throw of 106’8”.

Among the team achievements, girls crew placed third in the second varsity four finals of the Lowell Invitational Regatta, and Ultimate won the Northfield Mount Hermon Tournament and the Spirit Award at the Amherst Invitational. Girls varsity tennis had  a first-place finish at the Suffield Invitational Tournament, while girls golf finished the season with the second-best overall record for the team in the 13-year history of Williston’s program. Girls softball advanced to the Class A Tournament, the girls water polo program had such first as a winning record and a NEPSAC playoff berth, and the the varsity girls lacrosse team had another outstanding season, finishing with a 12-2 record.

track-at-new-englands-2015_17850471042_oThe varsity boys lacrosse team, led by Coaches Syfu, Dietrich and Johnson, enjoyed their finest season in 16 years, with a record of 12-3. The boys went 6-0 against Western New England Division II foes to win the league championship for the first time in several years. Co-head Coaches Syfu and Dietrich were recognized with the Division II Mike Fuller Coach of the Year award.

The 4 x 100 relay team of sophomore Rebecca Sundel, junior Sideya Dill, and seniors Lena Gandevia and Gabby Thomas broke the school record with a time of 49.76 on the way to becoming NEPSAC champions for the second consecutive year.

Mr. Conroy singled out senior Gabby Thomas in his remarks, noting “I don’t think it is overstating that Gabby enjoyed one of the finest performances by a track and field athlete in recent NEPSAC history and perhaps all of Williston’s track and field history.” Ms. Thomas capped off an extraordinary Williston career by winning four gold medals at the New England Championships, matching an equally impressive performance last year.  In addition to a gold in the 4 x 100, Ms. Thomas won the 200 meters,  and a gold medal in the Triple Jump (where she setting another NEPSAC meet record of 39’11”). Her best triple jump leap this spring was 40’7”, the fifth-best jump in the country this spring.

Ms. Thomas also won the 100 meter title for the fifth year in a row, breaking her own NEPSAC record with a time of 11.71. This time puts her in the top 20 100 meter times run in the country this spring. For the second consecutive year, Gabby was named the MVP of the NEPSAC championship meet. In recognition of all of her accomplishments at Williston, Mr. Conroy presented her with a special plaque. Ms. Thomas also received a Blanket Award and the Alumnae Bowl, given each year to the top girl in the school’s athletic program.

Continue reading

Athletic Awards Announcement: Winter 2015

16101385964_53f3513003_zThis was a historically strong winter for the Williston Northampton School, with teams winning championships, setting records, and securing personal best times. On Wednesday, March 25, the Williston community came together to honor all of these amazing achievements, and to also recognize the team award winners.

Winter highlights included the boys varsity basketball team securing the NEPSAC Class A tournament title. Coach Mike Shelton was named the NEPSAC Class A Coach of the Year and Ryan Richmond ’15 was named outstanding player of the tournament. Boys skiing also won their NEPSAC championship, securing the title for the first time in 22 years.

The swimming and diving teams had incredible record-breaking seasons. On the boys’ side, David Fitch won a NEPSAC title in the 100 yard freestyle and finished second in the 50 yard freestyle (with the third-fastest time in school history). Gabriella Mercier what was described as the single greatest season in Williston diving history, breaking the school’s dual meet diving record and championship diving record. Sally Alrutz, Natalie Aquadro, Jasmin Movassaghi, and Emily Yeager broke a 15-year old record in the 200 medley relay; Ms. Alrutz, Ms. Aquadro, Ms. Yeager and Anabelle Farnham broke the 400 freestyle relay record by three seconds; and Ms. Alrutz  re-broke her own record in the 100-yard backstroke. She also broke a record in the 100-yard butterfly, and set a new NEPSAC Division 2 record on her way to winning her first NEPSAC title.

ski individualsWrestler and senior captain Sam Atkin had a third place finish at New England’s (after being a sixth seed), while boys squash took second place at the Class C New England Tournament with a first-place overall for Loren Po ’15. Girls squash took third place at the NEPSAC Class C Championship, with senior Hannah King winning three matches to take first place in the #7 flight. The girls also received the tournament’s Sportsmanship Award.

“Wow, what an incredible winter season it was for Williston Wildcat athletics! As I watched our teams compete all winter, I could not have been prouder,” said Director of Athletics Mark Conroy during the special athletic assembly.

“All of our teams at every level played hard, played together, were very well coached, and represented Williston with tremendous sportsmanship,” Mr. Conroy continued. “I also want to say that I am extremely proud of how we continue to support our teams—it is always with a wonderful combination of enthusiastic school spirit AND great respect for the performance of our opponents!”

“Now, the fact that we won more than our share of games this winter was just icing on the cake for me!” he said. “And, make no mistake about it, we did win more than our share of games in making a fair amount of Williston history.”

Mr. Conroy then gave the brief summaries of all nine winter programs.

Jump to the section on:
Boys Squash
Girls Squash
Wrestling
Boys Swimming and Diving
Girls Swimming and Diving
Boys Hockey
Girls Hockey
Girls Ski Team
Boys Ski Team
Girls Basketball
Boys Basketball

Continue reading

Williston Squash Team Finishes Third in New Englands

The team also earns best sportsmanship recognition

By Coach Gunn

Girls V Squash vs. Berkshire 2015. Photo by Kenzie Possee '15
Girls V Squash vs. Berkshire 2015. Photo by Kenzie Possee ’15

Defending champions Williston Northampton School earned a third-place finish in the New England Interscholastic Squash Association (NEISA) Class C Championships held at Pomfret School on Saturday, February 28.

Led by three Easthampton natives—senior co-captain Julia Valine, fellow senior Hannah King, and sophomore Lindsay Whipple—Williston’s 41 points trailed only Greens Farm Academy (56) and host Pomfret (49) in earning the third place by one point over Canterbury School (40).  Originally seeded fifth overall, this terrific performance was made all the more special as the eight other teams voted Williston to receive the prize for best sportsmanship.

Continue reading

Swimmers Set New Records at NEPSAC

By Coach Koritkoski

Photo by David Koritkoski of the award winning relay teams from the Bud Erich Invitational on February 28.
Photo by David Koritkoski of the award-winning relay teams from the Bud Erich Invitational on February 28.

The boys and girls swim teams competed in the NEPSAC Division II Swimming and Diving Championships at Roger Williams University on Saturday, March 7, 2015 and had a very successful day.  The girls finished in second place behind three-time defending champions Dana Hall, and the boys finished in sixth place.

The girls 200 Medley Relay team of Sally Alrutz, Natalie Aquadro, Jasmin Movassaghi, and Emily Yeager opened up the meet in style, winning the event while setting a new school record. They also broke the previous NEPSAC Division II record by over three seconds, with a blazing fast time of 1:52.88.

Eighth grader Sally Alrutz (Springfield) put forward an incredible individual performance, winning a NEPSAC title, setting a Division II record, and breaking a 15-year old school record in the 100 butterfly with a time of 59.12.  She followed up that swim with a second place finish—and a new school record—in the 100 backstroke with a time of 58.90.

Sophomore Natalie Aquadro (Northampton) took home a pair of second-place finishes in the 200 Individual Medley (2:15.74) and 100 breaststroke (1:09.19), and had the second fastest time in the event in school history. Sophomore Emily Yeager placed third in the 200 Freestyle (2:0287) and fourth in the 100 backstroke (1:03.17). Freshman Anabelle Farnham (Amherst) placed third in the 50 freestyle with a time of 25.83 and finished fourth in the 100 freestyle with a time of 55.37.

On the boys side, the 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams of David Fitch, Calvin Frye, Alex Li, and Chris Lansill put together impressive performances, finishing fifth in both events with times that rank them in the top 15 in school history.

Sophomore David Fitch (Conway) swam two incredible races. He won his first NEPSAC title in the 100 freestyle with a time of 48.71 and finished second in the 50 freestyle with a time of 22.15.

Junior Calvin Frye (West Springfield) placed third in the 200 freestyle (1:52.17) and eighth in the 100 freestyle (51.69).   Junior Chris Lansill finished off a great season, winning the consolation final of the 100 backstroke finishing 9th with a career best time of 1:02.90 and anchored the 200 Medley Relay team with a season best time of 23.83.

Senior captain Alex Li (Longmeadow) capped off a great Williston career, finishing sixth in the 100 butterfly (59.84) and fourth in the 100 backstroke (1:00.32).

 

Boys Skiing Named NEPSAC Class B Champions

The girls take third place on Ski Sundown
Photo by Ed Hing
Photo by Ed Hing

The announcement came as a happy surprise this week: After a miscalculation in the results, the Williston Northampton School’s boys ski team moved from a second-place finish the NEPSAC Class B Championships to first, taking the title for the first time in over a decade.

The Wildcats will receive a trophy as NEPSAC champions and will share the title with the Rivers School team, who were originally awarded the top honor at Ski Sundown on Wednesday, February 11.

ski individuals
Photo by Ed Hing

Alpine ski coach Ed Hing called the win a “tremendous accomplishment,” and noted that while he was disappointed that the boys didn’t get a chance to celebrate the moment last Wednesday, he’s pleased that they’re now getting the recognition they deserve for their hard work.

The boys were led by Devin DeVerry ’18 (2nd in the Slalom, 3rd in the Giant Slalom), Jesse Cassuto ’17 (5th in the Slalom) and Anthony Aquadro ’15 (10th in the Slalom). Finishing behind the Wildcats were Rivers School, Taft School, Concord Academy, Thayer Academy, Avon Old Farms School, Trinity-Pawling School, Lawrence Academy, Loomis Chaffee School, Salisbury School, and Milton Academy. For the boys team this was Williston’s first championship since 1993.

Photo by Ed Hing
Photo by Ed Hing

The girls also had a tremendous day on the mountain, taking third at the NEPSAC Class B Championships. The girls team was led by Sophie Carellas (2nd in Slalom, 4th in Giant Slalom) and Jen Carellas (6th in Slalom, 8th in Giant Slalom). Miss Hall’s School finished first and Loomis Chaffee second. The Wildcats were followed by Taft, Milton, Rivers, Miss Porter’s School, Thayer, and Concord Academy. The girls last took the title in 2008.

Congratulations to both teams on their great finish to their season!