Westcott E.S. Moulton ’27, one of Williston Academy’s first true ice hockey superstars, was posthumously inducted into the Williston Athletic Hall of Fame during a ceremony at Reunion on May 13.

Moulton, who was often known as Wes, attended Williston Academy for two years.  During that time he played varsity football, ice hockey, and baseball.  He was named captain in his senior year in both football and ice hockey, while earning All New England honors in baseball.

It was in ice hockey that Moulton truly shined. In a total of 11 games over two seasons, Moulton scored 48 goals while the rest of the team scored 29. He made an amazing 15 of 18 goals in his senior year. He was named to Williston’s First Half Century Team (1900-1950). Continue reading →

Laura Hurd ’01, who was posthumously inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame during a ceremony at Reunion May 13, was born in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and attended Williston Northampton for two years. A two-year starter in soccer, ice hockey, and track, Hurd was known for her tenacious determination, competitive spirit, and unfailing love of life. Her mother, Jennifer, accepted the award on her daughter’s behalf, and Rachel Rockwell ’16 presented the award.

After graduation, Hurd attended Elmira College, which was just starting a women’s ice hockey program.  Over the course of the next four years, she rewrote the record books for Division III Women’s Ice Hockey in leading Elmira to two National Division III titles.  A four-time First Team All-American forward, Hurd still holds the NCAA Division III record for career scoring with 237 points, leading the nation in scoring her senior year and being named ECAC Player of the Year. She also holds NCAA Division III records for points in a season (77), points in a career (120 goals, 117 assists), points per game in a season (2.75), points per game in a career (2.15), goals in a season (40), goals in a career (120), assists in a career (117) and assists per game (1.06). Continue reading →

Stephen Durant ’64 attended Williston for five years and proved himself to be one of greatest athletes to ever attend the school.  As a three-year member of the varsity football team, Durant was a two-time Boston Herald All-New England Prep School Team selection.  The fact that he was named to the team at two different positions – quarterback and fullback – made the feat even more impressive.

In 1964, with the football team on its way to a New England championship, Durant gained 305 yards while averaging 5.5 yards per carry and, more impressively, never lost yardage. In 1964, he was named the Stimets Trophy winner as well as the Frank Boyden Award winner, given to the Top Western Mass Prep School Scholar-Football player. In 1963 he was named the Connecticut Valley Scholar Athlete recipient. Continue reading →

For only the second time in Williston’s history, the 1991 Girls Cross-Country team took first place in the Division II New England Championships, capping an undefeated season.  Out of seventy runners at the championships, Williston finished with five girls in the top twenty, led by Seana and Suzanne Zelazo, who finished third and ninth respectively.  Priscilla Fusco Kanzer finished 12^th, Tara Sheehan finished 18^th and co-captain Natalie Munk crossed the line in 19^th place.  Other members of the team included Catherine Saint Louis, co-captain Mecina Bottaro, Lissy Neumann, Megan Ross, Jodi Ryder and Amanda Patterson. Continue reading →

Abbie Coscia ’19 broke the single-season scoring record of 48 goals   during the Wildcats’ water polo match against Staples last week. Maddy Stern ’14 previously held the record, which she set in 2014. Coscia currently has 64 goals in the team’s 2016 campaign, and with one regular season game remaining against Loomis and the NEPSAC tournament on the horizon, she is eager add to her total.

The Holyoke native complimented her teammates after setting her record. She said, “When I realized I broke the record as a freshman, I was really proud of my accomplishment; however, I couldn’t have done it without the help of my teammates and my coach.” Continue reading →

Cody Cavanagh ‘17

Cody has been a big part of the boys’ varsity baseball teams’ success this season. On April 30th, he hit two home runs against Pomfret, which sparked a flurry of great at bats.  Since then, he has continued to hit well and play good defense.  He is currently second on the team with a .387 average and leads the team in runs scored with 12. Cody has a tremendous work ethic and sets a great example for his teammates. Continue reading →

With big wins over Berkshire, Pomfret, Cheshire, and Deerfield this spring, Williston’s softball team controls its own destiny as the girls head into the final weeks of the season.  The results of their upcoming matches against Loomis, Kingswood, Suffield, and Stoneleigh Burnham will determine whether our Wildcats will be selected to compete in the Western New England Class A tournament.

A combination of young talent and veteran leadership has led Coach Amber Rodgers’ squad to a winning record after seven games.  Sophomore pitcher Jordan Strum has been nothing short of dominant in her performances on the mound;  she has averaged over 11 strike outs per game in the team’s four wins!  At bat, the Somersworth, New Hampshire, native hit a two-run homer against Deerfield, went 3-for-3 in a tight battle against Cushing, and was 4-for-4 in a one-run win over Cheshire!  Strum, who was recently selected to play in the Western New England All-Star game, has a bright future ahead of her.

Senior shortstop, and fellow Western New England All-Star, Delany Belinskas,  has had a standout season for Williston at bat.  Belinskas has been a consistent contributor to a high-powered offense that put up 19 runs against Berkshire, 16 runs against Pomfret, and 14 runs against Deerfield! The Florida native has had exceptional performances against Cushing, Cheshire, and Deerfield, where she went a combined 6-for-10, scoring 5 runs and driving in 5 teammates.

Senior catcher Morgan Fisher and sophomore third baseman Gabby Jones have complemented Strum’s and Belinskas’ strong play  with great performances of their own.  Fisher was outstanding against Cheshire, where she went 3-for-4 and had 1 run and 2 RBIs, helping the team to a thrilling 5-4 win. Jones, who, like Strum, is a young, talented player for the Wildcats, went 3-for-4, and had 4 runs and 1 RBI in the 14-0 blanking of Deerfield.

Although great individual performances have been an important factor in the team’s wins this season, Coach Rodgers emphasized that “strong team play in nearly every game this spring has been the key to our success.  All players have contributed to our wins.”  She continued to praise all members of her team.  “Kassandra Orcutt ’19 has been an outstanding base runner for us,” she stated, “and Jada Goodrich ’16 has come in clutch in the outfield and at bat, where she hit a great ball to center field to secure a win against Cheshire when we were down by two runs.”

It will certainly be an exciting end of the season for our softball team. The Wildcats will need more strong team play in their final games as they look to secure a playoff birth. The team is back in action this Wednesday when they travel to Loomis.  Good luck, Wildcats!

Kyle Doucette ‘16

As a senior thrower, Kyle has competed well for the boys’ varsity track team this season. Last week he won the javelin and discus on both Wednesday and Saturday against difficult competition from NMH, WMA, Avon, and Suffield. Compared to some of his competitors, Kyle is relatively new to the sport, but his focus and attention to form during practice have paid off in a big way. As a team captain, he leads a positive example for his teammates by proving that hard work and attention to detail leads to success.

Jordan Strum ‘18

Jordan has performed very well for the varsity softball team this season. On Wednesday in the circle against Cushing, Jordan had 12 strike outs, leading the way for the Wildcats. Again on Saturday against Deerfield, Jordan pitched another gem, hurling 12 strikeouts while only allowing 2 hits. At the plate, Jordan came in clutch for the Wildcats with a huge 2 run homer to help Williston get the win. Jordan’s competitiveness has helped spark the team to a very successful start to the season.

Nikhil Sierros ‘21

Nikhil has played very well for the boys’ varsity tennis team so far this season. On Saturday, against Westminster, he grabbed another hard fought win playing at the number 2 position against a much older and stronger opponent. After losing the first set 4-6, he preceded to win the final two sets 7-5 and 6-0. He helped to spearhead the Wildcat’s eventual victory. Nikhill’s play has been a big part of the team’s successful season.

Sabrina Sampson ’16

Sabrina had an incredible week on the golf course for the Varsity Girls’ Golf Team. On Wednesday, against Miss Porters and Loomis, she shot a three over par 38 at Southampton CC. Her low round won her medalist of the match, and it also happened to be her best score of her career as a Wildcat. On Saturday, she topped her previous score by shooting a new career low with a score of one over par 36, to earn a win over visiting Westminster. Sabrina had two birdies and four pars on her round as the match medalist for Williston.

Jack Spence ‘19

Jack has pitched well this season for the jv baseball team. Last week he continued his success on the mound with 7 innings of shutout ball with 6 strikeouts against the Berkshire Bears as Williston won 5-0.

Anna Harvey ’18

Anna played exceptionally well in goal for the girls’ jv lacrosse team on Wednesday. She had 12 tough saves in the competitive game against Deerfield. She continues to bring a strong work ethic to each practice and serves as a model for her teammates in her willingness to challenge herself.

Williston’s Boys and Girls Varsity Golf teams have been  playing well below par in recent weeks—and in golf, that’s a good thing.

After a slow start to the season, which saw both teams’ records hover around .500, the Boys (9-3) have won 9 of their last 10 matches—narrowly losing to NMH by two strokes in the loss—while the Girls (7-3) are  carrying a four-match winning streak into this week’s matches.

Boys Head Coach Mike Fay spoke about his team’s talent. “They seem to be living up to their expectations as we hit mid-season. For the first time in my time coaching the Varsity team, we have a 9-hole team match average below 40 strokes,” he said.

Coach Fay added that a great team effort has also been a key to their success this spring. “We have had several players who earned match medalist this season, like Jacob Zaranek ’17, Jack Phelan ’18, and Tyler Senecal ’19, and we have also had consistently strong play from Nick Randolph ’17, Owen Randolph ’19, and Junya Ozaki ’18.”

Ozaki, a sophomore who comes from a family of accomplished professional golfers, echoed Coach Fay’s point about a harmonious and hard-working group. “Our team has been doing so well this season. We focus on every single practice and help each other as one.”  Phelan, a junior from East Longmeadow, also highlighted the team’s camaraderie. “I feel comfortable playing with, and for, my teammates, and that defiantly helps me play my best.”

As a result of the team’s strong play this season, they have enjoyed big wins over Avon Old Farms, Loomis, and Deerfield, who are typically among the top teams in New England.

Coach Fay said he feels confident about the remaining weeks of the season. “It should be an exciting second half,” he said, “and we feel capable of challenging for the season-ending Kingswood Invitational Tournament championship.”

Right now the Wildcats look forward to a rematch against Suffield this Wednesday. Suffield beat Williston by  two strokes in the first match of the season.

While strong team play has also been a key to the Girls’ success this season, it has been the exceptional play of senior Sabrina Sampson that has led the Wildcats to wins over Hotchkiss, Loomis, Miss Porter’s, and Westminster over the past week.

Sampson shot a career-low 38 in her match against Loomis and Miss Porter’s on April 27, only to break her record in the very next match against Westminster, shooting an astounding 36.

Sampson highlighted the team’s  growing confidence as a key factor in its recent success. “I think it took a little while for the team to get going, and we all had to build confidence and prove to ourselves that we could win,” she said. “Once we all started improving, the team as a whole has been on a winning streak ever since.  In one of our earlier matches this season, we lost to Loomis, but we recently beat them, which was a great accomplishment for us.”

Head Coach Ann Pickrell praised her team’s improvement over the past month. “Everyone has worked hard on their swing at the practice range and improved their short game and course management,” she said. “As a result of their hard work, three players had their career-low rounds in our most recent match at Southampton Country Club of 36, 40, and 44; quite an improvement for the month of April.”

Coach Pickrell is optimistic about the  final weeks of the season. “All of our golfers are playing their best golf of the season,” she said. Girls Varsity Golf will travel to Westminster on Wednesday in hopes of extending its winning streak when the team takes on Choate, Loomis, and Westminster. Good luck, Wildcat golfers!

Billy Asheden ‘17

Billy has started strong for the boys’ track team this season. On Wednesday, he won the 3,000 meter run against competition from Millbrook and Cheshire with a personal best time of 10:22. This will help elevate him in the Division II rankings, and sets him up nicely for the New England Meet. On Saturday at the Hunt Relays hosted at Deerfield Academy, Billy went toe to toe with Division I opponents in the 1200 leg of the Distance Medley Relay, then doubled back to run a great 800 leg of the 4×800.

Olivia Bonavita ‘17

Olivia has been a big part of the girls’ varsity lacrosse teams success so far this season. On Saturday against Millbrook, she racked up 5 goals to help lead the Wildcats to the win. Not only was she a key goal scorer, she also performed very well as a defender. Olivia has been vital during transitions in the midfield and has also been an impact player on draws.

Kevin O’Sullivan ‘18

Kevin has been a key contributor for the boys’ varsity lacrosse team so far this season. He went 47/59 on face offs and picked up 33 ground balls to help the boys’ varsity lacrosse teams go 2-1 last week. Kevin has dominated the face off X this year, winning 73% of his draws and leading the team in ground balls. Kevin’s team first mentality provides a great example for his teammates.

Julie Lord ’16

Julie has been key to the season’s 5-1 start for the girls’ varsity tennis team. She is currently undefeated in both singles and in doubles matches. Julie has won all of her singles matches in convincing fashion and has only given up 7 games in 5 matches!

Peter Cheney ‘20

Peter has had a great start to the season for the boys’ jv tennis team. Regularly playing older, bigger players at the number one singles slot, Peter has displayed a positive attitude in his matches so far this year. In his most recent match Peter gutted out a 9-8 win at Wilbraham and Monson, going the distance before pulling away in the tie breaker. Peter displays a positive tone day in and day out, and his attitude is infectious for the rest of the squad.