Spring Sports Wrap-Up
Highlights and awards from the spring sports season.
The final whistle has blown on the fields and last serves hit on the courts for the 2013-14 Thacher sports season. Read on for the report from Athletics Director Pete Fagan followed by team-by-team coaches' reports for spring sports:
As I write this report, it is of course, the final whistle for Thacher and the Condor League. Over the past five years or so, the competition between schools in the Condor league has waned. Many of the smaller schools were having difficulty fielding regular teams and rarely junior varsity teams. After two years of discussions and debate, it was decided that the Tri-Valley Athletic Association was the best place for Thacher's athletic program. Beginning this fall, we will compete in one of the two leagues of the Tri-Valley Athletic Association, the Frontier League. Some of our competitor schools will be Cate, Villanova, Bishop Diego, and Grace Brethren. Other schools in the association are Santa Paula, Fillmore, Malibu, Santa Clara, Carpinteria, St. Bonaventura, and Foothill Technology.
As I write this report, it is of course, the final whistle for Thacher and the Condor League. Over the past five years or so, the competition between schools in the Condor league has waned. Many of the smaller schools were having difficulty fielding regular teams and rarely junior varsity teams. After two years of discussions and debate, it was decided that the Tri-Valley Athletic Association was the best place for Thacher's athletic program. Beginning this fall, we will compete in one of the two leagues of the Tri-Valley Athletic Association, the Frontier League. Some of our competitor schools will be Cate, Villanova, Bishop Diego, and Grace Brethren. Other schools in the association are Santa Paula, Fillmore, Malibu, Santa Clara, Carpinteria, St. Bonaventura, and Foothill Technology.
That said, 2013-14 was another outstanding year for Thacher athletics. We had league champions (girls' tennis, girls' basketball, girls' soccer, boys' and girls' cross-country) and many teams qualified for CIF playoffs. Most notably, we were the recipients of the CIF Sportsmanship award for the Condor League. To me, that is the most important trophy to win because our athletes realize that integrity, sportsmanship, and respect for our opponents are cornerstones for high school athletics and are an extension of the Thacher mantra of honor, fairness, kindness, and truth. Time and time again, our students rise above the pettiness often seen in high school athletics. They play hard and passionately until the last whistle and cheer proudly, loudly, and positively for their teammates and classmates.
Next year will be a new and exciting challenge for our program. Coaches and players will need to strive for higher levels of excellence in their sports and bring their “A” game each and every day. There will be games where we won’t be the best, but I’m confident that our level of commitment and sportsmanship will outshine every opponent we face. As we head into the summer months, we already miss our departing seniors and we look forward to our returning athletes working to maintain our exemplary standards and carry on the amazing Thacher qualities of passion, fair play, and commitment to greatness. Go Toads!
Next year will be a new and exciting challenge for our program. Coaches and players will need to strive for higher levels of excellence in their sports and bring their “A” game each and every day. There will be games where we won’t be the best, but I’m confident that our level of commitment and sportsmanship will outshine every opponent we face. As we head into the summer months, we already miss our departing seniors and we look forward to our returning athletes working to maintain our exemplary standards and carry on the amazing Thacher qualities of passion, fair play, and commitment to greatness. Go Toads!
Boys' Track
Coaches: Joel Sohn, Sarah DelVecchio, Donald Okpalugo
Captain: Raul Soto '14
League Record: 2nd at League Championships
Seniors: Quincy Hunter-Daniel, Momo Lewis, Simon Novich, Raul Soto, Wade Warren, Aidan Waugh
The Track Cup (awarded to high-point man): Aidan Waugh '14
David S. Lavender Track Improvement Award (awarded to man who improves most over the course of the season): Quincy Hunter-Daniel '14
Captain for 2015: Lukas Ceseña '15
CIF Qualifiers:
Jordan Augustus '15 - 300H
Peter Callan '16 - 1600, 3200
Lukas Ceseña '15 - 800
Ben Chadwick '15 - 400
Kevin Griffee '15 - 1600, 3200
Simon Novich '14 - 3200
Raul Soto '14 - 400
Aidan Waugh '14 - Shot Put
Boys 4 x 100
Boys 4 x 400
Season highlights: The boys started the season strong and kept improving week by week. Seems like everyone set personal bests this season, and made their personal goals by season end. While the team finished 2nd to Cate at the league finals, the team had more qualifiers and individual winners than all other teams combined. The team is poised for a strong returning class of rising seniors who make up the core of the team. The boys team set records in the 4 x 200, 4 x 1600, DMR, and 4 x 800 relays this year in a single day at the Citrus Valley Relays. They are poised to set the school record in the 4 x 400 relay next year and are ranked 13th overall out of nearly 150 schools in Southern Section Division 4. The team is also bolstered by new sophomores and frosh who should make a major impact next season. In the league finals, the strong junior class dominated the field. Jordan Augustus '15 took a 1st (300H), 2nd (110H), 3rd (HJ), and 5th (100) to score 14 of the team’s 95 points. Kevin Griffee '15 battled one of the most gutsy 1600 performances I’ve seen to win in a personal best 4:37.11 and break into the Division 4 SS top 40 rankings. Ben Chadwick '15 now holds the official school record in the 400. His time of 51.98 at the CIF Prelims is the first FAT time to match the 51.9 handheld and converted time from 1934 (handheld times should be offset by .24 seconds). The team hopes that this growth in the program continues and that the team will shine once again in 2015!
Girls' Track
Baseball
Boys' Lacrosse
Season highlights: This year’s varsity lacrosse team exceeded expectations from the beginning. When training camp opened in the second week of spring break, the roster was almost totally new: all but 3 members of last year’s team had been lost to graduation, and a number of this year’s players were brand new to lacrosse. But as soon as the season began, these young men set about proving to any and all doubters that they could overcome their inexperience through teamwork, desire, and a commitment to getting better everyday. And the results followed.
The greatest highlight of the season was the tangible improvement that emerged as the weeks went by. The Toads pulled out convincing wins against solid opponents Sierra Canyon, Viewpoint, and Brentwood, and after being crushed in their first meeting with Cate by a score of 15-3, they almost stole the second game, losing by a mere 1-goal margin, 4-3.
As the team turns its attention to the 2015 season, there is much reason for optimism. With no seniors on the 2014 team, the Toads return their entire roster in 2015, ready to build on the successes of this season. The team has an established defensive corps comprised of Stuart Brown ‘15, Kipper Berven ‘15, Cameron Twichell ‘17, Jacques Robles ‘17, and goalie Jack Pierrepont ‘16, the team’s MVP in 2014. And as the 2014 season progressed, the team’s leading scorer, Sam Richardson ‘17, staked his claim as one of the most dynamic offensive players in the area, and many other players began to emerge as comparable offensive threats: Griffin McMahon ‘15, Orren Fox ‘15, Jack Richardson ‘15, and Laurence Jackson ‘17, just to name a few.
Girls' Varsity Lacrosse
Girls' Track
Coaches: Joel Sohn, Sarah DelVecchio, Donald Okpalugo
Captain: Beatrice Land '14
League Record: 2nd at League Championships
Seniors: Lili Boyle, Auden Ehringer, Felicia Jiang, Wallace Kalkin, Nayla Kidd, Beatrice Land, Ana Levy, Sophie McMillan
The Track Cup (awarded to high-point woman): Nayla Kidd '14
David S. Lavender Track Improvement Award (awarded to woman who improves most over the course of the season): Serena Warren '16
Captain for 2015: Kennedy Green '15
CIF Qualifiers:
Arianna Finger '15 - 1600
Kennedy Green '15 - 100, 200
Tyler James '16 - 300H
Nayla Kidd '14 - 800, Shot Put
Serena Warren '15 - 400
Girls 4 x 100
Girls 4 x 400
Season highlights: The girls began the season with impressive performances at the Malibu Invitational and kept improving each meet. Newcomers Serena Warren '16, Reade Rossman '16, Tyler James '16, and Katie Rauner '16 were strong additions to the team, combining for 26 of the 87 points scored at the league finals - an impressive feat for four new sophomores. The season also saw the improvement of Arianna Finger '15 in the 1600 after a disappointing and illness/injury-filled 2013 season. Nayla Kidd '14 continued to dominate every event, scoring points (and often winning) throughout the season in the discus, shot put, 300 hurdles, 400, 800, 4 x 100, and 4 x 400. Kennedy Green '15 was stellar, setting new personal bests in the 100 and 200, and finishing in the top 30 for all of Division 4 SS in both events. Sophie McMillan '14 had a strong year, helping the team in the league finals with two 3rd place finishes and running in both league winning relays. If the team continues to develop as it has for the past three seasons, they should be looking for greater success in 2015!
Baseball
Coaches: Tony Franco, Cal Jensen, Robert Torres
Captains: Reed Gulick-Stutz '14, Alex Yeagle '14
League Record: 1-6
Season Record: 1-11
Seniors: Jon Chang, Caleb Couturie, Reed Gulick-Stutz, Truman Hanks, Harry Hayman, Willy Newirth, Anand Shah, Alex Yeagle
MVP: Pedro Ureña '15
Most Improved Player: John Kern'16
Most Inspirational Player: Reed Gulick-Stutz '14
Best Jokester: Alex Yeagle '14
Best Chatter-er: Truman '14
Captains for the 2015 season: John Carey '15, Marshall Fisher '15, Pedro Ureña '15
Season highlights: First game of the season was an offensive explosion. Six runs scored, but gave up too many defensively. Pedro Ureña '15 went 4-4 with 4 RBI. Captain Reed Gulick-Stutz '14 let the team against Cate by setting the tone early on a couple great defensive plays. Caleb Couturie '14 had an amazing sliding catch in left field that game. Jon Chang '14 had 1 at bat and walked. Truman '14 hit a bomb and legged out a double. It was a tough loss. Last game of the season John Carey '15 went 5-5 with 3 stolen bases, 1 RBI as our spark plug to fuel our first victory of the season. Junior Marshall Fisher was Mr. Consistent. Harry Hayman '14 battled all year and Anand Shah '14 became our resident DH. In his second season starting at Third, Captain Alex Yeagle '14 struggled defensively early in the season but by season’s end was our most trustworthy infielder defensively. Sophomore Tucker Bennett was our number 1 starter and pitched in 7 out of 12 games this year. John Kern, another sophomore, was a pleasant surprise as a relief pitcher who logged about 5 innings for us. The freshmen were an amazing crop of athletes and we’ll lean on them heavily next year. We officially won our final Condor League match-up and that’s how the 2014 Toads Baseball squad will be remembered.
Boys' Lacrosse
Coaches: Tim Sullivan, Brandon Doyle, Bob St. George
Captains: Stuart Brown '15
Season Record: 6-7
MVP: Jack Pierrepont '16
Most Improved Players: Jacques Robles '17 and Ronan Byrne '17
Unsung Hero: Cameron Twichell '17
Spirit Award: Kipper Berven ‘15
Spirit Award: Kipper Berven ‘15
Captain for the 2015 season: Stuart Brown ‘15
Season highlights: This year’s varsity lacrosse team exceeded expectations from the beginning. When training camp opened in the second week of spring break, the roster was almost totally new: all but 3 members of last year’s team had been lost to graduation, and a number of this year’s players were brand new to lacrosse. But as soon as the season began, these young men set about proving to any and all doubters that they could overcome their inexperience through teamwork, desire, and a commitment to getting better everyday. And the results followed.
The greatest highlight of the season was the tangible improvement that emerged as the weeks went by. The Toads pulled out convincing wins against solid opponents Sierra Canyon, Viewpoint, and Brentwood, and after being crushed in their first meeting with Cate by a score of 15-3, they almost stole the second game, losing by a mere 1-goal margin, 4-3.
As the team turns its attention to the 2015 season, there is much reason for optimism. With no seniors on the 2014 team, the Toads return their entire roster in 2015, ready to build on the successes of this season. The team has an established defensive corps comprised of Stuart Brown ‘15, Kipper Berven ‘15, Cameron Twichell ‘17, Jacques Robles ‘17, and goalie Jack Pierrepont ‘16, the team’s MVP in 2014. And as the 2014 season progressed, the team’s leading scorer, Sam Richardson ‘17, staked his claim as one of the most dynamic offensive players in the area, and many other players began to emerge as comparable offensive threats: Griffin McMahon ‘15, Orren Fox ‘15, Jack Richardson ‘15, and Laurence Jackson ‘17, just to name a few.
Overall, this year’s players are proud of their accomplishments, but they remain hungry for greater success in 2015.
Girls' Varsity Lacrosse
Coaches: Heather Grant, Kara Hooper
Captains: Ciara Byrne '14, Isobel Hayne '14
League Record: 2-0
Season Record: 9-7-1
Seniors: Annie Beckham, Ciara Byrne, Isobel Hanye, Lexie Kirkwood, Joanna Knutsen, Alex Purcell, Susanna Renfrew, Madison Rubeli, Sage Whipple
MVP: Ciara Byrne '14 (as far as I can tell, she holds a new school record with 67 goals on the season)
Most Improved Player: Grace Callander '16
Most Inspirational Player: Isobel Hayne (#1 or #2 on the team in all recorded
stats: first in assists, ground ball pick ups; second in scoring, draw controls, and caused
turnovers)
Captains for the 2015 season: Mackenzie Boyden '15, Anne Fraser Gregory '15
CIF qualification? Yes. We won the first game vs. Chaminade and lost in the second round to Palos Verdes High School.
Season highlights: The girls varsity lacrosse team launched a successful spring campaign with a first ever spring break trip in San Juan Capistrano. With a full day of practices and two games under our belt, we entered the post-Spring Break season feeling confident. The team won the Consolation bracket of the Birmingham Charter tournament and then reeled off great wins over Birmingham Charter, Chadwick and Cate (at home). As the season came to a close, the team closed out regular season play with a win over Cate on the road – a first since 2006, as well as the first time since then that we have swept them. We entered the first round of the playoffs as the #12 seed notched a big win over #5 ranked Chaminade on the road before bowing to Palos Verdes High School in a hard fought match. It was a great season for our seniors, and we look forward to next year with a strong group of returning players.
Girls' JV Lacrosse
Girls' JV Lacrosse
Coach: Isabel Ballard
Captains: Mahogany Monette '14, Larissa Baram '15
League Record: 5-0
Season Record: 5-0
Seniors: Mahogany Monette, Katie Kellner
Boys' Tennis
Boys' Tennis
Coaches: Pete Fagan, Scott Burton, Kevin Berigan
Captain: Pascal Cevear-Corey '14
League Record: 4-4
Season Record: 7-6
Seniors: Pascal Cevear-Corey, David Chao
MVP: Ben Yih '15
Most Improved Player: Mohammad Bahkeit '15
Coach's Award: Max Sondland '16
Captains for the 2015 season: Mitch Weil '15, Ben Yih '15
CIF qualification? Yes
Season highlights: We had a solid season against non-league opponents, tying powerhouse Rio Mesa 9-9 before falling on games. Our freshman were contributors all season long with their efforts and enthusiasm. As we say farewell to our two seniors, we look forward to the 2015 season with many returning starters. We won our first round CIF, beating Cabrillo Lompoc 14-4, however ultimately losing to Segerstrom of Santa Ana 12-6 in the second round, on a torturously hot day.
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