Athletes of the Week for December 4, 2022 

Congratulations to Maddox Linen ’23 and Daniel Blenk ’23 for receiving Cardigan’s Student-Athlete of the Week Awards. Read what their coaches have to say about them below, and meet all the students who were nominated. Learn more about Athletics at Cardigan Mountain School.

Varsity Student-Athlete of the Week

Maddox Linen ’23 - Varsity Basketball

Maddox did a great job in the first four games of the year, leading in scoring in three of the games as well as dominating rebounds. Defensively Maddox played well against our opponents and did a great job on offense as well.

Sub-Varsity Student-Athlete of the Week 

Daniel Blenk ’23 - Reserve Hockey

Daniel started the season with an excellent work ethic and wonderful attitude, and he has been kind and supportive of his teammates. He has demonstrated to our younger players how to push themselves to get better. Additionally, he capped off the week with an outstanding diving goal from the top of the circles that rivaled Bobby Orr’s most famous goal.

Other Varsity Nominations 

Tucker Harris ’23 - Varsity Hockey

Tucker paced the Cardigan attack all weekend against Westminster, Salisbury, and Berkshire. While he frequently contributed on the scoresheet, it was his leadership and effort that set the pace for the Cougars en route to their first Connecticut road sweep in years.

Shiyang “Leo” Xi ’24 - Nordic Skiing

Leo has had a great start to the season. He has been positive, enthusiastic, and motivated to learn new skills, working on his fitness, coordination, and balance in preparation for conditions that allow for skiing. He has been a leader of the team through his words and actions. Well done, Leo!

Other Sub-Varsity Nominations 

Ryan Sands ’25 - Thirds Hockey

Ryan has had a great start to the season. He has been a solid presence on defense for the Cougars, playing with grit and determination. At times he has been the stable force needed on defense, while at other times, he is making plays to progress the offense. On or off the ice, he is a great teammate and a positive presence on the team. Because of this, Ryan is our Athlete of the Week. 

Conley Chen ’24 - Reserve Basketball

Conley has demonstrated great hustle and coachability in the first weeks of practice. We can count on him to execute the motion offense, play tough defense, and lead by example in all of the drills.

Cam Collicott ’24 - JV Hockey

Cam has had an excellent week with the JV Hockey Team. He is a tough and physical player who works hard on the forecheck, finishes his checks, and has recently been scoring lots of timely goals. Cam is a very coachable player and has been a joy to have on our team.

Yucheng “Peter” Zhao ’24 - JV Basketball

Peter has illustrated outstanding leadership during practices and in our first game at New Hampton. He has taken on a new role as point guard and has handled it with courage and a positive attitude. He excelled in the first game, leading the team in points and assists, and also put in a great effort on the defensive end as well.

Dekun “Benson” Lu ’25 - Thirds Basketball

Since the first day of tryouts, Benson has demonstrated an incredible amount of maturity and growth on the basketball court. He has not only shown growth from last season, but also in our first few practices of this year. He has demonstrated he is a student of the game and is driven to improve. He was a vocal member of the group discussion about team goals, and came up with many of the ideas that we used. He is a phenomenal teammate who will always have his brother’s back, and has proven that through his support of his teammates over the opening week.