Athletes of the Week for February 10, 2020

Congratulations to Avan Pyle ’20 and Jeronimo Armida Alatorre ’20 for receiving Cardigan’s Athlete of the Week Award. Read what their coaches have to say about them below, and meet all the students who were nominated.

Varsity Student-Athlete of the Week

Avan Pyle ’20 – Varsity Hockey

With several players either sick or injured on Saturday, Avan stepped up as a leader on the team with his on-ice play and through his attitude. His positivity and competitive spirit helped bring a short-handed Cardigan squad to victory against a skilled Dynamo opponent. In addition to his unwavering positivity and exemplary leadership, he finished the game with three goals—one of which came on the penalty kill. He has been a consistent contributor to his team’s success this season and is trusted and looked to by both coaches and teammates to bring energy and hard work to any given situation.

Sub-Varsity Student-Athlete of the Week

Jeronimo Armida Alatorre ’20 – Reserve Hockey

Jero has recently returned from time away from school and has been a wonderful teammate and participant since his return. He works hard to improve each practice and has also volunteered to fill in for locker room jobs when a substitute is needed. 

Other Varsity Nominations

Patrick Kim ’23 – Nordic Skiing

Patrick has made tremendous progress in his skiing ability this season. He is a positive presence on the team and is always excited for the opportunity to ski and race. He completed a challenging 5km course at Proctor Academy recently and is looking forward to next week's race at Vermont Academy. Well done, Patrick!
 
Jaeyoung “Jay” Hong ’21 – Wrestling

Jay brings his infectious enthusiasm to every practice. He listens carefully to his coach’s instructions, executes drills precisely, and practices them with great determination. He works hard to perfect his moves accurately and effectively and is rarely at a standstill, as he anxiously awaits his next opportunity to develop and hone his skills. After performing a move, he will often ask his coaches if he did it correctly and welcomes suggestions on how to improve and get better. He has placed in every tournament in which he has competed, a testament to his tenacity as a first-year wrestler. During a match, he is often able to escape his opponent’s grasp. Instantly upon escape, he turns and shoots on his unsuspecting opponent and often takes him to the mat. He is fun to watch, and a valuable asset to the team. 
 
Tanner Hetherington ’23 – Alpine Skiing

Tanner earned third place overall at the Western Region U14 Qualifier hosted by Cardigan at Whaleback on Sunday. Earlier in the week, he sacrificed the last day of his long-weekend vacation to race in a Lakes Region panel slalom at Cannon, where he earned a 14th place in a race against four secondary school teams. 
 
Heewoo Jung ’20 – Varsity Basketball

Heewoo has consistently been a leader for our team and a major contributor on the floor. Heewoo gives full effort for us every practice and every game, despite an unfortunate injury in our last game against Proctor. 

Other Sub-Varsity Nominations

Oskari Hakkarainen ’20 – JV Hockey

Oskari has had a great week with the team. He scored multiple goals, including the game winner, in a 5-4 overtime win versus the Manchester Monarchs. He works hard in practice and has been a great teammate all year. Keep up the great work, Oskari!
 
Ethan Lo ’21 – Thirds Basketball

Ethan has shown great improvement in his game–not only playing more aggressively both offensively and defensively, but also taking greater risks when the ball is in his hands. He sunk two fantastic three-point shots in our most recent game against Lebanon.
 
John “Connor” Hennessey ’21 – JV Basketball

As a captain of the team, Connor has pushed himself and his teammates to be better, in all facets of the game. Over the course of the past week, he returned from injury and was stellar in both his effort and execution on the court. His willingness to always put in the extra work and compete at the highest level has paid great dividends. He is one of the leading scorers for our team but is also leading our team in assists, thanks in large part to his determination to create opportunities for his teammates. His efforts carry over to the defensive side of the court as well, where he battles for rebounds and dives on loose balls, signs of a true competitor. His leadership has allowed our team to find some great success thus far, and we hope he will continue to lead with the same consistency and attention to detail that he has all year.
 
Estyn Elkouh ’22 – Thirds Hockey

Estyn comes out and plays his heart out every single day. He asks a million questions but always with a smile on his face, working to improve his skill and his game. He is nearly always in the right place at the right time and is an excellent teammate. 
 
Chris Giavelli ’21 – Reserve Basketball

Chris's flexibility in playing a number of roles and positions on the team has helped keep the team moving forward. He is very willing to jump in and help in any area needed.