Athletes of the Week for January 27, 2020

Congratulations to Sebastien Madan ’21 and Zach Hawthorne ’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

Sebastien Madan ’21 - Alpine Skiing 

Sebastien overcame initial frustration at the Lakes Region GS held at Suicide Six, where he struggled to finish two runs and had a strong practice on Friday. On Sunday Sebastien had a superb USSA GS at the Bob Skinner Cup, held at Sunapee. He finished fourth overall, which also doubled as a Western Division qualifying race for the NHARA U14 Championships!

Sub-Varsity Student-Athlete of the Week

Zach Hawthorne ’20 – JV Hockey

Zach has been a great leader all year and has played really well for the JV Hockey Team. He is an excellent skater, moves the puck really well, and has a heavy shot that allowed him to get four assists in a recent game against Rumsey. His teammates look up to him, and his work ethic is contagious.

Other Varsity Nominations

Qiangang “Sam” Wang ’20 - Nordic Skiing

Sam had a great week of skiing. He is a leader by example and always has a positive attitude. His skills are improving in the classic and skate technique, and he is finding his stride on the downhills, where he is learning step turns and gaining confidence every day. Good skiing, Sam!
 
Danny Valenti ’21 – Varsity Hockey

Danny has been a tremendous competitor in every shift he has played for the Varsity Hockey Team. He is as versatile as he is hard-working, and his attitude is second to none. His energy, effort, and play makes those around him better teammates and hockey players. In an exciting come-from-behind win against Bishops College on Wednesday, he had three points (two goals, one assist). He scored with five minutes remaining in the game to tie the score, and then scored again in the final seconds to seal the victory for the Cougars. He has a very bright future in hockey, and everything else, and should feel proud of his efforts for our team this year.
 
Salvador Rey Kamar Guerra ’20 – Wrestling

Salvador is a bright star on the wrestling team and one of the hardest workers on the squad. He arrives at practice early and immediately launches into his preparations and conditioning. He’s ready to roll on the coaches’ first whistle, he trains and performs as hard at practice as he does at meets, and he competes at the highest level. It’s hard to believe he is a first year wrestler since he seems so polished and confident at these early stages of his career. In a recent JV Quad hosted by St. Paul’s, he faced an opponent who had at least two more years experience. Salvador met move after move with equal force and aggressiveness, and in the end overpowered his opponent and won the battle. He is a super athlete and his new love and passion for the sport was on display at St. Paul’s. Veteran Cougar wrestlers as well as rookies look up to him for inspiration. At meets, he consistently wins better than half of his match-ups – a real testament to his tenacity and spirit. He has the opportunity to become a top-notch wrestler if he sticks with it. Congratulations, Salvador, and keep up the good work.
 
Diego Villarreal Cantu ’21 - Varsity Snowboarding

Diego is the heart and soul of the Varsity Snowboarding Team. He has put in an immeasurable amount of effort this season to push himself to become faster and stronger. In his first GS race of the season, he beat the clock to earn sub one-minute course times on each run. His humorous contributions to the team dynamics and willingness to persevere make him a role model for his teammates. He continues to impress us with his positive attitude and progression. Great job, Diego!
 
Heesung “Daniel” Jung ’21 - Varsity Basketball

Daniel has been working hard every day. He has a great attitude and is a positive member of our program. He’s been getting better with every practice and game.

Other Sub-Varsity Nominations

Solmon Kim ’22 – Reserve Hockey  

Solmon is playing hockey for the first time and is progressing very well. In our first game this week against the Tilton Rams, he played wing and was enthusiastic, providing excellent effort and support for his teammates. He may well be still learning to skate, but he has recently volunteered to be our goalkeeper in some practices, and is becoming more comfortable moving around the ice and being a part of the team. 
 
William “Billy” Lyons ’20 - Thirds Hockey

Billy has been working hard for the Thirds Hockey Team. He has played both defense and offense for us with no complaints. He is supportive and thoughtful to his teammates.  
 
Domineaq “Dom” Taylor ’22 – JV Basketball

Dom has been a leader on and off the court. Despite losing two games last week, he showed a great deal of mental toughness and continued to work hard, even when his team was down. He gave 100% in both games and was the first one to own up to a mistake to help his team get better. He scored on some impressive drives into the lane in both games and illustrated his commitment to getting good shots on offense. Defensively, he continues to impress his coaches and teammates. A great team defender, his efforts are instrumental in both practices and games.
 
Kam “Ken” Hung Wong ’21 - Thirds Basketball

Ken moved to point guard in our last game and played a blistering offense with well-timed looks and takes to the basket. He is growing as a player, and his team has benefited greatly from it.    
                        
Peiqi “Randy” Xiao ’21 – Reserve Basketball

Randy has been playing well and has averaged four points and three blocks over the last two games. Keep up the great work Randy!