Athletes of the Week for January 8, 2023

Congratulations to Nick Sumner ’23 and Jaeseong “Nathan” Kim ’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

Nick Sumner ’23 - Varsity Hockey

Nick had an excellent weekend of hockey down in Connecticut, finding the back of the net five times across three games, including during the overtime winner against Avon on Sunday morning. Nick has been a leader on the team all season and is improving each day.

Sub-Varsity Student-Athlete of the Week

Jaeseong “Nathan” Kim '23 - Thirds Basketball 

Nathan was a very important player for us this past week. Throughout the entire season, he has been an incredibly hard worker in practice, finishing first in almost every sprint. In our most recent game against Hanover, he started the second half and was a huge spark for our team. We were down 10 at the half and because of Nathan's defense, along with four points off of fast breaks, we were able to come back and regain the lead.

Other Varsity Nominations

Alex Kernisant ’24 - Varsity Wrestling 

The wrestling team got to take part in the first annual Minickiello Wrestling Tournament at Keene High School. We had a lot of impressive individual efforts but none greater than Alex Kernisant, who won all his matches, including a first round pin during the finals. He achieved this tournament victory by consistently competing at the highest level during all drills and practices. Alex, in his second year, is proving to be a legitimate wrestler, and the wrestling team is privileged to have him on our team.

Mikey Mitchell ’24 - Varsity Basketball 

Mikey played really well on both ends of the court in our game against Fessenden. He led the team with his hard work and hustle, which really paid off on the boards as he was one of the leading rebounders on the court.

Yuehan “John” Liu ’23 - Varsity Snowboarding 

John has shown great compassion and leadership on the team. He has taken our newest team member under his tutelage and brings a great attitude with him to practice every day.

Beomgeun “Thomas” Choi ’25 - Alpine Skiing 

Thomas has earned Student Athlete of the Week this week for the Varsity Alpine Team. He is a focused, determined skier who demonstrated his speed in his first race, coming in second and beating the rest of the field by almost three seconds. He was disappointed in his first run, but instead of getting upset, he was even more motivated and focused for the second run and skied substantially better. Thomas works hard and wants to be the best he can be. Coming to the US, he is seeing a new level of competition and is rising to the challenge!

Patrick Kim '23 - Nordic Skiing

Patrick has had a terrific week of skiing. He has been a positive presence on the team and works hard every day in practice. He takes good care of his teammates and is a leader by example. He is always looking to “help the other fella and lift while he climbs.” Nice work, Patrick!

Other Sub-Varsity Nominations

Devin Cokinos ’25 - JV Hockey

Devin has had an outstanding week on the JV Hockey Team. He had six points in his first game this weekend, scoring some amazing goals, but his passing was even better. He continued this point-scoring rampage in our second game of the weekend, potting a few more goals and racking up a few more assists. Keep up the fantastic work, Devin!

Yuchen “Jerry” Sun ’24 - Reserve Hockey

Jerry started the season as a beginner skater, and through hard work and intentional practice, he has quickly improved to match the skating level of our returning athletes. Not only has his speed improved, but he is also one of our strongest backwards skaters. Because of this, he has set himself up as one of our key defenders as we start our competitive season this week. He has set such a good example for the other players who are new to the game. 

Shaun Flynn ’25 - Thirds Hockey 

This past week, Shaun had his best week of the year: he skated better than ever, worked harder than ever, and was rewarded last Friday night with a superb goal. He loves hockey and wants to learn the game. Day in and day out he works on his craft, and it is starting to pay off!! For these reasons, Shaun deserves to be our Student-Athlete of the Week.

Zhengyuan “Charlie” Liu ’24 - Reserve Basketball

Charlie had a fantastic set of games this weekend, with great performances against both Lyme and Plainfield. A key contributor on both offense and defense, he is a player we can count on to play a strong game on both sides of the court. He proved he has ice in his veins, when in the final seconds of the game against Lyme, he went to the line with a tied score and sank his first shot to give Cardigan the lead that would eventually win the game. Charlie is a reliable hustler with great instincts and works with his teammates on offense to create shot opportunities for everyone on the floor. 

Reynaldo Ramos Salmon ’24 - JV Basketball

Reynaldo was a spark off the bench in our game against Holderness, and he gave great effort all week in the practices leading up to the game. He came in and hit back-to-back three pointers, created opportunities for his teammates, and also battled defensively to help keep Cardigan in the game. All the while, he remained humble and worked tirelessly to give his team a chance to win. His courage and positive attitude were remarkable. 

Hank Backhoff de la Garza ’24 - JV Alpine 

Hank has been a dedicated member of the JV Alpine Team. Each time we arrive at the mountain, he is ready to ski and has a positive attitude. He helps the group take care of their equipment and puts the team before himself. He often helps to unload the bus and answers the questions of his peers and offers advice when he is able. He has shown courage and patience this week skiing gates for the first time, and has been a fantastic teammate. Way to go, Hank!