Athletes of the Week for May 21, 2023

Congratulations to the Varsity Lacrosse Team and Yuehan “John” Liu ’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

The Varsity Lacrosse Team - Varsity Lacrosse 

The Varsity Lacrosse Team is being nominated for their full-team win on Saturday over Eaglebrook. Each member of the team played his best game of the year, feeding off each other and the fantastic energy of the crowd that supported them in the rain. The team had seven different goal scorers in the game with lots of assists as well. They played make-it-take-it due to their domination on faceoffs and ground balls. To top it off, the team pitched a shutout for three and a half quarters after going down 2-1. Many of the shutout minutes were man-down as well. Every member of the team played, and all contributed to the fantastic win to cap off the season and remain undefeated on Campbell Field!

Sub-Varsity Student-Athlete of the Week

Yuehan “John” Liu ’23 - JV Baseball 

John excelled in every facet of the game against Eaglebrook on Saturday. He made multiple outstanding plays from third base, keeping us in the game and getting us out of the inning on numerous occasions. John then stepped up big time, striking out a series of batters and holding Eaglebrook to just one run in the final four innings. In addition to his contributions on the defensive side of the ball, he also tallied a hit and scored a run to help us prevail over Eaglebrook in our final game of the season. His leadership was admirable and set a great example for his teammates.

Other Varsity Nominations 

Alex Calabro ’24 - Varsity Tennis 

Alex displayed a tremendous amount of effort this week by practicing very well and competing against his teammates to secure a spot for our match against Eaglebrook. He earned our only point this past Saturday, and it wasn’t a coincidence that his match lasted the longest. He was able to control his emotions during long rallies and was determined when needed. Alex is an outstanding athlete who we are looking forward to having on the team next year.

Nate Watson ’23 - Varsity Baseball

Nate helped us end the season on a high note as he pitched a complete shut-out game against Eaglebrook. Going seven innings and only allowing four base runners was by far his best pitching performance all year. He also came through at the plate with two of our four hits, including a big two RBI double.

Other Sub-Varsity Nominations 

Dekun “Benson” Lu ’25  - Reserve Tennis 

Benson is the quintessence of “lead by example.” One of our stronger competitors, he is also humble, honest, and supportive to doubles partners and opponents alike. Coaches and players both took notice of his humble sportsmanship when he lost in the semifinals to a far lower-seeded player.

Cole Brown ’25 - Reserve Lacrosse  
 
Cole has been a team player all year, leading throughout all phases of our experience. He consistently showed up on time and organized various aspects of practice, helping his peers to stretch and start drills as well as encouraging his teammates to do their best. In our last game, he played attack and midfield and contributed two goals in our victory. Cole is an athlete that listens to his coaches for ways to improve his game and has been a wonderful member of our team all season.  

Fourths Tennis Team - Fourths Tennis 

The Fourths Tennis Team had a 9-0 shutout vs. Eaglebrook this past weekend, along with another win in an exhibition totaling 10-0.

Santiago Veiga Kalifa ’24 - Fourths Lacrosse 

Yuchen “Jerry” Sun ’24 - JV Tennis 

In our last Lakes Region match of the season, Jerry showed incredible determination and perseverance, and exemplified good sportsmanship on the court! Coming back from a 4-6 deficit, he rallied to 7-7 and forced a tie breaker. With the support of his entire team, he overcame the exhaustion he was feeling and won the tie break 8-6.  It was one of the most exciting matches we witnessed all season long! He congratulated his opponent on a great game, thanked their coach for hosting us, and finished by picking up tennis balls around the courts. Great job, Jerry, for setting an example for others!

Simon Manners ’25 - Thirds Tennis 

Simon stepped up this weekend, playing singles for the first time since the beginning of the season. He has improved tremendously, which is a testament to his work ethic, hustle, and coachability in and out of practice. His ability to run down any ball and maintain a strong volley led him to an important win over his Eaglebrook opponent on Saturday. Great work, Simon!

Jordan Pham ’23 - Thirds Lacrosse 

Jordan had a great season in goal, going 9-3, with two big victories over Eaglebrook, including a shutout 11-0 at home against our rivals.

Mikey Mitchell ’24 - JV Lacrosse 

YeChan “Leo” Kim ’24 - Thirds Baseball

Leo has done a great job all season as our team’s captain. In our last game, he hit a double to deep center field, showing his ability to hit and get his team excited. Because of his ability to support his team and for his great work on the field, he is our Athlete of the Week.