Athletes of the Week for November 6, 2022 

Congratulations to Tucker Harris ’23 and Alex Kernisant ’24 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

Tucker Harris ’23 - Varsity Soccer

Tucker has co-captained this team with incredible pride, effort, and sportsmanship all season. He was a standout in a mid-week loss to St. Paul’s School, scoring a crucial game-tying goal and leading the team with close to 80 minutes of play. Last weekend, at the New England Junior School Tournament, he also had an outstanding performance––playing more than 180 minutes of the 215 total, scoring three goals, and earning “Outstanding Player” honors for the entire tourney. In the tournament semi-final, when the Cougars let in a second goal and were not playing their best, he increased his work rate, picked his team up, and scored his two goals of the game to even up the score; his energy and passion ignited the crowd and his teammates to find one more goal and the win that would set the team up for a championship game against Fessenden School. Tucker’s leadership, athleticism, and determination have been exemplary all season. 

Sub-Varsity Student-Athlete of the Week

Alex Kernisant ’24 - JV Football

Alex has been working hard all season and has been a key part of both the offense and defense in the current winning streak, scoring touchdowns in each game as well as making big plays on defense. He was also part of the defense stopping Mascoma twice inside the 10-yard line in our last game, recording a sack in each of the defensive stops.

Other Varsity Nominations

Isaac Oberting ’23 - Varsity Football

Isaac is one the best physical and emotional leaders on our team. He has the ability to get the team excited and plays with grit. In our final game of the season, he battled through countless holding penalties against him to sack the quarterback four times. He blocked two punts and recovered one for a touchdown. He also recovered three fumbles during the game while having numerous tackles for loss. I have never seen a defensive player have such a large impact on a single game! Great season, Isaac!

Luc “Magellan” David ’24 - Varsity Cross County

This week’s nomination goes to Magellan who was new to the sport this fall, and whose athleticism, determination, and strategic play allowed him to compete with the best runners in the Lakes Region. He not only overcame several injuries but he also improved at EVERY SINGLE RACE! On top of being a talented runner, he has a “can-do” attitude. When he steps on the starting line, he will always put his best foot forward. Nice work, Magellan!

Enrique “Henry” Rojas ’23 - Varsity Mountain Biking

Henry earned the Athlete of the Week honor for Varsity Mountain Biking this week. His super attitude and effort throughout the season have helped him to make steady progress as a rider. With each race he improved his results, eventually moving up from the C class races to the B class. He concluded his career ranked 23rd in New England for all ninth-grade mountain bikers.

Xingcheng “Nathaniel” Liu ’26 - Sailing 

Nathaniel was new to sailing this year and as a sixth grader, he was one of the youngest members of the team. He worked hard each practice to improve his skills, and by the end of the season, he was competing against high school students and holding his own! His confidence and leadership allowed him to work with anyone on the team, and that is why we nominated him for Athlete of the Week!

Other Sub-Varsity Nominations 

Linden Beal ’25 - JV Mountain Biking

Linden has come a long way in his riding skills this season. Despite being a younger member of the team, he leads by example and speaks up on behalf of the group. Last week, during a long-distance ride, he reached his threshold and had to push through it. With a little added fuel, he worked up the energy to push beyond this physical barrier. Later in the week, he worked up the courage to hit our notorious stump jump, repeating his efforts to rein in his control and improve his style. 

Santi Trevino Plancarte ’24 - Thirds Mountain Biking

Santi crushed it in this week’s enduro event, placing 7th place overall and beating many varsity riders. He has excellent downhill skills and has improved tremendously this season. Great job, Santi! 

Will Ruffa ’23 - JV Soccer

Will stepped up in our final game of the year, using his leadership to help solidify our defense as we held off a furious Brewster Academy attack in the final minutes of our come-from-behind draw. Will has worked to develop his leadership as co-captain this year, and he really put his best foot forward at a crucial time.

Wenbin “BinBin” Tang ’24 - JV Cross Country

BinBin has been hard at work in Cross Country. He shows up to practice ready to work and puts his best effort into each challenging workout. This perseverance has led to huge payoffs; he recently cut 1:31 off his CTT time from 10:25 to 8:54. This is a huge accomplishment and he should feel proud. He has also accepted the challenge of running optional additional laps on the New Lands loop, learning how to pace himself on longer runs. On a recent practice Lake Run, he finished strong despite feeling tired. Way to go, BinBin! 

Kai Uemura ’25 - Rock Climbing

Kai did well this week in rock climbing. His skills have continued to improve, and he is a safe and supportive teammate. He climbed at the Rumney Cliffs on Wednesday and in the Cougar Cave several times this week, in addition to showing grit and a positive attitude at the Funsie Onesie Runsie. Well done, Kai!

Blumes Tracy ’24 - Thirds Soccer

Blumes may not have been a titled captain or the leading goal scorer this season, but he was certainly an unsung hero of the team. He battled every game, and in the final jamboree of the season, he showed the greatest endurance on the team. He has improved a great deal over the course of the season, transforming into a reliable outside midfielder who puts the team first and encourages his teammates. He had a positive impact all season long, and his selfless effort was encapsulated by consistent and tireless performance in our final tournament. 

Jeongung “Edgar” Choi ’24 - Fourths Soccer

In the final week or so of the season, Edgar stood out as a pivotal member of our team in both games and practices. He contributing to his team’s success in small-sided competitions over the final days of practice and had a tremendous attitude about his last-second position change. With incredibly cool and composed finishes, he took home the W in power and finesse for his group on the last day of practice. Edgar also did a great job on the final day of the season during the jamboree, playing all over the field and providing good service for his teammates. 

Pin Hong “Javier” Yee ’25 - Fourths Mountain Biking  

Javier has been consistently positive and gives 100% in all aspects of mountain biking.  He has shown incredible improvement throughout the season, and has stellar potential as a future rider.