Fall 2024 Athletics Banquet and Season Recap

At the Fall 2024 Athletics Banquet, Upper School athletes and their families gathered in the Carolyn McClintock Peter Hall dining room for a light dinner and a special night honoring the cross country, field hockey, rowing, soccer, and volleyball teams. 

“I never had to reschedule a game or even cancel a practice due to rain!” quipped Director of Athletics Sherren Granese, who explained, “This fall was the warmest and most beautiful fall I have ever seen.” In her remarks, Coach Granese highlighted some special moments from the fall season including a historic win for volleyball—their first Eastern Independent League (EIL) regular season championship!—and a record-setting 20th EIL Championship for the cross country team. 

The last home game of the season is always “senior day” and the conclusion of the fall season is especially poignant for seniors who are wrapping up their Winsor athletic careers. However, Coach Granese was quick to point out that every varsity team finished with decisive victories on senior day to send the seniors out in style.

After celebrating the athletic season together in the dining room, each team went to breakout rooms for their own special celebrations with slideshows, superlatives, and more. Read what the coaches had to say about each of the teams this season: 

Crew

The 2024 fall season was a successful, fun, and uniquely warm and dry season for Winsor crew! The team competed in three regattas and two home scrimmages this fall! They kicked off with the CRI Fall Classic where the crews raced against top clubs and high schools along the east coast. Winsor entered three Varsity 4+s and two Varsity 8+s and finished as the top high school crew in all their races, competing against 31 other crews. Then, the entire team raced in Lowell, MA at the Textile River Regatta. This race was Winsor’s novice crew’s first race and they successfully made it down the course in both a 4+ and an 8+! The Varsity crew was extremely powerful as they took home the gold in the 4+, silver in the 2nd 4+, gold in the 8+, gold in the 1x (single) and had two additional top 10 finishes. 

The largest race of Winsor’s season, and the largest race in the entire world, was the Head of the Charles. For the first time, we got boats in 3 different categories and came away with fantastic results! The Women’s Youth 4+, of Zaara Mehra ’26, Gabby Kaluski ’25, Anne Moghtader ’25, Sabina Stevens ’26, and Leila Ness ’26 placed 8th out of 90 crews competing. The Under-17 four, of Yasmeen Alam ’27, Aria Wang ’26, Annabel Jones ’27, Allegra Catalino ’28, and Ava Petruzziello ’27 finished 11th in the team’s first time competing in this event, requalifying the boat for next year! The Youth 8+, of Emma Birdsong ’26, Bibi Noury-Ello ’25, Celeste Mittelman ’25, Leela Uppaluri ’26, Ella Troalic ’27, Leah Libman ’25, Louisa Furman ’26, Amber Renthal ’25, and Olympia Catalino ’28 finished in 49th place out of 90, beating their bow marker by 14 places. This is the highest finish for a Winsor 8+ in the past ten years. To put it in perspective, the 4+ placed 2nd out of all High School Crews and first among all of our NEIRA competitors. Winsor’s U17 4+ placed 1st out of all High School Crews. These combined finishes landed Winsor’s team points in 110th place out of 799 universities, clubs, and schools that competed. With 179 points in youth women events alone, Winsor rows away as the fastest girl’s high school at the Head of the Charles this year!

JV Field Hockey

The JV field hockey team, despite facing many challenges, especially not having a true goalkeeper, showed tremendous improvement. The team’s first victory came against Pingree at Under the Lights (UTL), a performance filled with energy and team spirit. In another highlight, the team secured a 2–0 win over Thayer, showcasing their defensive strength and offensive coordination.  Throughout the season the team faced tough competition but gained valuable experience, with many players stepping up to fill key roles. The defense worked together to keep the ball out of the circle and the midfielders and forwards demonstrated strong communication and coordination, even in the face of setbacks. The team showed impressive determination, never backing down from a challenge. The coaches worked together to foster a positive environment, focusing on teamwork, discipline, and skill development. As the season concluded, the team was proud of their growth and left with a strong foundation for next year.

Varsity Field Hockey

This season was marked by incredible growth, determination, and memorable moments for Winsor varsity field hockey. It all began with a fun and focused preseason, highlighted by a friendly scrimmage against Middlesex, the reigning ISL champions. The team entered EIL league play with confidence, kicking off the season with a 3–0 victory over Portsmouth Abbey.  Throughout the season, our team delivered a strong performance in league play, dropping only two games to Pingree and NCDS. Some of our brightest highlights included a thrilling 2–1 comeback against Austin Prep at UTL. Another standout moment came on senior day, as we triumphed over NCDS with a remarkable 4–2 comeback victory, featuring a hat trick from Morgan Peterson ’26. This victory not only celebrated our seniors but also secured our spot in the NEPSAC Class C Tournament. The team was one of eight teams selected for the tournament, getting a tough first round draw against Greens Farms Academy, the eventual tournament champions. Finishing the regular season with a strong 10–6 record, we doubled our goals scored compared to goals conceded—a testament to the hard work and resilience of this group. Congratulations to the players and coaches for an unforgettable season filled with achievements, camaraderie, and grit. We are so proud of all you’ve accomplished and look forward to seeing what the future holds for Winsor field hockey.

JV Soccer

From beginning to end, the JV soccer team had a season of significant growth and development. The team lost to Thayer in a competitive game to open the season, but bounced back by getting our first win versus Pingree on a beautiful, sunny early September Saturday. In particular, the team’s midfield found its shape and rhythm that it would continue to develop through the rest of the season. After struggling in a few of our next games, the team had one of their most decisive wins versus Milton Academy. We had three different goal scorers and excellent goalkeeping to secure the win. The team finished the second half of the season above .500 with a record of 2–2–1, including a 6–0 win over Beaver and a 2–2 tie with Southfield, in which our defense played exceptionally well and kept the game a tie in the second half. The team then traveled to rival Dana Hall and left with a 3–0 win. Congratulations JV soccer on a successful season. 

Varsity Soccer

The Varsity soccer program had a memorable fall season as they finished the EIL season with an 8–2 record. The eight EIL wins was the most by a Winsor varsity soccer team in 13 years! Behind the leadership of the five seniors, the team came together and fully accepted the new style of play brought on by their first year coaches, Coach Ariel and Coach Simon. They showed lots of growth in their possession game, in their finishing abilities, and in their defensive presence. Each game they leaned on each other more and more, proving how strong their bond and togetherness on and off the field was. The season was highlighted by big saves and lots of assists that led to game-winning goals. The group also found time to bond together off the field as well. The coaches tested their brains in a “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader” competition, while also testing their artistic abilities in a “Painting for Your Teammate” workshop. They also got together for many team dinners after games, and even found time on a weekend to attend a Boston College women’s soccer game. This group created a lot of memories together on and off the field and we are so proud of all they have accomplished this fall! Congratulations on a great season Winsor varsity soccer!

JV Volleyball

The JV volleyball team had an amazing season of growth, improvement, and fun! Led by our captains Megan Serpa ’25 and Kendal Pauyo ’26, our team of 14 players ended the season with a winning record. With a number of players who were new to the sport of volleyball, this was an amazing feat and a testament to the team’s strong chemistry, hard work, and desire to improve. We went from a group of six players on the court that did not know our rotation during the first few matches to a cohesive team that could seamlessly transition from base to defense and cover each other on the court. A few highlights include beating Austin Prep and Southfield 3–0 early on in the season and playing our hearts out against Dana Hall during UTL. Though we did not win that match, the players had some amazing serves, digs, and hits throughout the two sets that we played. The team had a fun bonding event at Megan’s house in the middle of the season that included a pasta dinner, lots of selfies, and of course, the tradition of trying to find all of the coaches on social media. All four coaches would like to thank the JV volleyball team for an amazing season, we can’t wait to see them play next year! 

Varsity Volleyball

The varsity volleyball team had an incredible season, finishing with an EIL league record of 11–2 and winning the school’s first EIL in season championship. As a coach I believe that team chemistry is everything, so we focused on building strong communication, synergy, and bonding. After the team went 5–1 in our first six games I told the team that winning the league and raising a banner were within reach, but it would take hard work and dedication. After a tough loss to NCDS, the team regrouped and focused on practicing hard which led to an epic win against Dana Hall at UTL and a well-earned victory in our second meeting with NCDS. Our success this season was due to the fact that every player stepped up and played their role, even when asked to step into positions that they were not used to. The willingness to take on new challenges without hesitation speaks to the heart of this team. Overall, I could not be prouder of how far we’ve come. The players learned and grew so much throughout the season, and I have no doubt that they’ll continue to get even better from here. Congratulations varsity volleyball on a historic season.

Cross Country

Winsor XC had our largest team to date with 30 runners including a whopping 12 rookies and five Lower Schoolers. We balanced youth with leadership from our incredible captains, all of the other seniors and a full slate of experienced juniors. The team entered the season with four goals: first, extend our EIL undefeated winning streak to 9 years; second, win our 20th league title; third, beat Milton Academy; and fourth, to finish in the top four at NEPSTAs, to take home a coveted NEPSTA plaque.

We achieved all four of these goals by committing to work hard and staying focused. We didn’t need to be perfect, we needed to be consistent. The large team came together over a shared love of Noah Kahan, Pitbull, and ice cream. For the first time ever we decorated a Winsor XC flag which we flew proudly at every meet while our captains perfected AUX duties. 

Highlights of the season included taking down a strong Wheeler team in mid-October and then sweeping ISL teams Milton, Thayer and St. Marks at our final regular season meet before EILs. The team’s performance at EILs was truly remarkable as we put 12 athletes in the top 25 in the field of 132. At NEPSTA we were excited to come back from 2023’s last place finish and boy did we, finishing fourth out of 14 teams and taking down St. Paul’s, Hotchkiss, Deerfield, Nobles, Milton, Northfield Mount Hermon, Greenwich Academy, Choate, Miss Porter’s, and Taft in the process. We were paced all season by rookie Gabrielle Peskin ’28 who went undefeated in the EIL and finished ninth in New England. She had incredible backup at the end of season from Tenney Bluman ’26 and Gracie Zhou ’26 who finished second and third in the EIL Championship meet, but there were many athletes who scored or won races this season between our varsity and JV races. We return 25 athletes and are very excited to continue the tradition of Winsor XC. Congratulations varsity cross country on another outstanding season.

Honors 

Several Winsor coaches and athletes receive All League and All New England Honors. At the banquet, they stood for applause and recognition of their accomplishments.

• Cross Country Coach Moriah Musto was selected by her peers to receive the EIL Coach of the Year honors.
• Varsity field hockey EIL Honorable Mention: Sophia Bub ’27 and Hannah Minn ’26
• Varsity field hockey EIL All League: Maddie Cheng ’25, Morgan Peterson ’26 and Catherine Russell ’25
• Varsity field hockey NEPSAC Honorable Mention: Sophia Bub ’27 and Morgan Peterson ’26
• Varsity field hockey All NEPSAC: Maddie Cheng ’25 and Catherine Russell ’25
• Varsity soccer EIL Honorable Mention: Katherine Danik ’25 and Kate Perkins ’26
• Varsity soccer EIL All League: Annie Frigerio ’26, Sophie Fleishman ’25, and Nell Sparks ’25
• Varsity soccer NEPSAC Honorable Mention: Sophie Fleishman ’25
• Varsity soccer All NEPSAC: Annie Frigerio ’26
• Varsity volleyball EIL Honorable Mention: Avery Kerble ’26 and Sarah Kotler ’30 
• Varsity volleyball EIL All League: Yemisi Adetowubo ’26, Alani Morales ’28, and Kenna Schneider ’25 
• Varsity volleyball NEPSAC Honorable Mention: Kenna Schneider ’25
• Varsity volleyball All NEPSAC: Alani Morales ’28
• Varsity cross country EIL Honorable Mention: Julica Hatabu ’28 and Serena Toscani ’25
• Varsity cross country EIL All League: Leila Andermann ’27, Tenney Bluman ’26, Lara do Rosario ’26, Avery Fantasia ’29, Gabrielle Peskin ’28, and Gracie Zhou ’26
• Varsity cross country EIL MVP: Gabrielle Peskin ’28 
• Varsity cross country All New England and All New England All Stars: Tenney Bluman ’26, Gabrielle Peskin ’28, and Gracie Zhou ’26