Unsung Senior Athletes, Fall 2019

Leslie Albrecht, who ran a season-best 5K time of 22:00 at the Milestat.com Invitational, was a consistent performer in the top seven of a girls cross country squad that placed third in both the League of Independent Schools and VISAA championship competitions.

 

“Leslie is an athlete who brought a positive attitude each day,” said Coach Matthew Richardson. “She worked hard and showed great consistency in both workouts and races. Her ability to deliver consistent results each and every meet speaks to her experience and resilience as a senior member of our team.”

 

A two-year varsity boys cross country competitor, William Otero also ran a 5K personal best (18:53) at the Milestat.com Invitational. His time on the course at Pole Green Park was a full minute faster than his top performance his junior year.

 

“William is dedicated and hardworking,” said Richardson, whose squad placed second in both the Prep League and VISAA meets. “He’s a fierce competitor who pushed himself and his teammates during workouts and races. He has a great sense of humor and added much to the camaraderie of the team.”

 

Caroline Laskin played the libero position for the volleyball squad which finished 15-7, placed second in the LIS, and advanced to the VISAA tournament quarterfinals.

 

“Caroline was asked to play a variety of roles this fall,” said Rose White, the Cougars’ first-year head coach. “No matter what we asked, she had a positive attitude and was the definition of leadership on and off the court. She’s an amazing teammate, and our underclassmen benefitted greatly from watching her poise and positiveness.”

 

Andrew Bullock played outside forward and defender on the soccer side that finished 10-3-4, placed third in the Prep League, and reached the VISAA quarterfinals.

 

“Andrew has been a critical part of our squad’s success over the last two years,” said Coach Rob Ukrop. “He’s brought toughness, energy, and a team-first mentality. A leader among our ‘bench mafia,’ Andrew has come to training every day competing at a high level, which made his teammates better. We admire his positive outlook and ability to keep his teammates motivated.”

 

A two-season field hockey starter, Mary Grace Fleming scored 11 goals and contributed 15 assists during her three-year varsity career. A midfielder, she served as a major connector between the Cougars’ forward and defensive lines in their transition game.

 

“Mary Grace is your ideal teammate,” said Coach Karen Doxey, whose team finished 14-6-1 and reached the semifinals of both the LIS and VISAA tournaments. “She’s humble, steadfast, firm and unwavering, loyal, committed, devoted, and dedicated. She leads in an unassuming manner. She’s always there, grinding it out, working in the off season, and she always has your back. She may not be the first to speak, but she is the first to do.”

 

A captain of the tennis squad that placed second in the LIS and reached the semifinals of the VISAA tournament, Lilly Brand served as an advocate, cheerleader, and mentor for her teammates. In matches, she mainly played doubles, earned an 8-3 record, and (with Shreya Sharma) reached the finals of the LIS tournament at No. 3.

        

“Lilly was the intermediary between team members and coaches and was always available to help in any way,” said Mike Finsterwald the Cougars’ assistant coach. “She always had a positive attitude and always gave 100 percent in practice, matches, and sports performance. Lilly has been an integral part of the program and will be greatly missed.”

 

Thomas Lucy was the starting cougar back (strong safety) for Collegiate’s football team, which finished 5-4. He was credited with 22 solo tackles, 23 assisted tackles, four tackles for loss, one interception, one forced fumble, and three pass deflections.

 

“Thomas played with great intensity, emotion, and energy,” said Coach Mark Palyo. “He gave all that he had and modeled strong play for his teammates.

   -- Weldon Bradshaw