Wilbraham & Monson Academy's Jaelon Blandburg '16 said he didn't reach two of his three goals on the football field in 2015.

However, Jaelon made the most out of his postgraduate football season at the Academy, and now he's in position to be greatly rewarded.

"I was looking to improve as a player this season, and to get my mindset to the college level," said Jaelon, who was named the team's MVP Nov. 17 at the Athletic Awards Ceremony. "After last year, I felt like I didn't have the speed of the game."

Jaelon certainly had plenty of speed on offense for the Titans, catching 52 passes for seven touchdowns and 589 yards.

"Jaelon was our top threat as a receiver," Coach Jeff Vartabedian said. "He made a lot of big plays and was just a complete player. He would block his butt off, he would catch anything thrown to him, he'd catch balls over the middle, and he could go over somebody on the sideline to catch a pass for a touchdown. There wasn't anything he couldn't do. He was a great kid to coach because he would do anything we asked.

"And to my surprise, he played great on defense because he played such limited defense in high school before coming here. But he embraced defense. He was a great safety and a great cover corner. He got some tough assignments and that didn't take away from how he produced on offense. And he'd hit."

Defensively, Jaelon made 41 tackles, forced a fumble, recovered a fumble and made an interception.

"He's a kid who loves the game," Coach Vartabedian added. "He loves to practice and loves to play. He has a strong passion for football. He was a strong addition to the team and we were lucky to have him."

Jaelon helped the team post its first winning season since 2007, with the Titans finishing 2015 5-3. Two of the team's losses came to Super Bowl-bound opponents.

"Before the first game, honestly, I didn't think we'd do too well," Jaelon admitted. "But the team surprised me. Our team liked to grind, and I love when people like to work. My teammates working hard made me want to work even harder. It all clicked from the start."

Jaelon's hard work is about to pay off. Three Ivy League schools have shown serious interest, as have two top Division III programs.

The famous quote "when one door closes another door opens" applies to Wilbraham & Monson Academy's Timofey Beloborodov '16.

Growing up, Tim didn't like sports that involved running. That, of course, ruled out most athletic activities. He eventually tried a non-running sport, and he liked it so much and became so good at it that he plans to play it in college.

"Water polo is a game I've played for many years," Tim explained. "I started playing because I didn't have to run and sweat. When I was playing soccer I had to run a lot, which I didn't like. So I joined water polo and I really liked it."

He doesn't just like it – he loves it. In just two seasons at the Academy, Tim scored 97 goals. He narrowly missed becoming just the fourth player in school history to graduate with 100 or more goals. Tim earned his second WMA Water Polo MVP Award at the Athletic Awards Ceremony Nov. 17.

"Personally, my season went better than last year," said Tim, who finished 2015 with 44 goals and 22 assists. "I wanted to score 100 goals in two seasons. If we would have played the invitational (which was canceled) at the end of the season, I think I would have reached 100 goals because I had 97."

Tim was a rare water polo player, featuring not only speed but also strength. He was the only returning starter to this year's inexperienced squad.

"Tim truly meets the requirements for the MVP Award," Coach Steve Gray '70 said. "He was the one member we could not afford to be without. He performed extraordinarily on offense. He was our sprinter who rarely lost getting the ball at the start of each period. Defensively, he was just as adept at creating fouls, stealing the ball and blocking shots."

Tim plans to play water polo in college at the Division III level.

Gerardo Navarro Leon '16 just wanted to be part of the Wilbraham & Monson Academy Boys' Soccer team this season.

He was so much more.

Gerardo, a first-year student from Mexico, earned the team's Coaches Award at the Athletic Awards Ceremony Nov. 17. He finished with a team-high in assists and the second-leading scorer for the 2015 Titans.

"I like that I won that award," Gerardo said. "I didn't expect it. It feels good the coaches decided to give me the award. I enjoyed playing on the team."

"He was a composed and skillful player," Coach Gary Cook added. "From day one, he looked to see where he fit in. As our season evolved he realized he complimented a lot of guys we had. He scored some big goals, led the team in assists, and was a very effective player on the ball. I enjoyed coaching him. I wish he was here for a long, long time."

Gerardo made the most of his one season with the Titans. He started every game at center midfield, and even played some striker when called upon.

"I think I played well, but I think I could have played better," Gerardo said. "At the beginning of the season I wasn't the best player I could be. But then I started getting better.

"I played the same way as I do in Mexico, but it's different because the American players are more athletic, and also bigger and stronger. But I kept playing my game."

Gerardo was drawn to the Academy because of the success and rich tradition of the soccer program. He said his one-year experience met his expectations.

"One of the reasons I came to WMA was for the soccer program," Gerardo explained. "I really liked the program and playing with my teammates and having the chance to make new friends."

When Wilbraham & Monson Academy Girls' Soccer Coach Don Nicholson '79 needed someone to step up for the entire 2015 season, the first person he pulled into his office was his senior captain, Payton Grande '16.

That was the only person he needed to talk to regarding the situation.

"Payton had a déjà vu experience," Coach Nicholson explained. "As a sophomore she had been asked to step up and be our goaltender when our starting goaltender was injured. She trained all summer to do that. When our goaltender came back she became a field player for us. She played in the field her junior year, and then the déjà vu occurred.

"When we lost our goaltender again, Payton and I sat down, we talked about it, and she said she would do it if that's what the team needed. She trained all summer, again. She stepped into a difficult situation with a young team, there was some tough going at times, but she didn't quit and didn't back down even though she had some slight injuries."

Payton didn't hesitate to raise her hand for the goaltending job, and looked at it as a chance to help the team in a big way. Her efforts and leadership made her an easy choice for the team's Coaches Award.

"It was a big honor for me and a great way to end the season knowing my coach elected me to have the award," Payton said.

"She's one of the best choices I've had for our Coaches Award winner," Coach Nicholson added. "She did everything I asked of her. She was a great captain and a great leader. She had an outstanding season."

And Payton capped her career the best way she could – helping the team beat archrival Suffield Academy in the season finale.

"It felt really good to win the Suffield game, especially since it was my last game of high school soccer ever. I think the team connected and strung some passes together. Katie (Cronin '17) had two really good goals and we played great as a team.

"It was a rebuilding season, since we lost seven seniors. But the team was close and we had a connection."

When Jakheem Hunt '16 was a freshman, he watched someone he looked up to win the MVP Award for the Boys' Soccer team.

Undoubtedly, there were many players on the 2015 WMA team who looked up to Jahkeem, who won the team's MVP Award at the Athletic Awards Ceremony Nov. 17.

"I'm really happy," Jahkeem said. "When I was a freshman, I saw Frankie Baltazar '13 win the MVP Award, and Frankie was a guy I looked up to. From my first award ceremony, I knew I wanted to win one. I kind of knew I wasn't going to get it sophomore and junior year, so I just kept working. I made sure I put myself in position to win it my senior year. I had a good season and had a good career. I'm happy and proud of myself."

Coach Gary Cook believes Jahkeem had much more than a good season and good career, saying Jakheem was a "special player."

"Over the course of four years, Jahkeem has put up some incredible numbers," Coach Cook said. "He had three game-winning goals this year. He's proven over his career he can score some big, timely goals. He joined Greg Balicki '07 as the only guy in my 35 years to score 10 goals or more in three straight seasons, and his final numbers put him in some elite company. He's going to graduate as the third all-time goal scorer, and finish fourth all-time in points."

Jakheem, a four-year starter at forward, finished his brilliant career with more than 40 goals and 60 points. Ten of his goals were game-winners.

"My career was up. It wasn't up and down - it was just up," Jakheem said. "My freshman year to my sophomore year was a big improvement. My sophomore year to my junior year was another big improvement. And then my senior year skyrocketed. It was nice I could improve every year, and I need to give a shout out to Coach Cook because without him and Mr. (Sean) McGrath '07 I don't think I would have been able to progress so much."

Jahkeem played in all-star games as a junior and senior. He's being recruited by more than 15 colleges from all divisions.

Katie Cronin '17 stepped into a big role for the Wilbraham & Monson Academy Girls' Soccer team this season.

How did she do? Her usual – great.

In just 15 games, and despite regularly being the focal point of opposing teams' defenses, Katie scored 16 goals for the young Titans. She was named the team's MVP at the Athletic Awards Ceremony Nov. 17.

"Katie Cronin came into the season already having two great seasons for us, playing many different positions," Coach Don Nicholson '79 explained. "This year she really had some tough shoes to fill, obviously, with a team that graduated seven seniors from last year. Katie was a big part of that team a year ago, but losing seven seniors turned us into a young team fast.

"But Katie stepped into the role of being the spearhead for our offensive efforts. Other teams knew that and played her that way, doubling her up often. She carried the burden. She scored some important goals for us and had some multi-goal games for us and did an outstanding job throughout the course of the season with a team that was, at times, struggling to find itself. Katie just persevered through all of it. She scored some big goals, especially toward the end of the season."

Katie has been on Varsity Girls' Soccer for three seasons, but she has been part of the program for many more. Her sister, Carly '13, played on four Class B tournament teams for the Titans.

"I've known Coach Nic since I was 9," Katie said. "I was a ball girl for four years. I've had a connection with the soccer program and Coach Nic for a long time. Before I came here I knew what I was getting into. I just loved the family-type atmosphere.

"I wouldn't be the player I am today without Coach Nic, and my teammates for supporting me and pushing me to be my best every day."

Katie was named to the Women's Western New England Prep School Girls' Soccer Association All-League team. Her team MVP Award comes six months after winning MVP honors for Girls' Lacrosse.

"I had a pretty good year," Katie said. "It was great to see the team really come together at the end of the season and play well."

Spencer Marocchini '16 wanted to be part of this year's Wilbraham & Monson Academy Boys' Soccer team...as a manager.

He ended up being so much more.

Spencer was voted the team's 12^th Player Award, which he received Nov. 17 at the Athletic Awards Ceremony.

"The soccer season went great this year," Spencer said. "I came out in August and didn't know if I was going to manage the team or play. But after discussions with Coach (Gary) Cook and Coach (Sean) McGrath '07, we all thought it would be best if I went out for soccer my senior year and played, and it was by far one of the best decisions I've made here at the Academy. I started off playing minutes, and by the end of the season I had become a starter.

"It was an honor to receive the award. I didn't expect it. I'm thankful for that."

Spencer played Junior Varsity Soccer as a freshman before making the Varsity squad as a sophomore, where he saw limited minutes on the Class B tournament team. Instead of playing soccer his junior season, he focused on his lacrosse skills. He wanted to return to soccer his senior year, but not originally as a player.

"He said he wanted to manage, but Coach McGrath insisted that if he was going to be on the team it was going to be as a player," Coach Cook explained. "I'm so glad he came back. He's a hardworking kid who played a lot of positions for us. He had a couple big goals and assists. He would do anything he could to make us a better team and I think we would have been a little lost without him. I'm thrilled he came back."

It took some time for Spencer to get back into the soccer flow again. But he eventually did, helping the team go 6-1-2 in the final nine games as the Titans made a late run for the postseason. A big play against a Class A team helped Spencer feel like he was back to being a soccer player.

"There was a minute left in the Tabor game and the goalie rolled the ball out to one of the defenders," Spencer described. "I stole it, crossed it to Jakheem (Hunt '16) and he scored with 30 seconds left. We ended up winning the game 3-2."

As a student at Wilbraham & Monson Academy, Drew Shea '08 gave five years to the Varsity Wrestling team.

Now, as a faculty member at the Academy, he plans to give many more years to the program he loves.

After serving one season as an assistant, Coach Shea was named the Head Coach of WMA Varsity Wrestling for the 2015-16 season in early November.

"I'm super excited about being named Head Coach," Coach Shea said. "I can't wait to get in there and get after it with the guys. I'm still excited to have (former Head Coach) Tim Poole around for this year. It's going to be a learning mentorship process this year as a first-year Head Coach getting a lot of the intricacies figured out in terms of keeping track of the online database and registering the wrestlers and understanding the weight-cutting program. It's going to be a higher commitment outside the wrestling room but I'm definitely really excited."

Coach Shea has plenty to be excited about as he steps into his first role as the Head Coach of a Varsity program. Two dozen students are on the 2015-16 roster, which is a figure significantly higher than recent years.

"I haven't seen a wrestling room that packed at WMA since the 1980s or 1990s," Coach Shea said. "We've already had a good start to our year. We have a lot of athletic ability, a lot of heart, a lot of spirit and a lot of good attitudes on the team. I can't wait to see what the season brings."

Coach Shea served as a two-time captain for Wrestling at the Academy, typically competing in the 152- and 160-pound weight classes. He finished fifth at the Class A Championships as a junior, and was having a strong senior year on the mat before a knee injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season.

He was thrilled when he returned to the mat last season after serving as an assistant for sub-Varsity Basketball upon his return to the Academy in 2013-14.

"It was incredible to be back on the mat," said Coach Shea, who earned co-MVP honors for Wrestling his junior year. "Wrestling is one of my passions. It's a little bit of an obscure sport – not everyone understands it. There was a point when I was a student at the Academy when I was contemplating and partially being recruited to wrestle in college, as opposed to lacrosse, which was my choice in the end for my college experience.

"Being on the mat is exciting. It's a sport unlike anything else. It's you and the other person and how much you want to push it."

Yujia "Cynthia" Zhang '17 loved going to Wilbraham & Monson Academy Cross Country practice every day. She loved seeing her teammates and she loved the challenge of running.

Cynthia's great attitude toward the sport, along with her steady running, helped her earn this season's MVP Award Nov. 17 at the WMA Athletic Awards Ceremony.

"I think my season went pretty well," said Cynthia, a second-year member of the team. "Compared to last season, I pushed myself a lot and it reflected in my time. Also, I made some good friends. I feel warm and happy."

"Throughout the season, Cynthia was our most consistent runner," Coach Marissa Axtell added. "Every single meet she finished in our team's top five finishers and consistently improved her times throughout the whole season. By the end of the season, her 5k time improved by just over four minutes. She is also consistently putting her all into practice, setting an example for the rest of the team. I am looking forward to another Cross Country season with Cynthia next year."

Cynthia went out for the team last season even though she had no running experience. She looked forward to the challenge.

"I signed up for Cross Country last year because I thought it would be fun, but tough," Cynthia explained. "Last year went pretty well for me, too. It was my first time playing such a tough sport. Cross country is different than other sports because you sometimes work individually and sometimes you work together, and that's a good experience."

Three members of the Wilbraham & Monson Academy Boys' Soccer team participated in all-star games following the conclusion of the Titans' regular season.

Jahkeem Hunt '16, Nick Kubacki '16 and Chris Kalil '17 were selected to play in one of three New England all-star events held Nov. 22 at Brooks School in Andover.

Jahkeem played in his second New England all-star game, having also played as a junior. His team won 4-3, with the WMA striker contributing a goal and assist.

"It was very competitive," Jahkeem explained. "That was probably the fastest game I've played in in America. There was a lot of one-touch soccer, and quality on and off the ball. You could tell the players' soccer IQ was very high. Most of all, it was fun. Playing in front of coaches and other people was fun."

Jahkeem also played in the Western New England All-Star Game, held Nov. 15 at Loomis Chafee. He had a goal and assist in that game as well, with his team triumphing 7-0.

Nick played in an all-star game for seniors as well. He was so honored to be selected he gave up a planned trip to Florida.

"It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Nick said. "I was supposed to travel to Miami that weekend to watch the Dolphins play the Cowboys. That being said, that shows what an honor it was to play in the all-star game. It was cool to play against all the guys I played against during the season, and have the atmosphere we had with all the college coaches at the game. It's unique."

Nick played on the back line. The game finished 2-2, with neither of the opponent's goals coming with Nick on the field.

Chris was named to the New England Junior All-Star Game. His team lost 5-3, but he said the "experience was great. Getting picked was phenomenal. The game was really good. I got to see a lot of kids who I've played against. It was a high-paced game and the players had a lot of skills. The goals were good, as was the coaching.

Yujia "Cynthia" Zhang '17 showed last year at Wilbraham & Monson Academy that she is a gifted piano player.

Someone in China felt the same way.

Cynthia was invited to perform with the Kunming Symphony Orchestra in July. Playing as a guest performer, Cynthia was the only student among the musicians.

"The people who organize the symphony know I like to do something instead of service, like a lot of people, and they know I want to share music with everyone as my special after-class activity," said Cynthia, who plans to continue her piano playing in college. "My piano playing isn't at the top, but they think I have that mindset that I will share music."

Despite only having three weeks to prepare, Cynthia shared her piano playing with a few hundred people in the audience. She played three songs at the Chuncheng Theater by Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi.

"At first I was very nervous because I was playing in front of a few hundred people and I haven't seen that many people in an audience," she said. "And I was able to play with professional musicians from top music colleges in China and the rest of the world. I got to know these people and they were very nice.

The first competition of the season couldn't have realistically gone much better for the Wilbraham & Monson Academy Wrestling team, with the Titans placing seventh among 19 teams at the Canterbury Invitational Dec. 5.

"We did really well. We had a lot of guys get out there in the JV bouts, and literally everyone got their first win of the season," Coach Drew Shea '08 said. "Some got their hand raised once; some got it twice.

"On the varsity side, we did very well. We came in seventh overall as a team. It was a very successful day for the Titans and I can't wait to keep it going."

Adam Kugelmass '19 led the Titans, taking second in the 106-pound weight class. He won two matches via pin before losing in the final.

"Adam wrestled really well," Coach Shea explained. "He blew through his first two opponents and made it to the final. He took second as a freshman and that's a sign of good things to come."

"At the Class A meet last year (in the last meet of the season), I placed fifth, which was one place away from advancing to the New England meet," added Adam. "I was looking for redemption and to do better than fifth."

A pre-show reception for parents of show performers will be held in Morrow House at 6 p.m. with Mr. & Dr. Easler.

Schedule

• 6 PM - Reception for parents of performers at Morrow House
• 7 PM - Luminations in Alumni Memorial Chapel
• 8:30 PM - Delicious holiday treats in Rich Hall Lobby

This event is free and open to the public. Spread the joy!

Christina Felchner '16 is at it again.

In her first swim meet of the season, Christina set a pool record at Wilbraham & Monson Academy, finishing the 50-yard freestyle in 25.41 seconds in a meet against Kingswood Oxford Dec. 5.

"This is very exciting," Christina said. "I didn't think I'd do that well because it was the first meet of the season, and I haven't swam in about four months or so. But, I did extremely well. I'm starting off with how I ended last season, which is really good."

Christina broke her own mark of 26.14, which she set in the first meet last season. Her new record is somewhat shocking considering she didn't swim in the fall, instead opting to run cross country.

"Christina performed beyond expectations, especially this early in the season," Coach Dan Moran said. "She set the bar for herself very high. She's been working hard. We're focused on the 50 and the 100 free almost exclusively this year so hopefully we can keep seeing a nice progression."

Masslive.com wrote a preview story on Wilbraham & Monson Academy's Boys' Basketball team for the upcoming season. Click here to read the story.

Click here to read a story on Maodo Lo '12 setting the school record for 3-pointers in a career at Columbia University.

Click here to read a story on Derick Newton '15 being named Newcomer of the Week for Stetson University in the Atlantic Sun Conference.

Click here to watch a video of Wenyen Gabriel '16 being interviewed after the Boys' Basketball team beat Athletes Institute 83-73 Dec. 12 in Kentucky.

Wenyen Gabriel '16 loves the red, white and blue colors of Wilbraham & Monson Academy.

Just a few months after becoming a citizen of the United States, Wenyen will proudly wear those same colors for his new country.

Wenyen has been selected to be a member of the 2016 USA Basketball Junior National Select Team, which will play the World Select Team at the Nike Hoop Summit April 9 in Oregon.

"Being named to USA Basketball is a great achievement," said Wenyen, a native of South Sudan whose family moved to New Hampshire when he was 3 years old. "It's proof that I've taken a couple steps forward. I'm excited to represent the USA."

"It's probably the highest honor you can get as a high school basketball player, and I wouldn't say too many people would say that's an exaggeration because there's really no greater honor than to play for USA Basketball when you're a high school player," Coach Mike Mannix said. "It shows what level he has gotten to."

Wenyen's USA team consists of 12 of the best high school seniors in the country, meaning, when it comes to high school basketball, he ranks among the absolute best of the best. Of the 12 seniors on the roster, Wenyen was the only player selected with no prior USA Basketball experience, which speaks volumes. Two of his future teammates at the University of Kentucky were also named to the team.

"I've played against most of the players on the USA team already," said Wenyen, a 6-foot, 10-inch forward. "It's going to be fun playing with them. It's going to be a great experience. There will be NBA scouts there and that's something I look forward to."

"Top 12 in the United States vs. top 12 in the world," Mannix explained. "Basically, what this says is it cements his place as one of the top players in the world at the high school level. It's well-deserving. For him, it's another dream come true. But I know he won't be satisfied with this. He'll want to keep going, but it's another feather in his cap to everything he's done and all the time he's put in."

The Nike Hoop Summit will be aired live, either on ESPN or ESPN2.

"It's probably the most scrutinized high school all-star game out of all the high school all-star games," Coach Mannix said. "It's the one that's attended by the most NBA scouts and most evaluated. He'll have a chance to have all 30 teams in the NBA lay eyes on him."